-/ 



GUAYACUM. 225 



piled bruised to the sores, renewed every 3 hours, and 

 the warm infusion used as tea freelv, also to wash the 

 sores. It IS employed by the Indians, and has efiected 

 some cures. 



GORDONIA LASIANTHUS, L. Swamp Laurel 

 Beautiful tree, reaching 100 feet, wood coarse but beau-, 

 tiful, cinnamon color, veined of white, yellow and brown, 

 used for inlaying* &c. The inner bark dyes wool, cot- 

 ton, linen and deer skins of a redish or sorrel color ; 

 equal to oak for tannini;. Beautiful fragrant blossoms 

 lasting nearly the whole year. Leaves in the fall be- 

 come versicolor, yellow, red and brown. 

 ^ GOSSYPIUM, L. Cotton. Two sp. cult, from Vir- 

 ginia and Kentucky to the Gulf of Mexico, C herbaceum 

 and G. hirsutiimj are become a valuable staple of the 

 Southern States, might be cult, as far N. as Lono- Isl- 



and- G. arboreum, G. indictwi^ G^religiosum^ &c- are 

 cult, in the East and West Indies. The whole plant 

 useful. Leaves emollient, eq. to Mallow. Seeds sweet 

 ody, liked by cattle and poultry, emulsion useful for ne- 

 phritis, giving much sweet oil available for many pur^ 

 f)oses, similar to almond oil : we could make several mil- 

 ions of gallons at 25 cents the gallon! Cotton w^ool is a 

 peculiar chemical principle, Gossypine : medical use for 

 ear ache and tooth ache, but makes bad lint for wounds, 

 the fibres being with flat sharp edges and irritating. 

 Used for making threads, cloth, quilts, wicks, fringes, 

 muslins, paper, &c. 



GRATIOLA, L. Many sp, purgative like G- ojflci- 

 nalis of Europe. Gr. aurea the nearest akin. Gr. vir- 

 ginica or Water Jessamine, used as such, said to grow 

 from Canada to Guyana, but snany sp. probably blended 



in that name. 



GUAYACUM OFFICINALE, h. Gnayac. Lignum- 

 vit3e. In South Florida. Valuable tree, all the parts 

 available. Wood verv hard, used for tools by turners 

 like boxwood. An oil smelling like Vanilla is distilled 

 from it. Flowers make a fine pectoral s\^rup similar to 

 violets. Seeds purgative. The gum or Gtmyacine, is a 

 peculiar bitter substance, difterent from 2;ums and re- 

 sins, very activelv medical, the bark, wood, oil and ex* 

 tract are much weaker. All aperient, stimulant, ster-r 



