20O FLORA HISTORICA. 



tory affections of the chest, scrophula, S^c- But 

 the most remarkable effect which this medicine 

 produces on the human frame, is, the diminution 

 of the frequency of the pulsations of the heart, 

 -and consequently of the arteries. 



The Fox-Glove is decidedly poisonous, and 

 therefore totally unfit for domestic use ; and, like 

 most other powerful medicines, only safe in the 

 hands of a regular practitioner of considerable 

 experience, since death itself has sometimes been 

 the result of the indiscreet use of this deleterious 

 plant. Mr. Waller tells us, " that an increased 

 dose, or too long persisting in a small one, gives 

 rise to the following alarming symptoms — exces- 

 sive nausea, vomiting, purging, giddiness, and 

 head-aches, with considerable diminution in the 

 frequency of the pulse, sometimes delirium, and 

 at all times great confusion in the functions of 

 the brain." Having noticed these effects to cau- 

 tion the ignorant against the use of this dangerous 

 plant, we shall now endeavour to amuse our 

 medical readers by the first observations which 

 their brethren made on the Digitalis purpurea, 



Fuchsius, in his Plantar um omnium Nomencla- 

 fur (2, 1541, appears to have been the first writer 

 that distinguished this family of plants by the 

 name of Digitalis, from the flowers resembling 

 finger-stalls, and from hence the French called it 



