OCR Text |
Show BLUE CARDINAL FLOWER. G20 of it to ascertain its virtues. The Indians in North America communicated to the late Sir William Johnson an account of the etlects of this root in the lues venerea, which has since been published in the fourth quarto volume of Linneus’s Amoenitates Academice. By this account, a strong decoction is ordered to be made with four, five, six, or more roots of this plant, and the decoction to be drunkin large quantity every morning for a fortnight or three weeks, or longer. If the decoction should prove too strong, and purge, it is then ordered to be made weaker by lowering it with water. The patient is directed to wash himself with the decoction, as well as to drink it, and to live on a spare vegetable diet during its use. Since this publication of Linnzus 1 have heard no further ac- count of its effects, nor of its having been tried by any European practitioner. It is certainly to be wished that a sufficient quantity of this root was imported into Europe, and that proper trials were made to ascertain its virtues ; for, should it produce the effects alleged, it would undoubtedly be a very valuable ac- Class X1X. Syngenesia. Order VI. Monogamia. Essent. Gen, Cnar. Calyx five-cleft: Corolla one-petalled, irregular: Capsule beneath, two- or three-celled. ; e carp ad: aves 0 Spec. Cuar. Stem erect: Leaves ovate-lanceolate, subserrated: Leaves 0 the Calyxreflexed. —— DESCRIPTION. Tus plant rises two feet. Leaves sessile, acute. compound, numerous, blue, spiked. Flowersnot Leaves of the calyx lve, halbert-shaped, fringed at the margin. Corolla funnel-shaped, border five-cleft. HISTORY. Native of Virginia, andflowers from August till October. 5 9 5 MEDICAL VIRTUE. ' The root of this plant, which grows in the moist places © Te te 0 4 epee uring the Virginia, stands recommended as a certain remedy for curin; venereal disorder among the wild Indians in North aerica}A “ ‘ 4 2 rN . . rials but it has not hitherto been brought to Europe, and trials mat pa quisition to the materia medica. BLUE CARDINAL FLOWER. LOBELIA SIPHILITICA. |