PREPARATION.--The fresh leaves are pounded to a pulp and macerated in two parts by weight of alcohol. (In the subjoined paper by Dr. E. M. Hale, _North American Journal of Homoeopathy_, 1869, the old doctrine of signatures seems to crop out again.) The _Gravel Root_ has long had some reputation in urinary difficulties, and even in calculous affections. The common appellation of "Gravel root" shows that the popular belief points in the direction of its use. I have never tested its virtues but in one instance, and its effects seemed to be so decided and curative that I deem the case worthy of publication. A young man, aged twenty-three, applied for treatment of a long array of symptoms, some of which seemed to indicate _enlargement of the prostate_, and others a _vesical catarrh_. The _quantity_ of urine was nearly normal. The _quality_ was decidedly abnormal. It contained a large amount of mucus, the phosphates, some blood, and a little pus. It was dark red, colored blue litmus paper red (showing its acid condition). The pain was similar to a vesical tenesmus, a pain in the region of the neck of the bladder and prostate gland. Pressure in the perineum was painful. He had been under the most atrocious allopathic treatment; had been drugged with copaiva, spts. nitric.-dulc., turpentine, tincture muriate of iron, and other diuretics in enormous doses. I commenced the treatment with _Sulphur_ 30th, three doses a day for a week. By this time he had eliminated the drug-poisons from his system, and the real symptoms of the malady began to appear uncomplicated. The blood and pus disappeared from the urine, there was less mucus, and the urine was of a lighter color. A red, sandy sediment, however, remained. This sediment was not "gritty" under the finger, at least no such sensation was perceptible. Second prescription: _Lycopodium_ 30th and 6th, the former in the morning, the latter in evening, for a week. No improvement except a slight diminution of the sediment. No medicine was given for four days, at which time there appeared dysuria, pain in the region of the prostate, mucous sediment, and itching at the orifice of the urethra. While undecided as to the next prescription, I happened to take up a vial of tincture _Epigea repens_, which I had prepared from the fresh plant, while on a visit to Mackinaw six months before. Knowing the high estimate placed on this plant, by the people, in the treatment of gravel I resolved to test its virtues. Ten drops of the mother tincture were prescribed, to be taken every four hours.