poured three pints of boiling water on them, and ordered a tea-cup full sweetened with honey, every half hour until I returned from visiting a patient near by. In about three hours, when I was returning, her husband came to meet me, and with the greatest satisfaction declared that the life of his wife had been saved by drinking the tea. In short, the evacuation was to excess, and was obliged to check it, by administering an anodine.

This is a useful plant, and rises about two feet in height: leaves grow on small stalks near the

top of the stem, which resembles the hand and fingers: flowers of a blueish colour, which change into a blue berry, something like sour grapes: the root is as large as the hand, composed of many fibres, and when dug up is like a seed, of a brown or whitish colour: the inner root is yellowish, crooked, and much resembles rattle-snake root.

HISTORY.

It is perennial, grows in low moist rich grounds, near running streams, in swamps, and on islands that have been overflowed by water. The root only is used in medicine, and is known but to a few of the botanists.

I have found it efficacious in the cure of rheumatisms and yellow fever, and is a powerful emmenagogue. Dropsical swellings have been cured by

a decoction of this root.

I shall relate a case of its efficacy in promoting delivery. I was sent for to visit a young woman in New-Jersey, who complained of a pain in her throat from swallowing a pin. After feeling her pulse, and asking her a few questions, found that she was pregnant. I bled her and recommended an anodine at bed time. The next morning I found she was in labour, and that there was no time to be lost. Ordering a bed to be made near the fire, I put a small poppoose root into a pint of boiling water and a gill of rum; and as soon as the first

labour pain came on, gave her a tea-cup full of the tea, and in the second pain half a tea-cup full. The woman was delivered, in the space of fifteen minutes, of a beautiful boy. After cutting and tying the funusumbilicalis, and delivering the woman of the placonta, or after birth, left orders how she must be treated; and in a few days had the satisfaction of hearing she was able to walk about.

PREPARATIONS.'

For the cure of the dropsy, rheumatism, &c. bruise the root and pour two quarts of boiling water on it: a tea-cup full to be taken four times a day. For rheumatic complaints, two ounces of this root and one ounce of blood root bruised, infused in three pints of rum: a wine glass taken three times a day for a dose. This will also promote the menses, but must stand a week before it will be fit for

use.

The country people cure themselves of rheumatism, by taking a wine glass morning and evening, of the tincture made by pouring a quart of rum on one root, after four days infusion.

This plant rises about eight inches in height. The scape is covered with small, pointed purple leaves, like, scales: leaves very large, serrated, ir-, regular toothed, of a bright green colour on the upper, and downy and white on the under side, standing upon large long radical foot stalks: large yellow flowers: those in the rays of the sun are. very visible.

HISTORY.

It grows on high moist clay grounds, the roots are pleasant to the smell and aromatic. The yellow flowers generally appear before the leaves in spring, (felium anti patrum) that is, the son before the father; because the flowers appear before the leaves,

MEDICAL VIRTUES.

The juice or decoction of the dryed leaves, has been found efficacious in the scrophula. The leaves powdered fine, and a small pinch taken at bed time, removes giddiness and all obstructions of the head, nose, megrims, &c. It is a good medicine in coughs, asthmatic complaints, pain in the breast and promotes expectoration.

PREPARATION.

Put one pound of the dryed roots and leaves of colts foot, in six quarts of ra... water, boil it away to three quarts, strain the decoction, and use it as follows: for king's-evil, take half a pint three times a day, and roast pond lilly root in wet brown paper, under the hot ashes: mash the root and apply it warm every night over the lumps or tumours on the neck, which will either disperse or bring them to a suppuration in a week. Continue the use of the decoction daily until cured. In cure of the hooping cough, the child may take half a tea cup of tea, sweetened with honey, four times a day, made by puting one ounce of the dry roots and leaves into a tea-pot, and pour a quart of boiling water on them.

For consumptive coughs, the patient may take a gill of the above decoction four times a day.