COMMENTARY. Dr. Martyn says, “The _Woad_ is called Isatis and Glastum, and affords a blue tincture.” (Ad Virg. Ec. iv, 43.) See also Miller, Parkinson, and Gerard. It is the _Isatis Tinctoria_. The second species of Dioscorides, or Sylvestris, is the _Saponaria Vaccaria_, L., but the passage is probably spurious. Our author’s account of the Isatis is abridged from Galen, who has an elaborate article under this head. Aëtius copies still more closely from Galen. Both these authorities direct bread or barleymeal to be mixed with its pounded leaves when they are otherwise too strong. Of the Arabians, Avicenna gives the most accurate account of it under the head of _Nil_ seu Glastum sativum et sylvestre. In its external use he follows Dioscorides and Galen, and joins Rhases in recommending it internally as an emetic for the cough of children, ulcers of the lungs, and pleurisy arising from black bile. He further commends the wild species in affections of the spleen. (ii, 2, 505, 290, 299.) Serapion and Rhases give a confused account of the Isatis, under the head of Indicum. (De Simpl. 47); (Cont. l. ult. 370.) The Woad held a place in our Dispensatory down to a recent date. See Quincy (91.) Woad and indigo were long used together in dyeing, which probably is the reason of these two articles being confounded together by certain of the ancient authorities. Ἰσόπυρον ἢ φυσίολον, Isopyrum or Faseolus, (Bog Bean?); its seed is bitter and somewhat sour. It is, therefore, detergent, and exudes the thick and viscid humours at the same time that it contracts bodies, and is astringent. It therefore purges deep-seated humours, and is not against persons affected with vomiting of blood. * * * * * COMMENTARY. From our author’s account of it, it would seem to be the same as the fasil, or kidney-bean; but Dioscorides clearly distinguishes between them. (iv, 119.) Dodonæus had referred it to the _Menyanthes trifoliata_, or bog-bean; but this opinion is rejected by Sprengel. He inclines to the _Corydalis claviculata_, Pers., but is not decided. We rather incline to the opinion of Dodonæus, on the ground that its medicinal character, as given by Galen and our author, applies very well to the _Menyanthes trifoliata_. It is not treated of by Aëtius, nor can we find it in the Mat. Med. of the Arabians. Ἰτέα, Salix, _the Willow_; the leaves and flower are possessed of desiccant powers without pungency. It has also some astringency; but the bark is drier, and when burnt, the ashes of it are powerfully desiccant, for they remove clavi and myrmecia with vinegar. * * * * *