AitsMA-RT H OUT US JAMAICENSIS. SU 



from the c^-es. If beaten luul applieJ with the juice, it helps jjuriilent eye. It takes off. 

 spots from the hod}-, if its juice 'jo rubhed on them aioniing aiid evening. T'tie juice 

 *)f the whole plant, except the roof, boiled iu sergelini oil, u a cephalic liniment, even 

 to be a])plied to bleedings of the nose. This is iiiso a liiiinient for the gout. Tlie root, 

 taken with hot water, loosens the bellv ; and the leaves, given in sour milk, assuage the 

 sweliing's of the beilyand gripings. Flics, gnats, or lleas, come not near this lierb 

 or its juice, and, tiiercfore, it is good f;r ulcers, and keeps these vermin fr(;m rooms 

 strewed with it. Suioe of it put under th.e sadalc, and rubbed on a horse's back, re- 

 frcKhes hiai- when tired. Stoune. 



V/e have twa sorts of arsmart in America, the same as grow in England, one without 

 spots, the other With. It is known, as the great and learned Boylt; commends it, as a 

 specific to break the stone and expel the gravel in the reins or bladder, and that by a 

 .simple water distilled from this plant ; but its juice or essence, in mv opinion, is imirli 

 better, sweetened with a little syrup of marsh-mallows. The root, Lruised and applied 

 to an aching to(jtb, takes away the pain ; the iuice or essence, mixed with equal quanti- 

 ties of ox-ga!!, oil of spike, and mustard, well niixedj discusses all cold swellings, scro- 

 fulous and schirrous tumors, and whitlows or felons ; the essential <jil is good for knotty 

 gouts ; or this : Take the oil of arsmart (made by infusion), Jovage,. and shepherd's 

 purse, of each a handful ; the heads of five sheep and fifteen frogs ; boil all together 

 in two or three quarts of oil, until the flesh is consumed, and then strain, 'i'iiis is 

 excellent for knotty or chalky gouts, rubbing it well into the parts. Barham, p. 8. 



Dr. Dancer says the dose of the fresh plant, fpersicariaj in decoction, isa wine-o-lass 

 full, as a diuretic ;, and, on the authority of the late ingenious Mr. Samuel Feinted, that 

 an infusion of the dried plant is powerfully diuretic, and very useful in gravtdly com- 

 i^laints. Mtdical Jlasistant,* p. 383. Tlie following is copied from Mi-. l<elsted's ma- 

 nuscript : " A decoction of the stalks of this plant, fresh gathered, drank, a wine glass- 

 full at a time, at short inteiTals, has very speedily removed a dangerous suppression of 

 urine, of two days continuance, after all the medicines which were used had failed. 

 Also a decoction of the dried stalks and leaves has afforded relief in an arthritic com- 

 plaint, by evacuating sand and gravel." 



2. BARBATUM. BKARDED. 



Persicaria procuinbens longisslma, ungustifvlia, non maculosa, spica 

 longiori, la.viuri et graciliori. Sloane, v. 1, p. 17, t. 3, f. 1. i)ub~ 

 hirsntuvi yvaginis setosis, Jioribus octandris, sti^lis ir/fidis. Browne, 

 p. 212. 



Flowers hexandrous trigynous, spikes rod-like, stipules truncate setaceous- 

 ciliate, leaves lanceolate. 



Sloane says the root of the barbatum has several protuberances, and great numbers of 

 xeddish brown strings. The stalks are spread round, trailing on the surface of the 

 earth for about four feet iiv length, round, reddish, smootli, jointed at every inch. 



F Tiie 



" The compiler lias to apologise to the learned autlior of the Medical Assistant, for having oraitled, in his preface,, 

 to acknowledge the aisistance lie has derived I'roifl tbat vry usel'ui work, whitli ought to be ia the pusacjjiou of 

 icrj{ fainilj: liiroughout the VYcJt ludiu. 



