VEGETABLES, 



289 



shedding of their coats. A tincture of the root is 

 used to prevent the intermittent fever ; and a decoc- 

 tion of the roots to cure the dysentery. 



The powdered root in doses of ten or fifteen grains, 

 is invahiable'as a remedy for jaundice. 



The Heuchera Americana^ or sanicle, or alum* 

 root, is a powerful astringent. The uva ursi, or 

 bear-berry, a common plant in the sandy soil of 

 New Jersey, is also well known as an astringent ; 

 and in particular, as a powerful remedy in that dis- 

 tressing complaint the gravel in the urinary bladder 

 or kidneys. 



The seneca snake root ^ fiolygala seneka of Lin* 

 iiseus) is, without doubt, a plant of great powers, 

 and may be worthy of our attention as a remedy 

 against the bite of venomous serpents. Among the. 

 Indians this plant has sustained a high reputation in 

 this respect. The following case was communicated 

 to Dr. Barton by Mr. Samuel Preston, of Pennsyl- 

 vania. In the year 1798, a man, whilst he was 

 mowing, was bitten by a rattle snake in the little 

 toe of his foot. Almost instantly he was seized with 

 a pain in his breast and eyes. The leg became 

 greatly swollen, and violent symptoms of a genuine 

 tetanus ensued. The seneca, v;hich was at hand, 

 was boiled in milk, and the patient drank large quan* 

 titles of the decoction, at the same time that the 

 root, in the shape of a poultice, was applied to the 

 part immediately wounded. The medicine threw 

 him into a profuse perspiration ; in a short time all 

 his spasms subsided, and at the end of two days 

 he was able to return to his occupation of mowing 

 again. 



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