250 ORD, XIII, Campanacee. LOBELIA SIPHILITICA, 
THE root is perennial, and furnished with many white fibres: the 
stem is upright, strong, simple, smooth, and rises upwards of two 
feet in height: the leaves, placed towards the top of the stem, are 
oval and pointed ; those at the bottom are elliptical, and obtusely 
lance-shaped ; they are both minutely serrated, veined, smooth, and 
without footstalks: the flowers are numerous, large, blue, and grow 
in a Jong spike, upon short peduncles: the corolla consists of a 
Jong tube, which is nearly cylindrical, and divided at the limb into 
five pointed oval segments, of a rich blue colour: the calyx is 
composed of five halberd-shaped leaves, which are fringed at the 
margin, and reflected at each side: the filaments are five, tapering, 
equal in length to the tube of the corolla, and closely connected 
at the top by the anther: the germen is short and conical: the 
style is of the length of the stamina, and terminated by a blunt 
hairy stigma: the capsule is oval, and divided into two cells, which 
contain many small seeds, It is a native of Virginia, and flowers 
from August till mii 
7 | 
nist to whom Mr. Aiton ascribes the 
cultivation of this specie of the Lobelia, and, as a handsome plant, 
it is now in the possession of many of our gardeners. Every part of 
the plant abounds with a milky juice, and has a rank smell. The 
root, Which is the part directed for medicinal use, in taste resembles 
tobacco, and is apt to excite vomiting. It derived the name siphi- 
litica from its efficacy in the cure of syphilis, as experienced by the 
North American Indians, who considered it a specific in that disease, 
and with whom it was long an important secret. This secret was 
purchased by Sir William J ohnson, and since published by different 
authors.* 
The method of employing this medicine is stated as follows: A 
decoction is made of a handful of the roots in three measures of 
water. Of this, half a measure is taken in the morning fasting, and 
repeated i in the evening ; and the dose is gradually increased till 
its purgative effects become too violent, when the decoction i is to. 
i Klam, 1. Cc. Bartram. Lc. 
