Canterbury-Bell
a name given to species of Campanula, C. medium and C. trachelium.
CANTHARIS (pl. can-thar'-i-des), the Spanish-fly or Blister Beetle-fly, Cantharis vesicatoria, a coleopterous in- Spanish-fly or Blister Beetle-fly, Cantharis vesicatoria, a coleopterous insect, the typical one of the family Cantharidæ. They are collected principally in Hungary, Russia, and the south of France, and are imported in cases of 100 to 175 pounds weight. In several parts of England they have become so naturalized as to be almost native. They are about eight lines long; the elytra are a fine green color. They have a disagreeable odor and a burning taste, and contain taste, a crystalline substance, Cantharidine.
The insects described above are externally used as a rubefacient in the form of a liniment, also as a vesicant in the form of the common blister. They are applied to diseases and painful joints, also in cases of pleuritis, pericarditis, pneumonia, and other internal inflammations. Internally they are given in chronic affections of the nervous system, especially of the spinal cord. They have also a diuretic action. They should never be administered except by a physician.