1914-15.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 413 



Tonic Composition, Diaphoretic Composition, Anti- 

 Dyspeptic Conserve or Bread of Life, Dyspeptic- 

 Powders, etc., etc. 



But the more usual course is to prescribe one or more 

 plants for each particular disease. 



Below will be found particularised the medicines 

 employed. Where the qualities of the plant as given 

 are the same as those given in the earlier work, I do 

 not set them out here. 



It will be seen that the Vermont practitioners do not 

 employ Nos. 8, 13, 16, 17, 25, 27, 28. 29, 33, 34, 36, 40, 41. 

 48, 54 of Thomson's list, and add 67 of their own, making 

 a total of 113 native plants in their pharmacopoeia. They 

 also considerably enlarge the list of exotic plants, as well 

 as of animal and mineral products. They excuse the use 

 of sulphuric acid and Glauber's salts in case of lead 

 poisoning thus : " Let it not be supposed that these articles 

 are opposed to a natural practice ; for they contain 

 nothing that is not found in the ultimate elements of 

 the human body, and are not radically poisonous ; besides, 

 to arrest a deadly chemical agent in the body, it is not 

 absurd to use some more mild chemical substances as a 

 counter agent." 



The following list gives all medicines mentioned in the 

 entire work : — 



{N.B. — In this list all numbers from 1 to 58 inclusive 

 are to be found mentioned in the work by Samuel 

 Thomson, published at Hamilton, Upper Canada, in 1832. 

 All those above 58, and also such of those in the former 

 list as are not enclosed in parentheses, are to be found 

 mentioned in The Book of Health, by Robertson and 

 Wilcox, published at Bennington, Vermont, in 1843. The 

 names in italics are those used by the authors.) 



Ranunculaceae. — 1. Golden Seal, Hydrastis Canadensis, 

 "a good bitter tonic, slightly laxative, the root." 



59. Goldthread, Coptis trifolia, a tonic and astringent 

 (the root only is used), administered in Scarlet Fever, etc. 



60. Black Cohosh, Cimicifuga racemosa (called Macrotys 

 racemosa in this work), " the root is aromatic and stimu- 

 lating ; loosens the lung and vomits ; the leaves are bitter 

 and cause sneezing." 



