THE USES OF FERNS. 
77 
mas is the earnest and weighty notice by Dr. Lauder 
Lindsay, published in the pages of the c Phytologist ;* he 
says, “ The root of Filix-mas has been repeatedly used, 
of late, in this hospital, in the treatment of tapeworm. 
It has also been extensively applied to the same purpose 
by the profession in Edinburgh, and in other parts of 
Scotland. It had fallen into disuse greatly in this 
neighbourhood, in consequence of supposed inefficiency, 
but undeservedly so, until Professor Christison, in two 
papers published in the ‘ Medical Journal* for June, 
1852, and July, 1853, showed that the want of success, 
in some cases, depended on bad preparations of the root, 
or old roots, being used. He found it almost uniformly 
successful in the form of an oleo-resinous extract ob- 
tained by percolation of the root with ether. It is recom- 
mended in the dose of from eighteen to twenty-four grains, 
followed by a purgative. This fern was first used at 
Geneva by Peschier some twenty or thirty years ago, in 
the form of an ethereal extract ; but it appears to have 
been recommended as a vermifuge by Theophrastus, 
Dioscorides, and Galen, and since formed Madame 
Nouffer’s celebrated remedy. The only caution neces- 
sary in using it, is probably that it ought always to be 
had fresh, but it has been found efficient after being kept 
a year. Pereira gives an excellent article on this fern in 
his Materia Medica, which may be referred to as to the 
chemistry of the root.** 
The homceopathists make use of this fern in their me- 
dicines; they give the following directions concerning it 
in their pharmacopoeia “ We gather this plant in the 
summer months. That which grows on stony declivities 
towards the north, is considered the most efficacious. 
Of the fresh-dug roots, we take inner marrow, and we 
