PRESCRIPTIONS.

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the top of the ground, and an armful of them canbe commonly collected as soon as an armful of thetops. Its situation is commonly near creek banks.

This root is said to be a great cathartic, but Ihave never proved it.

The Indians use a decoction of these roots forfomenting and poulticing, in all cases which requiresuch applications.

It removes the anguish, and cures a burn beyondcredibility; cases verging on mortification, fellons,swellings, rising of a woman's breast, &c. yield toits application beyond any thing else.

To apply it, boil the roots and make a strong de-coction, then take of the liquor and thicken up apoultice with bran or Indian meal, this may be putinto a little bag made of a thin cloth, and apply it aswarm and as moist as will be agreeable ; this maybe repeated as often as you will, until the pain orinflammation is quite gone, or the wound or sorecured. Linen or cotton cloths dipt in the liquor, hot,and applied as warm as can be borne, and then keptclose while the case remains, and so repeated, willbe a good way to apply it.

No. 8.The Square-stalk root,and its leaves, are both medicinal. The stalk issquare, nearly of the size and shape of the catnipstalk. It is a native of the soil, grows five or sixfeet high, branching out with two stems at a joint;its pods and seeds nearly resemble the tobacco; itsleaves are beautiful and smooth on both sides.—The Porter's ointment is principally made of theseleaves. The root when pulled up, appears tender