214 CYNARA. 



The seeds of both cooling in emulsions and used in stran- 

 gury, gravel, fevers, &c. 



CUCURBITA, L. Many species, often spontaneous, 

 cultivated by the Indian tribes even before Columbus I 

 C citndus or Watermelon^ highly diuretic and refrige- 

 rant, useful in fevers, gravel, &c. too much chills the 

 stomach like Cucumbers. C. verrucosa and C- meloprpo 

 are the Squashes, very healthy boiled. C. lagenaria^ 

 {Gourd or Calabash) also, rind used for bottles* by the 

 Indians. C. pepo or Pumpkin^ valuable j pulp sweet, 

 healthy, cooked in many ways, excellent with vice {Fur- 

 lata dish of Italy); the Indians bake a bread of it or 

 rather cakes, heavy, but sweet, yet made in the West, 

 or united to Maize. The seeds of all cooling and much 

 used in fevers, gravel, strangury, cholics, &c. in emul- 

 sions. Very oily, producing a fine sweet oil, pumpkin 

 seeds might be saved for this purpose. Pumpkin pies 

 are a peculiar delicate dish- IncJiians dry pumpkins in 

 stripes for winter use. The C. aurantia (Orange vine 

 or Squash) found native of Florida by Bartram, climbing 

 on trees, now cultivated for beauty. 



CUNILA. Add, Indians use it for wounds, to expel 

 a dead child ; it kills rattle snakes by holding it to the 

 nose with a stick. 



CUPRESSUS THYOIDES, L. White Cedar. Fmits 

 fragrant, the oil drives off insects and worms. Infusion 

 of the wood stomachic. 



CURCUMA LONGA, L. Turmeric. Cultivated in 



Florida and Louisiana. Valuable yellow dye, principal 

 ingredient of Curry powder. Weak aromatic smell and 

 taste, slightly bitter. Gentle stimulant, diuretic, deob- 

 ftruent and hepatic, useful in jaundice, diseases of the 

 liver, gravel, cachexy, dropsy, ague??, obstructions, men- 

 strual suppressions, &c. Externally, it resolves tumors. 

 It dyes saliva and urine vellow. 



CUSCUTA AMERICANA, L. Dodder, DevWs gut. 

 From Canada to Brazil : bitterish, subastringent, dyes 

 ^f a pale red, stomachic, febrifuge, antiscrofulous j use- 

 ful in decoction for agues and scrofula. 



CYNARA, L. Articlwke. Cultivated. Very healthy 

 vegetable when well cooked, supposed aphrodisiac, uu-^ 



