The Ufeful Family Herbal. — =° 
It is hardly neceflary to defcribe the common Bur- 
dock. It may be enough to fay, that it grows a Yard 
high, and has yaft Leaves of a Figure approach- 
ing to triangular, and of a whitifh green Colour. 
The Stalks are round, ftriated, and ve tough : 
The Flowers are {mall and red, and they grow. 
among the hooked Prickles of thofe Heads which 
we call Burs, and which ftick to our Cloaths. 
Even this feems a Provifion of Nature in Kindnefs 
to us. In pulling off thefe we fcatter the Seeds of 
which they are compofed, and give Rife toa moft 
ufeful Plant in anew Place. The Root of the 
Burdock is long and thick ; brown on the Outfide, 
and whitith within ; this is the Part ufed in Me- 
dicine, and it is of very great Virtues. It is to 
be boiled, or infufed in Water; the Virtue is diu- 
retic, and it is very powerfully fo. It has cured 
Dropfies alone. The Seeds have the fame Vir-— 
tue, but in a lefs Degree. _ The Root is faid to 
be fudorifick and good in Fevers; but its Virtue 
in operating by Urine is its great Value, » 
BURNET. 
Pa PIMPINELLA SANGUISORBA. 
A Common wild Plant. It grows by Way-fides, 
~~ and in dry Places, and flowers in Fuly. The 
Leaves which rife immediately from the Root 
are very beautiful; they are of the winged kind, 
ing compofed of a great Number of fimaller, 
Stowing on each Side a middle Rib, with an 
odd one at the End, They are broad, fhorts. 
roundith, and elegantly ferrated round the Edges. 
The Stalks are a fe high, round, ftriated, pur- 
plith or green, and almoft naked ; the few L 
they have are like thofe at the Bottom 
“Tops of thefe Stalks ftand_ the Flowe 
