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Lobelia Inflata, or Indian tobacco, is one of this tribe. 
This plant is of a medicinal character, and has been found 
useful in cases of asthma and hooping cough, but it is very- 
different from the kinds of tobacco, IMicotiana, which are 
generally used for smoking. Little did Sir Walter E-aleigh 
imagine when he first amused himself with smoking, and 
when his frightened servant threw a basin of water in his mas- 
ter’s face, because he feared the fire would consume him — 
little did the baronet imagine that in the course of three 
hundred years the pipe and cigar would be in the hands of 
the humblest peasant, as well as the proudest peer of the 
land. Lobelia urens, the plant of the vicinity of Axminster, 
has not only acrid leaves — leaves which would sting and 
blister the tongues of those who chew it — but it has also 
this character more especially exhibited in its roots. The 
history of this plant is rather interesting. 
In the reign of Charles II. Dr. How made the first 
attempt to give a complete list of British plants. In the 
year 1650, he published his Phytologia, which contained a 
description of twelve hundred and twenty. In this work 
our Lobelia is not noticed. The next catalogue of British 
Plants was made by Bay, one of the greatest English bota- 
nists. He first proposed what is called the natural system, 
and great as this discovery was, it is to be lamented that he 
obstinately continued in the old plan of separating trees 
from herbs. In the year 1660, he published a catalogue 
of the plants growing in the neighbourhood of Cambridge, 
which he says took him ten years to complete. This is a 
most valuable work, developing his great mind. It is 
curious how he complains of wanting a guide to direct him 
in determining species. In 1670, he published a catalogue 
of English Plants, arranged alphabetically, and in 1677, a 
second edition. In 1690, he published a new edition, which 
he entitled, “A Methodical Synopsis of British Plants,” and 
which he arranged according to his natural system. In 
1696, another edition came out, and in 1724, it was repub- 
lished by Dillenius. The edition published in 1696, is con- 
sidered most accurate, and has been made the basis of all 
our Eloras. Kay examined every plant with the greatest 
care, and his works remain a monument of his profound 
reseajrch and great intelligence. In neither edition of his 
I 
