242 MENTHA. 



licate f(»od, but lieavj and breeding worms in children. 

 A black acid oil is distilled by descension from the cobs 

 in Kentucky, used to cure ringworms- The meal eaten 

 in cakes, bread, puddings, mush, this last deemed useful 

 in Italy as a diet in atrophy, dysentery, phthisis, &c. It 

 contains 77 of fccula, besides albumen, gum, sugar, wa- 

 ter, iron, many salts, and 3 per cent, of Zeine^ peculiar 

 substance, between gluten and resin, similar to yellow 

 wax, elastic, not combustible. 



MEDEOLA VIRGINICA, T.inn. Cucmnher root. 

 Wrongly called Gyromia by N. since M, asparagoides 

 was long ago made a N. G- Root succulent, eaten by the 

 Indians like Cucumbers, good taste, when much is eaten 

 acts as diuretic and hydragogue, but not emetic as sup- 

 posed by Schoepf. 



MELANTHIUM VIRGINICUM,L. Quajidil Root 

 used by Cherokees ns a poison for crows, and a sure but 

 violent remedy for the itch. 



MELILOTUS, Tt. MeUlol Clover. Two sp. with 

 yellow and white blossoms, both native, sweet scented 

 leaves, make fine hay, giving rich milk, butter and 

 cheese. The flowers and leaves pectoral, emollient, re- 

 solvent, lubricant, used for disury, leucorrhea, coughs^ 

 &:c, also topically. 



MELISS\, L. Balm, 3 sp. spontaneous and equiv^ 

 M. officinalis^ M* nepela and M. sylvatica^ Raf. Plea- 

 sant smell, make fragrant tea. Stimulant, antispasmo- 

 dic, stomachic, expectorant, menagogue, pellent, resol- 

 vent. Useful in obstructions, suppressions, headache, 

 piles, pleurisy, asthma, hysteria, inflammatory fevers, 

 &c. Eq. of itfon^^rrfa. 



MELOTHRIA NIGRA, Raf. A. N. 1820. Very dif- 

 ferent from M. pendula of West Indies. Blackberry 

 vine, Charopesha and Shagahmga of Missouri tribes. 

 Root very bitter, vermifuge. Berries black and small^ 

 while M, pendttla lias them as large as nutmegs, pickled 



unripe, and eaten ripe in West Indies. 



MENISPERMUM CANADENSE, L. Moanseed. 

 Pis^worty Yellow Sarsaparillcu Root bitter, tonic, mu- 

 cilaginous, ustd for the strangury of horses. 



Mentha, L. Mint. Several sp. native and cult, all 

 eq. the if. /jzpcri/a strongest. Fragrant, pungent, stimu- 



