198 AZALEA. 



taste is bitterish, sweetish, subaatringent and mucilagi- 

 nous. Used in England to flavor Ale. 



ASPLENIUM, L- Spleenfern. Many species. Equi- 

 valent of c4. trichomanes and nS.rnta^ suca as A. eheneKm^ 

 trichomanoides^ rkizophyllum^ &c. Mild astringent, pec- 

 toral and corroborant, aperient and diuretic, useful fur 

 obstructions, gravel, syphilis, to clean the kidneys, hy- 

 pochondria. &c. in decoction. 



ASTER, L. StarivorL A fine prolific genus, v/e have 

 nearly 100 species. Never before introduced ia Materia 

 Medica. I am indebted to Dr. Lawrence, of New Le- 

 banon, for the follov/ing indications. The -/?. novanglia 

 is employed in decoction internally, with a strong de- 

 coction externally, in many eruptive diseases of the skin: 

 it removes also the poisonous state of the skin caused by 

 Rhus or Shumac. The ^'^. cordifolius is an excellent 

 aromatic nervine, in many cases preferable to Valerian. 

 Many other species must be equally good, such as Jl. 



they ought to 

 epsy, spasms, 



l.rsterics, &c. 

 ' ATRIPLEX, L. Orach. Several species. Ji. kidnla- 

 la i.^ refrigerant, watery, edible, similar and equivalent 

 to Purslain, .^. halamoides^ Raf- or Sea Orach, is simi- 

 lar* also anodyne, useful in gout as a cataplasm, with 

 sairch j the young shr>ots are eaten like Asparagus, *^. 

 kortends or Garden Orach, eaten like Spinage, 



AVENA SATIVA, 1./ Common Oats. Seeds nutri- 

 tive^ demulcent, refrigerantj equal to Barley in fevers 

 i* a gruel. Oat cakes are eaten like Buckwheat cakes 

 in Scotland. Oat meal is eaten in porridge like our 

 r..u&h ? it cannot be made into bread for want of gluten. 

 Purridge maybe applied to plilegmons to make them sup- 

 surate. The thin gruel is useful in diarrhoea, dysentery, 

 c.'Ugh- hoarseness, ulceration of the throat. Sowins is 

 ''X sour infusion of the husks,- boiled io a jelly, rather fit 

 f«r pigs than men* Oats is tlie chief food of horses in 

 N„i J— "n climates, but Barley is far better. 



-VZaLEA, L. E autiful ornamental genus of s!irubs. 

 ' /'^ l*'a&;-v.it splen '^i bSossomSj often called Sivamp 

 Pintt. Ifl'J Honcf/'suclie.^ Sprin^bloom, Cutler says 



puniceits and those with a strong scent 3 

 tried as equivalents of Valerian in epil 



