The Ujeful Family Herbal, 231 
rower Leaves, called the Female: ‘Their Virtues 
are the fame, but the Male is generally preferred. _ 
They are Natives of Italy, where they grow in — 
Woods, and on the Banks of Rivers: We keep 
them in Gardens ; but they grow there as freely 
as if native. . : 
‘The Mandrake has no Stalk. The Leaves rife 
immediately from the Root, and they are. very — 
large: They are a Foot long, four Inches broad _ 
in the Middle, and of a dufky green Colour, and 
bad Smell. The Flowers ftand upon Foot Stalks, 
of four Inches high, flender, and hairy, and rife- 
ing immediately from the Root: ‘Thefe Flowers 
are large, of a dingy purplifh Colour, and of a 
very bad Smell... The Fruit which follows, is of 
the Bignefs and Shape of a fmall i or like a 
{mall Pear, according to the Male or Female Kind: 
This is. yellow when ripe, and is alfo of a very 
bad Smell. The Root is:long and thick, it is 
largeft at the Head, and fimaller all the way down; » 
fometimes it is divided into two Parts, from the 
‘Middle downwards, if a Stone have lain in the 
Way, or any other Accident occafioned it; ~ but 
ufually it is fingle. This is the Root, which is 
pictured to be like the human Form; it is 
when fingle, no more like a Man than a Carrot 
er a Parfnip is, and when by fome Accident it is 
divided, ’tis no more like, than any long Root, 
_ which happens to have met the fame Accident. 
_ Thofe Roots which are fhown about for Money, 
and have the Head, Limbs, and Figure, of a 
human Form, are made fo by Art, and they fel- 
dom ufe the real Mandrake Root for that Pur- 
-pofe: They are often made of white Briony Root, — 
ae fometimes of Angelica. T he People cut. them 
into this Shape, and put them into the Ground 
Bain, where they will be fometimes in Part co- 
yered with a new Bark, and fo look natural. Ail 
Q4 th: 
