80 Spigelia Marilandica, 
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. 
Carolina pink-root is a medicine of high reputation as a vermi- 
fuge. It is said this property was learned from the Cherokee In- 
dians; but it was first brought into notice among physicians by Drs. 
Garden, Lining, and Chalmers, who have all spoken in strong terms 
of its anthelmintic virtue. It also acts powerfully as a cathartic, 
but this effect is uncertain, and only follows large doses. As the 
plant contains no resin, it yields its principal medicinal virtues to 
water. It is accordingly given, most frequently, in infusion and de- 
coction. The root is supposed to be more powerful than the plant; 
but the usual practice is to employ the whole herb in hot infusion or 
decoction. When given in substance, the powdered root alone is 
administered. Dr. Garden discovered that the recent plant was 
most active, and that when the root became old, it was very consi- 
derably impaired. This circumstance should be borne in mind, 
whenever it is necessary to employ the plant in medicine; and 
when it is known to be old, to make a proportionate allowance for 
the deterioration. The pink-root occasionally induces violent nar- 
cotic effects, such as dimness of sight, giddiness, dilated pupil, spas- 
modic motions in the muscles of the eyes, and even convulsions. 
Indeed, Dr. Chalmers attributes the loss of two children, who died 
