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 CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
Cornell University Library 
 QK 99.L79 pt.3 
 
 3 1924 024 758 330 ...-.I 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyrigtit restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924024758330 
 
Bulletin No. 9. 1907. Reproduction Series, No. 5 
 
 BULLETIN &» 
 
 of the Q**> 
 
 LLOYD LIBRARY 
 
 of 
 
 BOTANY, PHARMACY and 
 MATERIA MEDICA 
 
 J. U. & C. G. LLOYD 
 
 CINCINNATI, OHIO 
 
 REPRODUCTION SERIES, No. 5 
 
 AN INVESTIGATION OF THE PROPERTIES OF THE SAN- 
 GUINARIA CANADENSIS; or PUCCOON 
 
 By William Downey, of Maryland 
 Member of the American Linnean and Philadelphia Medical Societies 
 
 TRAVELS THROUGH THE INTERIOR PARTS OF NORTH 
 AMERICA IN THE YEARS 1766, 1767 AND 1768 
 
 By J. Carver, Esq. 
 
 Captain of a company of provincial troops during the late war with France. Illustrated with Copper 
 
 Plates. London. Printed for the Author, and sold by J. Walter, at Charing-cross, 
 
 and S. Crowder, in Paternoster Row. MDCCLXXVIH 
 
 LIBELLUS DE USU MEDICO PULSATILLA NIGRICANTIS 
 
 By Antonius StOrck. MDCCLXXI 
 
 0»V 
 
Q K 
 
 qcf 
 
 f 
 
 ,t. t-3 
 
Capi: i JOJVATHAN CAR VER . 
 
 t^ww Original Picture tns-m&f/ajbfato'n/ 0//<f* £&&&>&* M.T>.^. 
 
 fiiMs/tsd as lA£ Jet direct, ty R.ftavdrtJV, "vfl-i.nzai SiTurn-rttlc Jlptdorn.fov'lS; i ySp , 
 
CAPTAIN JONATHAN CARVER. 
 
 Our Frontispiece portrait of Carver is from the 3rd edition of his Travels, 
 published in 1781 by John Coakley Lettsom, who purchased that edition, and 
 the plates. 
 
 Jonathan Carver was born in 1732, at Stillwater, in the province of Con- 
 necticut. He was a grandson of William Joseph Carver, of Wigan, in Lan- 
 cashire, England. At the age of 18, he purchased an Ensigncy in Connect- 
 icut, obtaining afterward the command of a company. Under General Webb, 
 he took part in the battle of Fort William Henry, where General Montcalm of 
 the French and Indian army was victorious. In 1758 he served as second 
 lieutenant of Captain Hawks' company, commanded by Colonel Oliver Part- 
 ridge, in the invasion of Canada, and in 1760, he was made Captain of a com- 
 pany in Colonel Salstonstall's regiment. In 1762 he commanded a company of 
 infantry in Colonel Salstonstall's regiment. In all of these positions he ac- 
 quitted himself admirably, both as concerns integrity and courage. The year 
 after accepting his commission under Colonel Salstonstall, came the Peace of 
 Versailles, 1763, when Carver retired from the army. But he was not content 
 to remain in the lines of civil industry, and struck out into the forests of the 
 great American West and Northwest, as an explorer. 
 
 Of rounded experience and good education, he was excellently qualified 
 for descriptive writing, his narratives being both interesting and instructive. 
 Lake Pepin and its vicinity took much of his time, and "Carver's Travels" 
 concern much of that part of America, as regards quadrupeds, birds, fish, de- 
 scriptions of the natives, vegetation and insects. The portion reproduced in 
 the accompanying Bulletin is that which concerns trees, shrubs, roots, herbs 
 and flowers. 
 
 In addition to the work now known as "Carver's Travels," Carver issued 
 a pamphlet of fifty-four pages, on the subject of tobacco, accompanying same 
 by two engravings of the plant, and an account of its cultivation on the Amer- 
 ican continent. (See Dr. Lettsom's edition of Carver's Travels.) 
 
 Captain Carver was rather above the middle stature, muscular in build, 
 and of a florid complexion. He was sociable and affable with friends, but 
 reserved when among strangers. In addition to his scientific descriptions, he 
 touched the poetic, Dr. Lettsom stating that his verses "afford proofs of his 
 lively imagination, and the harmony of his versification." 
 
 Notwithstanding the fact that Carver was very religious, and was consid- 
 ered to be a very moral and upright man, he deserted his American wife and 
 children, and went to England, where he again married, thus casting a blot 
 upon his record. 
 
4 CAPTAIN JONA THAN CAR VER. 
 
 After reaching England, 1769, and publishing his Travels, he became dis- 
 tressed in mind, body, and finances, and in 1779, in order to exist, he served 
 as clerk in a lottery office. His vitality and strength were much reduced by 
 depression of mind and body, as well as by the inroads of poverty, and on the 
 31st day of January, 1780, in the 48th year of his age, he died and was in- 
 terred in Holywell-Mount burying ground, England. 
 
 A detailed biography of Carver may be found in the Dictionary of Na- 
 tional Biography, by Leslie Stephens. Our brief notice is condensed, mostly, 
 from Dr. Lettsom's Introduction to the 3rd Edition of the work. In this con- 
 nection it may be stated that Dr. Lettsom's interest in Carver led him in the 
 dark times of Carver's later life to devote both care and money in Carver's 
 behalf, and to contribute much to the support of his English family, giving them 
 the entire returns from the subscriptions to the third edition of the work, for 
 which he, (Lettsom), had paid all expenses. J. U. L. 
 
AN 
 
 INVESTIGATION of the PROPERTIES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS; 
 
 OR 
 
 PUCCOON. 
 
 BY WILLIAM DOWNEY, 
 
 OF MARYLAND. — MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN LINNEAN AND 
 PHILADELPHIA MEDICAL SOCIETIES. 
 
 " Let no presuming impious railer tax 
 Creative wisdom, as if aught was form'd 
 In vain, or nought for admirable ends." 
 
 THOMPSON. 
 
 Printed, for the Author, by 
 
 Eaken & Mecum. 
 (1803.) 
 
 4? 
 
AN 
 
 INAUGURAL 
 EXPERIMENTAL INQUIRY, 
 
 FOR THE DEGREE OF 
 
 DOCTOR OF MEDICINE. 
 
 SUBMITTED TO THE EXAMINATION 
 OF THE 
 
 REVEREND JOHN ANDREWS, D. D. 
 (PROVOST PRO TEMPORE), 
 
 THE 
 
 TRUSTEES AND MEDICAL PROFESSORS 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, 
 
 ON THE 
 EIGHTH DAY OF JUNE, 1803. 
 
TO DOCTOR RICHARD PINDELL, 
 
 of maryland. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 IN the dedication of this, the inaugural 
 fruits of my medical education, commenced 
 under your direction, I shall not consider, that 
 any of my numerous obligations to you, which I 
 with pleasure, thus publicly acknowledge, will 
 be obliterated. Was my dissertation more worthy 
 your notice, your virtues as a citizen, and your 
 merits as a professional character, would alone 
 claim this of me. The friendly instruction which 
 you were ever ready to communicate, and the 
 polite attention which I received from you and 
 your amiable family, during my residence in it, 
 shall always be recollected with gratitude. And 
 that you may long enjoy that happiness, which 
 it is your constant endeavour to communicate to 
 others, is the sincere wish of 
 
 Your much obliged Friend, 
 and Grateful Pupil, 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
TO 
 
 BENJAMIN SMITH BARTON, M. D. 
 
 PROFESSOR OF 
 MATERIA MEDICA, NATURAL HISTORY AND BOTANY, 
 
 IN THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, 
 
 THIS 
 
 DISSERTATION 
 
 IS INSCRIBED, AS A TRIBUTE OF RESPECT AND GRATI- 
 TUDE FOR NUMEROUS FAVOURS CONFERRED UPON 
 
 HIS FRIEND, AND 
 
 HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 ALSO, TO 
 
 DOCTOR FREDERICK DORSEY, 
 
 OF 
 
 MARYLAND, 
 
 THIS IS INSCRIBED, AS A MARK OF 
 
 HIGH ESTIMATION, 
 
 AND AS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE MANY 
 
 ACTS OF KINDNESS 
 SHEWN DURING THE PUPILAGE OF HIS 
 
 SINCERE FRIEND, 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 
 
 A. THE tuberous, premorse root. 
 
 B. A young involved leaf as it appears with 
 
 the flower. 
 
 C. An expanded leaf after the flower. 
 
 D. An opening corolla, shewing 
 
 d. the calyx, which is a two-leaved perianth, 
 and falls off as soon as the flower be- 
 gins to expand itself. 
 
 E. The scape supporting the corolla fully ex- 
 
 panded. 
 
 F. The pericarpium, which is oblong, ventri- 
 
 cose, and bivalved; crowned, with its 
 sulcated stigma. 
 
WiBa^tram,, (Ul, 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 WHEN we take a view of the vast number 
 of vegetables with which our country is adorned, 
 we must candidly acknowledge that our ac- 
 quaintance with their medical properties, is ex- 
 tremely limited indeed. The investigation of 
 their uses in the arts and as medicines, is an ob- 
 ject of some importance to society. There is, 
 perhaps, no portion of the globe that has been 
 more highly favoured by nature in esculent and 
 medicinal vegetables. The zea (maize) and po- 
 tatoes, as articles of diet, stand unequalled; the 
 podophyllum peltatum, nicotiana, spigelia and 
 what has been emphatically called the vegetable 
 antimony , the eupatorium perfoliatum, are medi- 
 cines not inferior to any yet discovered. An in- 
 finite number yet remain to be investigated. To 
 increase the list of articles in the Materia Med- 
 ica, is not, however, a desirable object; but to 
 expunge those which are nearly inert, and in- 
 crease the number of active ones is certainly of 
 the first importance. This taken into consider- 
 ation, and with a view to the more easy procure- 
 ment of our medicines, is of sufficient conse- 
 quence to stimulate to an examination of our in- 
 digenous vegetables. 
 
 I have made a feeble attempt to investigate 
 the properties and uses of the Sanguinaria Cana- 
 densis, a plant peculiar to our country. Most of 
 
 B 
 
the experiments have been repeatedly made, and 
 are related with as much precision as I was ca- 
 pable of. Any errors which may have been com- 
 mitted, were through my inexperience in the 
 business of experimenting. Circumstanced as I 
 have been, little more has been done by me than 
 the simple introduction of the subject. It is well 
 worthy further investigation, both as it respects 
 the science of medicine and the arts. 
 
BOTANICAL ARRANGEMENT. 
 
 T 
 
 HE genus Sanguinaria belongs to 
 Linnaeus's twenty-seventh natural order, Rhce- 
 deae. In his sexual system he places it in the 
 class polyandria and order monogynia. The 
 characters which he gives of the fructification 
 are as follows : * 
 
 Cal. Petals eight,t oblong, obtuse, most ex- 
 panding; the alternate ones interior, nar- 
 rower. 
 
 Stam. Filaments very numerous, simple, 
 shorter than the coral. Anthers simple. 
 
 PlST. Germ oblong, compressed. Style none. 
 Stigma thickish, two furrowed with a stria 
 the heighth of the stamens, permanent. 
 
 Per. Capsule oblong, bellied, acute at both 
 ends, two valved, seeds very numerous, 
 round and pointed. 
 
 * Translation by the Litchfield society. 
 t From eight to fourteen. 
 
[ 12 ] 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT. 
 
 ist. Root. Is of a very indefinite size, varying in 
 thickness from one fourth to half an inch in 
 diameter, and in length from three to four 
 inches. It is sometimes pretty straight, with 
 a curvature at each end; that from which 
 the stalk proceeds is always to be found, 
 but the other is frequently a wanting, hav- 
 ing the appearance of being broken. Num- 
 erous stringy fibres of two or three inches 
 in length are observed to originate from 
 the body of the root. A coloured liquor, 
 that stains paper of a beautiful orange col- 
 our, is thrown out when a root is broken, 
 from a great number of very minute veins. 
 
 2d. The petiole or foot-stalk of the leaf is 
 round, generally from six to eight inches in 
 length and thickness of a quill. 
 
 3d. The scapus or stalk which supports the 
 flower, is of a like length with the petiole, 
 but is not quite so thick. Both of them, when 
 broken or squeezed, emit a coloured liquor, 
 which stains of a very pale yellow. Near 
 their origin from the root they are of a red- 
 dish colour, which becomes much more faint 
 near the leaf. 
 
 4th. The leaves are cordate and lobate. The 
 number of lobes are mostly five or seven, 
 and their edges have a number of small in- 
 dentations of unequal depths. There is but 
 one leaf to a stalk, which stands nearly in a 
 horizontal direction from the top of the 
 
[ 13 J 
 
 stalk. On each lobe, one large fibre of a 
 very light yellow colour, may be seen run- 
 ning from the stalk, and many smaller ones 
 branching from it in all directions. 
 
 OF ITS NATURAL HISTORY. 
 
 The plant which is the subject of the pre- 
 sent enquiry, is known by different appellations, 
 in America, as the puccoon, bloodwort, red root, 
 Indian paint, turmeric, &c. 
 
 Perhaps it is one of the most abundant 
 vegetables of our country. In the Florida's it is 
 found to grow plentifully, and Professor Barton 
 informs me, he has seen it as far north as lati- 
 tude 43 , and imagines it extremely probable, 
 that it extends much farther. We find it gene- 
 rally inhabiting a rich loose soil, and the declivi- 
 ties of hills. It is seldom or never found to grow 
 in lands, which have been cleared of their tim- 
 ber, or in a state of cultivation. Its flowers gen- 
 erally appear about the first of April, and before 
 its leaves put out. 
 
 ANALYSIS OF THE ROOT. 
 
 EXPERIMENT I. 
 
 Having obtained a quantity of the root 
 dried, and reduced to a gross powder, six ounces 
 of water were poured on two ounces of it; after 
 standing twelve hours, the whole was subjected 
 to a low degree of heat in a glass retort, to which 
 a receiver was properly adapted. At the expira- 
 tion of three hours, the liquor which had passed 
 into the receiver, was examined, and found to be 
 2 
 
[ H 1 
 
 perfectly colourless and insipid. On increasing 
 the heat, a fluid slightly coloured, came over, 
 which had the peculiar smell of the recent root, 
 and was considerably acrid in the fauces. Nei- 
 ther the first nor the last portion was altered by 
 the addition of a solution of the oxy-sulphate of 
 iron. Paper stained with litmus underwent no 
 change. 
 
 EXPERIMENT II. 
 
 Six ounces of alkohol were digested in the 
 sun, and one ounce and a half of the root, dried 
 and reduced to a coarse powder, for the space of 
 seven days; it was then decanted, and a fresh 
 quantity added; after standing also the same 
 length of time, it was put with the first portion 
 in a glass vessel, and exposed to evaporation, 
 in a gentle heat. Ninety-eight grains of resin, 
 and extractive matter of a beautiful crimson co- 
 lour, were obtained, of a warm agreeable bitter 
 taste. One dram of this was triturated in a glass 
 vessel, with some warm water, which was after- 
 wards passed through a filter, and evaporated. 
 On drying, and collecting that which was inso- 
 luble, in water, it was found to weigh sixteen 
 grains; the saponaceous or extractive matter, 
 which was soluble in alkohol, as well as water, 
 weighed thirty-eight grains. In the course of the 
 experiment six grains were lost. 
 
 HAVING dried the roots on which the al- 
 kohol had been digested, a quantity of boiling 
 water was poured on them, which, after standing 
 a short time, was passed through a filter, and 
 evaporated. One dram two scruples of gum- 
 mous matter were obtained, of a dark colour, 
 and an acrid bitter taste: a small quantity dis- 
 
[ i5 J 
 
 solved in the saliva, and swallowed, produced 
 considerable irritation in the fauces, which con- 
 tinued for several hours. 
 
 To ascertain what action the different prin- 
 ciples of the root, had on the human body, in a 
 state of combination, and when separated, the 
 following experiments were made : 
 
 EXPERIMENT III. 
 
 Having breakfasted at eight o'clock, I 
 took twenty grains of the recent root two hours 
 after, my pulse beating seventy-six strokes in a 
 minute. 
 
 Min 5 [ 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 
 Puis. 76 | 78 | 80 J 84 | 86 | 86 | 87 | 84 | 82 | 85 | 80 | 77 | 74 | 75 
 
 M. 75 | 80 | 85 [ 90 
 P. 73 | 72 | 73 | 74 
 
 In ten minutes I had a burning sensation 
 at my stomach, pulse full and strong; twenty- 
 five, a considerable nausea came on, my pulse 
 very irregular, and not so full; forty, I had a 
 slight head-ach, my face very pale; fifty, the 
 nausea returning at intervals, rendered my pulse 
 extremely irregular, in fullness and force. About 
 three hours from the time of taking it, it purged 
 me gently two or three times. 
 
 EXPERIMENT IV. 
 
 To my friend and fellow graduate, Mr. 
 Young, four hours after dining lightly, I gave 
 twenty-three grains of the pulverized root, made 
 into pills, with honey. In fifteen minutes he 
 
[ 16 ] 
 
 complained of a burning at his stomach, his 
 pulse very quick, without much fullness ; thirty, 
 he had a great nausea ; and in thirty-five, it ope- 
 rated most violently as an emetic, producing six 
 or seven full vomitings. He drank a considera- 
 ble quantity of warm tea, with the view of assist- 
 ing the operation, and to allay the violent irrita- 
 tion which was produced in his throat. All the 
 contents of his stomach, as well as the tea, on 
 being discharged, were of a colour similar to the 
 decoction of the root. 
 
 EXPERIMENT V. 
 
 Three hours after dining lightly on veal 
 and potatoes, my friend Mr. Rees, took eight 
 grains of the extract obtained by alkohol from 
 the dried root, his pulse beating eighty strokes 
 in a minute. 
 
 Min. 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 [ 40 | 45 1 50 | 55 1 60 I 65 
 Puis. 80 | 82 | 82 | 80 | 82 | 84 | 86 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 88 | 89 
 
 In fifteen minutes he had a warmth at his 
 stomach, which he compared to that produced 
 by camphor, his pulse a little fuller; twenty-five, 
 his pulse was strong and full; thirty-five, a 
 slight nausea commenced; forty-five, he had 
 eructations of wind from his stomach; sixty- 
 five, he had one gentle motion to vomit. 
 
 EXPERIMENT VI. 
 
 To my friend, Mr. Young, I gave eight 
 grains of the extract, obtained by decoction, 
 with water, and evaporation, his pulse perform- 
 ing only fifty-eight strokes in a minute: in 
 
[ i7 1 
 
 twenty minutes, his pulse was increased to sixty- 
 two, and had a warmth at his stomach: when 
 forty minutes had elapsed, he became much af- 
 fected with nausea, and was shortly after relieved 
 from every disagreeable sensation, by discharg- 
 ing the contents of his stomach. It produced 
 only two motions and those very gentle. He ob- 
 served to me, that in this, as also in the former 
 experiment, he experienced some difficulty in 
 discharging his urine, having somewhat of an 
 ardor urinae. 
 
 EXPERIMENT VII. 
 
 HAVING breakfasted at eight o'clock. I 
 took eight grains of the saponaceous or extract- 
 ive matter, at half past ten, my friend Mr. Wal- 
 ker, attending to my pulse which was at its 
 standard seventy-six. 
 
 Min. 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 
 Puis. 76 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 78 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 80 | 81 | 79 | 78 | 77 | 75 
 
 M. 75 | 80 1 85 | 9 
 P. 76 | 76 | 75 | 76 
 
 In twenty minutes I had a slight nausea, 
 my pulse diminished in fullness and force; thir- 
 ty, my pulse very small and quick; forty, I had 
 a disposition to puke, which, however, continued 
 but for a very short time ; fifty, the nausea had 
 nearly disappeared, and my pulse became consi- 
 derably fuller; seventy, my pulse was nearly na- 
 tural in fullness and force, only being a little ir- 
 regular. 
 
 C 
 
[ 18 ] 
 
 EXPERIMENT VIII. 
 
 To my friend Mr. Bartram, four hours after 
 taking breakfast, I gave eight grains of the gum- 
 mous matter, his pulse beating seventy-eight 
 strokes in a minute. 
 
 Min. 5 1 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 1 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 [ 55 | 60 
 Puis. 78 I 78 j 80 | 81 | 80 | 83 I 83 I 82 I 80 I 80 I 78 I 82 
 
 In fifteen minutes a slight nausea came on 
 with a burning at his stomach; forty, he com- 
 plained of a head-ach, the nausea, at intervals, 
 much more violent; sixty, he was vomited 
 twice, the motions were pretty strong. 
 
 EXPERIMENT IX. 
 
 Two hours after breakfasting, my pulse at 
 seventy-four, I took eight grains of the resin, 
 my friend Mr. Walker attending to my pulse. 
 
 Min. 5 | 10 j 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 j 50 | 55 [ 60 1 65 | 70 
 Puis. 75 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 77 | 75 | 74 | 74 | 73 ! 74 | 74 
 
 In twenty minutes my pulse was a little 
 fuller, with an agreeable sensation at my sto- 
 mach ; from this time, through the whole course 
 of the experiment, there was no perceptible 
 change in my pulse, or my feelings, except what 
 might be occasioned by continuing in the same 
 posture for such a length of time. 
 
[ i9l 
 ANALYSIS OF THE LEAVES. 
 
 EXPERIMENT X. 
 
 ONE half ounce of the leaves was boiled for 
 half an hour, with a pint of water, which was 
 then poured through a filter, and evaporated. 
 Fifty-eight grains of a dark coloured extract 
 were obtained, of a pleasant sub-acid taste. To 
 the same leaves which were previously dried in 
 the sun was added a portion of alkohol, which 
 after digesting in a gentle heat for three days, 
 was decanted and evaporated in a glass vessel. 
 Twelve grains of resinous matter were obtained, 
 which was nearly of an insipid taste. 
 
 To the fifty-eight grains of extract were 
 then added, two ounces of alkohol, which after 
 standing four days in the sun, was poured off and 
 evaporated. Eighteen grains of saponaceous or 
 extractive matter, were obtained. 
 
 EXPERIMENT XL 
 
 My friend and fellow graduate, Mr. Pender- 
 grast, two hours after breakfasting, took four 
 grains of the leaves powdered and made into 
 pills, his pulse at seventy-six strokes in a mi- 
 nute. 
 
 Min. 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 1 65 | 70 
 Pvls. 76 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 80 | 82 | 78 | 77 | 74 | 72 | 74 | 76 
 
 M. 75 | 80 
 P. 76 | 75 
 
 In fifteen minutes his pulse became fuller, 
 and he had a sensation of warmth at his sto- 
 mach; twenty- five he had a fullness in his head 
 
[ 20 ] 
 
 with vertigo; forty, he complained of great de- 
 bility and head-ach ; sixty, he was affected with 
 slight tremors, and very frequent yawning; eigh- 
 ty, his sensations were natural in every respect, 
 but for a slight sickness at his stomach, which 
 continued for several hours after. 
 
 EXPERIMENT XII. 
 
 Two hours after taking a light breakfast, 
 I took eight grains of the leaves made into pills, 
 my friend Mr. Walmsley attending to my pulse, 
 which was at its standard seventy-six. 
 
 Min. 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 [ 35 | 40 | 45 1 50 | 55 | 60 [ 65 | 70 
 Puis. 76 I 76 I 76 | 78 I 80 | 82 | 83 | 84 J 80 | 78 I 76 J 75 | 74 | 74 
 
 M. 75 | 80 | 85 
 P. 73 | 77 I 76 
 
 In fifteen minutes I had a warmth at my 
 stomach; twenty-five, my face was flushed, and 
 had a fullness in my head with a slight vertigo ; 
 thirty, my wrists were cold, and a profuse sweat 
 on my forehead ; forty, a slight nausea came on, 
 my pulse small and quick; fifty-five, my pulse 
 was somewhat fuller, the affection of my head 
 still continued, with slight involuntary motions 
 of my muscles ; eighty, my pulse was nearly 
 natural, but I felt extremely languid, with a dull 
 head-ach, which did not leave me for several 
 hours. 
 
 EXPERIMENT XIII. 
 
 My pulse at its standard seventy-six, I took 
 four grains of the extract obtained by decoction 
 with water and evaporation. 
 
[ 21 ] 
 
 Min. | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 
 Puis. 76 I 76 | 76 | 78 I 80 | 82 | 84 | 86 I 84 | 82 | 82 | 80 | 78 | 76 
 
 M. 70 1 75 | 80 | 85 | 90 | 95 | 100 
 P. 75 | 74 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 76 
 
 In twenty-five minutes I had a pleasant 
 warmth at my stomach, my pulse full; thirty- 
 five, my pulse was rather small and quick, with 
 considerable tension; forty-five I was affected 
 with tremors, as in the preceding experiment; 
 seventy-five, I had a dull pain directly over my 
 eyes, and felt extremely languid ; ninety-five, my 
 pulse was smaller than usual, and I had a dis- 
 agreeable sensation at my stomach, that conti- 
 nued for the remainder of the day. 
 
 OF THE PERICARPIUM, OR SEED 
 VESSEL AND SEEDS. 
 
 EXPERIMENT XIV. 
 
 Having procured two drams of the seed 
 vessels and seeds not arrived at maturity, six 
 ounce measures of water were boiled on them, 
 until evaporated to two. Of this I took two 
 dram measures, my friend Mr. Walmsley at- 
 tending to my pulse. 
 
 Min. | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 1 35 ] 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 
 Puis. 76 | 76 | 78 | 82 | 82 | 80 | 83 | 83 | 81 | 82 | 79 | 77 | 79 | 81 
 
 M. 70 | 75 | 80 1 85 | 90 
 P. 76 | 75 I 75 | 77 | 76 
 
 In twenty minutes not perceiving that any 
 other effect was produced than increasing my 
 pulse a little in frequency, I took two drams 
 
[ 22 ] 
 
 more ; thirty-five, I had a glow of warmth over 
 my body; forty- five, I took three drams 
 more; fifty, I perspired freely, my pulse tense 
 and quick, though not full; seventy, my pulse 
 was extremely irregular; a torpor of my whole 
 system came on, with very frequent yawning; 
 ninety, my pulse nearly as full as usual, though 
 not so strong, and fluctuating. I was not en- 
 tirely free from the effects of it, in the space of 
 two hours. 
 
 EXPERIMENT XV. 
 
 My friend Mr. Wootton, two hours after 
 dining, took five dram measures of the decoc- 
 tion, his pulse at eighty strokes in a minute. 
 
 Min. 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 1 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 [ 55 | 60 1 65 j 70 
 Puis. 80 j 83 | 84 | 87 | 88 | 86 j 84 j 85 I 83 I 81 I 79 I 77 | 78 j 80 
 
 M. 75 1 80 | 85 | 90 
 P. 81 | 79 I 78 | 78 
 
 In fifteen minutes his pulse was very strong 
 and full; twenty it became smaller and tense; 
 forty, his pulse was remarkably small and quick; 
 fifty-five, he complained of great languor, with 
 an irresistible propensity to yawn; his counte- 
 nance pale: he mentioned that his vision was 
 somewhat affected; the pupils of his eyes were 
 evidently dilated more than usual ; ninety, his 
 pulse was nearly of its natural fulness, though 
 very irregular, the languor still continuing, as 
 also the propensity to yawn for some time after- 
 wards. 
 
[ 2 3 ] 
 
 REMARKS ON THE PRECEDING 
 EXPERIMENTS. 
 
 From the result of the two first experi- 
 ments, it appears that there is a gum, a resin, 
 and a saponaceous or extractive matter in the 
 root, but that the former preponderates consi- 
 derably. In the leaves a still larger proportion 
 is found to exist, and a much smaller quantity 
 of saponaceous or extractive matter. 
 
 By experiment fourth, it is shewn, that the 
 root of our plant is endowed with powerful eme- 
 tic qualities, when taken in the dose of fifteen or 
 twenty grains. But in consequence of the irrita- 
 tion which is produced in the fauces, it is proba- 
 ble, that in the form of a powder, it will never 
 come into general use. This inconvenience may, 
 however, be obviated, by giving it in form of a 
 decoction or extract. Eight grains acted as a 
 very gentle emetic in experiment sixth, without 
 having any such effect. It is but little inferior to 
 the ipecacuanha, either in the certainty or speedi- 
 ness of its operation. 
 
 THE principle of activity resides chiefly in 
 the gum and saponaceous or extractive matter, 
 but more especially in the former. The resin 
 possesses little or no activity. Perhaps the most 
 certain preparation as an emetic, would be the 
 gum; though combined with the saponaceous 
 matter, as I have already said, it operates pretty 
 certainly. 
 
 The primary and most prominent effects 
 induced by it, were a warmth at the stomach, an 
 increase in the frequency and force of the pulse ; 
 
[ 24 J 
 
 and if in a considerable dose, nausea and vomit- 
 ing, in a smaller one, it increased in a remarka- 
 ble manner the appetite. In all the experiments 
 it had a tendency to produce costiveness, except 
 in the third, when it acted gently cathartic. 
 
 The powder of the root may be given as an 
 emetic for an adult, in the dose of fifteen or twen- 
 ty grains, made into pills ; otherwise a consider- 
 able irritation will be produced in the fauces on 
 taking it. As a stimulating tonic, two or four 
 grains may be taken, if nausea be produced, the 
 dose must be diminished. I have repeatedly ex- 
 perienced very sensible effects from taking one 
 single grain. 
 
 The experiments xii, xiii and xiv, evince a 
 difference in the properties of the leaves and 
 root* Not only in these cases which are re- 
 lated, but also in several others not mentioned, 
 they evidently induced tremors, head-ach, and a 
 great torpor of the system. Such effects are only 
 induced by substances, deleterious to the human 
 constitution. 
 
 The few experiments which I made with 
 the unripe seeds, convinced me that they pos- 
 sessed a very considerable influence over the 
 pulse, and a stupifying or narcotic quality, t Not 
 
 * That different parts of the same vegetable should possess powers 
 extremely dissimilar, is a circumstance which frequently occurs, thus, in 
 the Podophyllum Peltatum (or May apple,) a plant nearly allied in its 
 botanical affinities to the Sanguinaria ; we find the fruit esculent, the 
 leaves deleterious, and the root cathartic. This, like many of the mys- 
 terious operations of nature, claims our admiration, though incapable of 
 explanation. 
 
 t Professor Barton, in his Essay towards a Materia Medica of the 
 United States, mentions, " that the seeds appear to possess nearly the 
 " same quality as the seeds of the Datura Stramonium," which are pow- 
 erfully narcotic. 
 
[ 25 J 
 
 being able to procure any of the ripe seeds, 
 which, in all probability, are more powerful, I 
 was prevented from entering so fully into this 
 part of my subject as I could have wished. 
 
 AS A COLOURING MATTER. 
 
 The juice of the root making a very fine 
 dye of an orange colour, has frequently been 
 used by country people, for the purpose of stain- 
 ing flannels and woollen cloths.* But it unfor- 
 tunately is one of those colours, which require 
 an intermediate substance to give it fixity. For 
 frequent washing, and exposure to the sun, de- 
 stroy it entirely. Considering it of some im- 
 portance, to discover a substance which would 
 give it this permanency, by rendering it insolu- 
 ble in water, I made several experiments — But 
 previously, to ascertain what effects those sub- 
 stances commonly made use of as mordants, 
 would have upon the colouring matter, I made 
 the following : 
 
 A SMALL quantity of the nitric acid was ad- 
 ded to some of the decoction of the root, which 
 was nearly of a brown colour; a precipitate in- 
 stantly took place, and the liquor changed to a 
 muddy yellow colour. 
 
 On adding the muriatic acid, the colour 
 was rendered much more vivid, without any 
 precipitation occurring. 
 
 * Professor Barton informs me, that the Indians also make use of 
 it, as a dye for their baskets and articles of ornament. 
 
 D 
 
[ 26] 
 
 The sulphuric was attended with the same 
 results as the marine. 
 
 Sulphate of alumine (or allum,) produced 
 very little change in the colour. 
 
 Acetate (or sugar of lead,) destroyed the co- 
 lour almost entirely, and after standing some 
 time, a copious precipitate of a whitish appear- 
 ance, fell to the bottom. 
 
 ') 
 
 Tartrite of pot-ash (or cream of tartar) pro- 
 duced no perceptible change. 
 
 Murio-sulphate of tin, produced a beautiful 
 mixed colour, between an orange and a red, 
 without any precipitation taking place. 
 
 An infusion, as also the alkohol of galls, 
 produced a colour nearly similar to that of the 
 murio-sulphate of tin, but after standing some 
 time, a precipitate took place. 
 
 On adding the prussiate of pot-ash, a dark 
 coloured precipitate took place, after standing a 
 short time, and the super-natant liquor was per- 
 fectly colourless ; but on pouring in a very small 
 quantity of sulphuric acid, the precipitate was 
 redissolved, and the original colour restored. 
 
 HAVING premised these experiments, I 
 shall proceed to relate the results of several 
 which were made on pieces of flannel, silk, cot- 
 ton and linen, with a view to discover a proper 
 mordant for them. 
 
 EXPERIMENT I. 
 TWO ounces of sulphate of alumine (or al- 
 
[ 2 7 ] 
 
 lum,) were dissolved in a pint of water; in the 
 solution the strips of flannel, silk, &c. were boiled 
 for fifteen minutes ; when they were taken out, 
 and thrown into a decoction, made by boiling a 
 quart of water on two ounces of the dried root; 
 after stirring them about for a few minutes, they 
 were taken out and placed in the sun to dry. 
 They had all acquired a deep orange colour; 
 but on boiling them in some water, that of the 
 cotton and linen faded considerably, the flannel 
 and silk were but little changed. 
 
 EXPERIMENT II. 
 
 EQUAL quantities of the sulphate of alumine 
 (or allum,) and tartrite of pot-ash (or cream of 
 tartar,) were dissolved in some water, and pieces 
 of flannel, &c. boiled in this solution. On taking 
 them out and dyeing them, they acquired a co- 
 lour nearly similar to that in the first experiment ; 
 but on treating them in the same manner, great 
 part of the colouring matter was washed out, 
 more particularly in the linen and cotton. 
 
 EXPERIMENT III. 
 
 A STRONG solution of the acetate (or sugar 
 of lead,) was made with rain water, and the same 
 process performed as in the other experiments. 
 The result was, that the flannel and silk acquired 
 a colour approaching to a pale red ; but was con- 
 siderably changed by boiling; the linen and cot- 
 ton were at first but slightly tinged, and which 
 was entirely washed out. 
 
1 28 ] 
 
 EXPERIMENT IV. 
 
 Having dissolved about two ounces of the 
 sulphate of alumine in some boiling water, the 
 different pieces of cloths were immersed in it, 
 and as much caustic pot-ash was added as was 
 sufficient to precipitate the alumine, by uniting 
 to the sulphuric acid, and forming sulphate of 
 pot-ash. After boiling them for some time, they 
 were taken out and dyed; the flannel and silk 
 exhibited a very fine orange colour; the linen 
 and cotton retained much less of the colouring 
 matter. Boiling in water rendered the colour 
 more bright in the flannel and silk, but in the 
 others nearly washed it out. 
 
 This experiment I varied a little, but not 
 with exactly the same result. Having immersed 
 the bits of flannel, &c. in the solution of allum, 
 they were taken out, and a portion of caustic am- 
 moniac poured on them, which uniting to the 
 acid deposited the alumine on the bits of cloth. 
 They were then dyed, but did not retain the co- 
 louring matter as well as in the other experiment. 
 
 EXPERIMENT V. 
 
 THE murio sulphate of tin made use of as a 
 mordant, produced an orange colour tinged with 
 red. Washing in water rendered it somewhat 
 more faint, but both the linen and cotton, as well 
 as the other bits of cloth, remained of a very 
 bright orange. 
 
[ 2 9 ] 
 
 EXPERIMENT VI. 
 
 DILUTED sulphuric acid was tried, as a mor- 
 dant. All the pieces of cloth exhibited a vivid 
 orange colour, but boiling water washed a consi- 
 derable portion of it out. 
 
 EXPERIMENT VII. 
 
 A PIECE of white broad cloth was boiled 
 with a solution of the sulphate of iron, and then 
 dyed. A colour approaching to a drab was pro- 
 duced after washing. 
 
 OBSERVATIONS ON THE FOREGOING 
 EXPERIMENTS. 
 
 By the first experiments, it appeared, that 
 the colour was entirely destroyed by some arti- 
 cles, and by others, it acquired different shades, 
 which might be varied at pleasure. 
 
 In all the experiments made with a view to 
 find a mordant, the flannel and silk acquired a 
 deeper or lighter colour, which could never be 
 entirely washed out. But in none was the 
 orange colour retained so completely as in expe- 
 riment fourth, when the alumine was used as the 
 mordant. The murio-sulphate of tin produced 
 a very handsome colour, which was sufficiently 
 permanent; and was the only mordant that fixed- 
 it on the cotton and linen. 
 
 UPON the whole, by the foregoing experi- 
 ments, I think it is ascertained that the sulphate 
 
 3 
 
[ 3o] 
 
 of alumine, or the alumine alone, and the murio- 
 sulphate of tin, are tolerable good mordants for 
 flannel, cotton, silk and linen. 
 
 The colours produced by the puccoon are 
 rich, and might undoubtedly, if taken in hands 
 by one conversant in the business of dyeing, be- 
 come one of their most valuable articles. 
 
 OF THE PROPERTIES OF THE PUC- 
 COON AS A MEDICINE. 
 
 We have seen that it is a powerful stimu- 
 lant, and that when taken in certain doses, it ex- 
 cites vomiting. And that in small doses it acts 
 as a general stimulating tonic, as is shewn by its 
 increasing the appetite, and its action on the ar- 
 terial system. 
 
 It has been placed in the class of emetics 
 by Professor Barton,* which is certainly its pro- 
 per arrangement. Its most prominent effect be- 
 ing to induce vomiting even in moderate doses. 
 
 The leaves and seeds ought to be classed 
 with the incitants, for they evidently are power- 
 ful and diffusible stimulants. 
 
 In common with other articles belonging to 
 that class, they sometimes act as diaphoreticsf 
 and diuretics. 
 
 * See his collections for an essay towards a Materia Medica of the 
 United States. 
 
 t My much esteemed friend Dr. F. Dorsey, of Maryland, informed 
 me in a letter, that the root was frequently given by farriers to horses, 
 with a view to induce sweating, and to promote the shedding of their 
 old coats of hair. 
 
[ 3i ] 
 
 As an errhine, the root finely pulverized, is 
 perhaps inferior to none; a small quantity snuff- 
 ed up the nose, induces an immense discharge 
 and violent irritation. 
 
 OF ITS USE IN PARTICULAR 
 DISEASES. 
 
 i. Intermitting fever. I have been 
 informed by a very intelligent gentleman,* that a 
 spirituous tincture of the roots, is very generally 
 used by the inhabitants of low marshy grounds, 
 in the southern states, as a preventive to the in- 
 termitting fever; and in what is called inward 
 fevers, which is but an inferior grade, and is 
 cured by the same remedies. From its general 
 properties, very probably it might be a very 
 useful medicine in this disease, in some particu- 
 lar states. 
 
 2. Dysentery. This being a disease, in 
 the primary states, requiring depletion, and the 
 careful abstinence from stimulating and tonic 
 medicines, would render the use of the puccoon 
 very precarious, but after sufficient evacuations 
 have been made or in chronic cases, it will be 
 found a medicine of great value. 
 
 In the western parts of this state, I have been 
 told, a decoction of it has been used with great 
 advantage, and from the very commencement of 
 the complaint. Probably it was given in such 
 quantities as to prove emetic, or produce a deter- 
 
 * Mr. William Bartram. 
 
C 32 ] 
 
 mination to the surface of the body, and thereby 
 induce sweating, which is the practice of some 
 physicians in this disease. 
 
 3. Jaundice. The roots dried and re- 
 duced to a powder, was recommended by Colden, 
 in this disorder. The dose, however, which he 
 tells us may be taken, is certainly too large ; few 
 systems would bear more than half the quantity. 
 It is more than probable that our medicine was 
 first introduced as a remedy for this disease, un- 
 der the influence of the absurd doctrine of signa- 
 tures. A similarity subsisting between the co- 
 lour of the juice, and the jaundiced eye, was 
 proof sufficiently strong of the propriety of ad- 
 ministering it. Acting as an emetic, no doubt 
 it eventually proved effectual in some cases. Bi- 
 liary concretions, obstructing the ducts, are not 
 unfrequently forced into the duodenum by the 
 violent agitation induced by an emetic. So far 
 we believe it might, in some instances, be of use 
 in this complaint. 
 
 4. Ulcerous sore throats. I would in- 
 fer, from its effects generally, that it will be 
 found a valuable medicine, Where there is a ten- 
 dency to slough, or an accumulation of sordes in 
 the throat, as frequently occurs in what is called 
 the putrid sore throat; if given in sufficient quan- 
 tities to induce vomiting, it would be useful, 
 both by removing this collection, and stimulat- 
 ing to a healthy action. 
 
 5. AMMENORRHEA. It is very uncertain 
 whether our medicine possesses any other qua- 
 lity than that of a powerful stimulus, and that its 
 action is upon the system generally. One case, 
 
[ 33 1 
 
 however, related to me,* seems to shew, that it 
 manifestly exerts an influence, sometimes over 
 the uterine system. A young woman who was 
 pregnant, by taking a small quantity of it, with 
 a view to excite a sweat, produced thereby an 
 abortion. Perhaps, when other remedies fail, in 
 obstructions of the menses, it might be worth 
 while to try it. 
 
 GONNORRHEA. Doctor Schoepf makes men- 
 tion of a decoction being useful in this com- 
 plaint, though he does not say in what manner 
 it is used. In the first stages no preparation 
 of it can be proper: but in chronic gonnor- 
 rheas or gleets, it will be found a very effec- 
 tual remedy. From one to two drams of the 
 dried root, may be infused in ten ounces of wa- 
 ter, and about two tea-spoonfuls of this injected 
 into the urethra three or four times a day. By 
 this treatment, a young gentleman who had been 
 affected with a gonnorrhea for near four months, 
 and had used the common remedies for this com- 
 plaint without effect, was completely cured. 
 
 OF ITS EXTERNAL APPLICATION. 
 
 My amiable and ingenious friend Mr. 
 Grimes, at my request, made a few experi- 
 ments with the root, in ill-conditioned ulcers of 
 long standing. In one or two of the cases, the 
 edges of the ulcers were callous, and a thin icho- 
 rous matter was discharged. No dressings had 
 been applied to them for some time previously, 
 except a plaister of the common unguent, prce. 
 Rub. A portion of the powdered root was sprin- 
 
 * By Mr. E. Griffiths, one of the Physicians to the Alms'-house. 
 E 
 
[ 34 J 
 
 kled over the ulcers, and then covered with 
 a little common cerate, in which some of the 
 powder was also incorporated. The discharge, 
 by this treatment, was much amended; the cal- 
 lous edges were rendered much softer, and the 
 ulcers in general acquired a healthy appearance. 
 It may be proper to observe, that these changes 
 were effected by only a few applications of it: 
 possibly, if the use of it had been continued for 
 some length of time, a cicatrization might have 
 taken place. 
 
 The juice of the root has been mentioned 
 as a cure for warts, and against the bite of some 
 particular kinds of snakes. Whether it is enti- 
 tled to any notice as such, I will not pretend to 
 say. 
 
 With this I conclude my essay;"*conscious 
 of its many imperfections, and that little has 
 been done by me, though a subject of great im- 
 portance, and claiming the attention of physi- 
 cians, as also artists. I cannot, however, take 
 leave of this University, without returning my 
 sincere acknowledgments to the different Pro- 
 fessors, for the much useful information I have 
 received from them; but in a more particular 
 manner to Professors Barton and Wistar, for 
 their friendly attention and kindness to me. 
 
 THE END. 
 
TRAVELS 
 
 THROUGH THE 
 
 INTERIOR PARTS 
 
 O F 
 
 NORTH-AMERICA, 
 
 IN THE 
 
 Years 1766, 1767, and 1768. 
 By J. Q A R V E R, Eso^ 
 
 CAPTAIN OF A COMPANY OF PROVINCIAL 
 
 TROOPS DURING THE LATE 
 
 WAR WITH FRANCE. 
 
 ILLUSTRATED WITH COPPER PLATES. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 Printed for the AUTHOR ; 
 
 And Sold by J. Walter, at Charing-cross, and 
 S. Crowder, in Pater-noster Row. 
 
 MDCCLXXVIII. 
 
T O 
 
 JOSEPH BANKS, Esq. F.R.S. 
 
 S I R, 
 
 WHEN the Public are in- 
 formed that I have long 
 had the Honour of your Acquain- 
 tance that my Design in pub- 
 lishing the following Work has re- 
 ceived your Sanction that the 
 
 Composition of it has stood the 
 Test of your Judgment — and that 
 it is by your Permission a Name so 
 deservedly eminent in the Literary 
 World is prefixed to it, I need not 
 be apprehensive of its Success ; as 
 
 your 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 your Patronage will unquestion- 
 ably give them Assurance of its 
 Merit. 
 
 For this public Testimony of 
 your Favour, in which I pride my- 
 self, accept, Sir, my most grateful 
 Acknowledgments ; and believe me 
 to be with great Respect, 
 
 Your obedient 
 
 humble Servant, 
 
 London, 
 June 20, 1778, 
 
 J. CARVER. 
 
[Travels through the Interior Parts 
 of North-America, in the Years 
 1766, 1767, and 1 768. J 
 
[ 494 ] 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 Of the Trees, Shrubs, Roots, Herbs, 
 Flowers, &c. 
 
 I SHALL here observe the same me- 
 thod that I have pursued in the pre- 
 ceding chapter, and having given a list of 
 the trees, &c. which are natives of the 
 interior parts of North America, particu- 
 larize such only as differ from the. pro- 
 duce of other countries, or being little 
 known, have not been described. 
 
 OF TREES. 
 
 The Oak, the Pine Tree, the Maple, 
 the Ash, the Hemlock, the Bass or 
 White Wood, the Cedar, the Elm, the 
 Birch, the Fir, the Locust Tree, the 
 Poplar, the Wickopic or Suckwic, the 
 
 Spruce, 
 
[ 495 ] 
 
 Spruce, the Hornbeam, and the Button 
 Wood Tree. 
 
 The OAK. There are several sorts of 
 oaks in these parts; the black, the white, 
 the red, the yellow, the grey, the swamp 
 oak, and the chesnut oak: the five for- 
 mer vary but little in their external ap- 
 pearance, the shape of the leaves, and the 
 colour of the bark being so much alike, 
 that they are scarcely distinguishable; but 
 the body of the tree when sawed disco- 
 vers the variation, which chiefly consists 
 in the colour of the wood, they being 
 all very hard and proper for building. 
 The swamp oak differs materially from 
 the others both in the shape of the leaf, 
 which is smaller, and in the bark, which 
 is smoother; and likewise as it grows 
 only in a moist gravelly soil. It is 
 esteemed the toughest of all woods, being 
 so strong yet pliable, that it is often 
 made use of instead of whalebone, and is 
 equally serviceable. The chesnut oak 
 also is greatly different from the others, 
 particularly in the shape of the leaf, 
 which much resembles that of the ches- 
 nut tree, and for this reason it is so de- 
 nominated. 
 
[ 496 ] 
 
 nominated. It is neither so strong as the 
 former species, or so tough as the latter, 
 but is of a nature proper to be split into 
 rails for fences, in which state it will en- 
 dure a considerable time. 
 
 The PINE TREE. That species of 
 the pine tree peculiar to this part of the 
 continent is the white, the quality of 
 which I need not describe, as the timber 
 of it is so well known under the name of 
 deals. It grows here in great plenty, to 
 an amazing height and size, and yields an 
 excellent turpentine, though not in such 
 quantities as those in the northern parts 
 of Europe. 
 
 The MAPLE. Of this tree there are 
 two sorts, the hard and the soft, both 
 of which yield a luscious juice, from 
 which the Indians by boiling make very 
 good sugar. The sap of the former is 
 much richer and sweeter than the latter, 
 but the soft produces a greater quantity. 
 The wood of the hard maple is very 
 beautifully veined and curled, and when 
 wrought into cabinets, tables, gunstocks, 
 &c. is greatly valued. That of the 
 soft sort differs in its texture, wanting the 
 variegated grain of the hard; it also 
 
 grows 
 
[ 497 ] 
 
 grows more strait and free from branches, 
 and is more easily split. It likewise may 
 be distinguished from the hard, as this 
 grows in meadows and low-lands, that on 
 the hills and up-lands. The leaves are 
 shaped alike, but those of the soft maple 
 are much the largest, and of a deeper 
 green. 
 
 The ASH. There are several sorts of 
 this tree in these parts, but that to which 
 I shall confine my description, is the yel- 
 low ash, which is only found near the 
 head branches of the Mississippi. This 
 tree grows to an amazing height, and the 
 body of it is so firm and sound, that the 
 French traders who go into that country 
 from Louisiana to purchase furs make of 
 them periaguays. This they do by ex- 
 cavating them with fire, and when they 
 are completed, convey in them the pro- 
 duce of their trade to New Orleans, where 
 they find a good market both for their 
 vessels and cargoes. The wood of this 
 tree greatly resembles that of the common 
 ash, but it might be distinguished from 
 any other tree by its bark; the ross or 
 outside bark being near eight inches thick, 
 and indented with furrows more than six 
 I i inches 
 
[ 498 ] 
 
 inches deep, which make those that are 
 arrived to a great bulk appear uncom- 
 monly rough ; and by this peculiarity 
 they may be readily known. The rind 
 or inside bark is of the same thickness as 
 that of other trees, but its colour is a fine 
 bright yellow; insomuch that if it is but 
 slightly handled, it will leave a stain on 
 the fingers, which cannot easily be 
 washed away; and if in the spring you 
 peel off the bark, and touch the sap, 
 which then rises between that and the 
 body of the tree, it will leave so deep a 
 tincture that it will require three or four 
 days to wear it off. Many useful quali- 
 ties belonging to this tree I doubt not 
 will be discovered in .time, besides its 
 proving a valuable acquisition to the 
 dyer. 
 
 The HEMLOCK TREE grows in 
 every part of America in a greater or less 
 degree. It is an ever-green of a very 
 large growth, and has leaves somewhat 
 like that of the yew; it is however quite 
 useless, and only an incumbrance to the 
 ground, the wood being of a very coarse 
 grain, and full of wind-shakes or cracks. 
 
 The 
 
[ 499 ] 
 
 The BASS or WHITE WOOD is a 
 tree of a middling size, and the whitest 
 and softest wood that grows; when quite 
 dry it swims on the water like a cork; in 
 the settlements the turners make of it 
 bowls, trenchers, and dishes, which wear 
 smooth, and will last a long time; but 
 when applied to any other purpose it is 
 far from durable. 
 
 The WICKOPICK or SUCKWICK 
 appears to be a species of the white wood, 
 and is distinguished from it by a peculiar 
 quality in the bark, which when pounded 
 and moistened with a little water, in- 
 stantly becomes a matter of the consist- 
 ence and nature of size. With this the 
 Indians pay their canoes, and it greatly 
 exceeds pitch or any other material usu- 
 ally appropriated to that purpose; for be- 
 sides its adhesive quality, it is of so oily 
 a nature, that the water cannot penetrate 
 through it, and its repelling power abates 
 not for a considerable time. 
 
 The BUTTON WOOD is a tree of the 
 largest size, and might be distinguished 
 by its bark, which is quite smooth and 
 prettily mottled. The wood is very pro- 
 per for the use of cabinet-makers. It is 
 I i 2 covered 
 
[ 5oo ] 
 
 covered with small hard burs which 
 spring from the branches, that appear not 
 unlike buttons, and from these I believe 
 it receives its name. 
 
 NUT TREES. 
 
 The Butter or Oilnut, the Walnut, 
 the Hazlenut, the Beechnut, the Pecan- 
 nut, the Chesnut, the Hickory. 
 
 The BUTTER or OILNUT. As 
 no mention has been made by any authors 
 of this nut, I shall be the more particu- 
 lar in my account of it. The tree grows 
 in meadows, where the soil is rich and 
 warm. The body of it seldom exceeds a 
 yard in circumference, is full of branches, 
 the twigs of which are short and blunt, 
 and its leaves resemble those of the walnut. 
 The nut has a shell like that fruit, which 
 when ripe is more furrowed, and more 
 easily cracked; it is also much longer 
 and larger than a walnut, and contains a 
 greater quantity of kernel, which is very- 
 oily, and of a rich agreeable flavour. I am 
 persuaded that a much purer oil than that 
 
 of 
 
[ 5oi 1 
 
 of olives, might be extracted from this nut. 
 The inside bark of this tree dyes a good 
 purple; and it is said, varies in its shade, 
 being either darker or lighter according to 
 the month in which it is gathered. 
 
 The BEECH NUT. Though this tree 
 grows exactly like that of the same name 
 in Europe, yet it produces nuts equally 
 as good as chesnuts; on which bears, 
 martins, squirrels, partridges, turkies, 
 and many other beasts and birds feed. 
 The nut is contained, whilst growing, in 
 an outside case like that of a chesnut, but 
 not so prickly; and the coat of the inside 
 shell is also smooth like that; only its 
 form is nearly triangular. Vast quanti- 
 ties of them lie scattered about in the 
 woods, and supply with food great num- 
 bers of the creatures just mentioned. The 
 leaves, which are white, continue on the 
 trees during the whole winter. A decoc- 
 tion made of them is a certain and expe- 
 ditious cure for wounds which arise from 
 burning or scalding, as well as a restorative 
 for those members that are nipped by the 
 frost. 
 
 The PECANNUT is somewhat of the 
 
 walnut kind, but rather smaller than a 
 
 I i 3 walnut, 
 
[ 502 ] 
 
 walnut, being about the size of a mid- 
 dling acorn, and of an oval form; the 
 shell is easily cracked, and the kernel 
 shaped like that of a walnut. This tree 
 grows chiefly near the Illinois river. 
 
 The HICKORY is also of the walnut 
 kind, and bears a fruit nearly like that 
 tree. There are several sorts of them, 
 which vary only in the colour of the 
 wood. Being of a very tough nature, the 
 wood is generally used for the handles of 
 axes, &c. It is also very good fire wood, 
 and as it burns an excellent sugar distills 
 from it. 
 
 FRUIT TREES. 
 
 I need not to observe that these are all 
 the spontaneous productions of nature, 
 which have never received the advantages 
 of ingrafting, transplanting, or manur- 
 ing. 
 
 The crab apple-tree, the plum-tree, 
 and the cherry-tree. 
 
 The CRAB APPLE-TREE bears a 
 
 fruit 
 
[ 503 ] 
 
 fruit that is much larger and better fla- 
 voured than those of Europe. 
 
 The PLUM-TREE. There are two 
 sorts of plums in this country, one a 
 large sort of a purple cast on one side, and 
 red on the reverse, the second totally 
 green, and much smaller. Both these 
 are of a good flavour, and are greatly 
 esteemed by the Indians, whose taste is 
 not refined, but who are satisfied with the 
 productions of nature in their unimproved 
 state. 
 
 The CHERRY-TREE. There are 
 three sorts of cherries in this country, the 
 black, the red, and the sand cherry; the 
 two latter may with more propriety be 
 ranked among the shrubs, as the bush 
 that bears the sand cherries almost creeps 
 along the ground, and the other rises not 
 above eight or ten feet in height; how- 
 ever I shall give an account of them all in 
 this place. The black cherries are about 
 the size of a currant, and hang in clusters 
 like grapes; the trees which bear them 
 being very fruitful, they are generally 
 loaded, but the fruit is not good to eat, 
 however they give an agreeable flavour to 
 brandy, and turn it to the colour of cla- 
 I i 4 ret. 
 
[ 504 ] 
 
 ret. The red cherries grow in the 
 greatest profusion, and hang in bunches 
 like the black sort just described; so that 
 the bushes which bear them appear at a 
 distance like solid bodies of red matter. 
 Some people admire this fruit, but they 
 partake of the nature and taste of alum, 
 leaving a disagreeable roughness in the 
 throat, and being very astringent. As I 
 have already described the sand cherries, 
 which greatly exceed the two other sorts 
 both in flavor and size, I shall give no 
 further description of them. The wood 
 of the black cherry-tree is very useful, 
 and works well into cabinet ware. 
 
 SHRUBS. 
 
 The Willow, Shin Wood, Shumack, 
 Sassafras, the Prickly Ash, Moose Wood, 
 Spoon Wood, Large Elder, Dwarf Elder, 
 Poisonous Elder, Juniper, Shrub Oak, 
 Sweet Fern, the Laurel, the Witch Ha- 
 zle, the Myrtle, Winter Green, the Fe- 
 ver Bush, the Cranberry Bush, the Goos- 
 berry Bush, the Currant Bush, the Whir- 
 tie 
 
[ 505 ] 
 
 tie Berry, the Rasberry, the Black Berry, 
 and the Choak Berry. 
 
 The WILLOW. There are several 
 species of the willow, the most remarka- 
 ble of which is a small sort that grows on 
 the banks of the Mississippi, and some 
 other places adjacent. The bark of this 
 shrub supplies the beaver with its winter 
 food; and where the water has washed 
 the soil from its roots, they appear to 
 consist of fibres interwoven together like 
 thread, the colour of which is of an in- 
 expressibly fine scarlet; with this the In- 
 dians tinge many of the ornamental parts 
 of their dress. 
 
 SHIN WOOD. This extraordinary 
 shrub grows in the forests, and rising like 
 a vine, runs near the ground for six or 
 eight feet, and then takes root again; in 
 the same manner taking root, and spring- 
 ing up successively, one stalk covers a large 
 space; this proves very troublesome to 
 the hasty traveller, by striking against his 
 shins, and entangling his legs; from 
 which it has acquired its name. 
 
 The SASSAFRAS is a wood well 
 known for its medicinal qualities. It 
 
 might 
 
[ 5o6 ] 
 
 might with equal propriety be termed a 
 tree as a shrub, as it sometimes grows 
 thirty feet high; but in general it does 
 not reach higher than those of the shrub 
 kind. The leaves, which yield an agree- 
 able fragrance, are large and nearly sepa- 
 rated into three divisions. It bears a reddish 
 brown berry of the size and shape of Pi- 
 mento, and which is sometimes used in 
 the colonies as a substitute for that spice. 
 The bark or roots of this tree is infinitely 
 superior to the wood for its use in medi- 
 cine, and I am surprised it is so seldom 
 to be met with, as its efficacy is so 
 much greater. 
 
 The PRICKLY ASH is a shrub that 
 sometimes grows to the height of ten or 
 fifteen feet, and has a leaf exactly resem- 
 bling that of an ash, but it receives the 
 epithet to its name from the abundance 
 of short thorns with which every branch 
 is covered, and which renders it very 
 troublesome to those who pass through the 
 spot where they grow thick. It also bears 
 a scarlet berry, which when ripe, has a 
 fiery taste like pepper. The bark of this 
 tree, particularly the bark of the roots, 
 is highly esteemed by the natives for its 
 
 medi- 
 
[ 507 ] 
 
 medicinal qualities. I have already men- 
 tioned one instance of its efficacy, and 
 there is no doubt but that the decoction of 
 it will expeditiously and radically remove 
 all impurities of the blood. 
 
 The MOOSE WOOD grows about 
 four feet high, and is very full of 
 branches; but what renders it worth no- 
 tice is its bark, which is of so strong and 
 pliable a texture, that being peeled off at 
 any season, and twisted, makes equally as 
 good cordage as hemp. 
 
 The SPOON WOOD is a species of 
 the laurel, and the wood when sawed re- 
 sembles box wood. 
 
 The ALDER or ELDER, termed 
 the poisonous elder, nearly resembles the 
 other sorts in its leaves and branches, but 
 it grows much straiter, and is only found 
 in swamps and moist soils. This shrub 
 is endowed with a very extraordinary 
 quality, that renders it poisonous to some 
 constitutions, which it effects if the 
 person only approaches within a few 
 yards of it, whilst others may even chew 
 the leaves or the rind without receiving 
 the least detriment from them: the poison 
 however is not mortal, though it operates 
 
 very 
 
[ 5o8 ] 
 
 very violently on the infected person, 
 whose body and head swell to an amazing 
 size, and are covered with eruptions, that 
 at their height resemble the confluent 
 small-pox. As it grows also in many of 
 the provinces, the inhabitants cure its 
 venom by drinking saffron tea, and anoint- 
 ing the external parts with a mixture com- 
 posed of cream and marsh mallows. 
 
 The SHRUB OAK is exactly similar 
 to the oak tree, both in its wood and 
 leaves, and like that it bears an acorn, but 
 it never rises from the ground above four or 
 five feet, growing crooked and knotty. 
 It is found chiefly on a dry gravelly 
 soil. 
 
 The WITCH HAZLE grows very 
 bushy, about ten feet high, and is co- 
 vered early in May with numerous white 
 blossoms. When this shrub is in bloom, 
 the Indians esteem it a further indication 
 that the frost is entirely gone, and that 
 they might sow their corn. It has been 
 said, that it is possessed of the power of 
 attracting gold or silver, and that twigs 
 of it are made use of to discover where 
 the veins of these metals lie hid; but I 
 am apprehensive that this is only a falla- 
 cious 
 
[ 509 ] 
 
 cious story, and not to be depended on; 
 however that supposition has given it the 
 name of witch hazle. 
 
 The MYRTLE is a shrub about four 
 or five feet high, the leaves of which are 
 larger than those of the common myrtle, 
 but they smell exactly alike. It bears 
 small berries, which are generally called 
 Bay Berries, and these are full of a gluey 
 substance, which being boiled in water, 
 swims on the surface of it, and becomes 
 a kind of green wax; this is not so valu- 
 able as bees-wax, being of a more brittle 
 nature, but mixed with it makes a good 
 candle, which as it burns sends forth an 
 agreeable scent. 
 
 WINTER GREEN. This is an 
 ever-green of the species of the myrtle, 
 and is found on dry heaths; the flowers 
 of it are white, and in the form of a rose, 
 but not larger than a silver penny; in 
 the winter it is full of red berries about 
 the size of a sloe, which are smooth and 
 round; these are preserved during the 
 severe season by the snow, and are at that 
 time in the highest perfection. The In- 
 dians eat these berries, esteeming them 
 very balsamic, and invigorating to the 
 
 stomach. 
 
[ Sio J 
 
 stomach. The people inhabiting the in- 
 terior colonies steep both the sprigs and 
 berries in beer, and use it as a diet-drink 
 for cleansing the blood from scorbutick 
 disorders. 
 
 The FEVER BUSH grows about five 
 or six feet high; its leaf is like that of a 
 lilach, and it bears a reddish berry of a 
 spicy flavour. The stalks of it are exces- 
 sively brittle. A decoction of the buds 
 or wood is an excellent febrifuge, and 
 from this valuable property it receives its 
 name. It is an ancient Indian remedy 
 for all inflammatory complaints, and like- 
 wise much esteemed on the same account 
 by the inhabitants of the interior parts of 
 the colonies. 
 
 The CRANBERRY BUSH. Though 
 the fruit of this bush greatly resembles 
 in size and appearance that of the com- 
 mon sort, which grows on a small vine in 
 morasses and bogs, yet the bush runs to 
 the height of ten or twelve feet; but it is 
 very rarely to be met with. As the 
 meadow cranberry, being of a local 
 growth, and flourishing only in morasses, 
 cannot be transplanted or cultivated, the 
 former, if removed at a proper season, 
 
 would 
 
[ 5ii ] 
 
 would be a valuable acquisition to the 
 garden, and with proper nurture prove 
 equally as good, if not better. 
 
 The CHOAK BERRY. The shrub 
 thus termed by the natives grows about 
 five or six feet high, and bears a berry 
 about the size of a sloe, of a jet black, 
 which contains several small seeds within 
 the pulp. The juice of this fruit, though 
 not of a disagreeable flavour, is extremely 
 tart, and leaves a roughness in the mouth 
 and throat when eaten, that has gained it 
 the name of choak berry. 
 
 ROOTS and PLANTS. 
 
 Elecampane, Spikenard, Angelica, Sar- 
 saparilla, Ginsang, Ground Nuts, Wild 
 Potatoes, Liquorice, Snake Root, Gold 
 Thread, Solomon's Seal, Devil's Bit, 
 Blood Root, Onions, Garlick, Wild 
 Parsnips, Mandrakes, Hellebore White 
 and Black. 
 
 SPIKENARD, vulgarly called in the 
 colonies Petty-Morrell. This plant ap- 
 pears to be exactly the same as the Asia- 
 tick 
 
[ 5" J 
 
 tick spikenard, so much valued by the 
 ancients. It grows near the sides of 
 brooks in rocky places, and its stem, 
 which is about the size of a goose quill, 
 springs up like that of angelica, reaching 
 about a foot and a half from the ground. 
 It bears bunches of berries in all respects 
 like those of the elder, only rather larger. 
 These are of such a balsamic nature, that 
 when infused in spirits, they make a most 
 palatable and reviving cordial. 
 
 SARSAPARILLA. The root of this 
 plant, which is the most estimable part of 
 it, is about the size of a goose quill, and 
 runs in different directions, twined and 
 crooked, to a great length in the ground; 
 from the principal stem of it springs many 
 smaller fibres, all of which are tough and 
 flexible. From the root immediately 
 shoots a stalk about a foot and half long 
 which at the top branches into three 
 stems; each of these has three leaves, 
 much of the shape and size of a walnut 
 leaf; and from the fork of each of the 
 three stems grows a bunch of bluish white 
 flowers, resembling those of the spikenard. 
 The bark of the roots, which alone should 
 be used in medicine, is of a bitterish fla- 
 vour, 
 
[ 5i3 ] 
 
 vour, but aromatic. It is deservedly 
 esteemed for its medicinal virtues, being 
 a gentle sudorific, and very powerful in 
 attenuating the blood when impeded by 
 gross humours. 
 
 GINSANG is a root that was once 
 supposed to grow only in Korea, from 
 whence it was usually exported to Japan, 
 and by that means found its way to Eu- 
 rope; but it has lately been discovered to 
 be also a native of North America, where 
 it grows to as great perfection and is 
 equally valuable. Its root is like a small 
 carrot; but not so taper at the end; it is 
 sometimes divided into two or more 
 branches, in all other respects it resem- 
 bles sarsaparilla in its growth. The taste 
 of the root is bitterish. In the eastern 
 parts of Asia it bears a great price, being 
 there considered as a panacea, and is the 
 last refuge of the inhabitants in all disor- 
 ders. When chewed it certainly is a great 
 strengthener of the stomach. 
 
 GOLD THREAD. This is a plant 
 of the small vine kind, which grows in 
 swampy places, and lies on the ground. 
 The roots spread themselves just under 
 the surface of the morass, and are easily 
 K k drawn 
 
[ 5i4 J 
 
 drawn up by handfuls. They resemble 
 a large entangled skain of thread of a fine 
 bright gold colour; and I am persuaded 
 would yield a beautiful and permanent 
 yellow dye. It is also greatly esteemed 
 both by the Indians and colonists as a re- 
 medy for any soreness in the mouth, but 
 the taste of it is exquisitely bitter. 
 
 SOLOMON'S SEAL is a plant that 
 grows on the sides of rivers, and in rich 
 meadow land. It rises in the whole to about 
 three feet high, the stalks being two feet, 
 when the leaves begin to spread themselves 
 and reach a foot further. Every fibre 
 of the root has an impression upon it 
 about the size of a sixpence, which ap- 
 pears as if it was made by a seal, and 
 from these it receives its name. It is 
 greatly valued on account of its being a 
 fine purifier of the blood. 
 
 DEVIL'S BIT is another wild plant, 
 which grows in the fields and receives 
 its name from a print that seems to be 
 made by teeth in the roots. The In- 
 dians say that this was once an universal 
 remedy for every disorder that human na- 
 ture is incident to; but some of the evil 
 
 spirits 
 
[ 5i5 ] 
 
 spirits envying mankind the possession of 
 so efficacious a medicine gave the root a 
 bite, which deprived it of a great part of 
 its virtue. 
 
 BLOOD ROOT. A sort of plantain 
 that springs out of the ground in six or 
 seven long rough leaves, the veins of 
 which are red; the root of it is like a 
 small carrot both in colour and appear- 
 ance; when broken, the inside of it is of 
 a deeper colour than the outside, and distils 
 several drops of juice that look like blood. 
 This is a strong emetic, but a very dan- 
 gerous one. 
 
 HERBS. 
 
 Balm, Nettles, Cinque Foil, Eye- 
 bright, Sanicle, Plantain, Rattle Snake 
 Plantain, Poor Robin's Plantain, Toad 
 Plantain, Maiden Hair, Wild Dock, 
 Rock Liverwort, Noble Liverwort, Blood- 
 wort, Wild Beans, Ground Ivy, Water 
 Cresses, Yarrow, May Weed, Gargit, 
 Skunk Cabbage or Poke, Wake Robin, 
 Betony, Scabious, Mullen, Wild Pease, 
 Mouse Ear, Wild Indigo, and Cat Mint. 
 K k 2 SANICLE 
 
[ Si6 ] 
 
 SANICLE has a root which is thick 
 towards the upper part, and full of small 
 fibres below; the leaves of it are broad, 
 roundish, hard, smooth, and of a fine 
 shining green; a stalk rises from these to 
 the height of a foot, which is quite 
 smooth and free from knots, and on the 
 top of it are several small flowers of a 
 reddish white, shaped like a wild rose. 
 A tea made of the root is vulnerary and 
 balsamick. 
 
 RATTLE SNAKE PLANTAIN. 
 This useful herb is of the plaintain kind, 
 and its leaves, which spread themselves 
 on the ground, are about one inch and 
 half wide, and five inches long; from 
 the centre of these arises a small stalk 
 nearly six inches long, which bears a little 
 white flower; the root is about the size of 
 a goose quill, and much bent and divided 
 into several branches. The leaves of this 
 herb are more efficacious than any other 
 part of it for the bite of the reptile from 
 which it receives its name; and being 
 chewed and applied immediately to the 
 wound, and some of the juice swallowed, 
 seldom fails of averting every dangerous 
 symptom. So convinced are the Indians 
 
 of 
 
[ 5i7 ] 
 
 of the power of this infallible antidote, 
 that for a trifling bribe of spirituous li- 
 quor, they will at any time permit a rat- 
 tle snake to drive ijiis fangs into their 
 flesh. It is to be remarked that during 
 those months in which the bite of these 
 creatures is most venomous, that this 
 remedy for it is in its greatest perfection, 
 and most luxuriant in its growth. 
 
 POOR ROBIN'S PLANTAIN is of 
 the same species as the last, but more di- 
 minutive in every respect; it receives its 
 name from its size, and the poor land on 
 which it grows. It is a good medicinal 
 herb, and often administered with success 
 in fevers and internal weakness. 
 
 TOAD PLANTAIN resembles the 
 common plantain, only it grows much 
 ranker, and is thus denominated because 
 toads love to harbour under it. 
 
 ROCK LIVERWORT is a sort of 
 liverwort that grows on rocks, and is of 
 the nature of kelp or moss. It is esteemed 
 as an excellent remedy against declines. 
 
 GARGIT or SKOKE is a large kind 
 
 of weed, the leaves of which are about six 
 
 inches long, and two inches and half 
 
 broad; they resemble those of spinage in 
 
 K k 3 their 
 
[ Si8 ] 
 
 their colour and texture, but not in shape. 
 Their root is very large, from which spring 
 different stalks that run eight or ten feet 
 high, and are full of red berries; these 
 hang in clusters in the month of Septem- 
 ber, and are generally called pigeon ber- 
 ries, as those birds then feed on them. 
 When the leaves first spring from the 
 ground, after being boiled, they are a nu- 
 tritious and wholesome vegetable, but 
 when they are grown nearly to their full 
 size, they acquire a poisonous quality. 
 The roots applied to the hands and feet of 
 a person afflicted with a fever, prove a 
 very powerful absorbent. 
 
 SKUNK CABBAGE or POKE is an 
 herb that grows in moist and swampy 
 places. The leaves of it are about a foot 
 long, and six inches broad, nearly oval, but 
 rather pointed. The roots are composed 
 of great numbers of fibres, a lotion of 
 which is made use of by the people in 
 the colonies for the cure of the itch. 
 There issues a strong musky smell from 
 this herb, something like the animal of 
 the same name before described, and on 
 that account it is so termed. 
 
 WAKE 
 
[ 5i9 1 
 
 WAKE ROBIN is an herb that grows 
 in swampy lands; its root resembles a 
 small turnip, and if tasted will greatly 
 inflame the tongue, and immediately con- 
 vert it from its natural shape, into a 
 round hard substance; in which state it 
 will continue for some time, and during 
 this no other part of the mouth will be 
 affected. But when dried, it loses its 
 astringent quality, and becomes beneficial 
 to mankind, for if grated into cold water, 
 and taken internally, it is very good for 
 all complaints of the bowels. 
 
 WILD INDIGO is an herb of the 
 same species as that from whence Indigo 
 is made in the southern colonies. It grows 
 in one stalk to the height of five or six 
 inches from the ground, when it divides 
 into many branches, from which issue a 
 great number of small hard bluish leaves, 
 that spread to a great breadth, and among 
 these it bears a yellow flower; the juice 
 of it has a very disagreeable scent. 
 
 CAT MINT has a woody root, di- 
 vided into several branches, and it sends 
 forth a stalk about three feet high; the 
 leaves are like those of the nettle or be- 
 tony, and they have a strong smell of 
 K k 4 mint, 
 
[ 520 ] 
 
 mint, with a biting acrid taste; the 
 flowers grow on the tops of the branches, 
 and are of a faint purple or whitish co- 
 lour. It is called cat mint, because it is 
 said, that cats have an antipathy to it, 
 and will not let it grow. It has nearly 
 the virtues of common mint. 
 
 FLOWERS. 
 
 Heart's Ease, Lilies red and yellow, 
 Pond Lilies, Cowslips, May Flowers, 
 Jessamine, Honeysuckles, Rock Honey- 
 suckles, Roses red and white, Wild Hol- 
 lyhock, Wild Pinks, Golden Rod. 
 
 I shall not enter into a minute descrip- 
 tion of the flowers above-recited, but only 
 just observe, that they much resemble 
 those of the same name which grow in 
 Europe, and are as beautiful in colour, 
 and as perfect in odour, as they can be 
 supposed to be in their wild uncultivated 
 state. 
 
 FARI- 
 
[ 5*i ] 
 
 FARINACEOUS and LEGUMINOUS 
 ROOTS, &c. 
 
 Maize or Indian Corn, Wild Rice, 
 Beans, the Squash, &c. 
 
 MAIZE or INDIAN CORN grows 
 to the height of about five or six feet, on 
 a stalk full of joints, which is stiff and 
 solid, and when green, abounding with 
 a sweet juice. The leaves are like those 
 of the reed, about two feet in length, 
 and three or four inches broad. The 
 flowers which are produced at some dis- 
 tance from the fruit on the same plant, 
 grow like the ears of oats, and are some- 
 times white, yellow, or of a purple colour. 
 The seeds are as large as peas, and like 
 them quite naked and smooth, but of a 
 roundish surface, rather compressed. One 
 spike generally consists of about six hundred 
 grains, which are placed closely together 
 in rows to the number of eight or ten, 
 and sometimes twelve. This corn is 
 very wholesome, easy of digestion, and 
 yields as good nourishment as any other 
 
 sort. 
 
[ 522 ] 
 
 sort. After the Indians have reduced it 
 into meal by pounding it, they make 
 cakes of it and bake them before the fire. 
 I have already mentioned that some na- 
 tions eat it in cakes before it is ripe, in 
 which state it is very agreeable to the 
 palate and extremely nutritive. 
 
 WILD RICE. This grain, which 
 grows in the greatest plenty throughout 
 the interior parts of North America, is 
 the most valuable of all the spontaneous 
 productions of that country. Exclusive 
 of its utility, as a supply of food for those 
 of the human species who inhabit this 
 part of the continent, and obtained with- 
 out any other trouble than that of ga- 
 thering it in, the sweetness and nutri- 
 tious quality of it attracts an infinite 
 number of wild fowl of every kind, 
 which flock from distant climes to enjoy 
 this rare repast; and by it become inex- 
 pressibly fat and delicious. In future pe- 
 riods it will be of great service to the 
 infant colonies, as it will afford them a 
 present support, until in the course of 
 cultivation other supplies may be pro- 
 duced; whereas in those realms which 
 are not furnished with this bounteous 
 
 gift 
 
[ 523 1 
 
 gift of nature, even if the climate is 
 temperate and the soil good, the first 
 settlers are often exposed to great hard- 
 ships from the want of an immediate re- 
 source for necessary food. This useful 
 grain grows in the water where it is about 
 two feet deep, and where it finds a rich 
 muddy soil. The stalks of it, and the 
 branches or ears that bear the seed, re- 
 semble oats both in their appearance and 
 manner of growing. The stalks are full 
 of joints, and rise more than eight feet 
 above the water. The natives gather the 
 grain in the following manner: nearly 
 about the time that it begins to turn from 
 its milky state and to ripen, they run 
 their canoes into the midst of it, and 
 tying bunches of it together just below 
 the ears with bark, leave it in this situation 
 three or four weeks longer, till it is per- 
 fectly ripe. About the latter end of 
 September they return to the river, when 
 each family having its separate allotment, 
 and being able to distinguish their own 
 property by the manner of fastening the 
 sheaves, gather in the portion that be- 
 longs to them. This they do by placing 
 their canoes close to the bunches of rice, 
 
 in 
 
[ 524 ] 
 
 in such position as to receive the grain 
 when it falls, and then beat it out, with 
 pieces of wood formed for that purpose. 
 Having done this, they dry it with 
 smoke, and afterwards tread or rub off 
 the outside husk; when it is fit for use 
 they put it into the skins of fawns or 
 young buffalos taken off nearly whole for 
 this purpose and sewed into a sort of sack, 
 wherein they preserve it till the return 
 of their harvest. It has been the subject 
 of much speculation why this spontaneous 
 grain is not found in any other regions 
 of America, or in those countries situat- 
 ed in the same parallels of latitude, where 
 the waters are as apparently adapted for 
 its growth as in the climates I treat 
 of. As for instance, none of the coun- 
 tries that lie to the south and east of the 
 great lakes, even from the provinces 
 north of the Carolinas to the extremities 
 of Labradore, produce any of this grain. 
 It is true I found great quantities of 
 it in the watered lands near Detroit, be- 
 tween Lake Huron and Lake Erie, but 
 on enquiry I learned that it never arrived 
 nearer to maturity than just to blossom; 
 after which it appeared blighted, and 
 
 died 
 
I 525 ] 
 
 died away. This convinces me that the 
 northwest wind, as I have before hinted, 
 is much more powerful in these than in 
 the interior parts; and that it is more 
 inimical to the fruits of the earth, after 
 it has passed over the lakes and become 
 united with the wind which joins it 
 from the frozen regions of the north, 
 than it is farther to the westward. 
 
 BEANS. These are nearly of the 
 same shape as the European beans, but 
 are not much larger than the smallest 
 size of them. They are boiled by the 
 Indians and eaten chiefly with bear's 
 flesh. 
 
 The SQUASH. They have also 
 several species of the MELON or 
 PUMPKIN, which by some are called 
 Squashes, and which serve many nations 
 partly as a substitute for bread. Of these 
 there is the round, the crane-neck, the 
 small flat, and the large oblong Squash. 
 The smaller sorts being boiled, are eaten 
 during the summer as vegetables; and 
 are all of a pleasing flavor. The crane- 
 neck, which greatly excels all the others, 
 are usually hung up for a winter's store, 
 
 and 
 
[ 5^6 ] 
 
 and in this manner might be preserved 
 for several months. 
 
 I am sensible that I have not treated 
 the foregoing Account of the natural 
 productions of the interior parts of 
 North America with the precision of a 
 naturalist. I have neither enumerated 
 the whole of the trees, shrubs, plants, 
 herbs, &c. that it produces, nor have I 
 divided them into classes according to 
 their different genera after the Linnaean 
 method: the limits of my Work, in 
 its present state, would not permit me 
 to pursue the Subject more copiously. 
 However, if the favour of the Public 
 should render a future edition neces- 
 sary, as I trust, from the number of 
 Subscribers who have already favoured me 
 with their Names, will be the case, I 
 then propose to enlarge it considerably, 
 and to insert many interesting particulars 
 and descriptions, which the size of the 
 present Edition obliges me to curtail or 
 entirely to omit. 
 
 APPEN- 
 
JLNTONII gTORCK, 
 
 SAC. CMS. REG. APOST. MAJEST. CON- 
 
 8IL1ARII AVLICI , ARCHLATRI, IN NOSOCO- 
 
 JKIO CIVICO PASMARIANO - PHYSICI , BT 
 
 PLURIUH SOCIETATU« MEMBRI &C. 
 
 LIBK1LLIJS 
 
 D E 
 
 USU MEDICO 
 
 VINDOBON;©, 
 
 TYPis JOAN. THOM. Wob. de TRATTNERN, 
 
 C.*«. 8SO. AUt/E TTPOGR. BT BIBLIOP. 
 
 MDCCLXXI. 
 
PRvEFATIO. 
 
 WM 
 
 J*w f~\ ^a[ 
 
 m (^ muamvis Pulsatilla nigricans nullum 
 * ■ • • - *• hue usque locum inter nerbas officina- 
 les obtineat, earn tamen ad illas jure merito 
 pertinere, experimenta, in hoc libello re- 
 censita, evincunt. 
 
 His enim comprobatur: Pulsatillum ni-, 
 gricantem esse remedium maxime innocuum, 
 eamque tuto posse eegrotantibus exhiberi 
 & prodesse plurimum in morbis pertina- 
 cissimis. 
 
 A 2 Uti- 
 
4 PRiEFATio. 
 
 Utinam primeevi medicimz parentes, & 
 primi rei Herbaria Scriptores tot plantis 
 nomen veneni non imposuissent/ Nam inde 
 contigit, ut omnes fere medici, ad nostra us- 
 que scecula, harum usum sollicite evitaverint, 
 & partem medicince maxime necessariam ne- 
 glexerint, relinquerintque incultam. 
 
 Venena terrent cegros & inscios, cur au- 
 tem medicos terreant, ignoro. 
 
 Ego profecto! mihi persuasum habeo, in 
 prudentis medici manu nullum dari vene- 
 num; Etenim is, ratione £? experientia 
 edoctus, debet novisse methodum, qua pa- 
 rentur, dosimque, qua exhibeantur medica- 
 menta efjicacia; debet preeterea novisse mor- 
 bum, in quo recte conveniunt & conferunt, 
 & symptomata, quce similia remedia expo- 
 scunt; debet etiam novisse tempus & stadium 
 morbi, in quo indicantur. 
 
 His 
 
Pr.<efatio. 5 
 
 His cognitis medicus certo errare nun- 
 quam potest, nee noxam adferre cegrotanti. 
 
 Pulsatilla nigricans videtur magnam vir- 
 tutem, morbos oculorum antiquos curandi, 
 possidere. 
 
 Ejus usu multi visum, jam a pluribus 
 annis deperditum, recuperarunt; aliis leva- 
 men adtulit, morbum vero integre vincere non 
 potuit; pauci erant, in quibus nullam prorsus 
 mutationem produxit; nemini autem nocuit. 
 
 Pluribus quidem experimentis rem ad ma- 
 jorem perfectionis gradum deducere potuis- 
 sem, sed appropinquat tempus vernale, quo 
 illico heec planta sese extollit, & floret; hinc 
 credidi, congruum esse & utile ejus vir- 
 tutem nunc manifestare & annunciare me- 
 dicis, ut debito tempore copiam colligere, 
 & in usus medicines parare possint, & egen- 
 tibus recta methodo exhibere. 
 
 A3 Ad 
 
 6 
 
6 Pr^efatio. 
 
 Ad mea experimenta sua contulerunt, 
 Ferdinandus Leber Chirurgiee professor; Do- 
 minus Faucken physicus ad Sanctum Mar- 
 cum, Gf Dominus Rechberger chirurgus in 
 eodem magno Nosocomio ad Sanctum Mar- 
 cum. 
 
 DE 
 
' / ii I sa/i/lii l/u/iuull.f O/jt'/c 
 
 znetricfne /.>ruf<-ri.<u, 
 
D E 
 
 PULSATILLA 
 
 NIGRICANTE. 
 
 Pulsatilla nigricans. Off. 
 
 Anemone pratensis. Linn. Syst. nat. T. 2. Pag. 375. 
 Edit. ult. 
 
 Anemone pratensis. Jacquin. Enum. Stirp. Vindob. 
 Pag. 97. 
 
 Pulsatilla flore minore nigricante. Bauh. pin. 177. 
 
 Pulsatilla flore clauso. Lob. ic. p. 283. 
 
 Pulsatilla secunda. Boerh. ind. plant. 2. p. 1. pag.39. 
 
 Gall Coquelourde noiratre. Angl. Blackish Ane- 
 mone or Wind-Flower. Bat. Keuken-Sehelle. 
 Germ. ©tfjttJargUtfie ®udjenfcijette ; ftf>War3ticf|e 
 SSinbblume 
 
 DESCRIPTIO PLANTS. 
 
 j! ^ II fl ^ x est °blonga, rugosa, inae- 
 qualiter crassa, perennis, fibro- 
 sa; haec primo vere emittit Fo- 
 lia solummodo radicalia bipinnata, foliolis 
 
 A 4 con- 
 
 ape 
 
8 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 conserta angustioribus, elongatis, acumina- 
 tis, inaequaliter divisis, obscure virentibus. 
 Antequam foliola penitus evolvantur, ex- 
 surgit caulis unus alterve teres, exfusco 
 viridis, cinctus Involucro nonophyllo, pro- 
 funde multoties ac inaequaliter diviso, 
 externe subfusco, interne obscure viridi; 
 pars caulis, quae supra involucrum emi- 
 net, Florem gerit nudum, hexapetalum, 
 fere clausum, coloris saturations & quasi 
 nigricantis! fundum floris stamina occu- 
 pant filamentis numerosis, flavis, capill- 
 aribus, corolla dimidio brevioribus, an- 
 theris didymis, erectis; Germina in cap- 
 itulum collecta sty lis acuminatis, saturate 
 purpureis terminantur, & in semina abe- 
 unt acuminata, longiori cauda, pilosa, 
 ornata. 
 
 Crescit haec planta passim in locis apri- 
 cis; floret mense Aprili. 
 
 Omnes ejus partes, paululum mastica- 
 tae, lingua? acerrimum, urentem, & diu 
 
 per- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 persistentem saporem imprimunt; sola 
 radix mitior est. 
 
 Datur adhuc alia Pulsatilla species, 
 quae Pulsatilla vulgaris dicitur, seu Ane- 
 mone Pulsatilla Linncei: haec ob copiosam, 
 densamque pubem, qua undique large 
 tegitur, quasi ex viridi canescit; Foliola 
 habet latiora; Florem gerit majorem, 
 erectum, magis apertum, pallide vio- 
 laceum: caeterum omnes plantae partes, 
 etiam diutius masticatae, acres non sunt, 
 & linguam sapore nauseoso ac leviter ama- 
 ricante afficiunt. Aqua inde destillata vix 
 non insipida est. 
 
 Dum hasc Pulsatilla vulgaris defloruit, 
 tunc incipit nostra Pulsatilla nigricans flo- 
 rere, quam, ut colligentes a priori rite 
 distinguant, & seligant, oro; etenim earum 
 virtutes non videntur esse aequales. 
 
 Egregius ac Doctissimus Jacobus Well 
 Pharmacopaeus, ad ursum nigrum, mihi 
 ex Pulsatilla nigricante paravit aquam de- 
 stillatam & extractum. 
 
 A 5 Sum- 
 
io De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Sumsit is plantam totam cum floribus, 
 abjecta tamen radice, conscissam imposuit 
 cucurbitae vitreae, & adfudit octo partes 
 aquae fontanae, & apposito capitello, ad- 
 junctoque excipulo ad balneum arenae 
 medietatem abstraxit. 
 
 Hocque abstractum asservavit sub no- 
 mine aquce Destillatce Pulsatilla nigricantis, 
 quae admodum acris & penetrans est. 
 
 Reliquum adhuc paulisper decoxit, her- 
 bam aliquantulum expressit, percolavit, 
 & colaturam ad extracti mollioris con- 
 sistentiam lenissimo calore fecit evapo- 
 rari. 
 
 Extractum hocce linguae impositum 
 in principio leniter adstringere videtur, 
 dein pungentes dolores excitat, & tan- 
 dem ardorem diu permanentem pro- 
 ducit. 
 
 Confeci ex hoc extracto binos pul- 
 veres; primum, qui leviorem extracti 
 dosim continet, nominavi pulverem A., 
 
 se- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. i i 
 
 secundum vero pulverem B., qui duplam 
 extract! dosim recipit. 
 
 J?. Extract! Pulsatilla nigricantis gr. VII. 
 Sacchari albi dr. i. 
 m. f. pulv. tenuissimus diu terendo 
 in mortario marmoreo. 
 ^. Extracti Pulsatilla nigricantis gr. XIV 
 Sacchari albi dr. i. 
 m. f. pulvis tenuissimus diu terendo 
 in mortario marmoreo. 
 Ex pulvere A. assumsi quinque grana 
 mane, & eandem dosim vesperi repetii, 
 idque hac ratione praestiti per triduum; 
 & quoniam nullum in me efrectum perce- 
 pi, sumsi grana decern mane & totidem 
 tempore vespertino. 
 
 Ex hac dosi sensi semper aliquot mi- 
 nutis ab assumtione dolorem lancinantem in 
 oculo dextro, in quo magnam contusio- 
 nem biennio abhinc passus fui; quum ef- 
 fraenes equi currum, cui insidebam, vio- 
 lento concussu invertebant; in reliquo 
 
 au- 
 
12 De Pulsatilla nigricanti. 
 
 autem toto corpore nil prorsus incommodi 
 animadverti. 
 
 Postquam per quinque dies quotidie 
 grana viginti hujus pulveris deglutivissem, 
 nullamque inde in me functionem turba- 
 ri, aut laedi observassem, credidi: tuto 
 & omni jure hunc pulverem posse exhi- 
 beri aegrotantibus. 
 
 Omnem curam parva pulveris A. do- 
 si inchoavi, & didici dein experimentis 
 iteratis, aegros ejus magnam quantitatem 
 sensim sine omni molestia & noxa ferre. 
 Aliqui acceperunt per diem unam, duas, 
 tresve Drachmas. 
 
 Dum dofis pulveris A. ad drachmam 
 mediam vel drachmam integram augeba- 
 tur, exhibui tunc pulverem B., ut asger 
 sub minori volumine eandem tamen ex- 
 tracti seu medicamenti portionem aqui- 
 reret. 
 
 Ex herba sicca paravi infusum sequen- 
 ti modo: 
 
 Her- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 13 
 
 Herbae Pulsatilla nigricantis dr. 1. 
 consciss. infunde s. q. aq. fervid, 
 per J4 hor. vase clauso dein cola- 
 turae lib. 1. 
 
 adde 
 Sacchari q. s. ad gratiam. 
 S. sumat aeger ter quotidie vasculum 
 unum unciarum trium vel quatuor hujus 
 infusi. 
 
 Reddidi hoc infusum fortius, dum ad 
 ejusdem colaturae quantitatem dr. ij. vel 
 dr. iij. vel unc. B. adhibui, idque aegri 
 sine molestia tulerunt. 
 
 Hoc infusum interne, & externe ap- 
 plicatum in fcedis & sordidis ulceribus op- 
 timos quandoque praestitit effectus. 
 
 Tentavi id etiam in tinaea capitis anti- 
 qua admodum, verum cutis inflammaba- 
 tur, caput vehementer doluit, unde ab ul- 
 teriori experimento abstinendum judicavi. 
 
 Ex- 
 
i4 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 EXPERIMENTA 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM I. 
 
 Fcemina, 35. annorum, a quinque 
 annis & dimidio brachium sinistrum non 
 poterat movere; erat enim totum rigi- 
 dum, & emaciatum. 
 
 Causam mali rejecit in morbum rheu- 
 maticum, quo olim per totum corpus la- 
 boravit, & quo disparente brachium cce- 
 pit immobile fieri, & rigescere. 
 
 Remedia interna & externa huc- 
 usque nil profuerunt; ipsa vis electrica 
 dolorem magnum produxit, sed malum 
 non emendavit. 
 
 Huic exhibui mane drachmas duas 
 aquae destillatae Pulsatilla nigricantis; ean- 
 dem dosim vesperi iteravi. Primis binis 
 diebus nullam sensit mutationem. 
 
 Unde tertio die suasi, ut sumeret ma- 
 ne unciam dimidiam, & totidem ad me- 
 ridiem & vesperi. 
 
 Per- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 15 
 
 Percepit tunc vagos & lancinantes in 
 brachio dolores, & noctu pruritum in- 
 gentem. 
 
 Post octiduum coepit digitos paululum 
 movere, & dolores fuerent frequen- 
 tiores. 
 
 Dedi dein ter de die unciam integram 
 hujus aquae, & jussi, ut mane & vesperi 
 brachium totum probe fricaretur pannis 
 laneis, & dein lavaretur aliquamdiu ea- 
 dem aqua destillata ex Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Intra binas septimanas potuit brachium 
 elevari, & digiti movebantur liberius. 
 
 Debito tempore rediit fluxus men- 
 struus, sed longe copiosior, ac alias esse 
 solebat. 
 
 Quamdiu menstrua fluebant, aegra nee 
 dolorem, nee pruritum sensit in bra- 
 chio; his autem finientibus novus & val- 
 de molestus ortus est pruritus & compa- 
 ruerunt pustulae rubrae, copiosissimae, quae 
 dein pure replebantur. 
 
 Dum 
 
1 6 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Dum prims pustulae exsiccatae sunt, 
 & in squammas secesserunt, novae iterum 
 multae eruperunt; hoc aliquoties eodem 
 ordine contigit, & aegra semper inde le- 
 vamen habuit, atque spatio trium fere 
 mensium poterat brachium libere in om- 
 nem partem movere, & eo uti ad soli- 
 tos labores bene peragendos. 
 
 Eandem remedii dosim usque ad finem 
 curationis semper assumsit, nee abstinuit, 
 dum menstrua fluebant. 
 
 Neque lotio & lenis frictio brachii fuit 
 intermissa, licet pustulae suppurantes do- 
 luerint acriter & cutis superficies fuerit 
 inflammata; quoniam his externe irritatis 
 motus brachii semper factus est melior 
 & liberior. Unde has molestias aegra pa- 
 tenter tulit. 
 
 Primis diebus ex usu hujus remedii 
 urina copiose educebatur, & aegra subin- 
 de levem vomendi conatum percepit; 
 caeteroquin de nullo incommodo conque- 
 sta fuit. 
 
 Ex- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 17 
 
 experimentum ii. 
 
 Sacerdoti, 63. annorum, qui para-, 
 lysi brachii & pedis dextri jam a decern 
 annis laboravit, dedi mane & vesperi 
 unciam dimidiam aquae destillatae Pulsatil- 
 la nigricantis; spatio octidui nil mutatum 
 fuit. 
 
 Sumsit dein ter de die unciam dimi- 
 diam, mox autem nausea ipsum prehen 
 debat & vomendi conatus. 
 
 Suasi, ut dosim remedii iterum mi- 
 nueret, verum nee exiguam quantitatem 
 amplius potuit deglutire, quin vomitus 
 moveretur; unde erat ab hoc remedio 
 abstinendum. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM III. 
 
 Fcemina, 28. annorum, ante trien- 
 nuim a foedis venereis ulceribus curata 
 fuit, ab eo autem tempore sensit in om- 
 nibus membris & articulis continuos & 
 dilacerantes dolores, qui quotidie ver- 
 
 B sus 
 
1 8 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 sus horam quartam matutinam multa cum 
 vehementia exacerbabantur. 
 
 Appetiit quidem, & reliquae functio- 
 nes bonae erant, sed corpus mansit debi- 
 le & emaciatum. 
 
 Quaecumque adhibita remedia nil le- 
 vaminis adtulerunt, nee juverunt balnea. 
 
 Huic dedi mane & vesperi unciam 
 dimidiam aqua? destillatae Pulsatilla nigri- 
 cantis, quam bene tulit; urina inde co- 
 piose fluxit, & primis diebus aliquoties 
 solvebatur alvus. 
 
 Sexto die noctu multum sudavit, & 
 sudor male olebat, dolores minuti sunt, 
 & somnus tranquillus usque ad horam sex- 
 tam matutinam duravit. 
 
 Octavo die catamenia prodierunt, quae 
 solito longe copiosiora erant; nee dolor 
 colicus, qui alias semper ea praaecesserat, 
 tunc advertebatur. 
 
 Remedium etiam tempore catameni- 
 orum fuit continuatum; unde sensim re- 
 dierunt vires, habitus corporis iterum in- 
 
 cre- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 19 
 
 crevit, tandem dolores cessarunt, & finita 
 quinta septimana sanitas fuit bona. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM IV. 
 
 Vir, 34. annorum, Gonorrhoea venerea 
 neglecta, & inveterata jam diu vexabatur; 
 praeterea testiculus dexter durus fuit, & 
 mole longe major sinistro. 
 
 Sumsit mane & vesperi unciam dimi- 
 diam aquae destillatae Pulsatilla nigricantis; 
 primo statim die oriebatur intollerabilis 
 fere ardor urinae; altero die idem ardor 
 continuavit, & multus ichor fcetidus ex- 
 stillavit ex urethra. 
 
 Tertio die aeger in dimittendo urinam 
 tantum sensit dolorem, ut fere in animi 
 deliquium ceciderit; praescripsi tunc satu- 
 ratum ex herba althaea decoctum, ut 
 copiose id biberet tota die, nee tamen 
 remedii alterius usum interrumperet. 
 
 Quarto die ardor longe minor fuit, ichoris 
 stillicidium autem adhuc erat copiosius ac 
 die praecedenti. 
 
 B 2 Quin- 
 
20 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Quinto die omnia fuerunt mitiora, appe- 
 titus bonus, noctes tranquillae. 
 
 Spatio trium septimanarum usu conti- 
 nuo ejusdem remedii & decocti emol- 
 lientis gonorrhaea fuit integre curata, sed 
 testiculus induratus permansit in eodem 
 statu. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM V. 
 
 Vidua, 42. annorum, tophos venereos 
 in osse frontis, ad sternum, & utramque 
 tibiam habuit, & dolores vehementes in 
 omnibus artubus, qui vesperi semper val- 
 de exacerbabantur ; oculo dextro jam a 
 viginti annis nil vidit, quoniam cornea 
 tota transparens panno erat Obducta; men- 
 struo fluxu jam a binis & dimidio an- 
 nis caruit. 
 
 Exhibui ei mane & vesperi unciam 
 dimidiam aquae destillatae Pulsatilla nigri- 
 cantis, quam sumsit per octiduum sine 
 effectu; id solum sibi observare visa est, 
 lucem se quamdam confusam oculo, quo 
 
 jam 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 21 
 
 jam per viginti annos nil vidit, percipere. 
 
 Auxi tunc dosim, & dedi ter quotidie 
 unciam dimidiam ejusdem aquae. 
 
 Post octiduum rediens dixit: dolores 
 nocturnos esse minores, seque posse oculo 
 suo dextro jam colores distinguere. 
 
 Examinando tophos, inveni eos in 
 fronte longe minores, molliores; reli- 
 qui autem non sunt mutati; pannus in 
 oculo erat tenuis, & hinc inde transpa- 
 rens. 
 
 Jussi, ut eadem dosi continuaret; quo 
 contigit, ut spatio trium & dimidii men- 
 sium visum in oculo, jam a tot annis ob- 
 fuscato, recuperaverit, ut dolores no- 
 cturni cessarint, disparueruntque tophi in 
 fronte; verum reliqui nee mole nee du- 
 ritie minuebantur; erant tamen absque 
 dolore. 
 
 His aegra contenta abstinuit a reme- 
 dio, ex cujus usu nil insoliti unquam ob- 
 servavit. 
 
 B 3 Ex " 
 
22 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 experimentum vi. 
 
 Ancilla, 26. annorum, tophis vene- 
 reis valde magnis a quinque mensibus la- 
 borans in utraque tibia, dolores noctur- 
 nes enormes patitur, & extenuatur fluo- 
 re albo. 
 
 Tentavi eandem aquam, exhibendo 
 mane unciam dimidiam, & totidem ve- 
 speri. 
 
 Intra octiduum nil levaminis sensit; 
 suasi, ut ter de die sumeret unciam di- 
 midiam; inde videbantur dolores noctur- 
 ni leviores per aliquot dies; verum pau- 
 lo post eadem cum violentia redierunt. 
 
 Exhibui tunc ejus aquae unciam inte- 
 gram mane, ad meridiem, & vesperi, ita 
 ut quotidie tres uncias deglutiverit ; ast 
 nee inde malum emendatum fuit, licet 
 per sex septimanas diligenter & magna 
 cum constantia earn assumserit. 
 
 Hinc ut ab hoc remedio abstineret 
 jussi. 
 
 Prae- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 23 
 
 Praescripsi dein saturatum florum Flam- 
 mulce Jovis infusum, ex quo, spatio trium 
 mensium, integre convaluit, pinguis facta 
 est, & nupsit. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM VII. 
 
 Ancilla, 14. annorum, in tota facie, 
 collo, & pectore ulcera habuit fceda, & 
 fcetido ichore manantia; in hac tentavi 
 pulverem A., exhibendo mane grana 
 decern, totidem ad meridiem, ac vesperi; 
 ulcera jussi bis quotidie infuso florum sam- 
 buci ablui, & dein tegi emplastro dia- 
 pompholygos. 
 
 Primis quatuordecim diebus omnia vi- 
 debantur mutari in melius; copia ichoris 
 minuebatur, & margines ulcerum futu- 
 ram cicatricem promittebant. 
 
 Verum haec iterum evanuerunt subito, 
 & ulcera redierunt aeque mala, licet aegra 
 quotidie drachmam integram, dein drach- 
 mam unam & dimidiam hujus pulveris as- 
 sumserit per multas septimanas. 
 
 B 4 Ex- 
 
24 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Exhibui dein ter quotidie vascula bi- 
 na saturati infusi flammulce Jovis, & bis 
 quotidie conspersi ulcera pulvere ejus- 
 dem plants, & texi emplastro diampom- 
 pholygos; felix inde sequebatur succes- 
 sus; etenim spatio binorum mensium ulce- 
 ra erant firma cicatrice clausa, & sanitas 
 fuit bona. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM VIII. 
 
 Homo, 21. annorum, a pessimis veli- 
 penduli & palati ulceribus venereis cura- 
 tur; manet autem ipsi pertinax admodum 
 ophthalmia, & opacitas in utroque ocu- 
 lo; dextro quidem oculo confuse quae- 
 dam videre potuit, in sinistra autem al- 
 bugo visum penitus impedivit. 
 
 Parotis dextra jam a longo tempore 
 scirrhosa fuit & magna. 
 
 Remedia omnis generis mercurialia, 
 antimonialia, aliaque interna & externa, 
 longo & diligenti usu applicata, nihil juve- 
 runt; aeger potius inde vires prosterni, 
 
 vi- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 25 
 
 visum diminui, & appetitum deleri, no- 
 ctesque inquietas reddi conquerebatur. 
 
 Ideo dabantur ipsi grana viginti pul- 
 veris A. mane & totidem vesperi. 
 
 Primis octo diebus magnus in oculis 
 dolor ortus est, & copiosissime plorabant 
 oculi. 
 
 Data dein fuit ter quotidie similis do- 
 sis ejusdem pulveris, & inde sequebatur 
 multa salivatio, qua prodiit gluten tena- 
 cissimum. 
 
 Salivatio duravit per aliquot dies, & 
 visus in oculo dextro melior factus est, 
 & ad oculum sinistrum ccepit lumen ob- 
 scure penetrare. 
 
 Cessante salivae fluxu insurgebat diar- 
 rhaea copiosa, foetidissima ; eadem nihi- 
 lominus dosi & eodem remedio continua- 
 vimus, quoniam aeger nequaquam debi- 
 lis reddebatur, & in oculis magnum sen- 
 tiebat levamen. 
 
 Sponte desiit diarrhaea, & tunc caput 
 ccepit vehementer dolere per biduum. 
 B 5 Spa- 
 
26 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Spatio quinque septimanarum oculo 
 dextro omnia sat bene distinxit, isque 
 fere totus serenus fuit; in sinistra lumen 
 magis percipiebatur, & coepit manifeste 
 dissipari albugo. 
 
 Aucta tunc dosis remedii fuit, exhi- 
 bendo ter quotidie drachmam dimidiam 
 ejusdem pulveris. 
 
 Ex hac dosi iterum novus in oculis 
 dolor sequebatur, & dixit aeger: se sen- 
 tire ac si quis cultro aliquid in oculis ab- 
 raderet, nee tamen oculi rubebant, la- 
 chrymae multae exstillarunt, & fluxit uri- 
 na solito longe frequentior & copiosior. 
 
 Post aliquot dies dolores in oculis re- 
 miserunt, coepit emolliri parotis schirrhosa, 
 & finito secundo mense visus iterum me- 
 lior fuit. 
 
 Dedimus tunc ter quotidie drachmam 
 dimidiam pulveris B. & hac dosi in quar- 
 tum mensem pereximus, quo tempore 
 aeger utroque oculo bene omnia videre 
 
 po- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 27 
 
 potuit, & simul a parotide scirrhosa inte- 
 gre curatis fuit. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM IX. 
 
 Vir, 35. annorum, crurum paralysi, 
 & ingenti ad os sacrum dolore jam a Ion- 
 go tempore laborat; varia & maxime 
 efficacia remedia nil juvant. 
 
 Dantur ei grana XV. pulveris A. ma- 
 ne & totidem vesperi. 
 
 Primis sex diebus dolorem sat acutum 
 in ventre sensit quotiescunque hunc pul- 
 verem assumsit, is autem ultra mediam 
 horam nunquam duravit. 
 
 Septimo die afficiebatur diarrhaea, & 
 tunc dolores ventris cessarunt. 
 
 Postquam per 20. dies usus erat hoc 
 pulvere, percepit dolores ardentes, lan- 
 cinantes & vagos a digitis pedum ad in- 
 guina usque; praterea nil mutatum fuit. 
 
 Dedimus tunc grana XX. ejusdem 
 pulveris bis per diem, & inde aucti sunt 
 dolores in cruribus & praesertim in digi- 
 tis pedum. Post 
 
28 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Post binas septimanas potuit crura ali- 
 quantulum movere, surrexit e lecto, am- 
 bulare tamen non poterat. 
 
 Exhibebatur tunc bis per diem drach- 
 ma dimidia pulveris A. & dolores in cru- 
 ribus aucti sunt. 
 
 Octiduo post dolores ad os sacrum ve- 
 hementes adeo fiebant, ut somnum impedi- 
 verint. 
 
 Sumsit tunc ter de die grana XX. pul- 
 veris B., & mox haimorrhoides coepe- 
 runt copiose fluere per triduum. 
 
 Finito haimorrhoidum fluxu dolores 
 ossis sacri evanuerunt, & ii in cruribus 
 multum sunt diminuti. 
 
 Dedimus tunc ter quotidie grana 
 XXX. pulveris B. qua dosi jam per ali- 
 quot septimanas continuat, & dolores 
 in cruribus cessant, aeger surgit e lecto, 
 ambulat solus, sed valde adhuc est de- 
 bilis. 
 
 Ex- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 29 
 
 experimentum x. 
 
 Vir, 48. annorum, ulcera venerea 
 in faucibus & lingua tota habet, quae re- 
 mediis antevenereis non solum non ce- 
 dunt, sed serpunt semper, & vicinas 
 partes magis in latum & profundum cor- 
 rodunt. 
 
 Tentavimus pulverem A., exhibendo 
 ter quotidie grana viginti. 
 
 Per quinque dies nullam vidimus in 
 ulceribus mutationem, sed urina ingenti 
 copia profiuxit. 
 
 Dedimus tunc ter quotidie grana XXX. 
 ejusdem pulveris, & sensim videbantur 
 puriora fieri ulcera. 
 
 Demum auximus remedii dosim prae- 
 bendo ter quotidie grana XXX. pulveris 
 B., & hac dosi aeger intra quatuor septi- 
 manas integre curatus est. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XI. 
 
 Homo, 30. annorum, ex apertis tu- 
 moribus Lymphaticis ulcera habuit ma- 
 gna 
 
30 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 gna ad scapulam sinistram, & ad cubitum 
 brachii dextri, genu sinistrum tumuit, 
 & erat immobile. 
 
 Ulcera tantam seri copiam fundebant 
 continuo, ut aeger caeperit contabescere, 
 licet usus fuerit optimis remediis, & diaeta 
 lactea. 
 
 Prae nimio in genu dolore nee pedi in- 
 sistere, & minus adhuc ambulare potuit. 
 
 Exhibuimus ei pulverem A., inci- 
 piendo a granis XV. mane, todidem ad 
 meridiem, & vesperi, sensim auximus 
 dosim, donee ter quotidie drachmam 
 integram hujus pulveris absumserit. 
 
 Primis diebus sensit dolorem in abdo- 
 mine ex asumpto pulvere, postea au- 
 tem nil amplius incommodi percepit, nee 
 ulla alia in corpore mutatio contigit. 
 
 Spatio trium mensium ulcera sunt fir- 
 miter consolidata, tumor ad genu fuit 
 multum diminutus, rediit quaedam in ge- 
 nu nobilitas, aeger ambulat, & recupe- 
 rat vires naturales. 
 
 Ex- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 31 
 
 experimentum xii. 
 
 Ancilla, 24. annorum, ulcus habet 
 foedissimum in lingua, quo lingua fere 
 tota a basi ad apicem usque bifurcata, & 
 erosa fuit. 
 
 Per multos menses laudatissimis usa est 
 remediis; verum nee mali limites pote- 
 rant coerceri, nee ullum unquam leva- 
 men observabatur. 
 
 Spatio autem quinque septimanarum 
 ex usu pulveris A. non solum ulcus pu- 
 rum fuit redditum, sed & replebatur 
 pulchra carne, & totum bona cicatrice 
 obducebatur; in apice solummodo levis 
 adhuc excoriatio superest, ad quam de- 
 struendam penitus eodem adhuc pulvere 
 parva dosi utitur. 
 
 Vires autem habet optimas, & solita 
 servitia omni cum alacritate & constantia 
 peragit. 
 
 In principio ex usu pulveris tormina 
 sensit; dein autem sequebatur alvi flu- 
 
 xus 
 
32 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 xus, qui omnem ventris dolorem su- 
 stulit. 
 
 Observavit quoque aegra urinam longe 
 copiosius ab hoc pulvere moveri. 
 
 Menstrua ipsi redierunt solito tempo- 
 re, & sub usu pulveris erant longe abun- 
 dantiora, & per plures dies durarunt. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XIII. 
 
 Foemina, 34. annorum, ulcere ve- 
 nereo & carie ossis frontis laborat. 
 
 Remedia antivenerea diu applicata vix 
 ullum auxilium adferunt. 
 
 Pulvis autem B. spatio trium mensium 
 cariem destruxit, induxitque firmam & 
 bonam cicatricem. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XIV. 
 
 Ancilla, 25. annorum, gerit a longo 
 tempore tumorem lymphaticum ad arti- 
 culum genu dextri, qui a perito chirur- 
 go lanceola fuit pertusus, & effluxit mul- 
 ta lympha turbida. 
 
 Fa- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 33 
 
 Facta incisione tumor concidit; verum 
 lymphae stillicidium continuat, genu do- 
 let multum, & aegra incipit contabescere. 
 
 Praeter alia remedia sumsit decoctum 
 corticis peruviani cum lacte, & externe 
 applicabatur cataplasma ex herbis resol- 
 ventibus, & aqua vegeto-minerali Gou- 
 lardi; malum autem nequaquam fuit 
 emendatum, & genu iterum magis in- 
 tumuit. 
 
 Datus igitur fuit pulvis B., quo intra 
 paucos dies mitior fiebat dolor in genu, 
 & aegra potuit dormire. 
 
 Sensim quoque minuebatur lymphae 
 stillicidium, genu detumuit, dolores ces- 
 farunt. 
 
 Tandem spatio binorum mensium con- 
 solidatum fuit ulcus, aegra ambulat sine 
 omni dolore, recuperat vires, genu ad- 
 huc paulisper tumet. 
 
 Sub usu pulveris aegra advertit urinam 
 solito copiosiorem cieri, & alvum habuit 
 laxam; praeterea nil insoliti observavit. 
 
 C Ex- 
 
34 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 experimentum xv. 
 
 Ancilla, ij. annorem, fluore albo 
 venereo, condylomatibus ad pudenda, ul- 
 ceribus faucium & linguae pessime af- 
 ficitur. 
 
 Consuetis remediis tolluntur condylo- 
 mata, sistiturque fluor albus; ulcera au- 
 tem permanent aeque sordida, & serpunt 
 continue 
 
 Datur pulvis A., & spatio unius men- 
 sis ulcera omnia sunt optime curata, & 
 rediit robusta sanitas. 
 
 Urinam primis diebus abundantius 
 moveri sensit aegra ex usu hujus pulveris, 
 aliud nihil insolidi accidit. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XVI. 
 
 Fcemina, 28. annorum, oculo sini- 
 stra jam ab aliquot annis nil videt, nee 
 lumen distinguit, quoniam pannus crassus 
 totam corneam transparentem occupat. 
 
 Re- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 35 
 
 Remedia interna & externa juvant 
 nihil. 
 
 Data ideo fuerunt grana XX. pulveris 
 A. mane, totidem circa meridiem, & 
 vesperi. 
 
 Primis statim diebus enormes in oculo 
 affecto dolores aegra conquerebatur, quo- 
 tiescunque hunc pulverem assumsit. 
 
 Hi vero sensim mitiores facti sunt, & 
 tandem cessarunt. 
 
 Decimo quarto die pannus videbatur 
 tenuior, & aegra lumen optime discerne- 
 bat a tenebris. 
 
 Exhibebantur tunc ter de die grana 
 XV- pulveris B., & haec dosis ad cura- 
 tionem perficiendam suffecit. 
 
 Etenim spatio binorum fere mensium 
 pannus evanuit, aegra eo oculo omnia 
 vidit, & distinxit. 
 
 Praeter dolores in oculo affecto, quos 
 primis diebus aegra patiebatur, nullam 
 aliam mutationem in corpore suo per- 
 cepit. 
 
 C 2 Ex- 
 
36 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 experimentum xvii. 
 
 Ancilla, 25. annorum, tophum ve- 
 nereum habuit ad articulum sinistrum ma- 
 xillae inferioris; hie in suppurationem 
 abiit, & solitis remediis ulcus, inde or- 
 tum, curabatur; remansit tamen quidam 
 tumor, & dolor ingens in parte laesa, & 
 maxillae motus omnis fere erat impossibilis. 
 
 Datur pulvis A., unde in principio 
 dolores augentur, & aegra cogitur fere 
 omni momento urinam dimittere. 
 
 Post decern dies maxilla fit mobilior, 
 dolores autem sunt adhuc magni. 
 
 Spatio sex septimanarum cessant do- 
 lores, tumor evanescit, maxilla liberius 
 movetur, & aegra cibos suos sine mole- 
 stia masticat, & deglutit. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XVIII. 
 
 Puella, 14. annorum, amaurosi la- 
 borat in utroque oculo, & praeter lumen 
 confusum nil videt, pupillae sunt dilatatae, 
 immobiles. 
 
 Dan- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 37 
 
 Dantur ter quotidie grana XV- pul- 
 veris A., unde sensit in oculis validos 
 dolores. 
 
 Decimo quarto die jam quaedam vi- 
 dere potuit, & pupillae erant mobiliores. 
 
 Spatio binorum fere mensium visus 
 integer rediit, pupillae factae sunt natura- 
 les, & optime mobiles. 
 
 Haec puella primis tribus septimanis 
 ex usu hujus pulveris quotidie bis terve 
 purgata fuit, nee tamen se debilem inde 
 sensit; caeteroquin de nulla re conque- 
 rebatur. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XIX. 
 
 Puella, 15. annorum, albuginem ha- 
 bet in utroque oculo; videt quidem, 
 sed nee colores nee objecta potest di- 
 stinguere. 
 
 Varia applicata collyria, aliaque pe- 
 netrantissima ac solventia remedia interne 
 adhibita malum nequaquam emendant. 
 
 C 3 De- 
 
38 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Demum sumsit ter de die grana XV. 
 pulveris A., unde in principio magnos 
 in oculis dolores sensit, & levi diarrhaea 
 laboravit, post paucos autem dies ccepit 
 visus emendari, & spatio sex septima- 
 narum omnis albugo disparuit; & oculus 
 dexter fuit perfecte curatus; sinister au- 
 tem fuit adhuc debilis; hinc pergit in usu 
 ejusdem pulveris, & spes est: fore ut 
 is quoque integrum suum robur recuperet. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XX. 
 
 Foemina, 39. annorum, a 14. annis, 
 amaurosi laboravit in oculo dextro, & 
 sinister oculus eodem malo afficiebatur a 
 sesquianno. 
 
 Misera nil potuit videre, nee diem a 
 nocte discernere, nee sola ambulare. 
 
 Postquam multa adhibuisset remedia 
 sine omni effectu, sumsit tandem pulve- 
 rem A. 
 
 Dolores validissimi, dilacerantes, per- 
 terebrantes & lancinantes in oculis a prin- 
 
 ci- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 39 
 
 cipio orti sunt, & coeperunt oculi vehe- 
 menter plorare. 
 
 Post tres septimanas proruperunt men- 
 ses copiosi, qui jam ab aliquot annis re- 
 tinebantur. 
 
 Post sex circiter septimanas coepit lu- 
 men clare distinguere, & pupillae in utro- 
 que oculo fiebant mobiles. 
 
 Quinque nunc menses finiti sunt, qui- 
 bus utitur hoc pulvere, & oculo sinistro 
 objecta videt, colores distinguit, & sola 
 per plateas ambulat; dexter autem ocu- 
 lus male se habet, licet pupilla sit mobi- 
 lior, & luminis sensus penetret; nullus 
 autem color discernitur, nee figura ob- 
 jecti. 
 
 Ulteriori autem usu hujus pulveris 
 speramus hunc quoque oculum bonum 
 futurum, cum jam quaedam in melius 
 mutatio observetur. 
 
 iEgra autem est quam contentissima, 
 quoniam uno oculo videt, & sola ara- 
 bulare potest. 
 
 C 4 Men- 
 
40 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Menstruorum fluxus ipsi omni tertia 
 septimana redit; reliquae corporis actio- 
 nes sunt quam sanissimae. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXI. 
 
 Foemina, 33. annorum, primis die- 
 bus puerperii summis in mamma dextra 
 doloribus afficitur; mamma tumet, dura 
 est, rubet. 
 
 Applicatis bonis remediis dolor mam- 
 ma? cessat, rubedo disparet, durities 
 emollitur, sed mox vehementissimus do- 
 lor occupat aurem utramque, & altero 
 die pus effluit ex utroque meatu audito- 
 rio, & dolor remittit. 
 
 Hie puris fluxus durat per quinque 
 dies, & tunc sponte sistitur. 
 
 Triduo post conqueritur aegra de ten- 
 sione in oculis; dicit sese objecta non 
 rite videre; tandem perit totus visus, 
 & oritur amaurosis in utroque oculo. 
 
 Applicata vesicantia ad nucham & post 
 aures, data remedia purgantia, aliaque 
 
 de- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 41 
 
 derivantia, solventia, discutientia &c, 
 nil levaminis adferunt, & malum durat 
 per septem annos. 
 
 Nunc sumit per tres & dimidium men- 
 ses pulverem A. & jam sola ambulat, & 
 incipit objecta etiam minora discernere. 
 
 In principio magnos in oculis dolores 
 ex usu hujus remedii passa est. 
 
 Menstruorum fluxus semper bonus & 
 regularis fuit. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXII. 
 
 Ancilla, 20, annorum, ante medium 
 annum laboravit ophthalmia inflammato- 
 ria in oculo sinistro, quae in suppuratio- 
 nem abiit. 
 
 Pus corneae laminam exteriorem pe- 
 netravit, & relinquebatur inde crassa ci- 
 catrix, & tota cornea fuit opacata, at- 
 que aegra eo oculo nil poterat videre. 
 
 Cum incassum tentata fuissent plurima 
 remedia, tandem dabatur pulvis A.; 
 cujus uso spatio binorum menfium cornea 
 C 5 se- 
 
42 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 serena & pellucida facta est, cicatrix eva- 
 nuit, & a?gra visum integre recuperavit. 
 Huic aegrs retinebantur menses jam 
 ab integro fere anno, qui mox ab uso 
 hujus pulveris comparuerunt copia bona, 
 & observarunt deinceps semper debitum 
 ordinem, & solitam periodum. 
 
 EXERIMENTUM XXIII. 
 
 Mulier, 43, annorum, ex partu dif- 
 ficili afficitur amaurosi utriusque oculi, & 
 jam a binis fere annis nil videt. 
 
 Exhibetur ei pulvis A., qui in prin- 
 cipio ingentes in oculis dolores produxit; 
 spatio autem septem septimanarum tan- 
 tum boni praestitit, ut aegra jam rite per 
 agat labores domesticos, & sola possit 
 per plateas incedere. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXIV. 
 
 Mulier, 40. annorum, dextro oculo 
 nil videt, quoniam lens crystallina grisea 
 est, & penitus opaca. 
 
 Uti- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 43 
 
 Utitur nunc pulvere A. per sex sep- 
 timanas, & lens fit tenuior, & aegra eo 
 oculo jam quaedam videt, distinguit. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXV. 
 
 Juvenis, 22. annorum, visum in utro- 
 que oculo adeo debilem habet, ut cha- 
 racteres majoris etiam magnitudinis legere 
 amplius non possit. 
 
 Penetrantissima ipsi adhibita sunt reme- 
 dia sine omni effectu; nunc per sex se- 
 ptimanas sumit pulverem A.; & jam com- 
 mode legit impressos characteres, & re- 
 liqua omnia objecta melius videt. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXVI. 
 
 Vir, 42, annorum, casu fortuito sibi 
 vulnus inflixit in medio corneae oculi dex- 
 tri; magna sequebatur inflammatio, quae 
 repetitis venae sectionibus, aliisque re- 
 mediis derivantibus ac antiphlogisticis 
 mitigata fuit, verum mansit fceda cica- 
 trix, & crassa opacitas in tota cornea. 
 
 A 
 
44 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 A variis varia collyria, aliaque reme- 
 dia applicabantur ; morbus autem sem- 
 per in pejus mutabatur. 
 
 Nunc per tres menses usus est pul- 
 vere A., & vix amplius cicatricis mini- 
 mum vestigium superest, cornea tota 
 optime pellucet, & oculus objecta per- 
 fecte videt. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXVII. 
 
 Puer, 8. annorum, ante binos annos 
 variolis laboravit, & his superatis orie- 
 batur inflammatio in utroque oculo, qua 
 disparente remansit opacitas in tota cor- 
 nea oculi dextri, & sensim formabatur 
 pannus crassus; in oculo sinistro obser- 
 vatae sunt variae maculae albae, quae visum 
 turbarunt. 
 
 Spatio binorum & dimidii mensium usu 
 pulveris A., oculi ambo perfecte sunt 
 curati. 
 
 Ex- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 45 
 
 experimentum xxviii. 
 
 Juvenis, 22. annorum, a septem 
 mensibus gerit testiculum dextrum indu- 
 ; ratum, & magnum ex gonorrhaea, re- 
 mediis adstringentibus suppressa. 
 
 Tentavimus pulverem A., & spatio 
 binorum mensium testiculus ad statum 
 naturalem fuit redactus. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXIX. 
 
 In viro, 31. annorum, eodem mor- 
 bo laborante eundem pulverem adhibui- 
 mus longo tempore, verum nulla fiebat 
 mutatio. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXX. 
 
 Vir, 24. annorum, pertaesus diutur- 
 nae gonorrhaeae, parat sibi injectiones ex 
 remediis saturninis, quibus virulentae ma- 
 'teriei fluxus sistitur; & urinae ardor cessat 
 
 Se tunc cito curatum gloriabatur, & 
 gaudebat; verum post duodecim circiter 
 
 dies 
 
46 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 dies dolorem obtusum sensit in testiculo 
 dextro, & eum tangendo observat esse 
 multo majorem, & durum valde. 
 
 Sumsit remedia purgantia & mercu- 
 rialia, sed sine effectu per alquot septi- 
 manas. 
 
 Tandem me accessit, & re bene exa- 
 minata adhibui pulverem A., ex cujus 
 usu spatio binorum mensium magnum le- 
 vamen sensit; etenim testiculus mollis 
 f actus est, & multo minor; & tunc se 
 jam curatum putavit, & ab ulteriori usu 
 remedii abstinuit. 
 
 Contigit postea, ut iterum praeter 
 causam sibi cognitam idem testiculus valde 
 intumuerit, durus admodum evaserit, & 
 cceperit multum dolere. 
 
 Unde anxius rediit, & novam pulve- 
 ris dosim efflagitavit. 
 
 Dedi tunc purgans ex granis XL. Ja- 
 lap. & totidem granis cremoris tartari; & 
 altero die praebui grana XX. pulveris B. 
 
 ma- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 47 
 
 mane, eandem dosin iteravi ad meridiem, 
 & vesperi. 
 
 Hac ratione, diligenter continuando, 
 spatio novem septimanarum perfecte con- 
 valuit asger; testiculus naturalem magni- 
 tudinem, mollitiem, & figuram iterum 
 obtinuit. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXXI. 
 
 Homo, 29. annorum, pannum eras- 
 sum jam a 23. annis habet in oculo sinistro 
 supra totam corneam transparentem. 
 
 Hoc malum ex variolis confluentibus 
 originem derivavit. 
 
 Pulvis B. intra paucos dies manife- 
 stam induxit mutationem; p annus hinc 
 inde tenuior & transparens fiebat, & 
 aeger coepit lumen bene distinguere. 
 
 Mensis spatio p annus evanuit, & re- 
 linquebatur solummodo in latere sinistro 
 levis nubecula; quae sensim quoque dif- 
 flatur. 
 
 Sta- 
 
48 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Statim in principio dedi huic aegro ter 
 quotidie scrupulum unum pulveris B., nee 
 amplius dosim auxi. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXXII. 
 
 Foemina, 50. annorum, ab aliquot 
 annis laborat in oculo dextro amaurosi, 
 & in sinistro habet cataractam. 
 
 Nunc in tertium mensem utitur pul- 
 vere A. & iris in oculo dextro fit mobi- 
 lis, & cataracta jam videtur multo tenuior, 
 sed aegra nullam adhuc lucem percipit. 
 
 EXERIMENTUM XXXIII. 
 
 Vir, 40. annorum, ex morbo acuto, 
 gravi admodum, visum in utroque oculo 
 sensim amisit; in dextro orta est amauro- 
 sis, & in sinistro glaucoma. 
 
 Per aliquot annos utebatur variis re- 
 mediis, sed a nullo sensit in oculis le- 
 vamen. 
 
 Per binos menses nunc sumit pulve- 
 rem A., & glaucoma minuitur, iris in 
 
 ocu- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 49 
 
 oculo amaurotico mobilis fit, & aeger can- 
 delam vespertino tempore lucentem di- 
 stinguit. 
 
 EXERIMENTUM XXXIV. 
 
 Puer, 6. annorum, oculo dextro fere 
 nihil videt, quoniam is totus est opacus, 
 & turbidus ex morbo varioloso, quern 
 biennio abhinc passus est. 
 
 Sumsit nunc pulverem A. per binos 
 & dimidium menses, & oculus est serenus, 
 & visus bonus. 
 
 EXERIMENTUM XXXV. 
 
 Puella, 9. annorum, ad depellendam 
 oculi dextri inflammationem applicuit col- 
 lyrium ex aqua rosarum, & vitriolo al- 
 bo; valde tunc doluit oculus, & aucta 
 fuit inflammatio. 
 
 Venae sectionibus & remediis antiphlo- 
 gisticis alvum ducentibus opus erat, ut 
 suppuratio impediretur. 
 
 D Ces- 
 
50 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Cessit tandem inflammatio, sed man- 
 sit opacitas in tota cornea, & oculus erat 
 adeo sensilis, ut nee minimum lumen fer- 
 re potuerit. 
 
 Dedi ter de die grana X. pulveris A., 
 & altero statim die oculus, qui antea erat 
 ftotus siccus & aridus, coepit multum plorare. 
 
 Spatio octidui puella eodem oculo po- 
 tuit lumen sat commode ferre. 
 
 Finito mensis spatio oculus bonus fuit; 
 nee necesse erat augere remedii dosim, 
 quoniam has cito & bene perficiebatur 
 cu ratio. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXXVI. 
 
 Juvenis, 13, annorum, ad angulum 
 externum oculi dextri habet tumorem ex 
 rubro lividum a medio anno, & tota ejus- 
 dem oculi cornea est opaca, & obducta 
 crassa albugine. 
 
 Suasi ut ter de die sumeret grana X. 
 pulveris A., qui in principio magnos do- 
 lores excitavit in oculo et tumore. 
 
 Spa- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 51 
 
 Spatio octidui ex tumore fiebat ab- 
 scessus, qui sponte rumpebatur, & pus 
 bonum, copiosum effluxit. 
 
 Curavi dein ruptum tumorem tegi em- 
 plastro diach. simplici, & jussi, ut conti- 
 nuaret pulverem A. eadem dosi. 
 
 Spatio unius mensis tumor totus dissi- 
 patus est, & oculus naturalem pelluci- 
 ditatem recuperavit. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXXVII. 
 
 Puer, 10. annorum, ulcus sordidum 
 & magnum habuit ad tibiam pedis dex- 
 tri, collum & scapulam dextram serpigo 
 antiqua occupavit. 
 
 Sumsit ter de die vasculum infusi le- 
 nioris Pulsatilla nigricantis, & eodem in- 
 fuso eluit mane & vesperi ulcus, & dein 
 lintea carpta eodem infuso madida ap- 
 plicuit. 
 
 Spatio binorum fere mensium non so- 
 lum ulcus perfecte fuit curatum, sed 
 etiam serpigo tota evanuit. 
 
 D 2 Uri- 
 
52 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Urina ex usu hujus infusi copiose eli- 
 ciebatur. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXXVIII. 
 
 Vir, 46. annorum, in oculo dextro 
 propter cataractam admodum densam nil 
 videt. 
 
 Sumsit nunc per quinque septimanas 
 pulverem B., & cataracta videtur te- 
 nuior, & aeger, dum candela incensa fer- 
 tur in cubile, lucis splendorem percipit. 
 
 Magnos semper ex assumpto remedio 
 dolores sentit in oculo afrecto. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XXXIX. 
 
 Vetula, 65. annorum, ultra viginti 
 annos oculo sinistra prorsus nil videt; 
 erat enim is totus ex ophthalmia inflam- 
 matoria destructus, & habebat figuram, 
 molemque praeternaturalem. 
 
 Sumsit per binos menses pulverem A., 
 unde in principio dolor ingens in oculo 
 oriebatur, post aliquot dies ccepit pus 
 
 per 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 53 
 
 per narem sinistram mungendo prodire, 
 dein ex partibus internis palpebrarum, & 
 earum margine copiosum pus protrudeba- 
 tur; membranae crassae, albae, & varie- 
 gati coloris, factae sunt tenuiores, moles 
 oculi diminuta est, & aegra hoc oculo po- 
 test nunc objecta distinguere. 
 
 EXPERIMENTUM XL. 
 
 Vir, 62. annorum, in oculo sinistra 
 jam ultra septem annos habet cataractam, 
 & nihil videt, oculus dexter ita quoque 
 debilitatus & sensim turbidus factus est, 
 ut miser nee labores suos amplius perfi- 
 cere, nee solus in platea ambulare po- 
 tuerit. 
 
 Sumsit ter quotidie grana X. pulveris 
 B., & jam solus per plateas incedit libere, 
 & labores suos, qui oculum exactum re- 
 quirunt, peragit, & in oculo sinistra can- 
 delae lucentis splendorem percipit. 
 
 D 3 In 
 
54 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 In hoc aegro promptiffimum remedii 
 effectum observavi; nam hae mutationes 
 spatio duodecim dierum contigerunt. 
 
 Sunt adhuc numerosissimi aegri, qui ex- 
 tracto Pulsatilla nigricantis utuntur, & in 
 pluribus bonum effectum jam experior. 
 
 Vir, 35. annorum, pertinacissima me- 
 lancholia laborans, & totus macilentus 
 sumsit pulverem B. & inde intra paucum 
 tempus reficiebatur, perversa? mentis 
 ideae disparuerunt, rediit robur, & sa- 
 nitas. 
 
 Unde putabam: idem forsan medica- 
 mentum profuturum Epilepticis aut Ma- 
 niacis. 
 
 Rogavi propterea Dominum Faucken 
 & Dominum Rechberger, ut in suo No- 
 socomio ad S. Marcum, ubi tot homines 
 similibus malis affecti decumbunt, expe- 
 rimenta instituerent. 
 
 Verum nee in morbo epileptico, nee 
 in mania ullum ex hoc remedio effectum 
 observarunt. 
 
 Au- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 55 
 
 Augebatur dosis, donee epileptici 
 drachmas duas, & aliqui maniaci drach- 
 mas tres pulveris B. per diem assumsissent; 
 nee ullo modo inde afficiebantur. 
 
 COROLLLARIA. 
 
 I.) Pulsatilla nigricans est remedium in- 
 nocuum & efficax. 
 
 2.) iEgri videntur facilius ferre extra- 
 ctum hujus plantae, quam ejus aquam 
 destillatam, quoniam haec majori dosi 
 data aliquibus conatum vomendi, & 
 nauseam excitavit. 
 
 3.) Nihilominus sunt aegri, qui hanc 
 aquam sine omni molestia assumunt, 
 & iis subinde prodest in vehementissi- 
 mis artuum doloribus nocturnis, in 
 tophis venereis &c. profuit quoque 
 quibusdam paralyticis. 
 
 4.) Extractum Pulsatilla nigricantis sol- 
 vit potenter, nil tamen in corpore 
 turbat. 
 
 D 4 5- Plu- 
 
 10 
 
56 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 5.) Pluribus movet urinam copiose. 
 
 6.) Quibus tormina ventris exitat, & 
 dein leviorem diarrhasam, his saluta- 
 re plerumque est. 
 
 7.) In quibusdam chronicis oculorum af- 
 fectibus videtur maxime convenire, 
 & vix non specifice in oculos agere. 
 
 8.) iBonum est: si aegri sentiant inde in 
 oculis dolorem. 
 
 9.) Amaurosim subinde curat, quando- 
 que diminuit cataractam; pannos au- 
 tem, ungues, & albugines frequenter 
 dissipat, neque opus est ullo remedio 
 externo. 
 
 10.) Infusum Pulsatilla nigricantis tuto 
 quoque datur interne, applicaturque 
 externe in foedis ulceribus, in carie, 
 & serpigine. 
 
 11.) Quibusdam fceminis fluxum men- 
 struum, prasternaturaliter suppressum, 
 Pulsatilla nigricans iterum excitat, & 
 redigit in ordinem. 
 
 APPEN- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 57 
 
 Appendix. 
 
 Biennio abhinc edidi libellum de usu 
 interno & externo herbae Flammulce Jo- 
 vis, & multis experimentis comprobavi: 
 Flammulam Jovis efficacissimum quando- 
 que Remedium esse in pertinacissimis & 
 diuturnis capitis doloribus, in ossium do- 
 loribus nocturnis, in cachexia venerea, 
 in scabie, herpete, in ulceribus ichoro- 
 sis, fungosis, cancrosis, in carie os- 
 sium &c. 
 
 Iterata experimenta usu ejusdem her- 
 bae & a me & aliis multis Medicis institu- 
 ta eundem iterum effectum, & eandem 
 efficaciam confirmant & adtestantur. 
 
 Foeminae plures, summa & tristissima 
 melancholia laborantes, infuso Flammules 
 Jovis integre restitutae sunt. 
 
 Ferdinandus Leber chirurgiae Professor 
 
 cancrum exulceratum mammae, qui nee 
 
 cicuta nee aliis medicamentis mitigari po- 
 
 rerat, sola Flammula Jovis radicitus percu- 
 
 D 5 ra- 
 
58 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 ravit publice coram suis discipulis & qui- 
 busdam Medicis. 
 
 De usu & utilitate Cicutce ulterius dis- 
 serere superfluum arbitror; quum novi 
 viros cordatos, & bonos Medicos illam 
 ea, qua par est, aequitate respicere, illam- 
 que asgris suis optato cum successu persae- 
 pe adhibere. 
 
 Extractum Aconiti flore coeruleo, seu 
 Extractum Napelli nova experimenta sem- 
 per magis magisque commendant; & est 
 sane! egregium medicamentum, quod 
 parva dosi multum praestat. 
 
 Prodest frequentissime in malis vene- 
 reis, ubi laudata alia remedia incassum 
 adhibentur. 
 
 Tollit quandoque exostoses venereas, 
 & articulos rigidos reddit mobiles. 
 
 Levavit saepius Podagram, Arthriti- 
 dem, & Rheumatismos pertinacissimos. 
 
 Dedi hoc extractum in similibus mor- 
 bis, etiamsi febris adfuisset valida; sed 
 tunc adjunxi debitam nitri quantitatem. 
 
 Et 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 59 
 
 Et observavi hac methodo aliquoties 
 vehementissimos dolores fuisse intra ali- 
 quot horas penitus dissipatos, qui per 
 multos dies copiosissimis aliis medicamen- 
 tis nee leniri poterant. 
 
 Plerumque sudor largus sequebatur. 
 
 iEgri ferunt hujus extracti grana duo, 
 tria, quatuor, quinque &c. nycthemeri 
 spatio, dosibus divisis. 
 
 Oxymel ex recenti & succulento Col- 
 chici autumnalis Bulbo paratum, plures ite- 
 rum gravi hydrope, vel & asthmate glu- 
 tinoso pessime affectos curavit pellendo 
 urinam, aut promovendo sputa copiosa. 
 
 Si hoc oxymel ex Bulbo arido vel fari- 
 noso conficiatur, tunc caret omni efficacia. 
 
 Extractum cicutce mixtum cum oxy- 
 melli colchico in hydrope, a viscerum ob- 
 structionibus orto, saepe mira praestat. 
 
 Hyosciami Extractum spasmos & con- 
 vulsiones frequenter compescit; juvat 
 quandoque in morbo epileptico, in ma- 
 nia, & furore. 
 
 His- 
 
60 De Pulsatilla nigricante. 
 
 Hisce diebus vidi sacerdotem optime 
 valentem, & fungentem munere honori- 
 fico, ad quod perfecta mentis sanitas re- 
 quiritur, qui ante binos annos mania la- 
 bo ravit. 
 
 Similes casus existunt plures. 
 
 Fcemina, 38. annorum, per tres inte- 
 gros annos singulo mense bis vexabatur 
 paroxysmo gravissimo epileptico, cura- 
 ta solo hyosciamo, jam ultra annum optime 
 se habet, hilaris est & libera ab omni 
 malo. 
 
 Hyosciamus tusses molestissimas phthi- 
 sicorum quandoque longe melius & citius 
 mitigat, quam ipsum opium. 
 
 Parva dosi subinde optimo cum suc- 
 cessu exhibui extractum Hyosciami in con- 
 vulsionibus infantum, ortis a terrore. 
 
 Hoc extractum recta methodo datum 
 asgris nunquam nocet, & confert saepe. 
 
 Miror propterea magnae famae Me- 
 dicum in ultimo suo tractatu extractum 
 Hyosciami aut inutile pronunciare aut no- 
 
De Pulsatilla nigricante. 6i 
 
 xium; licet id propria experientia son 
 observaverit, sed audierit solummodo ex 
 aliorum relatis. 
 
 Ego certus sum, quod doctissimus 
 ille Vir, quem vere veneror, aliam de 
 Hyosciamo sententiam confiteretur, si so- 
 lita sua prudentia ejus extractum in aegris 
 suis tentaret. 
 
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