___ light, a woody taste, followed by a slight tobacco-like burning of the tongue, and 
179-2 
fruiting head is somewhat cone-shaped, composed of a central axis as a prolonga- 
tion of the last joint of the stem, upon which are situated, like growing toad-stools, 
numerous groups of ¢hec@ or sporanges, joined by their bases to a central axis, and 
looking inward, so that only the somewhat hexagonal flattened cap is seen exter- 
nally. These sporanges, as they ripen, separate from one another, and finally 
burst longitudinally, allowing the escape of the spores. The sfores are very strange 
bodies, unlike any other form of vegetable matter. They are ovoid in shape, and 
composed of two coats, the outer splitting spirally, thus forming four thread-like 
bodies, thicker at their free ends, called e/aters, which, from what follows, will be 
seen to be very useful in scattering the seed. While the spores are crowded in 
the sporangia, or when they are damp, these elaters are tightly coiled around the 
spore; but, as soon as the theca bursts, or the spores become dry, the elaters un- 
coil with force, causing the propulsion of the spore to quite an extent. This may 
be seen by placing a few spores under the microscope and breathing upon them; 
the exhaled moisture causes the elaters to coil up immediately ; by quickly placing 
the eye at the tube a curious sight is witnessed as drying commences. If the dry- 
ing is slow, the spores roll and twist about like spiders in pain; while, if the drying 
is quick, they will skip from the field of view like grasshoppers. The germination 
of the spore is quite similar to the process of muitiplication in the rod-bacteria. 
A bud-like process puts out from the spore and soon becomes cut by a septum; 
this grows on and multiplies in all directions until a tuft is formed, from the centre 
of which arises archegonia and antheridia, in distinct bodies. After fertilization of 
an archegonium, the germ-cell developes like an embryo, At the present day the 
Equiseta are all comprised in one genus, but paleontology shows many species of 
great size and more varied features. 
History and Habitat.—The Scouring Rush grows on wet banks, in open 
woods, especially northward, fruiting in early spring. From the abundance of 
silex in the cuticle, the stems have been variously used for scouring purposes; 
this use has contributed largely to its vocabulary of vulgarisms. It is gathered 
into bundles by many housewives and used to brighten tins, floors, and wooden- 
ware, and in the arts for polishing woods and metals. Rafinesque says: “ This 
plant, and allied species, furnish good food for cattle in winter.” He speaks of a 
tall species, called Mebyratah by the Missouri Indians, used in the manufacture of 
mats, and of a species which he names £&. tuberosum, the roots of which are used 
as food by the Indians. 
___ This plant is not mentioned in the U. S. Ph., and not officinal in the Eclectic 
Materia Medica. 
PART USED AND PREPARATION.—The whole fresh plant is chopped and 
pounded to a pulp and weighed. Then two parts by weight of alcohol are taken, 
the pulp mixed well with one-sixth part of it, and the rest of the alcohol added. © 
_ After thorough mixture the whole is poured into a well-stoppered bottle and 
allowed to stand eight days in a dark, cool place. The tincture thus formed, after 
straining and filtering, should ‘have a light greenish-brown color by transmitted 
an acid reaction to litmus-paper. cee 
