The ORD. IIL. Composite. MATRICARTA PARTHENIUM? 
bifid, turned in opposite directions, Florets of the disk numerous, 
tubular, hermaphrodite, five-toothed. Filaments five, capillary, 
very short. Antherz forming a hollow cylinder. Seeds egg-shaped, 
truncated at the base, farsowed, whitish, without pappus. 
It is common about hedges, walls, and waste grounds, flowering 
in June and July. 
L flowers of Feverfew have a strong not agreeable 
1tely bitter taste, both which ‘hay communicate, 
by warm infusion, to water and rectified spirit. The watery in- 
fusions, inspissated, leave an extract of considerable bitterness, 
and which discovers also a saline matter both to the taste and in a 
more sensible manner by throwing up to the surface small crystal- 
line efflorescences in keeping: the peculiar flavour of the Matricaria 
exhales in the evaporation, and impregnates the distilled water, on 
which also a quantity of essential oil is found floating. The quantity 
of spirituous extract, according to Cartheuser’s experiments, is 
only about one-sixth the weight of the dry leaves, whereas the 
watery extract amounts to near one-half.” 
This. plant is evidently the Parthenium of Dioscorides, since 
whose time it has been very generally employed for medical pur- 
poses. In natural affinity it ranks with camomile and tansy, and 
its sensible qualities show it to be nearly allied to them in its medi- 
cinal character. Bergius states its virtues to be tonic, stomachic, 
resolvent, and emmenagogue. It has been given successfully as a 
vermifuge, and for the cure of intermittents; but its use is most 
celebrated in female disorders, especially in hysteria;* and hence 
it is supposed to have derived the name Matricaria.° 
Its smell, taste, ‘and analysis prove it to be a medicine of consi- 
erable activity ; we may therefore say with Murray, “ Rartus 
“« hedie prescribitur, quam debetur.’ 
* According to Sim. Paulli, its efficacy in this diserder was very remarkable. 
Muadrip. p. 432 
> SC. Thepbesoy, quasi Saas quod morbis mulierum uterinis medeatur, hine 
cul, go matricaria.” &c.—C. B. 
