MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 181 



o. Anihcmis finctoria L. (yollow chamomile). It is a low plant resem- 

 bling the plants commonly known as chamomile, but with large yellow ray 

 flowers. It is occasionally employed in Europe as a tonic and vermifuge. Our 

 great interest is in the fact that it is .sometimes used as an adulterant of 

 arnica flowers, and is to he distinguished only by the fact that arnica l\as a 

 series of bristles at the summit of the achenes. 



4. Arctium Lappa L. (Burdock). This is a common weed, and while at 

 the present time it is not- generally believed to have any medicinal value, the 

 fluid extract is recognized by the National Formulary. The root, as well as 

 the leaves, have been used as an alterative and in chronic skin diseases. 



5. A)-tcmisi(i AhsinthiumJj. (worm-wood). No less than thirteen different 

 species of Artemisia are used in medicine. As one wotdd infer from the name 

 worm-wood, this plant is u.sed as an anthelmintic. It is not much used at 

 the present time owing to the fact that there are other drugs, such as thymol, 

 oil of chenopodium, santonin and a few others having the same specific actions. 

 There are, however, a great many valuable anthelmintics which have gone 

 out of fashion because either of the inferiority of the drug on the market, 

 or its not having been carefully investigated, and any one or all of them may 

 come into vogue again. An infusion, as well as the volatile oil, of worm-wood 

 is used in medicine. The oil also enters into the liquor known as absinthe, 

 wiiicb, however, is debarred importation in the United States at the present 

 time. 



6. Atropa Belladonna L. (deadly night-shade). Almost all (he parts of 

 this plant, with the exception of the thick, woody main stem, are used in 

 medicine. The roots, leaves and youn:? stems, with their flowers and fruits, 

 are official in all of the pharmacopoeias of the world. The plant is a native of 

 Central and Southern Europe, and it is rather strange that it is not natur- 

 alized outside of these countries, although it has been reported as growing in 

 Michigan. It grows vigorously under cultivation in England, France and the 

 United States. In countries where it is indigenous the seed can be sown in 

 the open, but in other places it is necessary to start the plants in the green- 

 house, the sowing usually being made by the first of February. Experiments, 

 furthermore, conducted in the T'nited States seem to show that the plant will 

 not over-winter, and in order to seciu'O large roots of the second and third 

 year crops, the roots must be dug up before the advent of frost, carefully 

 stored during the winter and transplanted the following spring. 



7. Atropa physalodcs L. (apple of Peru, Peruvian bluebell). This is a 

 large herb with nodding blue flowers, and the specific name is derived from 

 the Greek, meaning bladder-like, alluding to the fruit being enclosed in an 

 inflated calyx. 



8. AquUcgia vulgaris L. (garden columbine). This plant is a native of 

 Europe, cultivated in our gardens and naturalized especially in some of the 

 northern states. It was at one time used in medicine. The flowers have a 



