?ro. 14. BAPTISIA. 81 



Locality — Found all over the United States from 

 Maine to Louisiana and Illinois, in woods, and on 

 hills ; it prefers dry and poor soils, is unknown ift 

 rich loamy soils, and seldom met in alluvions. 



Qualities — The whole plant, but particularly the 

 root, is nauseous, subacrid, subastringent, but inodo- 

 rous. It is active and dangerous In its fresh state, if 

 taken internally; but loses much of its action by long 

 keeping, and by boiling. Its active principles are lit- 

 tle known ; it contains tannin, indigo, and an acid. 



PROPERTIES— Astringent, antiseptic, febrituge, 

 diaphoretic, purgative, emetic and stimulant. It is 

 a valuable remedy for all kinds of ulcers, even the 

 foulest, either gangrenose, phagedenic, or syphilitic: 



also for almost every sore, such as malignant ulceroug 

 sore throat, mercurial.sore mouth, sore nipples, aph- 

 thous, chronic sore eyes, painful acrid sores, and every 

 ulcerous affection. It must be used externally ia 

 strong decoction as a wash or in fomentation, also in 

 poultice, or ointment with lard or cream. 



This is one of the most powerful vegetable anti- 

 septics in putrid disorder and in internal mortification, 

 it may be given internally at the dose of half an ounce 

 of a decoction, made with twenty times its weight of 

 water. It stops gangrene, has cured Scarlatina angi- 

 nosa, inverted uterus, and sometimes putrid and ty- 

 phus fevers. As k cathartic and emetic, it is incon- 

 venient and variable in results. 



Substitutes — Katmia latifolia — Charcoal— To- 

 nic Bzx\Ls—Iixihus villosus— Colli nsonia Canaden 



sis — Solanum dulcamara &. S. virgmicum, ^c 



