66 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. [ March, 
on several occasions. The last time we employed it was in the case of a 
young man who had been troubled with diarrhcea for three weeks. Dur- 
ing the last week of the period the complaint was coupled with severe 
indigestion and total loss of appetite. Having nothing at hand to give 
him we broke off the root from a botanical specimen of Mitella pentan- — 
dra and divided it into two parts of about ten grains each. He chewed — 
and swallowed one piece on the spot (about 9 a. M.) and ate the re- 
mainder at 11.4. M. Before noon he actually complained of great hunger 
and spoke with evident relish, to our amazement, of what he expected to 
have for dinner, We saw him again at 2 p. m.,and he felt much better 
telling us how he had enjoyed his dinner. The next morning we saw 
him again, and he was well in every respect, having a good appetite and 
digestion, his bowels being free and regular in their action. Now this 
quality of the plant in question. It is our custom to taste every root we 
find new to us, and that is the way we found out. Thinking this might be 
new to the public, and that the knowledge of it might be of practical value 
to others, we submit these remarks to the readers of the Gazerrr. —F. W. 
ANDERSON, Great Falls, Montana. 
Celery Leaf Blight (Cercospora Apii Fres.)—This disease annually de- 
stroys about one half of the celery planted in this section : last year (1886) 
the loss occasioned by the parasite was not so great as in former years, 
owing, no doubt, to the dry weather which prevailed in this section. 
Frequent showers and heavy dews followed by hut sunshine favors the 
growth of the fungus. The fungus usually appears in this section about 
the first of July, and at the approach of cool weather, which usually comes 
on in September, the fungus gradually disappears. When fresh the 
conidia germinate readily (in three hours) by sending out a delicate, 
colorless thread from each cell. So long as the celery leaves are kept dry 
but few of the conidia germinate, but if the leaves are f requently 
moistened the fungus quickly destroys them. ( ‘elery protected from the 
direct rays of the sun, 
or by screens made fo 
_ On September 26, 1886, several healthy celery plants that were grow- 
mg in the open air were lifted and planted in the green-house. About 
one week later sowings of the conidia of C. i 
leaves of several plants. _— days later the leaves where the sowings 
' the pale green pustules which always appear just 
before the hyphee and conidia become visible, Owing to ae con woul 
which came on about the time the pustules made their appearance, the 
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