De Candolle's Prodromus, pars. iv. p. 142.

Cl. 5. Ord. 2. Pentandria Digynia. L. Nat. ord. Umbelliferae. Species 1. F. vulgare. Common Fennel. Pharm. Lond.

2. Dulce. Sweet Fennel. Officinal. Fosniculum, Lond. Funiculi Semina, Edin. Anethum Foeniculum, Semina, Dub. The seed and root of Sweet

Fennel.

Syn. Fenouil ou Anis douce (F.), Fencheesamen (G.), Venkel (Dutch), Fennikel (Dan.), Fankol (Swed.), Kopo Wlosky (Pol.), Eneldo hinqjo (S.), Finocchio (I.), Hinojo (S.), Funcho (Port.), Razecanuj (Arab.), Badeeyan (Pers.), Perurasiragam (Tarn.), Mayuri (Hind.), Adas (Javanese).

Common Fennel is a biennial plant, originally found in the south of Europe only, but now growing abundantly on our chalky soils and cliffs, and flowering in July and August. The root is fusiform, elevating a stem about four feet in height, erect, branching, leafy, striated, and smooth. The leaves are alternate, tripinnate, composed of long, smooth, depending, capillary leaflets, of a very deep green colour. The flowers are in large, terminal, rayed, flat umbels: the petals five, ovate, emarginate, with their points turned inward, and of a yellow colour: the filaments shorter than the petals, spreading, also yellow, and bearing double anthers. The germen is similar to that of dill: the seed ovate, very little compressed, of a brownish olive colour when ripe, three-ribbed, and encircled with a membranous margin.

1 The most luscious dried figs in the world are those of Kaiamata in the Morea. They are dried upon rushes, with which the figs are pierced.

2 Figs were the chief part of the food of the ancient Athletae.

3 The most ancient cataplasm on record was made of figs. It was used for the relief of Hezekiah, who lived 260 years before Hippocrates. "And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered."-2 Kings, chap. xx. 7.

There are two species of fennel officinal; the root of the common fennel, and the seed of the second, the sweet fennel, although this is not named in the present London Pharmacopoeia. The roots found in the shops are the produce of our own country, and are taken up in the spring, but the seeds are generally imported from Italy.

Qualities.-The roots are covered with a brown bark, are woody and white within, have scarcely any odour, and only a slightly sweetish taste, with very little aromatic warmth; but the seeds have a fragrant odour, and a sweet, warm, aromatic taste. These qualities depend on a volatile oil, which is dissipated by decoction in water, and separated by distillation; they are completely imparted to alcohol, but only imperfectly to boiling water by infusion. The seeds contain also a fixed, inodorous, insipid oil.

Medical properties and uses.-Fennel was formerly esteemed as a remedy; and supposed to be resolvent, diuretic, carminative, and stomachic; but even as a carminative it is not superior to anise-seed and caraway; and it is therefore now seldom employed. The dose of the bruised seed may be from Эj. to 3j.

Officinal preparations.-Aqua Foeniculi, L. D. Oleum Seminum Foeniculi dulcis, D. Spiritus Juniperi comp., L. D. Confectio Piperis nigri, L. D. Decoctum Chamozmeli compositum, D.