Medical History.—This plant was highly esteemed by our American Indians, who used it in gastric affections, and it was also a popular domestic remedy when it was thought necessary to produce salivation without resorting to mercurials—hence it is sometimes called “vegetable mercury.” Bigelow, Smith, and Thacher wrote regarding its cathartic properties, but on account of its unpleasant effects, when given in purgative doses, it did not come into general use until taken up by our school, where it is not used as a cathartic.
The blue flag is one of our most valued of early Eclectic medicines, having been used almost exclusively by our practitioners, until of late years, when it found quite a prominent place in the therapeutics of both Allopathic and Homœopathic practice.
Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage.—Physiologically, iris acts upon the gastro-intestinal canal, and the glandular and nervous systems. It powerfully excites the biliary, salivary, and pancreatic secretions. Upon the gastro-intestinal tract it acts violently, causing acid vomiting, frequent, hydragogue catharsis, with intestinal burning and severe colic.
Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage is transcribed to the end of its third sentence; the long list of Eclectic uses and doses that follows is not.