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“It is justly held in estimation as a valuable tonic bitter ; and 
- for this property it has received a place in this work, It seems to 
differ from the Chironia centaurium, or Lesser-Centaury of Europe, 
in the cireumstance of the flowers, as well as the other parts of the 
plant, being intensely bitter. In every other respect it is very 
similar, and equally deserving of extensive use. It has been very 
generally administered in febrile diseases throughout the United 
States, by regular practitioners ; it is also much used in domestic 
practice, as a prophylactic against autumnal fevers. The late Dr. 
Barton says it “ was much employed in the year 1793, in certain 
stages of yellow fever ;*? and the doctor was of opinion that it 
was often used with much benefit.* 
On the whole, Centaury may be confidently recommended, 
for its pure bitter, tonic and stomachic virtues. It ought to have 
a place in all the apothecaries’ shops of our country. It readily 
yields its active virtues to aqueous and spiritous menstrua. But 
. the infusion, taken cold, is the most common method of using 
the medicine. It may also be given in powder, but not, I think, 
so advantageously. Perhaps an extract would be an useful prepa- 
ration ; in some diseases this mode of using the plant might have 
a just preference to the infusion. I have often prescribed the in- 
fusion and spiritous tincture, and have taken both myself. From 
* Collections for a Materia Medica of the United States. 
