of North America, TSp 



I have been informed, that our Indians fometimes inten- 

 tionally poifon themfclves with a decoftion of the leaves of 

 this kalmia. The powder of the leaves has been employed 

 (but I fufpeft with little advantage) in the inflammatory fiage 

 of certain fevers. From experiments made upon myfelf, I 

 find that this powder is fternutatorv. 



To fome conftitutions the flowers of the kalmia latifolia, 

 even extcrnallv applied, are found to prove injurious. 



III. The kalmia hirfuta appears to poffefs nearly the fame 

 properties as the two fpecics which I have juft mentioned. 

 This pretty little fhrub is a native of South-Carolina, Georgia, 

 and Flonda. 



In Georgia and in Florida, this fpecies of kalmia is fup- 

 pofed to be the principal vegetable from which the delete- 

 rious honey in thofe parts of our continent is procured. 



IV. The andromeda mariana, or broad-leafed moorwort, 

 is a very common plant in many parts of North America. 

 The leaves are poifonous to flieep. The petioli, or foot-ftalks 

 of the leaves, and the feeds within the feed-vcffel, are covered 

 with a brown powder, fmiilar to that of the kalmia^. This 

 powder applied to the noflrils occafions violent fneezing*. 

 From the flowers of this plant the bees extraft confiiderable 

 quantities of honey ; and it dcferves to be mentioned that this 

 honey, as well as that obtained from fome other American 

 fpecies of andromeda, has frequently the very fmell of the 

 flowers from which it is obtainedf. 



I have already obferved, that it is highly probable, that the 

 American poifonous honey is procured from the flowers of a 

 confiderable number of the plants of the country. I have 

 mejitioned but a few of them. But there are many others 

 which I have fome reafons for fufpcdting are alfo capable of 

 affording an injurious honey. Indeed, every flower that is 

 poifonous to man, and is capable of aflbrding honey, may 



* For fome informarion relative to the properties of the andromeda ma- 

 rlana, fee Colle£tioiis for an Eflfay towards a Materia Mcdica of the United 

 States, p.iges 19, 20, 47. Philndcipliia, 1790. 



+ In juftice to the fine genus of andromeda, T muft ohferve, that all the 

 fjiccits do not furnifli a pernicious iioney. The andromeda nitida or Incida 

 of Bartrani ntfords an abundance of neftar, or honey- The flowers of this 

 fpecies are tailed by the country people of Carolina and Georgia, " honey- 

 flower-.," not, ii^'e"cr, merely fr^m the circumftance juft mentioned, but 

 from the re>;ular pofuion of tlie flowers on the pechmclc, which open like 

 the cells of a hone, -cosnb, and from the odour of ihefe flowers, which greatly 

 rcfembles that of honf:y. This fpecies i^rnws abundantly in the (\vanips 

 called bay-(;alls. The inhabitants of Carolina are univcrfally of opinion, 

 thnt it affords the j,'reatcft (p.idntity of honey, and th.it of the beft quality. 



Vol. XII. N0.46. I produce 



