2I4 
Investigation  into  "HttsaT 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       May,  1899. 
it.  In  the  second  place,  the  description  "  Dr.  Winthrop  "  gives  of 
the  plant  u  Husa,"  corresponds  somewhat  to  Monoti opa  uniflora 
(Indian  pipe),  a  very  well  known  plant  (if  it  refers  to  any  known 
plant),  but  as  this  "  fit  plant"  is  recommended  in  eclectic  literature 
(see  King's  American  Dispensatory,  p.  606)  as  a  substitute  for 
opium,  it  could  not  be  Husa,  which  Dr.  Winthrop  asserts  is 
unknown  and  unclassified.2  In  the  third  place,  I  shall  take  exception 
to  the  professional  form  of  the  following  statement,  that  "  Dr. 
Winthrop  "  sends  in  circular  letter  to  physicians  who  apply  to  him 
for  "  Husa."  I  have  too  much  confidence  in  American  naturalists 
to  believe  that  any .  drug  unknown  to  botanists  is  found  and 
gathered  by  the  boat-load  by  "  two  plume  bird  hunters."  But  I 
can  best  let  the  circular  letter,  to  which  I  take  exception,  speak. 
"  As  far  as  now  known,  Husa  is  found  only  in  the  everglades  of 
Florida.  This  is  a  tropical  wilderness.  Vast  stretches  of  stagnant 
tepid  water,  teeming  with  low  forms  of  life,  poisonous  insects,  mosqui- 
toes, sand  flies,  tarantulas,  centipedes,  saurians  of  all  kinds  and  poi- 
sonous serpents  abound  on  every  side.  A  dense  jungle,  matted 
vines,  canes,  saw  grass,  palms,  strange  fungi,  rare  orchids,  a  rich  but 
little  known  flora.  No  roads,  paths  or  trails — the  compass  the  only 
guide,  it  is  safe  only  for  the  experienced  woodsman.  Under  such 
conditions  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  hire  anyone- to  gather  herbs  in 
these  glades,  where,  as  they  say,  '  there  is  a  snake  under  every 
bush.'  No  manufacturer  has  as  yet  been  found  to  conquer  these 
difficulties  and  give  this  remedy  to  the  profession.  I  am  entirely 
dependent  for  the  little  I  get  to  two  plume  bird  hunters,  who  hunt 
in  the  glades.  I  have  to  be  satisfied  with  what  they  see  fit  to  col- 
lect and  charge  what  they  please ;  it  is  this  or  nothing.  Besides 
the  above  difficulties,  there  is  no  way  of  getting  the  herbs  out  of 
the  glades,  except  in  an  open  boat  or  skiff — then  if  the  plants  get 
wet  or  bruised  or  detained  on  the  way,  they  are  not  fit  to  use. 
Sometimes  a  load  costing  $25  has  to  be  thrown  away,  not  being  fit 
for  tincture  or  extract.  Owing  to  these  causes,  it  costs  me  from  25 
cents  to  40  cents  an  ounce  in  tincture,  and  at  no  time  have  I  ever 
had  as  much  as  10  gallons  at  one  time.  I  have  let  physicians  have 
it  at  about  cost.  Only  physicians  have  had  it  from  me.  I  have 
never  had  any  for  the  laity  at  any  price.  All  my  knowledge  of  the 
plant  and  its  uses  have  been  derived  exclusively  from  medical  men." 
'-'  Mr.  C.  G.  Lloyd  states  that  Monotropa  uniflora  grows  iu  abundance  in  sec- 
tions of  Florida  where  he  has  botanized. 
