The Natural Hiftory of Jamaica. 24 
og 
@, 
Jong, an Inch and an half broad, juicy, of a very frefh green colour, blunt, 
round, or obtufe at their ends, channel’d or furrowed towards the Stem, 
or inwards. The Stalk rifes from the Leaves, being one Foot and an half 
high, hollow, of about one quarter of an Inch Diameter, fuftaining on its top 
feveral Flowers going out of, or inclofed in a membranaceous Sheath or 
Follicle bow'd back, or hanging down by two Inches long Foot-Stalks. Each 
of the Flowers is wide open, of a yellowifh and white colour in the middle, 
and of aCarnation, or pale red the reft, having in its Center feveral reddith 
and yellow Stamina. 
It is planted along the Walks fides for Ornament in Gardens, and comes 
from Barbados, where it iswild. It is {aid likewife to grow wild in the Gul- 
lies here, and to come from Surinam. 
III. Aloe Diofcorid. e& aliorum. Col. min. cognit. flirp. Cat. p. 115. Aloe 
Muf. Mofcand. p.289. Aloe vera vulgaris Munt. Phyt. cur. p.r0. Tab. 96. Sem- 
pervive, 
This grows every where, where it is or has been planted, but I never faw 
any that I thought was {pontaneous, in Jamaica, though cnough about old 
ruind Plantations. It is planted both here, and chiefly in Barbados to make 
Aloes to fend into Europe. 
In {peaking of this Plant,’ Pifo fays he never found ir Purge, but only 
that it was cleanfing if ufed by Chirurgeons, which is manifeftly contrary to 
Experience, whence may be almoft plainly gathered that he took out of 
Marcgraves Notes only, which in this Chapter he calls his owa, whereas 
what Marcgrave there {peaks of feems not to relate to this Aloes, but to 
all of them in general, and‘ to the Caraguata-guafa in particular. What 
they fay of the Metle, muft belong to that not this, which is the true 
Aloes. 
The. Figures of thefe Plants in Pifo, are fo tranfpos’d that I cannot make 
any thing of them. | 
It purges and fortifiesthe Stomach again crude Humours. Dal. 
It purgeth Choler, Flegm,’ Worms, opens Womens Obftru@tions, and the 
Hemorrhoids. Jt is good againft Surfeits of Meat or Drink. Wath’d it 
fortifies more, and purges lefs. - Ic is hor in the firft, and dry in the third 
Degree. it preferves Carcafles, Heals bad Sores, {tops Bleeding, is good 
for the Eyes, being drying, che. Ger. 
The Jndians have a Medicine made of Aloes and Myrrhe, call’d Mocelar, 
which they ufe in curing Horfes, and wormy Wounds. A Decodtion of 
three Ounces of the Leaves, with two Drams of Salt, being boiled over a 
gentle Fire, then ftrain’d- over night, and given the next morning to eight 
Ounces, ’: gives © four-or ‘five''Stools. If it be bruifed with Milk, and ~ 
given to thofe troubled with an Ulcer of the Kidnies or Bladder, it cures 
them. The fame cures Birds broken ‘Legs, and they are us’d in Zudra to 
ripen Swellings. » There is great Controverfie between the Greeks and Ara- 
bians concerning. Aloes,°the laft faying that it {trengthers the Stomach, and 
opens. the Hxmorrhoids, the others denying it, who were certainly mi- 
{taken The beft Aloes is that which is folid, without empty fpaces, and 
not mix'd carelefly with Sand. The beft formerly was accounted that com- 
ing from: Alexandria, whichis the fame now coming from Socotora. It 
isimade 'JikeWife-in Cambaya and Bengale, but \ef§ efteemed. Garcias ab 
Ort. Acofta. 2) ove: j , 
Diofcorides {ays it is very bitter and {trong {mell'd. 
The Leaves are to be cut tranf{verfly, not long ways to cut the Veins, 
which drop a yellowifh Juice,of which Aloes may be made, it dropping on a 
glazed Tile. Col. 
rr There 
