1913-14.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 229 



Umbelliferae. — But one representative of the Parsley 

 family appears, Archangel, Archangelica atropurpurea, a 

 good corrector of the bile. 



Araliaceae. — The celebrated ginseng, called by Thomson 

 Gensang, belongs to this family ; Aralia quinquefolia, a 

 nervine ; the root should be dug up in the fall, dried, and 

 reduced to a fine powder ; a dose — a half to a teaspoonf ul. 



Rubiaceae. — Clivers, better known as cleavers or goose- 

 grass, Galium Aparine, a diuretic. 



Valerianaceae. — American Valerian, Valeriana sylva- 

 tica, " the best nervine known ... in all cases of nervous 

 affection and in hysterical symptoms." The roots are to be 

 dug up, washed clean, carefully dried and reduced to a fine 

 powder, administered half a teaspoonful at a time, repeated 

 if necessary. 



Compositae. — As was to be expected, the Composite 

 family is largely drawn upon. 



Squaw-iveecl, Senecio aureus. The green roots and 

 leaves are bruised, hot water poured on them ; give this as 

 a tea, and it is effective for " canker rash," rheumatism, and 

 nervous afflictions. Thomson calls this plant also Frost- 

 weed, but in Ontario the Helianthemum Canadense goes by 

 that name. 



Elecampane, Inula Helenium. The root, made into a 

 syrup, is good for a cough. In my youth this was supposed 

 to be a good " horse-medicine." 



Mayweed, Maruta Cotula. " A tea made of this herb, to 

 be drank hot when going to bed, is very good for a cold." 



Wormwood, Artemisia Absinthium, makes a very whole- 

 some bitter. A tea or the green herb tinctured in spirit 

 " is good to apply to a bruize or a sprain." 



Tansy, Tanacetum vulgare, made into a tea, is good 

 for hysterics and other female complaints, also for a 

 " stranguary " ; the green leaves powdered are good for 

 " bruizes and sprains." Apparently its alleged virtues as 

 an abortifacient and ecbolic had not then been discovered. 



Chamonile, Anthemis nobilis (and perhaps A. arvensis),, 

 made into a tea, is good for bowel complaints ; used exter- 

 nally, it will relieve " sprains, bruises and swellings, and 

 remove callouses, corns, etc., and restore shrunk sinews." 

 Burdock, Lappa officinalis. The leaves wilted by the fire 



