38 Orobanche Virginiana. 
Greater Broom-rape, is a very powerful astringent, and is said to have 
been found useful, externally applied, in cases of ulcers. This I men- 
tion on the respectable authority of sir John Floyer. The activity of 
the European plant may even be inferred from the fact mentioned 
by Schreber, that cattle do not eat it.°’* 
It would seem then, that the cancer-root is an active vegetable, 
and it would be naturally expected, from the foregoing account of 
its effects, to be considerably astringent. This is the fact, and its as- 
tringency is very perceptible to the taste in the recent, and in the 
dry plant. When fresh, the plant is also bitter and nauseous to the 
taste; exsiccation seems to lessen in some degree its sensible pro- 
perties. | 
Dr. Barton tells us “ it has been celebrated in dysentery.” He 
does not mention the manner nor the dose in which it has been ad- 
ministered in that complaint; and as I have never administered it 
myself internally, I am not prepared to offer any opinion on the 
subject. ; 
Upon the whole, the cancer-root may be justly said to have a 
claim to the attention of physicians and surgeons, for further and 
more extensive trials of its virtues than have heretofore been made. 
(For the Chemical Analysis, see Appendix. ) 
* Barton’s Collections, ed. 3d. par. 2. p. 6. 
