^ 



/ 



332 



thofe of tlie centre are hermaphrodite, and both agree in their ftruc- 



ture with thofe of the other fpecies ah'eady defcribed. 



T _ 



Mugwort is a native of Britain, and is commonly found growing 

 in wafte grounds, and the borders of fields. It is divided into red 



y 



and white varieties ; the former is diftinguifhed by a reddifli tinge 

 of the flalk and flowers ; in thofe of the latter they are of a pale 

 green. " The leaves have a light agreeable fmell, efpecially when 

 rubbed a little ; but fcarcely any other than an herbaceous tafte. An 

 extract made from them by water is likewife almoft inlipid ; and an 

 extrad: made by fpirit has only a weak aromatic bltternefs. Baierus 

 informs us, in a differtation on this plant, that by fermenting a large 

 quantity of it, and afterwards diililling, and cohobating the diftilled 

 water, a fragrant fapid liquor was obtained, with a thin fragrant oil 

 on the furface. The flowery tops are confiderably fl:ronger than the 

 leaves, and hence fhould feem to be preferable for medicinal ufe." "^ 



r 



This plant, though rarely ufed at prefent, was by the ancients held 

 in great eftimation. Hippocrates ^very frequently mentions Artemifia: 

 he thought it of great ufe in promoting uterine evacuations : with 

 this intention it was alfo employed by Diofcorides ; *" and Galen for 



purpofe ufed it in the way of fomentation ; a practice which 

 feems in fome meafure conformable to that of the Chinefe women, 



' — 



who, as we are told,'' make a poultice of the leaves of this plant, 

 mixed with rice and fugar, which in cafes of amenorrhoea, and hyfteria,, 

 inftar bellarii ingerunt. If this herb however pofl^efl^es any powers 

 as an antihyfl:eric or uterine, they are very weak \ the London Col- 

 lege has therefore properly expunged it from the materia medica. 



MoxA is a fubfl:ance prepared in Japan from the dryed tops and^ 

 leaves of Mugwort,^ by beating and rubbing them betwixt the hands 

 till only the fine internal lanuginous fibres remain, which are then 

 combed and formed into little cones. Thefe, ufed as cauteries, are 



« Lewh^ M.M.p.ii'J. ^ De Morb. Mul. lib. i. 



Mat. Med. lib. 3. cap. lO. ^ Ten. Rhyne de Arthr. p. 133 



This however is not the foecies of Artemifia from which the eaftern Moxa ; 



Eph. Nat. Cur. Dec. 3. >y. 7. 8. Jpp 



Germany was found to anfwer very 



^ 



ee 



It has alfo been mads from the down of Verbafcum 



o 



tly 



