Obfervatlons refpefting the Aya-Vana. 379 



in the fame liquor, befprinkling it anew every ten minutes. 

 About two hours after the firft dreffing the inflammation had 

 fo much abated that the patient was able to walk with the 

 help of a ftiek, and at the end of thirteen days he was per- 

 fectly cured. 



I could mention a great many more cures effe&ed by means' 

 of the famous plant of Brazil ; but, as it is not prudent to 

 certify anv tacls of which one bis not been a vvitncfs, we 

 ought, in my opinion, to wait till the virtues of the .ya-fana 

 have been confirmed by the continued obfervations of able 

 phyficians. The teftimonv, however, of captain Baudin, and 

 that of feveral perfons lately arrived from the Ifle of France, 

 are entitled to fome confidence, and give us reafon to hope 

 that the aya-pana mav increafe the number of our vegetable 

 productions employed for relieving or curing the evils incident 

 to the human race. 



It is to be prefumed that this plant will be foon multiplied 

 in the gardens of the capital. C. Michaux, who has rendered 

 fo great fervices to botany and agriculture, has fent feeds of 

 it to G. Cels, and madame Bonaparte has received fome 

 from the director of the garden of the ftate : but, as the feeds 

 do not always produce plants, it is to be wifhed that fome 

 living moots of it could be obtained : they might eafily be 

 multiplied from flips, and it might then be poffible to form 

 fome decifive opinion in regard to the virtues afcribed to this 

 plant. 



Though we are allowed to doubt the virtues of the aya- 

 pa?ia 9 the botanical characters of this plant are fo fimple and 

 eafy to be known, that there cannot be the leaft uncertainty 

 in refpe6t to the genus to which it ought to be referred. The 

 examination I have made of feveral complete plants has proved 

 to me that it belongs to the family of the corymbiferse, and 

 that it belongs to the genus eupatorium of Linnaeus. 



The flem of this plant, which I have called eupatorium 

 aya-pana, is ftraight, full of branches, of a dark brown co- 

 lour, about three feet in height, and of the. fize of a goofe- 

 quill. Its leaves are alternate, almoft: fertile, lance-formed, 

 and very entire 5 the flowers are of a bright purple colour, and 

 difpofed in corymbi at the fummit of the flem and branches. 



The eupatorium aya-pana may be diftinguimed from other 

 fpecies or this genus by the following character: Eupatorium 

 Joins lanceolatis, hitegerrimis, wferioribus oppojitn, Juptrio- 

 ribus altemis ; calicibus Jubjimplicibus , multijioris *. 



* A defcription of a plant pofleliing fimibr properties to the ava-fntia^ 

 and agreeing with it in feveral of its characters, may be feen in our laft 

 volume, p. 36.— Edit. 



A figure 



