PENTANDRIA. 121 



GENUS Verbascum. Mullein. Verbascum appears to be 

 an alteration of barbascum, which comes from barba, a beard, 

 with which the plant is covered. There are, perhaps, thirty 

 species of Mullein, of which we have two or three in New- 

 England. Common Mullein, (Verbascum thapsus,) which 

 every one knows, is from three to ten feet high, with a stalk 

 as large as one's wrist. The leaves of this are a common 

 remedy for swelled faces, its action, (if it has any,) probably 

 d spending on the irritation which its beard occasions on the 

 skin. Its long spike of golden blossoms, makes this a hand- 

 some looking plant. 



GENUS Datura. Thorn-apple. Datura stramonium, which 

 is our common species, is a large, dark-colored, dangerous 

 looking plant. It obtrudes itself into most people's barn, or 

 door yards, where if not destroyed before seed time, it dis- 

 seminates itself in all directions. Every part of this plant is 

 a strong poison, bringing on tremors, delirium, stupor and 

 death. Nevertheless, under proper regulations, and in small 

 doses, Datura is a useful medicine in asthma, and some other 

 diseases. 



GENUS Nicotiana. Tobacco. So named from John Nicot, 

 of Nismes, in Languedoc, ambassador from the king of 

 France to Portugal, who procured the seeds from a Dutchman, 

 who had received them from Florida, in America. The com- 

 mon name, Tobacco, comes from Tobasco, the name of a dis- 

 trict in Mexico. There are about fifteen species of this ge- 

 nus, which vary in height from three inches to six feet. The 

 species chiefly cultivated and which forms such a vast article 

 in the commercial world, is the Virginian Tobacco, (Nicoti- 

 ana tabacum.} Perhaps no article of luxury has been so uni- 

 versally disseminated as this poisonous herb. " Tobacco, as 

 used by man," says Du Tour, " gives pleasure to the savage 

 and the philosopher ; to the inhabitant of the burning desert, 

 and the frozen zone." Its use, either in powder to be taken 

 into the nose, or in quids to be chewed, or to be inhaled in 

 the form of smoke, is absolutely universal. Even the in- 

 habitants of the newly discovered islands, have already 

 learned to use this nauseous drug. Arid although deadly 

 sickness follows the first attempt, yet, as though spell bound, 



From what circumstance does verbascum obtain its name ? What is 

 said of the poisonous properties of thorn-apple ? How does the genus 

 mcotiana obtain its name ? Whence comes the name tobacco ? Of what 

 country is tobacco a native ? What is said concerning the disseminaf'oD 

 and use of tobacco ? 



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