NAT. ORDER. — FUMARIACE.E. 109 



of corn-fields and cultivated lands all over the United States — also 

 quite common in most parts of Europe. 



There are twelve other varieties of this highly interesting family, 

 most of which are very ornamental, and others useful for the sus- 

 tenance of life, both to man and beast. They should command the 

 attention of Gardeners and Florests, as their culture might be made 

 profitable. 



Propagation and Culture. All the species are rather weedy- 

 looking plants — hence their neglect of cultivation. The annual 

 kinds should be sown in the open border, and treated as other 

 hardy annuals. Some of the species are climbers, and highly de- 

 serving of notice ; others do well, planted m rock-work. The 

 variety of these flowers make a beautiful appearance in pleasure- 

 grounds and gardens. ' ~\ 



Medical Properties and Uses. The various species of Fumaria 

 possess similar properties. In some their qualities are very limited, 

 and in otiicrs they appear to be almost inert ; hence rendering them 

 of little importance in medicine, except Fumaria officinalis, which 

 appears to be the most active, and is recommended for medical pur- 

 poses. By the ancients this plant was named Cap7ios, from being 

 thought to be peculiarly useful in dimness of sight, and other dis- 

 eases of the eye. The leaves, which are the part of the plant directed 

 for medicinal use by the Medical College, are extremely succulent, 

 and haA'e no remarkable smell, but a bitter and somewhat saline 

 taste. The expressed juice and a decoction of the leaves in water, 

 inspissated to the consistence of extracts, are very bitter and con- 

 siderably saline ; on standing for some time, throw up to the surface 

 copious saline efiervescences, in figure somewhat resembling the 

 crystals of nitre, to the taste bitterish and somewhat pungent. A 

 tincture of the dry leaves in rectified spirit, yields an inspissation, 

 an extract less in quantity and bitterer in taste than either the watery 

 extract or inspissated juice. Fumitory has been supposed by several 

 Physicians of great authority, both ancient and modern, to be very 



