74 SECT. VII.— PLANTS USEVUL IN MEDICINE.

These have a nauseous bitter taste: decoctions of them loosen thebelly, promote urine, and stand recommended in hydropic cases. Theflowers are said to prove cathartic in decoction, and emetic in sub-stance, though in some places, as Lobel informs us, they are com-monly used, and in large quantity, in salads, without producing anyeffect of this kind. The qualities of the seeds are little better deter-mined : some report that they purge almost as strongly as hellebore,in the dose of a dram and half; whilst the author above mentionedrelates, that he has given a decoction of two ounces of them as a gentleemetic.

&19.- SPIGELIA marylandica. Worm Gn ass. Root. L. E.D. —About forty years ago, the anthelmintic virtues of the root of this plantwere discovered by the Indians; since which time it has been muchused here. I have given it in hundreds of cases, and have been veryattentive to its effects. I never found it do much service, except whenit proved gently purgative. Its purgative quality naturally led me togive it in febrile diseases which seem to arise from viscidity in the pri-mae vise ; and in these cases it succeeded to admiration, even when thesick did not void worms.

To a child of two years of age who had been taking ten grains of theroot twice a-day without having any other effect than making her dulland giddy, 1 prescribed twenty-two grains morning and evening, whichpurged her briskly, and brought away five large worms. [Communi-cations from Dr. Gardner.]— Wbodvilh's Med. Bol.

230. TANACETUM vulgarc. Tansy. Herb. E. D— Considered asa medicine, it is a moderately warm bitter, accompanied with astrong, not very disagreeable flavour. Some have had a great opinionof it in hysteric disorders, particularly those proceeding from a de-ficiency or suppression of the usual course of nature.

281. TEUCRIUM Marum. Cat Thyme. Herb. D.~ The leaves

liave an aromatic bitterish taste ; and, when rubbed betwixt the fingers,a quick pungent smell, which soon affects the head, and occasionssneezing: distilled with water, they yield a very acrid, penetratingessential oil, resembling one obtained by the same means from scurvy-grass. These qualities sufficiently point out the uses to which this plantmight be applied ; at present, it is little otherwise employed than inCephalic snuffs.

2S2. TEUCRIUM Chamxdrys. Germander. Herb. D. —The leaves,tops, and seeds, have a bitter taste, with some degree of astringencyand aromatic flavour. They were recommended as sudorific, diuretic,and emmenagoguc, and for strengthening the stomach and viscera ingeneral. With some they have been in great esteem in intermittentfevers; as also in scrophulous and other chronic disorders.