50 NAT. ORDER. RANUNCULACE^. 



worms. He says : " The juice of the green leaves of the Bear's- 

 foot, made into a sirup with coarse sugar, is the most valuable 

 vermifuge I have used against worms in the course of my practice. 

 Before pressing out the juice, I moisten the bruised leaves, which 

 are a little succulent, with some vinegar, which is a corrector of 

 this medicine, and prevents it from inducing great sickness, or 

 much vomiting. Of this sirup I give one leaspoonful at bed-time, 

 and one or two in the morning, on two or three successive days, 

 to children from two to six years of age, increasing or diminishing 

 the dose a little, according to the strength of the patient." If this 

 dose does not sufficiently open the bowels, some vegetable cathar- 

 tic medicine may be used, in order to facilitate its operation. 



This plant is also highly spoken of, as being useful in the 

 treatment of asthmatic and hypochondriacal disorders : for these 

 complaints it should be administered in the form of pills, prepared 

 from the extract, of about five grains each : from one to two pills 

 may be given at a dose. The infusion is prepared by adding one 

 ounce of the dried leaves to one pint of diluted alcohol. After it 

 has stood ten or twelve days, express and filter, when it is ready 

 for use. Neither of the above preparations are generally kept by 

 the druggists at the j^resent time, as other remedies of equal value 

 have been discovered, possessing no deleterious qualities, which, 

 of course, would render them far more preferable for general use. 



