I 62 POLYPODIUM VULGARE. COMMON' POLYPODY. 



of our own day. It is described as Polypodiuni by Dioscorides, 

 a Greek medical writer of the first century of our era, and from 

 that period down to the present has been connected with the 

 heahng art, although its medical history is rather checkered. 

 Our species used to be quite famous as a remedy for dropsy 

 and jaundice ; but it has also been employed as a purgative, 

 and was at one time believed to have the power of driving away 

 melancholy, while together with liquorice it was used as a pec- 

 toral in coughs and asthmas. In most of these complaints the 

 roots were used, which had to be gathered in autumn. Dr. Tit- 

 ford furthermore tells us that the ashes of this species were used 

 instead of soap, and that an oil was distilled from them with 

 lime, " which," as he says, " is used with the oil of stone to var- 

 nish porcelain." This application of the " oil " does not seem 

 clear, however, as porcelain needs no varnish, since it receives a 

 glaze in the fire. From the same author we also learn, that, 

 after it had fallen into a bad repute for some time, it became 

 quite famous again as a remedy for taenia, or the tape-worm. 

 Madame Monfer (the discoverer of the remedy) received a very 

 great sum from the king of France, to whom she disclosed the 

 secret of her discovery. Her story was that she " reduced the 

 dried autumn roots to fine powder, and then dissolved two or 

 three drachms in four or six ounces of water distilled from 

 ferns." 



It is more than probable, however, that the medical virtues of 

 the Polypody are of little moment. Dr. Porcher, who was med- 

 ical director of the Southern Confederacy during the war, when 

 there existed an absolute necessity in the South of turning all 

 its available medical resources to the best possible account, 

 speaks of its virtues as a mere matter of report. 



There was a time when our Common Polypody, as it is found 

 in America, was regarded as distinct from the Old World forms, 

 and was known as Polypodium Virgmianum. Prof. Kunze, 

 of Leipsic, a modern author and good authority on ferns, in- 

 deed, contends that the American form is a distinct species. 



