Uses.--This species is one of those which produce the substance known
in pharmacy as _aloes_, which is the juice of the leaf evaporated to
the consistency of an extract. It is official in all pharmacopoeias
and its properties are known to the Filipino herb-doctors. They
use the fresh juice of the leaves as a stimulant of the scalp in
baldness and locally in contusions. Aloes is a slow purgative and
its irritating action on the lower portion of the large intestine
extends to the genito-urinary organs. It is, therefore, an emmenagogue
and its prolonged use causes hemorrhoids, especially in man. It is
contraindicated where there is disease of the genito-urinary organs
or rectum. As it increases the secretion of bile it is useful in
certain hepatic diseases. It is used in small doses as a tonic in
dyspepsia. The tonic dose is 1/2-20 centigrams; purgative, 15-50 of
the extract, preferably in pill form. It is customary to associate
it with other purgatives.
Botanical Description.--A stemless plant, the leaves springing
immediately from the root as in the pineapple, joined at the base,
straight, ligulate, very fleshy and becoming thinner toward the end,
with stiff thorns along the edges. Flowers between yellow and red
outside and straw-colored inside, in racemes on a cylindrical scape
3° or more high, sometimes ramose, peduncles very short. Corolla
cylindrical, somewhat incurved, cleft to the middle in 6 parts, 3
external, acute and superposed on the others, obtuse at the apex and
of different color. Stamens 6, inserted at the nectiferous base of
the ovary and of the same length as the corolla. Anthers erect. Ovary
cylindrical with 6 furrows. Stigma obtuse, with raveled edges. The
seed vessel ovoid, 3-valved, 3-celled, with 2 seeds in each, furnished
with 3 spongy wings.
Habitat.--Common in gardens.
_Allium sativum_, L.
Nom. Vulg.--_Ajo_, Sp.; _Bawang_, Tag.; _Garlic_, Eng.
_Allium Cepa_, L.
Nom. Vulg.--_Cebolla_, Sp.; _Lasuna_, _Sibuyas_, Tag.; _Onion_, Eng.
Uses.--The garlic and the onion are used to excess as condiments
in Philippine as well as Spanish cooking. Both are difficult of
digestion and communicate a very disagreeable odor to the breath,
intolerable to those who are unaccustomed to it. Garlic possesses
the singular property, familiar to many students and soldiers,
of inducing a transient fever if introduced within the anus. When
bruised and applied to the skin it has a counter-irritant action which
makes it useful in the treatment of rheumatism, but the odor is so
disagreeable that it is not worth while to use it for that purpose
when we have so many other medicines which produce the same effect
without being objectionable. It is also used locally for the bites
of venomous animals.
The onion is used cooked as a poultice over the bladder and internally
for various catarrhs. It is better to abstain from the therapeutic
and culinary use of products so indigestible and so malodorous.
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