82 SCUTELLARIA- No. 84. 



Flowers pale blue, on long lateral axillary racemes, 

 bracteated by bracts ovate acute, entire, subsessile, each 

 flower axillary to one bract and pedunculated, bracts 

 distichal, flowers unilateral. - Calyx scutellate. Seeds 

 oval verrucose- 



HISTORY. A remarkable natural genus, with many 

 species, easily known by the calyx. This species is 

 found all over the United States, in woods, meadows, 

 near waters, &:c.; it blossoms in summer- The juice of 

 the plant is a little colored of red- It has hardlj^ any 

 smell, and the taste is vapid bitterish- The varieties 

 are: 1. Membranacea. 2- Pumila. 3. Ramosissima. 



* PROPERTIES. Schoepf states the S. lateriflora, S. 

 galerictdatay S.integrifolia, and S.hyssopifolia^ to have 

 similar properties, being abstergent and tonic j useful in 

 intermittent fevers- The S. lateriflora is laterly become 

 famous as a cure and prophylactic against hydrophobia- 

 This property was discovered by Dr. Vandesveer, to- 

 wards 17r2, who has used it with the utmost success, 

 and is said to have till 1815, period of his death, pre- 

 vented 400 persons and 1000 cattle from becoming hy- 

 drophobous, after being bitten by mad dogs- His son is 

 stated to have thus relieved or cured 40 persons in three 

 years, in New York and New Jersey. Many empirics, 

 and some enlightened physicians have employed it also 

 successfully. But several sceptical physicians have since 

 denied altogether these facts, and pronounced the plant 

 totally inert, because it has no strong action on the sys- 

 tem, and has failed in their hands. Dr. W. Barton and 

 Dr. Tully /lave strenuously asserted this, but without 





analyzing the plant, and denying, instead of provin^ 

 This plant has since been carefully analyzed by Cadet, 

 in Paris, and found to contain many powerful chemical 

 principles, which evince active properties. 



The dried plant gave one fourth of soluble matter, and 

 a very active extract. The substances found in it by 

 Cadet were : 1. A yellow-green oil, fixed and soluble in 

 ether. 2. A bitter principle, soluble in water, alcohol, 

 and ether. 3. Chlorophylle- 4. A peculiar volatile mat- 

 ter, smelhngand tasting like the principle of antiscorbu- 

 uc plants. 5, An essential oil- 6. Albumine. T- A sweet 



