94. The Ufeful Fainily Herbal. 
CoRAL. 
CORALLIUM. 
Sea Plant of the Hardnefs of a Stone, and 2 
with very little of the Appearance of an — 
Herb. The red Coral, which is the Sort ufed in 4 
Medicine, grows a Foot or mote in Height, the — 
Trunk is as thick as a Man’s Thumb, and the ~ 
Branches are numerous. It is faftened to the S 
Rocks by a Cruft which fpreads over them, and 
is covered all over with a Cruft alfo of a coare 
Subftance and ftriated Texture. Towards the 3 
Tops there are Flowers and Seeds, but very fmall, — 
from thefe rife the young Plants. The Seeds have — 
_ 4 mucilaginous Matter about them, which fticks 
them to the Rocks. The whole Plant appears 
like a naked Shrub without Leaves or vifible 
Flowers. oe 
‘It has been fuppofed lately that Coral is made — 
by fall Infeéts, but this is an Error; Polypes — 
live in Coral as Worms in Wood, but thefe don’t — 
_ make the Trees nor the other. The Plant Coral 
_i8 to be reduced to fine Powder, by grinding it — 
ona Marble, and then it is given to ftop ~~ es 
ings, to deftroy acid Humours in the Stomat ys 
and to fweeten the Blood. They fuppofe it alfo. 
@ Cordial. Probably for all its real Ufes, Chalk 
_ | There are feveral Sorts of white Coral, fe 
— Conarsine. 
