NAT. ORDER. FUMARIACE.E. 
109 
of corn-fields and cultivated lands all over the United States — also 
quite common in most parts of Europe. 
There are twelve other varieties of this highly interesting family, 
most of which are very ornamental, and others useful for the sus- 
tenance of life, both to man and beast. They should command the 
attention of Gardeners and Florests, as their culture might be made 
profitable. 
Propagation and Culture. All the species are rather weedy- 
looking plants — hence their neglect of cultivation. The annual 
kinds should be sown in the open border, and treated as other 
hardy annuals. Some of the species are climbers, and highly de- 
serving of notice ; others do well, planted in rock-work. The 
variety of these flowers make a beautiful appearance in pleasure- 
grounds and gardens. 
Medical Properties and Uses. The various species of I^umaria 
possess similar properties. In some their qualities are very limited, 
and in others they appear to be almost inert ; hence rendering them 
of little importance in medicine, except Fumaria officinalis, which 
appears to be the most active, and is recommended for medical pur- 
poses. By the ancients this plant was named Capnos, from being 
thought to be peculiarly useful in dimness of sight, and other dis- 
eases of the eye. The leaves, which are the part of the plant directed 
for medicinal use by the Medical College, are extremely succulent, 
and have no remarkable smell, but a bitter and somewhat saline 
taste. The expressed juice and a decoction of the leaves in water, 
inspissated to the consistence of extracts, are very bitter and con- 
siderably saline ; on standing for some time, throw up to the surface 
copious saline effervescences, in figure somewhat resembling the 
crystals of nitre, to the taste bitterish and somewhat pungent. A 
tincture of the dry leaves in rectified spirit, yields an inspissation, 
an extract less in quantity and bitterer in taste than either the watery 
extract or inspissated juice. Fumitory has been supposed by several 
Physicians of great authority, both ancient and modern, to be very 
