883 



our easily-gulled people. The good sense of the great body of our 

 inhabitants is, however, fast consigning it to the " tomb of all the 

 Capulets." 



ORDER 52. SALICARLLE. 



69. Lythrum verticillatum. Willow herb. This plant is slightly 

 astringent, and somewhat mucilaginous. It is of some use in diar- 

 rhoeas and dysenteries. 



ORDER 62. ARISTOLOCHLE. 



70. Asarum. Four species; 12, 1, L. 



Asarum Canadense. Wild ginger; snakeroot. Sec. A warm, 

 stimulant; aromatic, like the aristolochia serpentaria, but not emetic. 

 Lind. It is also similar in its properties to the Virginia snakeroot, 

 but more aromatic. Its properties may be extracted by water and 

 by spirit. It is said to be injured by boiling. It is useful in the 

 low stages of fevers, in nervous affections, palpitations, and similar 

 complaints. When a company of Indians from Canada were in 

 Deerfield, in the year 1837, I was affected with palpitation of the 

 heart, and they were much offended with me because I would not 

 take one of their preparations which contained a large proportion of 

 this snakeroot. They use it extensively in many complaints. The 

 best preparation is said, by Rafinesque, to be a cordial made with the 

 tincture and syrup. The tincture is coloured dark red by the resin. 

 A fine cephalic snuff may be made of the powder of the root, useful 

 in disorders of the head and eyes. A pleasant kind of wine or beer 

 may be made, by infusing the whole plant in fermented wine or beer. 

 Dr. Firth says he cured tetanus with a decoction of the roots. 



ORDER 73. ROSACES. 



71. Rosa. Fifty-one species; 13, 13, L. 

 Rosa rubiginosde. Sweet-briar. 



72. Rosa canina. Dog-rose. These two species are indigenous. 

 The properties of all the roses are similar. As some of them are 

 officinal, I refer the reader to the standard works on the materia 

 medica, and to our pharmacopoeias. 



73. Potentilla. Fifty-four species; 12, 13, L. 

 Potentilla reptans. Cinquefoil. 



