VIRGINIA SNAKEROOT. 83 
was swallowed in season ; which being done, no 
one was ever known to be in danger of his life 
from this cause. 
The snagréel has had a great many rivals in 
the character of specifics against the bite of 
serpents. So great, indeed, is the number of 
articles which are called uniformly successful in 
such cases, that we are compelled to believe, that 
the bite of the rattle snake, and doubtless of 
other venomous serpents in the country, although 
attended with severe and alarming consequences, 
is nevertheless but seldom fatal; and hence 
that the honor of proving specific in these cases 
is one of cheap acquisition. 
The Serpentaria grows in woods in the South- 
ern and Middle parts of the United States. It 
bears cultivation in any part of the union, thongh 
the most northerly situation, from which I: have 
received wild specimens, is the vicinity of New 
Haven, from which place some living plants were 
sent to me by Dr. Monson. 
The genus ristolochia has a monopetalous, 
inbular, crooked corolla, swelling at base, and 
dilated at the border. Capsule inferior, sia celled. 
The species Serpentaria has its leaves heart- 
shaped, oblong, acuminate ; stem flexuous ; pe- 
duncles radical, Pursh mentions a variety with 
