The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Cohosh

COHOSH, an Indian name applied to cimicifuga racemosa (Gray), or black snakeroot, a plant of the order ranunculaceæ. Two varieties of actæa spicata are known respectively as red and white cohosh. The black snakeroot has a perennial root and herbaceous stem, which rises to the height of 4 to 8 ft., and grows in shady woods from Canada to Florida.

Cohosh (Actæa spicata).

Its physiological action has not been well determined, but it is regarded as a stimulant tonic, and is said to diminish both the force and frequency of the pulse. It has been used in a great variety of diseases, most frequently perhaps in rheumatism and cholera, and has had a reputation in snake bites. Cimicifugine is a name improperly applied to an impure resin derived from this plant.—The name cohosh, or blue cohosh, is also given to caulophyllum thalictroides or pappoose root.