Genseric
or GEISERIC, a king of the Vandals. He passed from Spain to Africa, where he took Carthage, and laid the foundation, in Africa, of the Vandal kingdom, which was composed of Numidia, Mauritania, Carthage, Corsica, Sardinia, and the Balearic Isles. In the course of his military expeditions he invaded Italy, and sacked Rome in 455. He died in 477.
GENTIAN (-shan), in botany, the English name of the genus Gentiana .
Numerous species exist almost all over the world, the best known being the marsh gentian (Gentiana pneumomanthe), the spring gentian (G. verna), the small alpine gentian (G. nivalis), the small-flowered gentian (G. amarella), the field gentian (G. campestris), and the American fringed gentians (G. crin- . ata and G. detonsa). G. lutea grows in Switzerland and the mountainous parts of Germany.
In pharmacy, Gentianæ radix (gentian root), the dried root of Gentiana lutea. The root occurs in lenghtened cylindrical pieces, from half an inch to one inch in diameter, and several inches long, wrinkled longitudinally, and often twisted; brown externally, yellow , tough , and spongy within; it has a sweet smell and a sweet and bitter taste. It is used to prepare Extractum gentianæ (Extract GENTILES of gentian), Infusum gentianæ compositum, Mistura gentianæ (gentian mixture), and Tinctura gentianæ composita (compound tincture of gentian). Gentian is a bitter stomachic tonic, which improves the appetite and gives tone to the stomach.