AND COMPLETE HERBAL, 265 
common mufhroom; though there are perhaps fome kinds of them that are truly 
poifonous. The ancients have taken great pains to diftinguifh the feveral kinds of 
them, that the world might know the hurtful from the fafe. The boletos, men- 
tioned by Juvenal, on account of the death of Claudius, is fufficiently defcribed by 
Pliny. Clufius, among the moderns, has defcribed a vaft number of different fpe- 
cies, every where diftinguifhing the efculent and wholefome from the poifonous and 
pernicious kinds, The feveral authors who have treated of thém fince the time of 
Clufius, have all mentioned the effeéts of fome or other of the poifonous kinds, and 
there are numerous inftances of the mifchief done by them at one time or other, 
The true eatable mufhroom is diftinguifhed from the poifonous and unpleafant 
kinds by thefe marks: When young, it appears of a roundifh form, like a button, 
the ftalk as well as the button being white, and the flefhy part very white when 
broken, the gills within being livid. As they grow larger, they expand their heads 
by degrees into a flat form, and the gills underneath are of a pale fleth colour ; but, 
as they ftand long, become blackith. : | eae, 
Virtues. The Laplancers have a method of ufing fumgu/es, or toadftools, as we 
callthem, (which are of the fame genus with the mufhroom,) to cure pains. They 
collec the largeft fungufes which they find on the bark of beech and other large 
trees, and dry them for ufe. Whenever they have pains in their limbs, they ufé _ 
fome of this dry matter ; pulling it to pieces with their fingers, they lay a fmall heap 
of it on the part neareft to where the pain is fituated, and fet it on fire. In burning 
away, it bli(ters up the part, andthe water difcharged thereby generally carries off 
the pain. Itis a coarfe and rough method, but generally a very fuccefsful one, 
efpecially when the patient has prudence enough to apply it in time, and refolution 
enough to bear the burning to a neceffary degree. a 
NAILWORT, or WHITLOW-GRASS. 
Description. THIS very {mall and common herb hath no roots, fave only a 
few ftrings; neither doth it ever grow to be above a hand’s-breadth high ; the leaves 
are very fmall, and fomething long, not much unlike thofe of chickweed, amongft 
which rife up many flender ftalks, bearing numerous white flowers one above ano- 
ther, which are exceeding {mall ; after which come fmall flat pouches containing the 
feed, which is alfo very fmall, but of a fharptafte. ee 
, Pace. Itgrows commonly upon old ftone and brick walls, and fometimes ia 
dry gravelly grounds, efpecially if there be grafs or mofs near to fhadow it. 
