Scrophularia. Scrophularia marilandica, S. nodosa. Figwort, Scrofula Plant.
Scrophularia. Scrophularia marilandica L. (S. nodosa L... Figwort. Scrofula Plant. Scrofulaire, Fr. Kropfwurz. Knotenwurz, G. (Fam. Scrophulariaceae.)—This rather tall herb, having a square stem, opposite leaves and slender panicles of small, greenish-purple flowers, grows in rich open woods from New York to North Carolina and west to Kansas. Its leaves have when fresh a rank fetid odor, and a bitter, somewhat acrid taste; but these properties are diminished by drying. Water extracts their virtues, forming a reddish infusion, which is blackened by ferric sulphate. For histological study of root, see P. J., 1896. Walz has obtained from it two proximate principles, which he names respectively scrophularin and scrophularosmin. (Mayer, A. J. P., 1863, p. 295.) Figwort leaves were formerly considered. tonic, diuretic, diaphoretic, discutient, anthelmintic, etc.; useful in scrofula and as a local application in hemorrhoids. Van de Moer (P. J., 1896) affirms that the seeds are toxic, belonging to the digitalis group.
