VALERIANA, VALERIAN; a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the triandria class of plants. There are 20 species; the most remarkable of which is the officinalis, or great wild valerian, growing naturally in Britain, in ditches, marshy places, and sometimes in dry mountainous pastures. The root is much used in medicine, and consists of a number of strings or fibres matted together, issuing from one common head; of a whitish or pale brownish colour: its smell is strong, like a mixture of aromatics with fetids; the taste unpleasantly warm, bitterish, and subacid. The London college have restrained the shops to that which grows in dry places, and is considerably the strongest, and loses of its quality if transplanted into such soils as the other naturally delights in. The roots produced in low watery grounds have a remarkably faint smell in comparison of the others, and sometimes scarce any at all. Wild valerian is a medicine of great use in nervous disorders; and is particularly serviceable in epilepsies proceeding from a debility of the nervous system. It was first brought into esteem in these cases by Fabius Columna, who by taking the powdered root in the dose of half a spoonful, was cured of an inveterate epilepsy after many other medicines had been tried in vain. Repeated experience has since confirmed its efficacy in this disorder; and the present practice lays considerable stress upon it. The common dose is from a scruple to a dram; in infusion from one to two drams. Its unpleasant flavour is most effectually concealed by a suitable addition of mace.—Cats are very fond of the smell of this root, and seem to be intoxicated by it.