ABSTRACT
Throughout the nineteenth century, lobelia was such a favorite remedy of the practitioners of eclectic medicine that they were often called "lobelia doctors," a derogatory label. Lobelia inflata L. (family Campanulaceae), with its erect branched stem, alternate ovate or oblong leaves, and small, pale blue flowers, is quite an attractive plant. It is relatively common in the open woods and meadows of eastern North America but is also widely cultivated. The dried leaves and tops of the plant, also called Indian tobacco, make up the herb.1
