Nat. order. — PYROLACEiE. 15^ 



of an oval figure, each contained in a membranous tunic, elongated 

 at both ends. 



This beautiful species of winter-green is a native of the United 

 States, and is also to be found in many of the northern parts of 

 Europe and Asia. It is found growing mostly in shady woods, 

 where it is protected from the solar rays, and nourished by a soil 

 formed from the decompo.sition of leaves and other vegetable matter. 

 In the northern parts of this country it is a very common plant, and 

 known by the names oi ground-holly^ lointer-green, plpsissetva, prin- 

 cespine, and by the Indians, hcrhe de Paigne. In Canada, it is 

 known by the name of X' Herbe a Pisse. The genus Pyrola com- 

 prises about fifteen species, of which eight are indeginous to North 

 America, and five to Europe. The Pyrola umhellata was intro- 

 duced into medical practice about fifty years ago; but it is only 

 within the last ie\v years that it has excited the attention of the 

 profession as a remedial agent. The Pyrola umhellata, Pyrola 

 uniflora, Pyrola secunda, Pyrola picta, Pirola asarifolia, Pyrola macu- 

 lata, Pyrola elliptica, Pyrola dentata, are the only varieties which 

 have as yet been discovered in this country ; although some of the 

 English botanists have described the Pyrola ?nenziesu, and the 

 Pyrola occidentalis, as growing in great abundance on the north- 

 west coast of North America. 



Sensible and Chemical Properties. The whole plant has a 

 moderately warm pungent taste, somewhat between bitter and 

 sweet ; when bruised, it exhales a strong, and rather unpleasant 

 odor. Both water and alcohol extract its virtues, but the latter 

 most completely. The watery infusion of the dried plant is of a 

 brownish color ; the decoction is of a deeper color, and both strike 

 a black with the sulphate of iron. According to the experiments 

 o{ Dr. Wolf, 100 parts of the herb contain about 18 of a bitter 

 extractive principle, 2,04 of resin, 1,32 of tannin, a slight portion 

 jf gum, the rest fibrous matter and earthy salts. The resin is 



