COPTIS TRIFOLIA. 
The scape or flower-stem is slender, round, rather longer than 
the leaves, and surmounted by one small white flower, with 
a,minute mucronate bract beneath it. The petals are oblong, 
concave, and of a white color, the nectaries inversely conical, 
hollow and yellow at the top. The stamens have capillary 
filaments and globose anthers. The germs are from five to 
eight, stipitate, oblong, compressed, and surmounted by short 
recurved styles with acute stigmas. The capsules, which di- 
verge in a star-like form, are pedicelled, compressed, beaked, 
and contain numerous black seeds attached to the inner . 
side. 
Another species of Copris has been described by Dr. Wal- 
lich, under the name of Coptis Teeta, peculiar to India, and 
grows in the mountainous regions bordering on Assam, and 
very much esteemed among the natives. 
CHEMICAL AND MEDICAL PROPERTIES AND USES. 
Cortis TRIFOLIA possesses the tonic properties of the sim- 
ple bitters, and is very analogous in its action to the other 
plants of the same description, and belonging to the same 
natural family. Dried Goldthread, as brought into the mar- 
ket, is in loosely matted masses, consisting of the long, thread- 
like orange-yellow roots, frequently interlaced, and mingled 
with the leaves and stems of the plant. It is without smell, 
and has a purely bitter taste, unattended with aroma or astrin- 
gency. It imparts its bitterness and yellow color to water 
and alcohol, but most perfectly to the latter, with which it 
forms a bright-yellow color. Its virtues appear to depend on 
a bitter extractive matter, which is precipitated by nitrate of 
silver and acetate of lead. It affords no evidence of contain- 
ing either resin, gum, or tannin. we ger ee 
s 
Goldthread is a simple tonic bitter, bearing a close resem- 
blance to quassia in its mode of action, and applicable to all 
cases in which that medicine is prescribed; though not as 
powerful, it is far more palatable. From its higher price, 
however, it is not likely to come into general use as a sub- 
stitute. It has long been popularly employed as a remedy in 
autumnal intermittent and remittent fevers, and has found 
much favor with the medical profession in the latter of these 
complaints. The state of the fever to which it is particularly 
applicable, is that which exists in the intervals between the 
paroxysms, when the remission is such as to call for the use _ ce 
of tonics, but is not sufficiently decided to justify a resort to 
the preparations of Peruvian bark. It is also occasionally = 
_nseful during the progress of, a slow convaleseence, by pro 
