386 
EDITORIAL. 
ers  are  using  "  Eclectic  medicines"  in  a  way  peculiar  to  their  sect.  The 
old  war-cry  of  the  botanic  doctors  was  the  abuse  of  mercury,  and  the  more 
refined  Eclectics,  though  they  do  not  keep  up  the  cry  against  minerals,  still 
repudiate  mercury,  antimony  and  arsenic,  and  busily  seek  among  our  na- 
tive plants,  agents  capable  of  substituting  the  compounds  of  these  potent 
metals,  as  cathartics,  colagogues,  emetics,  alteratives ;  and  in  Leptan- 
dra,  Podophyllum,  Lobelia,  Apocynum,  etc.,  believe  they  have  found  them. 
The  physician  may  find  many  useful  hints  in  the  "American  Dispensatory/' 
in  regard  to  the  medical  uses  of  these  plants,  the  result  of  the  rude  experi- 
ence of  unprofessional  observers,  as  well  as  of  graduates  of  the  "  Eclectic  " 
Schools. 
Among  the  plants  which  have  attracted  most  attention  we  may  name 
the  following,  attaching  an  asterisk  to  each  of  those  which  are  particularly 
relied  on  in  their  practice,  viz  : 
Aletris  farinosa.  *Dioscorea  villosa.  "^Lobelia  inflata. 
Ambrosia  trifida.  *Epigea  repens.  *Myrica  cerifera. 
*Apocynum  cannabinum.    Erechthites  liieracifolius.  ^Phytolacca  decandra. 
Asclepias  incarnata.  *Euonymus  atropurpu-  ^Podophyllum  peltatum. 
"^Asclepias  tuberosa.                reus.  Ptelea  trifoliata. 
*Baptisia  tinctoria.  *Eupatorium  purpureum.  *Sanguinaria  canadense. 
*Caulophyllum  thalictroi-  ^Geranium  maculatum.  ^Scutellaria  lateriflora, 
des.  Helianthemum    cana-  *Senecio  aureus. 
Chelone  glabra.  dense.  ^Stillingia  sylvatica. 
*Cimicifuga  racemosa.       ^Hydrastis  canadensis.  ^Viburnum  opulus. 
Coralorliiza  odontorliiza.  *Iris  versicolor.  *Xanthoxylum  fraxi- 
Corydalis  formosa.  Kalmia  latifolia.  neum. 
*Cypripedium  pubescens.  *Leptandra  virginica. 
In  glancing  over  the  pages,  we  find  that  errors  have  crept  in  which 
should  be  noted  and  corrected  -  for  instance,  in  describing  the  properties  of 
Aralia  spinosa,  the  bark  of  Xanthoxylum  Carolinense,  has  been  con- 
founded with  it — known  among  the  Eclectics  under  the  name  of  Southern 
prickly  ash.  At  page  175,  Tous  les  Mois  is  said  to  be  very  soluble  in  water 
— when  it  should  be  boiling  water.  At  page  186,  "  Ethereal  Oil  of  Capsi- 
cum "  is  said  to  become  "  filled  with  crystals  of  Capsicin  of  curious  dendroid 
forms."  These  "crystals"  are  really  the  solid  fatty  oil  which  separates. 
(See  ante  185.)  At  page  241  it  is  stated  that  the  Dutch  government  has 
introduced  Cinchona  into  "Japan,"  when  it  should  read  "Java,"  etc.,  etc. 
One  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  Eclectics,  found  among  the  Materia  Med- 
ica,  and  a  feature  upon  which  they  take  much  credit  to  themselves,  is  the 
class  of  "  Resinoids,"  or  "principles,"  as  they  are  called,  of  which  Cimici- 
fugin,  Podophyllin  and  Leptandrin  are  types,  and  the  manner  of  making 
some  of  them  is  so  peculiar,  that  we  quote  the  following: 
"Caulophyllin. — Extract  the  root  of  Caulophyllum,  and  obtain  a  thick 
fluid  extract,  in  the  same  manner  as  recommended  for  obtaining  Podo- 
phyllin [by  means  of  alcohol]],  the  product  is  added  to  twice  its  volume  of 
a  saturated  solution  of  alum,  and  placed  asido  to  rest  for  three  or  four 
days  ;  then  place  it  on  a  filter  cloth,  and  allow  the  water  to  filter  through  ; 
