PREPARATION.--After the patient has taken a puke of the American ipecacuanha, and the fever is off, a teaspoonful of the powder may be administered every hour until the fever is broke, then use my stomach bitters, mentioned in this work, in order to prevent a relapse. Take of aven root two ounces, arum root half an ounce, (in powder,) skunk cabbage balls, in powder, half an ounce, gentian and masterwort, each half an ounce, sugar candy one ounce; mix one tablespoonful of these powders and boil them in one quart of rain water and one pint of new milk, for an hour. In all debilitating complaints, or beginning consumptions, the patient may take two teacupsful of this chocolate morning and evening, sweetened with loaf sugar, and ride out every day two hours before dinner.
This plant rises two feet in hight; leaves cut into lobes which are oblong, or if pinnated, terminate by an odd pinnæ; capsules, two; oblong hirsute, and crowned with a stigma. It grows plentifully in the gardens throughout the United States. The seed is imported from Switzerland; it is noted for its virtues in the cure of epilepsy, and fits in children. The root must be dug in March, dried and pulverized, and kept in bottles, close corked, for use. Adults, subject to epilepsy, may take a desert-spoonful of the powder four times a day, in a teacupful of bitter sweet tea, made as follows: Pour a quart of boiling water on an ounce of the bruised dry bark of bitter sweet, taken from off the roots, and sweeten the tea with sugar; give to children, two years old, ten grains of the powder four times a day, in molasses, and wash it down with the bitter sweet tea. Apply the bruised roots to the soles of the feet when going to bed.
FOR SORE THROAT, STOMACH, OR BOWELS.--Take of the inside bark of slippery elm, dried and powdered fine, one teaspoonful, and same quantity of brown sugar; pour in a little cold water and stir till mixed; then add a little warm water. Take a teaspoonful once an hour. For a poultice, it may be mixed with powdered crackers, or ginger, equal quantities of each, which is excellent for burns, scalds, &c. It will also remove inflammation, or pain in the eyes.
BUTTERNUT FOR BLISTERS.--Take the green shell of the nut, or the bark of the root, powdered; keep it moist while applying it. It is much better than Spanish flies.