The Medical Flora of Kansas: Parthenium - Pycnanthemum.

Parthenium integrifolium. Flowering tops. "A powerful antiperiodic." It relieves burning, scalding and painful urination: also suppression of urine.

Pastinaca sativa. Parsnip. Fresh roots. A nervous sedative, in large doses, but stimulant in small doses.

Passiflora lutea. Yellow passion-flower; the Kansas species. Juice of leaves. "It relieves irritation of the nerve centres, and stimulates sympathetic innervation".

Penthorum sedoides. Virginia stone-crop. Herb. It seems to have a special stimulating influence upon chronic, irritated and inflamed mucous membranes.

Phoradendron flavescens (Phoradendron leucarpum), called also Viscum flavescens, V. album, and V. verticillatum. Mistletoe. An oxytocic of no mean character. It is said to act more promptly than ergot.

Phytolacca decandra (Phytolacca americana). Poke, skoke, kokum, garget. Every one knows its virtues.

Plantago major. Plantain. Used for poisonous bites, stings, toothache, etc. (Exotic).

Plantago cordata. Water plantain. Root. Upon the nervous system this agent exerts a direct influence in controlling irritation and restoring innervation. It was crowned with marked success in Asiatic cholera in 1832. (No longer found in Kansas—MM)

Podophyllum peltatum. May-apple, mandrake. Root. All know its virtues.

Polemonium reptans. Greek valerian. Root. A stimulant to the respiratory organs.

Polygonum punctatum; smartweed. P. acre (Polygonum punctatum); wild smartweed. P. hydropiper; water-pepper. All these are stimulant to the reproductive apparatus, but the P. hydropiper is considered the best.

Polygala senega. Seneka snake-root. Root. It is stimulant to the mucous membranes of the throat and bronchiae.

Polygala sanguinea. Milkwort. This species, as almost all the species, are medicinal, and have properties similar to the P. senega. We have several species here besides those given, the P. incarnata, P. verticillata and P. alba.

Polymnia uvedalia (Smallanthus uvedalius (...when did they change this name? -MM)). Bear's foot. Root. Its energies are said to be directed specially to the spleen; and for conditions of the system stimulating that bloated, waxy appearance of the skin resulting from or following hypertrophy of the spleen, and the resulting depressed innervation, it is worthy the attention of physicians.

Potentilla canadensis. Cinquefoil. Entire plant. For puerperal fever and inflammation, it has been recommended as a specific, given in infusion.

Prinos glaber (Ilex glabra). Ink-berry. It is said to have similar properties to the P. verticillatus (Ilex verticillata), the black alder or Winter Berry, which is tonic and alterative, stimulating the digestive and blood-making organs. (No longer found in Kansas—MM)

Prunus or Cerasus Virginiana. Wild cherry. Choke-cherry. Well known.

Ptelea trifoliata. Wafer-ash. Bark of the root. Tonic, antiperiodic, and by some said to be alterative. It also has a very decided influence upon the respiratory apparatus. Its power as an antispasmodic is indicated by the relief it gives in asthma, colic, etc.

Pteris atropurpurea (Pellaea atropurpurea). Rock-brake, a fern. Fresh plant. Its direct action is upon "the excretory apparatus, controlling diarrhoea, dysentery, hemorrhages," etc.

Pycnanthemum pilosum (Pycnanthemum verticillatum var. pilosum). Prairie-hyssop. Entire plant. This is a mild, stimulating diaphoretic, similar to the pennyroyal.

Transactions of the National Eclectic Medical Association, Vol. X, 1882-83, edited by Alexander Wilder.