380 NATURAL HISTORY. 



such as sour cream, etc.. are sometimes employed for the 

 inflamed parts. 



Hedge Hysop (Gratiola officinalis). Root limbed and 

 creeping ; stem four to eight inches long, decumbent or 

 oblique ; leaves somewhat clasping, varying from lance- 

 oblong to spatula te, and toothed, are dark green above, paler 

 below ; flowers composed of four petals, pale rose color in 

 a yellow calyx ; seed small, oblong, contained in an ovoid 

 capsule : taste bitter, long enduring, nauseating ; plant 

 altogether poisonous, is capable of doing great injury, 

 but proves a valuable medicine if judiciously employed. 



The Meadow Saffron (Colchicum autumnale), plate 

 30, fig. 2, is a weed found abundantly in moist meadows ; 

 the last ornament of autumn, its pale red, crocus-like 

 flowers may be seen raising their blooming heads above 

 the brown and faded grass. Stem a span in length ; 

 leaves broad, lanceolate, and erect ; plant a biennial, 

 bearing seed the second year ; seed-cell or capsule re- 

 sembles the udder of a cow, wherefore it is often called 

 the Cow's Udder plant. Often gathered by the country 

 people for dyeing Easter-eggs ; color a beautiful gray. 

 Every part of the plant is poisonous, producing severe 

 pain, gastric inflammation, and finally delirium and 

 death. Milk, raw eggs, barley water, sugar, or other 

 soothing demulcents are the remedies recommended to be 

 employed in this case. $ . 



Doy's Parsley Doy's Bane (^Ethusa cynapium), 

 plate 31, fig. 4. Leaves tripinnate and much dissected, 

 resembling those of the common parsley ; distinguished, 

 however, by being glossy and of a darker green, but it i.s 

 more easy to be detected by the nauseating garlic-like 

 odor it sends forth on being rubbed. Root cylindrical, 

 white, and branching ; blooms in umbelliferous tufts. 



