1062 



specimens preserved in the Linnean herbarium, labelled " fluviatile," 

 in the handwriting of Linneus, belong to E. limosum, Fr. 



There is a tolerably strong presumption against the correctness of 

 the second alternative, as we are informed that both species are com- 

 mon in the neighbourhood of Upsal ; and this is converted almost to 

 a certainty, by the marks of admiration placed after " E. fluviatile, 

 Z.," and " E. limosum, Z.," by Fries, in the Herbarium Norraale ; 

 which imply that he has seen authenticated specimens, and that they 

 belong to the plants which he describes. 



So that the balance of probability appears to favour the view, that 

 each of the names of Linneus and Fries is applied to a series of 

 forms in some degree identical ; but that the E. fluviatile of the ' Sys- 

 tema Vegetabiliura ' also includes a common form, or condition, of E. 

 limosum, Fr. If this view of the case be correct, it will reconcile the 

 apparent discrepancy between the statement of Fries (that he has seen 

 authenticated specimens of E. fluviatile, Z., and that it is identical 

 with his E. fluviatile) and that of Newman (that he has seen authen- 

 ticated specimens of E. fluviatile, Z., and that it is identical with E. 

 limosum) ; or, as it may be more concisely expressed : — 



E. limosum, Z., Fl. Lapp. = E. limosum, Fr. + E. fluviatile, Fr. 



E. fluviatile, Fr. = E. fluviatile, Z. Syst. Veg. in part, 



non Linn. herb, vel Newman. 



E. limosum, Fr. = E. fluviatile, Linn. herb, -f E. limo- 



sum^ Z. Syst. Veg. 

 E. limosum, Auct. Brit. 

 E. fluviatile, Newni. 



John G. Baker. 



Thirsk, North Yorkshire, 

 August 3, 1853. 



Medical Properties of British Ferns. 

 By William Lauder Lindsay, M.D., &c., &c. 



I TAKE the liberty of writing to you on the subject of the use of 

 British ferns in medicine, in consequence of your queries thereanent, 

 contained in the letter lately sent by you to the Phylological Club of 

 the Pharmaceutical Society, and which appeared in a late number of 

 the ' Phytologist ' (iv. 976). 



Lastrea Filix-mas. This has been repeatedly used, of late, in dif- 

 ferent wards of this hospital, as an anthelmintic, in the treatment of 



