142-2. 
A field of buckwheat at the prime of its flowering season is very odorous, and 
attractive to bees, who gather a large store of honey from the glands at the bases 
of the stamens; this honey, though very dark in color, and not as fine in grain 
and taste as that from clover, is greatly esteemed. Again, buckwheat is very 
valuable to the farmer as a reclaimer of soil, both on account of its “ weeding ” 
properties, and its value as a fertilizer when plowed under. A crop of this plant 
will thoroughly kill off weeds, even the Canada thistle, by its quick growth and 
ample shade. Escaping from cultivation it has become naturalized in many locali- 
ties, flowering from June to September, and fruiting as it flowers. 
- The medical history of this plant is not extensive, the only previous uses of 
‘importance, as far as I can determine, are those of an infusion of the herb in 
erysipelas, and an application of the flour, made into a paste with buttermilk, as a 
poultice to bring back the flow of milk to the breasts of nurses. 
The plant is officinal in none of the Pharmacopceias except the Homceopathic. 
PART USED AND PREPARATION.—The fresh, mature plant and its seed 
is chopped and pounded to a pulp and weighed. Then two parts by weight of 
alcohol are taken, the pulp mixed thoroughly with one-sixth part of it, and the 
rest of the alcohol added. After having stirred the whole well, pour it into a well- 
stoppered bottle, and let it stand eight days in a dark, cool place. The tincture, 
separated from this mass by filtration, should have a deep crimson color by trans- 
mitted light, and a slightly acid reaction. 
CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS.—Many analyses of the ash of this herb have 
been made, but so far none to determine an active principle. The following 
analyses will serve to show the general constituents of the plant : 
Straw Seed Seed Straw Seed Seed 
(Wolf). (Salisb’y). ( Wolf). (Woif). (Salisb’y). (Wolf). 
Carbonic acid, . . . trace Magnesia, 5 os 6% 15.84 13-4 
Pu eS aS 5-5 1.95 CPt oy oe BS 2.27 23.1 
Sulphuric acid,. . . 5.3 1.55 2.1|Soda, . Se 2.2 2.32 6.2 
Phosphoric acid, . . 11.9 48.95 48.0) Chlorine, ; 2. 42 7.7 -30 1.7 
es oy 6. ee 3-01 3-3| Organic acids, . 2.75 
Mr. Salisbury’s proximate analyses* 
and extractive matter, 6.16, gum, 1.60, a | 
hot alcohol, 10.10, a matter insoluble in 
other common constituents of plants. 
of the seeds gave: Starch, 42.47, sugar 
ight-gray matter insoluble in water and 
water and soluble in alcohol, 2.66, and 
Indican.j—This glucoside has been determined in small percentage (Witt- 
stein), 
PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION. 
—Although we have a good proving of this drug 
by Dr. Dexter Hitchcock, we h 
ave no record of the effects of the substance in 
__* Nat. Hist. State N. Y., Part V, Agric., p..274. + See Baptisia tinctoria, 42. 
