a plant belonging to the natural order of Menispermaceae, a native of South America and the West Indies, of which the root has been introduced into medicine as a diuretic, tonic, and aperient remedy; but the plant from which it is obtained in Brazil, whence it was first brought to Europe, is still doubtful. It is called Pareira brava, or wild vine, and was extolled by the Brazilian practitioners not only as a remedy in diseases of the urinary organs, but as an antidote against the poison of serpents. Brodie has recommended its use in chronic urinary diseases, as in chronic irritations of the bladder; but many consider its virtues much over-rated both in this country and in Brazil.