COMMON NAMES. Yellow Puccoon, Ground Raspberry, Turmeris Root, etc.
    MEDICINAL PART. The root.
    Description. -- This indigenous plant has a perennial root or rhizome, which is tortuous, knotty, creeping, internally of a bright yellow color, with long fibres. The stem is erect, simple, herbaceous, rounded, from six to twelve inches high, bearing two unequal terminal leaves. The two leaves are alternate, palmate, having from three to five lobes, hairy, dark-green, cordate at base, from four to nine inches wide when full grown. The flower is a solitary one, small, white or rose,colored, and the fruit resembles a raspberry, is red, and consists of many two-seeded drupes.
    History. -- Golden seal is found growing in shady woods, in rich soils, and damp meadows in different parts of the United States and Canada, but is more abundant west of the Alleghanies. It flowers in May and June. The root is the officinal part. Its virtues are imparted to water or alcohol. The root is of a beautiful yellow color, and when fresh is juicy, and used by the Indians to color their clothing, etc.
    Properties and Uses. -- The root is a powerful tonic, at the same time exerting an especial influence upon the mucous surfaces and tissues, with which it comes in contact. Internally, it is successfully administered in dyspepsia, chronic affections of the mucous coats of the stomach, erysipelas; remittent, intermittent, and typhoid fevers; torpor of the liver, and wherever tonics are required. In some instances it proves laxative, but without any astringency and seems to rank in therapeutical action between rhubarb and blood-root.
    A strong decoction of two parts of Golden Seal and one part of Geranium or Cranebill, is very valuable in gleet, chronic gonorrhoea, and leucorrhoea, used in injection. It is likewise of much benefit in incipient stricture, spermatorrhoea, and inflammation and ulceration of the internal coat of the bladder, and held there as long as the patient can conveniently retain it. To be repeated three or four times a day, immediately after emptying the bladder.
    Dose. -- Of the powder, from ten to thirty grains; of the tincture, from one to two fluid drachms.