Contractions. - Plant. Plg.

Plantago Major. Nat. ord., Plantaginaceae.

Greater Plantain. Way-bread (corruption of Way-bred). The Gaelic name signifies "Healing plant," and that of the North American Indians "Englishman's Foot." For. names: German, Grosser Wegerich; French, Grand Plantain.

Habitat. - Common in Europe and North America; often found growing by roadsides and footpaths.

Flowering time. - May to October.

Parts employed. - The fresh root and leaves.

Characters. - A well-known perennial herb, the mucilaginous seeds of which are eaten by birds, the ripe spikes being col-

- lected and sold for cage birds. It has a round scape rising from a fibrous root, varying in height from 1 to 3 feet. The leaves are broadly ovate, smooth, entire or somewhat toothed, 5 to 7 nerved, each of which contains a strong fibre, which may be pulled out, and abruptly narrowed into a long channelled petiole. The flowers are white, very small, imbricated, numerous, and densely disposed on a cylindrical spike, from 5 to 20 inches long. Small plants are frequently found with the spikes only half an inch to 2 inches long, and the leaves and stalk proportionately small. Stamens and styles long. Seeds numerous.

Time for collecting. - When flowering commences.

Preparation. - Tincture of the fresh root and leaves, corresponding in alcoholic strength with proof spirit.

Reference to Horn. Proving. - Hale's New Remedies.

Proper forms for dispensing. - φ and lx, Tincture only. 1 and upwards, Tincture, Pilules, or Globules.

Average loss of moisture, 75 per cent.