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and furnifhed near the top with two oval pointed brac^e^, which 
partly furround it; the calyx is divided into five fegments ; thefe: 
are fhort, permanent, bluntifh, membraneous at the edges, and. 
often fpotted with purple ; the petals are five, affixed to the recep- 
tacle by the claws, which bead a little inward juft above where the 
claws adhere together, they are blunt, flightly crenated, and tinged 
at the bottom with yellow ; the ftamina are ten, upright, white, 
the five exterior the ihortefl ; the antheras are yellow and bilocu- 
lar ; the germen- is quadrangular and green ; the ilyles are five, 
very (lender, a little longer than the ftamina, and the 
blunt ; the capfiile is ovalilh, pentagonal, fpotted, divided into five 
ftigma 
IS 
cavities, each containing three feeds, which, are heart-fhaped, longi- 
tudinally grooved, convex on both fides, of a bright reddifh brown 
colour, and inclofed within a fhining white elaftic 
us 
by the 
{ 
burfting of which the feeds are thrown out;|: . This plant is a native 
of England, it flowers about April and May, and is commonly found 
in woods, or in fhaded fituations..* 
The Acetofella is totally inodorous, but has a grateful acid tafte,^; 
/ 
effeds, being efteemed refrigerant, antifcorbutic, and diuretic. 
which is more agreeable than the common forrel, (Ruinex Acetofa) 
and approaches nearly to that of the juice of lemons, or the acid of 
tartar, with which it alfo correfponds in a great meafure in its medical 
It is 
recommended by Bergius in inflammatory, bihous, and putrid fevers, 
and from the cafes adduced by Francus,' he concludes, " Acetoffellani 
appetitumrefl:aurare,vomitum confopire, alvum ftringere,fitim fedare, 
oris amaritiem tollere, cordis vires reparare, anginamque abigere."'' 
The principal ufe however of the Acetofella is to allay inordinate 
heat, and to quench thirfi: ; for this purpofe,. a pleafant whey may 
be formed by boiling the plant in milk, v/hich under certain * 
\ 
9 
cir- 
Gumftances may be preferable to the conferve direded by the London 
I As a diftinguifliing part of the sreneric charader 
Quod 
tatem levi tadii diffiiiens cum impetu femina ejaculantur, (hill. 1098). 
Mr. Curtis obferves,, that this plant continues to produce feeds during the ereatefl 
part of the fummer,, without any appearance of expanded bloflbms. 
This 
De vera herba Antiquorum Acetofella, kc 
d 
Mat. Med 
379 
of vineg 
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