S PARTIUM, in botany, broom, a genus of the Diadelphia Decandria class and or der. Natural order of Papilionacez, or Leguminosm. Essential character : calyx produced downwards ; filaments adhering to the germ ; stigma longitudinal, villose above. There are twenty-seven species. The S. scoparium, or common broom, is used for a variety of purposes. It has been of great benefit sometimes in drop sical complaints. The manner in which Dr. Cullen administered it was this: he ordered half an ounce of fresh broom tops to be boiled in a pound of water till one half of the water was evaporated. He then gave two table-spoons fill of the decoction every hour till it operated both by stool and urine. By repeating these doses every day, or every second day, he says some dropsies have been cured. Dr. Mead relates, that a dropsical patient, who had taken the usual remedies, and had been tapped three times without ef fect, was cured by taking half a pint of the decoction of queen-broom tops, with a spoonful of whole mustard seed, every morning and evening. " An infusion of
the seeds drunk freely (says Mr. Wither ing) has been known to produce similar happy effects; but whoever expects these effects to follow in every dropsical case, will be greatly deceived. I knew them succeed in one case that was truly deplo rable ; but out of a great number of cases in which the medicine had a fair trial, this proved a single instance." The flower-buds are in some countries pickled, and eaten as capers; and the seeds have been used as a bad substitute for coffee. The branches are used for making besoms, and tanning leather. They are also used instead of thatch to cover houses. The old wood furnishes the cabinet maker with beautiful materi als for vaneering. The tender branches are in some places mixed with hops for brewing, and the macerated bark may be manufactured into cloth.'