GEUXa. No. 45. 



near DryaSj Daliharda and Stylypus^ and to Iqp- 

 iandria polygynia of Linnaeus. 



Qualities — ^The whole plant is available, but the 

 root is principally used, it has a bitterish astringent 

 taste, and a pleasant smell, somewhat like cloves, only 

 perceptible in the spring, when it must be collected 

 for use. It contains resin, gum, tannin, extractive, 

 miicilage^^fibrin^- a volatile oil, &c. The Gmm Uf 

 hanuniy a consimilar and equivalent species, has beea 

 found to contain out of two ounces, 496 grains of Jig- 

 nine, 118 of tannin, ISl extractive, 61 of saline and 

 soapy matter, 92 of mucilage, 23 of resin, 76 of oil 

 and water. It yields these principles to water and 

 alcohol, and dies them red: the alcoholic preparations 

 are scented, the watery scentless and merely astrin- 

 gent.* 



PROPERTIES— All the Avens have nearly thr 



same properties, they are astringent, styptic, tonic, 

 febrifuge, stomachic, &c. They are much used in 

 the Northern States and Canada. In Connecticut 

 they supersede the Chincona ; but they are weaker, 

 although less stimulant, in fevers. They do not in- 

 crease excitement and are therefore useful in hemop- 

 tysis and Phthisis. They are decidedly excellent in 

 dyspepsia and visceral affections; Ives states that its 

 long use, restores to health the most shattered and 

 enfeebled constitatioms. They are often used in de- 

 eoction with sugar and milk, like chocolate or coffee, 

 to which they resemble : and also for dysentery, chro- 

 ftic diarrhea, colics, debility, asthma, sorethroat, leu- 

 corhea, uterine hemorrhagy. They are the base of 



