164 NAT. ORDER. — LOBELIACE.E. 



Tupa Feuelli yields a dangerous poison in Chili. The most active 

 article of the Materia Medica of this country is allowed to be the 

 Lobelia inflata, of which a description has already been given. 



Fatlier Plumier dedicated a genus of plants to Mathias de Lobel, 

 or de rObel, author of a history of plants in 1576. The plant to 

 ■which he originally applied the name of Lobelia, is now the Sccevola 

 of Linnaius. When this botanist w'as first convinced by Jacquin 

 that under the name of Lobelia a vast number of plants, generically 

 distinct from the original plant, were confounded with it, and that 

 these plants were better known than the true Lobelia, by that name, 

 he judged it proper to correct the error by retaining his name for 

 them, and giving a new one to the genus of Plumier. This is the 

 origin of the term Lobelia for the genus as it now stands. 



Medical Properties and Uses. This plant possesses properties 

 similar to that of the ivjlata, and in some of the southern states is 

 used for the same purpose. The present species, however, possesses 

 emetic, sudorific, and powerful expectorant qualities, but is chiefly 

 remarkable for the first of these operations on the system. When 

 given with a view to empty the stomach, it operates speedily and 

 with great power, producing, however, great relaxation, debility and 

 perspiration. Like other active emetics, it sometimes operates on 

 the bowels ; but its cathartic effect is seldom observable unconnected 

 with its emetic operation. Prof Bigelow, speaking of the qualifi- 

 cations of Lobelia, says, " I have not, in various trials with the plant, 

 found it in any instance to affect the alimentary canal, as a primary 

 seat of its operation ; yet it is said by some that large doses operate 

 in this way, without producing emesis. It does not appear to be 

 possessed of any particular diuretic property, as was supposed by 

 the late Prof Barton, would be found to be the case." 



The first notice found in print of the medical virtues of Lobelia, 

 is simply a brief remark by Shoepf, that the root is astringent, and 

 used in apthalmia. He seems to have had little knowledge on the 

 subject, and from the manner in which the plant is mentioned by 



