\ 
30  OF  THE  MEDICAL  PLANTS  OF  MICHIGAN. 
arch  ;  two  pails  full  of  boughs  (about  8  lbs.)  are  calculated  to  yield 
one  ounce  of  oil,  or  about  three  pints  to  one  running  of  the  still, 
which  occupies  from  thirteen  to  twenty-four  hours,  according  to 
circumstances,  (fuel,  wind,  etc.)  The  distilling  is  done  only  in 
winter,  when  the  tree  is  richest  in  oil,  and  labor  is  cheapest  ; 
the  price  which  the  oil  brings  in  market,  is  from  twenty-five  to 
forty  cents  per  pound,  upon  the  average.  I  understand  that 
large  quantities  of  hemlock  oil  are  distilled  in  Madison  Co., 
New  York  ;  I  believe  the  Association  a  year  or  so  ago  asked  in- 
formation upon  the  manufacture  of  hemlock  oil  without  success. 
The  younger  branches  of  the  hemlock  spruce  are  employed  in 
domestic  practice  for  making  stimulating  fomentations.  From 
the  A.  nigra  is  made  the  essence  of  spruce,  from  which  spruce 
beer  was  formerly  made  ;  I  believe  the  leaves  can  be  used  for 
the  same  purpose. 
Carya  amara.    Bitter-nut  Hickory. 
"    poroina.    Pig-nut  Hicory. 
"  sulcata.  Shellbark  Hickory. 
Ind.;  abundant  in  S.  of  L.  P.*  Besides  the  value  of  this  genus 
as  timber,  the  leaves  are  aromatic  and  astringent,  and  the  bark 
contains  evidently  a  valuable  bitter  (tonic)  principle,  as  may  be 
inferred  from  the  following.  Mr.  Caflinbury,  of  Constantine, 
St.  Joseph  Co.,  in  a  communication  to  me  upon  another  subject, 
states  as  follows  :  "  I  think  I  have  discovered  that  the  inner 
bark  of  the  common  wild  hickory  (probably  C.  amara,  F.  S.) 
possesses  an  active  stimulant  and  tonic  virtue,  that  may  be 
U3ed  successfully  as  a  febrifuge.  But  not  being  a  physician  or 
pharmaceutist,  and  never  having  had  an  opportunity  of  making 
a  scientific  analysis  of  its  chemical  nature,  I  am  not  prepared  to 
speak  with  certainty,  and  base  my  opinion  upon  experience,  a 
few  incidents  of  which  I  will  present.  Ten  years  ago  I  was  af- 
flicted with  indigestion,  attended  with  its  usual  concomitants, 
acidity  of  the  stomach,  morbid  appetite,  flatulency,  diarrhoea, 
etc.  I  attributed  this  to  the  habitual  use  of  tobacco,  which,  if 
not  the  prime  cause  of  the  disease,  was  an  agent  in  its  aggrava- 
tion. As  a  substitute  for  the  tobacco  I  selected  the  inner  bark 
of  the  hickory  on  account  of  its  pungent,  saccharine  and  drastic 
qualities,  I  soon  found  my  health  improving,  and  that  although 
*L.  P.  Lower  Peninsular;  U,  P.  Upper  Peninsular, 
