264 SMI LAX. 



alba or white Mustard seeds chiefly used whole in large 

 doses, proved by Gassicourt to be merely laxative, near- 

 ly inert. Nay, larger doses still or infusion are emetic 

 by irritating the stomach : may cause convulsions in 

 children when mist with bread. Decoctiou in small 

 doses aperient .and diuretic. 



SISYRINCHlUM, Lin. Lily grass^ Scurvy grass. 

 Eaten by horses and cattle. Root yellow acrid, decoc- 

 tion purgative, said by empirics to be antidote of subli- 

 mate! and used as eq. of Cochlearia! 



hlVM, Ij. iraterParsnep. Several wild sp. Equiv. 

 S. nodijlornm, deleterious plant, yet deemed diuretic, 

 menagogue, herpetic, lithontriptic, cures obstinate cuta- 

 neous diseases, 6 spoons full of juice in a day said not 

 to hurt the head, stomach, nor bowels. Doubtful to me. 



S.JaHfohum certainly poisonous. S. ruxrosum, Raf. 



Muskrat 



Indians bait the traps with it. Roots tuberose, poisonous 

 to men, but boiled useful for tumors and bruises. S. 

 sisarum or Skiret^ cult, in Europe, rare with us, roots 

 sweet, esculent, astringent, vulnerary, useful in liemop- 

 ty&is and internal hemorrhage, 



SMILAX, L. Sarsapariila. Valuable prolific genus, 

 we have 25 sp. divided by me in 3 G. Nemexia, {S. her- 

 bacea a.nd pedunculata) and Parillax with monosp. ber- 

 nes, {S. pumila laurifolia)/ All more or less eq. Sm. 

 sarsapariila best known; Sm. paeudo china largest roots, 

 extend 100 feet in damp soils forminn- clusters. Much 

 used by southern Indians for food in°meal, cakes, frit- 

 ters, jelly, mush, &c. The fecula is a red brown flour. 

 Good beer made with Sassafras and molasses, purifies 

 the blood. Shoots eaten like asparagus. S. caduca^ 

 lauri/olia, tamnoides, &c. equally used. S. ovata and 

 fragrans, Raf. have fragrant blossoms, give aroma to 

 Wine liquors like S. aspera of Europe. Berries of 

 many dye blue and black. Roots fine alterative, depu- 

 rative, sudorific and diuretic, in decoction, syrup. 



Much USpd in rarhpYv. cvnViilio n-mif Tnari^ninnt dis- 



ease 



! 



eru 



Propetti ^ _ „ _^ 



la, mucus, albumen. The centre is pure fecula, inert, 

 esculent 



