Spec. Plant Willd. ii. 12391 Cl. 13. Ord.4t. Polyandria Tetragynia. Nat. ord. Winteraceae. G. 1063. Calyx three lobed. Petals six or twelve. Germens club-shaped. Style none. Berries four or eight, obovate. Species 1. D. Winteri. Winter's Bark-tree. Phil. Trans, xviii.

923. t. f. 1, 2. De Candolle, Syst. Officinal. Winterae aromaticae cortex, Edin. Drimys aromatica; cortex, Dub. Winter's bark.

Syn. Cannelles de Winter (F.), Winterana (I.), Corteza Winterana (S.).

The tree yielding Winter's Bark is a native of the Straits of Magellan, growing in valleys which are exposed to the sun. It is a tall evergreen tree; covered on the trunk with a grey wrinkled bark, which is smooth and green on the branches. The leaves are petiolate, elliptical, obtuse, smooth, an inch and a half in length, and an inch broad in the middle, and of a light green colour. The flowers are axillary, two, three, or more together, on short peduncles of a milk-white colour, with the odour of jasmine: the petals are unequal, oval, obtuse, concave, and erect, the filaments shorter than the petals, supporting large oval anthers; and the germens turbinated, with large sessile divided flat stigmas. The berries are of a light green colour, spotted with black, and contain several black aromatic seeds.

1 The Spanish, for the English word antidote, is contrahierba. The Mexican name of the root is Tazpatlas.

2 Phil. Trans. No. 421. p. 195.

This tree was discovered in 1577, by Captain Winter, the crew of whose ship used the bark as spice. It is not often found in the shops: and is frequently confounded with the Canella alba; from which it may be distinguished by being in larger pieces, and having more of a cinnamon hue.

Qualities.--Winter's bark has an aromatic odour; and a pungent, hot, spicy taste, slowly imparted but very permanent. These qualities depend on a volatile oil, which can be obtained separate, in distillation with water. M. Henry obtained also resin, tanninl, a colouring matter, acetate of potassa, chloride of potassium, sulphate of potassa, oxalate of lime, and oxide of iron, from this bark.

Medical properties and uses.-This bark is stomachic and carminative. It has been found efficacious in scurvy, and may be used as an adjunct to simple bitters in dyspepsia; but it does not appear to be superior to Canella alba, and is very little used. On the Continent it is given in the forms of powder, tincture, and infused in wine.