Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 33.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

From various physicians, intelligent ladies, and from old Confederate magazines and books and newspapers, I have gathered the following data in reference to the peculiar and unusual uses of articles that are incident to our trade, that seemed to be of more or less general employment in the South by physicians, druggists and in Confederate households.

Wood anemone was employed as a vesicatory in removing corns from the feet. Powdered may-apple mixed with resin was used as a caustic in treating horses, the farriers using it for escharotic purposes. On the farms the juice of the pulp of the maypop seeds was made into a summer drink instead of lemonade. Powdered bloodroot, snuffed up the nose, made a powerful sternutatory and was applied as an escharotic to fungous flesh. Pond-lily poultices was extensively applied to ulcers. Button snakeroot, or globe flower, was used largely as an expectorant and diuretic. Tooth-ache bark (aralia spinosa) was used to allay pain caused by carious teeth, and in South Carolina the negroes relied on it almost exclusively for rattlesnake bite. Side-saddle or fly-catcher was used in the various forms of dyspepsia. Ink was made from the rind of the pomegranate fruit and from poke berries. Where during convalescence an astringent tonic was indicated, dogwood supplied the need. This with blackberry and gentians and pipsissiwa as tonics and diuretics, and sweet gum, and sassafras for mucilaginous and aromatic properties, and wild jalap as a cathartic, supplied the surgeon in camp with easily procurable medicinal plants, which proved sufficient in many times of need.

I here relate another reminiscence of my Alabama soldier friend, Col. Sumpter Lea, of Birmingham, using his own language as near as I may be able to repeat it.