Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-04-28
Resources of Our Fields and Forests.

We continue our extracts from DR.. PorcherS valua
be work, commencing them 10 the notice OF all who
feel disposed and have the opportunity to add to our
stock Of home made medicines
Soiyqa tomsntosa Linn. Hgdhack steepe.bush.-
Gross in the upper districts, and IN Georgia. Newbern
r. july.
u 5. Disp. GS2; RaE Med. Fl. ii, 81. A valuable
tonic and asuingent administered in diarrhGl chole
m IL autum aud other complaints where medicines OF
Ills class are indicated. Wood says it is peculiarly
adapted by its tonic powers to of debility, it
does -, disagree with the somach but it should be
avoided during the existence of rAlmmatory action
febrile excitement.
might very we'll take its place. As it does not disagree
with the stomach it considered very valuable add
ton 10 tne matCria med;ca.
Araehis hypogGa. Ground-nut Bought BY the
negroes from Aiica. Fl. May.
the seed, parched and ground, can with Difficulty
be distinguished from coffee, as have myself expert
euccd In some portions Of South.Carolina it is en-
n owed IS a substitute. The okra Hibiscus eScReatus)
serves the same purpose The groUnd.uut and Jsnc
make rich and nutritious SOUP and act as substitutes for
meat They are of,en parched, and beaten up with
sugar. and served Gs a cOndiment or dessert
r,staufa rcsea, L. Chestnut Florida and north
ward h.South Carolina only found in upper districts;
one Of our MODEST tees.
The fruit OF the tree and the chilquapin &C. p1aaila
are well known. Eaten either or boiled. The
roots contain asrirgent principles that of the chin
ouspn boiled in mix is much used in the diarrhel of
fsethipg children l would advise tea made of this
10 se used extemporaneOusly ia dsrrhGl by our SOL
dicrs in camp.
.L,glans eiasrea L. Butternut; oil-nut. Grows in
the mountains of South Carolina.
n 5 Disp. 7lO Archives Gen Sd series K, 500, and
u 40; F.ost's Eems Mat. Med 1Sl. THE inner bark
of the root affords of the most mild and efficient
laxatyes we possess" The extract fAvorite rem
edy in Gen. Marion's camp during the Revolutionary
var IL is very elhcaciOus in habual constipation in
doses of ten to thirty grains the first acting as axa-
tive, the maximum purging. Big. Am. Med. Bot. ii,
1l5. Nix Am sylvia, 100; where il is spoken of as
mild sthartic operating without pain or irritation and
resembling rhubmb in its property Of evacuating with
ont dcbiitatiog the alimentary canal DR.. Rush en-
Moved il during the Wood says it is highly es-
| teemed in dysentery:
To extract the cathartic principle the bark is boiled
in water for several hours the extraneous mat
ter and boil down the decOcton to the consstence of
boney or rnoasses-pi!s may be made of tis A syr-
mo- NAV also be made. The bark is strongest in the
early summer The powdered leaves are rubefacient
and act as . substitute for cantharides. Coke Am
Disn S55. The bark of the branches affords large
quantity Of soluble matter chiefly Of the extractiye
Kind, water seeming to be solvent.
The Cttaris vittatG or bistering fly can be found
IN the sweet potato and have myself produced bis
tering by applying them TO The hand. collected the
eios from vines growing on Daniels island Near Charles
Il n
,rated with woodcuts in Patent Office Reports, 1854
n,ge So states that ne found species of cantharis G.
,r,oosa in large numbers the cotton plants near
| Columbia S. c.. in the month Of September | have
Ite doubt that the Confederate States could be easily
supped with blisteriug ointment from these flies
| A SuJ,tttts for Spanish F.ies-Thc present scar
civ of Spanish flies for medical in blister pasters
makes a proper substitute deSideratum. writer in
the Savannah Republican says have in this country
many representatives of the genus, and enumc-
rates the bistering beetle potato fly prevalent in
our gardens and injurious to vegetation, elca.
cious. He says:
TIE bllsteriug plaster and CantharideS of medicine
are prepared from the Spanish flies Canhars vescato.
ria which are collected in Spain and Italy in large
quantities for expectation We have in North AmeI-
ca many representatives Of the same genus Several
species have been used for the purpose and in this
1 immediate neighborhood the CanthGris vittata gar
striped bsterrg beetle. commonly called the potato
| ay The biistering beetles have been enumerated
among the insects directly beneficial to map account
OF the important use made of them in medical practice
vet the gardeners in neighborhood will testify that
the insect in question is very injurious to vegetation,
appearing in large numbers the Irish potato tomato
eEg-pant and beet which they will strip Of every kaE
have however remarked that they sill give the pref
s4eLce 10 a common weed, il in close proximty-an
AHaSyaatqs-a kind Of princes feather. The insect is
of dull tawny light yeowish color with two black
spots on the head black stripes on the thorax and
three broad ones on each wing cover. The under side
of the body the legstexcepng the first joint which is
yeloWshl the dHtsRaGa, or feelers, are black. Its
length is from five to eight lines its breadth of body
two lines. The body is quite soft. These beetles
very shy, tmd insects and whenever disturbed fall inn