OF NEW-YORK. 13 



P.) For a full account of their medicinal properties, see N. Y. Jour, 

 of Med., vol. vii., by Dr. Williams, (p. 321). Dr. W. has used the in- 

 fusion of the V. Ovata, internally, and fomentations of the plant ex- 

 ternally, successfully, incases of chronic affections of the eyes, which 

 had resisted the use of all other medicines. He states that this spe- 

 cies yield a larger quantity of mucilage than any of the others, and 

 hence is much used in dysentery, diarrhoea, strangury, and other affec- 

 tions of urinary organs. 



Hypericace^e. — (The St. John's-wort Tribe.) 



This order yields us eight species of Hypericum, some of which pos- 

 sess active medicinal properties. The Perforation, Linn., or common 

 St. John's-wort, was introduced from Europe. It has a peculiar bal- 

 samic odor, which is developed by rubbing the plant. Taste bitter 

 resinous and astringent. The flowers tinge spirits and oil of a fine, 

 purple color, and the dried plant, boiled with alum, dyes wool of a yel- 

 low color. The flowers impart a fine yellow to water, and some say 

 redden alcohol and the fixed oils. Chief constituents, volatile oil, re- 

 sin, tannin, and coloring matter. The flowers are astringent, and form 

 a popular remedy for wounds and bruises. Dr. Wood considers the 

 properties of the plant analagous to those of the turpentines. Used by 

 the common people in a great variety of complaints. Its exact value 

 not known. 



The H. Corrymbosum, Muhl., has black dots and lines, which are 

 minute vesicles filled with an intense purple coloring matter, partially 

 soluble in water, but wholly in alc< hoi. It is allied to the coloring 

 principle of logwood, and formed from the materials of the pellucid 

 vesicles, by the action of oxygen. 



Caryophyllace^:, Juss. 



The Pink Tribe yields the different species of Chick-weed and 

 Sand- wort, some of which form excellent external emollient applica- 

 tions, but possess no active properties. The Sileise Pexnsylvanica, 

 Mich., and Virginiana, Linn., (Wild Pink), have some reputation as 

 anthelmintics. The Saponaria* Officinalis, Linn., (Soap-wort,) 

 also belongs to this order. Contains a peculiar brown extractive mat- 

 ter, called saponin, which forms thirty-four per cent, of the dried root. 

 The plant owes its medicinal properties to this principle, as well as its 

 property of forming a lather like soap, when agitated with water, (see 

 Wood and Bache). A. valuable alterative, and may be used with much 

 benefit in venereal and scrofulous affections, cutaneous diseases, and 

 visceral obstructions. Some physicians deem it superior to sarsapa- 



* From the Latin, sapo, soap, its mucilage having been used for that purpose. 



