*** [Vide “Nat. Hist. of New York; Part 2, By John Torrey.” It is also called Polygonum Punctatum A literal translation of Hydropiper gives the expressive and decent popular name, Water Pepper.]

BY B. F. JOSLIN, M. D., OF NEW YORK.

FIRST PROVING.-A specimen was collected Sept. 12th, 1854. A heavy rain a few days before had washed the leaves. The earth in the vicinity had not yet become dry, so that no dust had since fallen on the leaves. The weather and time of day were favorable; all dew having been removed by the sun shining in a clear sky. The flowering season of the plant had commenced.

At noon, immediately after collecting the specimen, a leaf was thoroughly masticated and swallowed; the taste pungent, like that of black pepper.

SYMPTOM 1. At ? P. M. Momentary pain in the right frontal protuberance, and instantly afterwards in the right occipital protuberance, after ? hour.

In the afternoon of the same day, two dozen of the leaves were thoroughly bruised in a clean agate mortar, and not being sufficiently succulent to allow of the expression of juice, the mass was put into a vial with alcohol reduced by water to about fifty percent.

At 10 in the evening eat another leaf.

2. Sept. 13th. Intolerable itching at the left shin a little above the ankle, in the morning, at 6 o'clock.

3. Severe aching at the fore part of the left tibia, about four inches below the knee, from one till two o'clock P. M.

4. Aching in the left shoulder when recumbent, about 11 P. M., soon after going to bed.

SECOND PROVING.-On the 7th of May, 1856, I decanted a second time a second sample of the tincture from a specimen collected Sept. 16th, 1854 and prepared in a similar manner. At 1 1/2 P. M., agitated one drop of this Polyg⁰. with half an ounce of water and took it at once.

1. At 1.40 P. M. Painful pressure on the palmar-radial side of the right forearm, an inch and a half above the wrist, at the spot where the radial artery is distinctly felt, lasting seven minutes, commencing 10 minutes after the dose.

2. Dry cough in the night, excited by titillation in the upper-anterior part of the chest, with a dry sensation in the larynx when coughing-after about 12 hours.

May 8th. At 1 P. M. put one drop of the tincture, Polyg⁰ in one gill of water and after agitating it several times, occupied a minute in sipping it.

3. Sensation of heat in the month and throat within the first quarter of an hour, commencing at the tip of the tongue and extending to much of the mouth, then to the throat at the right upper part.

4. Cough excited by a pricking-tickling behind the upper part of the sternum-at 1.40 P. M., i.e. after 40 minutes.

5. May 9th and 10th. Pain pressive and remittent, for two consecutive evenings, at the anterior-inner surface of the head of the left tibia.

6. On the 9th in the evening, the interior of the anus was studded with itching eminences, as from corrugation without contraction-a kind of hemorrhoidal tumors. They disappeared within two days.

The above is an exact copy of records made at the time of the provings. Short as they are I call them two, because the latter was made after such an interval as precludes the possibility of a continuance of action.

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