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Show WILD LETTUCE. 683 effects; and its narcotic power, like that of the poppy, resides in a milky juice. The garden lettuce, when in flower, is also very bitter, and abounds with a milky juice, in its taste and smell remarkabl y like opium, for which, when dried, it has been proposed and used with success as a substitute by Dr. Coxe of Philadelphia, Before it begins to shoot it has none of that bitter: ss, and con« tains no milky juice, and probably has not those soporific ef. fects which are commonly ascribed to the use of lettuce. MEDICAL USE. the plant, gathered when in flower, is recommended in small WILD GETTUCE. Dr. Collin, of Vienna, asserts, that out of twenty-four dropsical Patients, all but one were cured by this medicine. LACTUCA VIROSA. Class XIX. Syngenesia. Essent. Gen. Cuar, Se ae Two grains must be begun with four times aday, and gradually increased, till two scruples or more are given daily. In dropsies of long standing, proceeding from vise ceral obstructions, it has been given to the extent of half an ounceaday. It is said to agree with the stomach, to quench thirst, to be gently laxative, powerfully diuretic, and somewh at diaphoretic. Plentiful dilution is allowed during its operation. AERO doses in dropsy. DSae Ve (fa%s r An extract prepared from the expressed juice of the leaves of Order J. Polygamia zqualis. Receptacle naked: Calyx imbricated, cylindrical, with a membranous margin: Downsimple, pedicelled: Seeds unarmed. Spec. Cusr. Leaves horizontal, prickly on the keel, obtuse at top, arrowshapedat the base, oblong-lanceolate ; the lower ones sinuate and denticulate. eee DESCRIPTION. Pan plant rises four feet. leaves. It has three different kinds of Those proceeding from the root areslightly toothed; those from the stem are cut into pinnated lobes; and those attached to the flower-stalks are arrow-shaped, pointed, entire, HISTOR ¥. This plant flowers in August and September,is biennial, and grows wild on rubbish and rough banks, in many places 10 this country. : - It smells strongly of opium, and resembles it in some 0! =) ¥ " oe The florets are yellow, and small. ns” and minute. |