COMMON NAMES. White Lettuce, Rattle-snake Root.
    MEDICINAL PART. The plant.
    Description. -- This indigenous perennial herb has a smooth stem, stout and purplish, from two to four feet high. Radical leaves angular-hastate, cauline ones lanceolate, and all irregularly dentate.
    History. -- This plant grows plentifully in moist woods and in rich soils, from New England to Iowa, and from Canada to Carolina. The root, leaves, and juice of the plant are employed.
    Properties and Uses. -- A decoction of the root taken internally will operate most favorably in cases of dysentery. The milky juice of the plant is taken internally, while the leaves, steeped in water, are applied as a poultice (and frequently changed) for the bite of a serpent.