OF  THE  MEDICAL  PLANTS  OF  MICHIGAN. 
31 
I  resumed  and  continued  the  use  of  tobacco,  I  was  rarely  visited 
with  indigestion  ;  and  if  occasionally  visited  with  the  symptons, 
from  having  over  eaten  or  having  eaten  of  too  rich  or  unwhole- 
some food,  that  to  chew  the  hickory  bark  and  swallow  its  juice 
it  would  stimulate  the  stomach  to  action  and  correct  the  gastric 
fluid. 
This  success  led  me  to  prepare  a  strong  fluid  tincture  of  the 
bark,  by  cutting  it  small  and  putting  it  into  pale  Otard  brandy. 
My  children  (three  of  them)  were  at  the  time  sick  with  the  dis- 
ease then  prevalent  in  this  region,  arising  from  malarious  at- 
mosphere, and  known  as  chill  fever.  I  gave  them  of  this  tinc- 
ture three  times  a  day,  and  in  two  days  they  were  well.  The 
next  year  I  gave  it  to  them  after  the  first  paroxysms,  and  a  se- 
cond one  did  not  occur ;  since  then  I  have  used  no  other  reme- 
dy in  my  family  for  ague,  fever  and  other  bilious  diseases,  and  al- 
ways with  like  success.  Upon  my  recommendation  many  others 
have  used  it  with  like  success.  Many  have  steeped  the  bark 
and  have  used  the  infusion  thus  obtained,  instead  of  the  tincture. 
Infusion  in  water  seems  to  dissolve  the  active  matter,  as  the  tea 
thus  made  produced  the  same  effect  as  did  the  tincture. 
From  this  experience,  I  am  led  to  believe  that  an  extract 
might  be  obtained  from  the  bark  of  the  hickory  tree  that  would 
take  the  place  of  quinia  in  the  treatment  of  bilious  diseases,  re- 
sulting from  the  derangement  or  morbid  action  of  the  liver,  and 
the  digestive  system  generally. 
The  genus  Carya  belongs  to  the  order  Juglandacese,  of  which 
the  family  Juglans  are  employed  in  medicine,  but  the  authori- 
ties do  not  give  any  medical  power  to  the  Carya  at  all,  and  it 
may  be  that  Mr.  Caffinbury's  experience  is  valuable  to  the  pro- 
fession. 
G-aultheria  procumbens.  Wintergreen. 
This  beautiful  little  plant  is  ind,,  and  exceedingly  abundant 
throughout  the  upper  portion  of  L.  P.,  and  the  whole  of  the  U. 
P. ;  so  much  so,  that  in  many  townships  it  covers  the  ground  al- 
most to  the  exclusion  of  the  ordinary  grasses  and  common  wild 
plants  ;  its  delicately  colored  and  flavored  berry,  in  spring,  forms 
the  favorite  food  for  a  great  variety  of  feathered  creatures,  and 
it  is  apparent  that  the  distillation  of  the  essential  oil  could  be 
most  profitably  carried  on  in  this  State  by  means  of  the  porta- 
