^vm HO.IITUS JAJlAlCENSI^i -n; 



a light green colour* 4F"r.irLi between the leaves the flowers come out on the siJo'of the 

 ^tillk, having a long spathe of a pale gieen colour, marked with white spots, siiniig 

 -<]o!:e to tiie stem of the plant ; at the first appeal ance it stands erect, soon after it be- 

 conjcs horizontal, and in a little tiiiie declines downward ; the lowej; ^art is swelling 

 Ko far as the flowers are ranged on the spadix, above which it is' greatly contracted, and 

 toward the top enlarges again, where it is a little open, so as to shew the naked part of 

 the spadix, but is twisted again at the top ; all the lower part folds closely over the 

 spadix, KO that it is scarcely discernible, unlesF the sputhe be opened, which can rinly 

 be done on one side, the other adhering closely to tlie spadix, so far ujT.vard^-- as the 

 fiovvers extend, the naked part of the s])adix only being separated frora th spathe; so 

 that the female flowers and stamens are ranged only on one side of the spadix ; in which 

 it differs from all the-other species. Marhjn. 



This is so called because, if any bod3' bites of it, they-cannot speak for, some time ; 

 for it bnrns and benumbs the tongue, and causes a great flux of spittlea It grows in 

 joints, appearing like green sugar-canes, and therefore so called ; and some have been 

 deceived in taking them for sugat-canes. Its fruit is like some of the arums ; but the 

 leaves are like Indian shot, or our water-pepper. It liath been used with good success 

 in the dropsy, in the following manner : Take the greenest and most juicy, and beaS; 

 it in a mortal into a kmd of pulp ; then add thereto double the quantity of hog's fat, 

 or rather tortoise fat, or snake's fat ; the which having agitated strongly together, let 

 it He for some days ; then beat it vvcll again, and keep it for use ; observing, the longer 

 it is kept it better answers the iiiteniion ; l)nt it must be heated and beaten now and 

 ^then, lest- worms breed in it. To prevent that, and also render liie ointment more flae^ 

 safe, and agreeable, t;ike of the mass, beaten as before, warm it, and strain it through 

 a coarse cloth, which boil up to a due -consistence, and keep for use ; which is thus ; 

 Take of this ointment, and chafe it warm into the swollen parts, and apply as a' cata- 

 plasm- to the scrotum; by which method the watery humour will be discharged. > 

 arhmn, p. 54. 



This plant is common in most parts of America, and grows chiefly in cool and moist 

 places. The crude juice of the stalk is used to bring sugar to a good grain, when the 

 juice is too viscid, and cannot be brought to gianulate rightly with lime alone. Trap- 

 ham recommends a decoction of the plant bv way of "fomentation in hydropic cases; 

 and it certainly must be a strong resolutive, which cannot'fail to strengthen and stimu- 

 late the relaxed fibres in such cases. Broione. Piso says the roots boiled in urine are 

 a proper fomentatiQii in the gout. The expressed juice is used for curing yaws ; and 

 -the bruised leaves are mentioned in Dr. Dancer's Medical Assistant as useful in curing 

 -the itch, tetters, and ring-worm. 



The following ingenious observations on the characters and virtues of this plant are 

 lextraf ted from the manuscript of Mr. Anthony Robinson : 



' " On the upper part and extremity of the spadix are placed, so as to cover it, a 

 'number of sessile, squar;-, thin, tender, membranaceous, receptacles, to wiiose mar- 

 gin adhere some ten or twelve anthers ; the spadix adheres to the spatha more than half 

 its length, from its base on its interior side ; on its exterior side, opposite the adhe- 

 rent part, are fixed two irregular series or rows of double or testiculated germs, wiYh 

 feorc ^nd there a single one among them; they are green, shimng, about twenty in 



N n KUiaber^ 



