FlGWORT AND LOBELIA FAMILIES. 147 



FIGWORT FAMILY Scrophulariaceae. 



THE PURPLE FOXGLOVE, Digitalis purpurea L., con- 

 tains a number of poisonous alkaloids, and is used in 

 medicine, chiefly as a heart stimulant. An overdose, or a 

 succession of full medicinal ones, will cause the heart to 

 lose force and become irregular. When death results it is 

 from failure of the circulation. 



Treatment consists of the use of emetics and purga- 

 tives along with tannic acid and alcohol or opium. 



The Foxglove is a European plant. It was introduced 

 into this country for decorative purposes, and has escaped 

 from gardens in some localities, especially along the west- 

 ern coast. It is a tall, pubescent, stout-stemmed biennial 

 herb with alternate leaves, the lower ones petioled and 

 ovate lanceolate and the upper sessile and smaller. The 

 drooping flowers are irregular, purple and spotted, and 

 are borne in long racemes. The corolla is tubular, and 

 the name digitalis comes from its fancied resemblance to 

 the finger of a glove. 



LOBELIA FAMILY Lobeliaceae. 



THE INDIAN TOBACCO, Lobelia inflata L., known also as 

 Wild Tobacco, Asthma-weed, Gad-root and Lobelia, is used 

 in medicine for asthma and similar diseases. Its effects 

 are similar to those caused by somewhat smaller amounts 

 of tobacco. Overdoses produce prostration, stupor, coma, 

 convulsions, and death. 



It grows in fields as far west as Saskatchewan, and is 

 an erect, branching, hairy annual. The leaves are toothed, 

 the upper ones being very small and bract-like. The 

 small blue flowers have an ovoid calyx-tube inflated in 



