Important: Safety Warning
This page prescribes plants as medicine according to pre-modern medical theory. Several of the plants named are toxic, correct identification is difficult, and the doses given have no scientific basis. Do not ingest or apply any preparation described here.
This page presents medical treatment from an era before modern medicine. The remedies described are ineffective against the conditions named, and some of the ingredients or doses are harmful. Do not use them to treat any illness; consult a qualified medical professional.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
Order Cxii
SCROPHULARINEÆ.
A great part of Linnæus's Didynamia Angiospermia is found here, capsular fruit and didynamous stamens being among the most obvious characteristics of the order. The species are generally herbs with opposite leaves, very rarely shrubs; and natives of mountains, valleys, ditches, woods, and waysides, in all parts of the world. The Personatæ have the palate so prominent as to close up the orifice of the corolla. Ringentes have the palate open. Some are highly ornamental, as Digitális, Pediculáris, Calceolária, &c., others are mere weeds, as is the case with a large proportion of them. Most of them have a weak unpleasant smell, a bitterish taste, and acrid and suspicious properties; but this odor is sweet and aromatic in the Ambúlia of Lamarck; the taste is refreshing in Mímulus lúteus, which is a culinary plant in Peru, and the ordinary acrid properties become emollient in some Antirrhinums. The Rhinanthaceæ are remarkable for their astringent tonic bark and leaves. The leaves and roots of Scrophulária aquática, Gratíola officinális and peruviána, and Calceolária, act as purgatives, or in strong doses produce vomiting: these properties exist, in a high degree, in Digitális purpúrea. area. The leaves of this plant, reduced to powder, excite vomiting and vertigo, excite urine and saliva, and lower the pulse: in too strong doses they cause death; in moderate doses they are useful in scrophula, dropsy, asthma, &c. 1343 Antirrhínum J. 1344 Linária J. 1345 Anarrhinum Desf. 40 Verónica W. 43 Gratíola W. 51 Calceolária W. 276 Scopária W. 279 Búddlea W. 1297 Pentstémon W. 863. Disándra W. 1338 Halléria W. 1348 Gerárdia W.
Tribe 1. PERSONATE (or RHINANTHACEAE). 1346 Nemésia Vent. 1347 Maurándya W. 1349 Pediculáris W. 1350 Erínus W. 1342 Euphrásia W. 1340 Rhinánthus W. 1341 Bártsia W. 1337 Castilléja Sm. 1299 Tourréttia J. 1298 Chelóne W.
Tribe 2. RINGENTES. 1351 Mimulus W. 1352 Hornemánnia W. en. 1353 Mázus Lour. 1354 Isopléxis Lindl. 1355 Digitális W. 1356 Scrophulária W. 1357 Vandellia L. 1358 Sibthorpia W. 1359 Limosélla W. 1360 Browállia W. 1361 Stemódia W. 1362 Trevirána W. en. 1363 Colúmnea W. 1364 Russélia W. 1365 Dodártia W. 1366 Lindérnia R. Br. 1367 Herpéstis R. Br. 1368 Caprária P. S. 1369 Buchnéra B. P. 1370 Manúlea W. en. 1371 Angelónia Kth. 1372 Schizánthus R. & P. 1373 Besléria W. 1374 Teédia P S. 1379 Cymbária W.
NATURAL ARRANGEMENT.
Tribe 3.
MELAMPYRACES. 1315 Melampýrum W.