232 ‘The Ujeful Family Herbal, 
the Story that they fhrick, when they are pulled — 
up, and they ufe a Dog to draw them out of the 
Ground, becaufé it is fatal to any Perfon to doit, 
_ and the like, are idle, falfe, and groundlefs; cal- 
culated only to furprife ignorant People, and get 
Money by the Shew: There is nothing fingular in 
the Root of the Mandrake; and as to the Terms — 
of Male and Female, the two Kinds would be 
_ better diftinguifhed, by calling the one, the 
broader leaved Mandrake, with round Fruit, and 
_ the other, the narrowér leaved Mandrake, with 
oval Fruit. There are Plants which are feparate- 
ly Male and Female, as Hemp,, Spinach, the 
Date Tree, and the like: But there isynothing of 
this Diftinction in the Mandrakes. 
The frefh Root of Mandrake, is a violent Me- 
dicine ; it: both by Vomit and Stool, 
and few Conftitutions are able to bear it. The 
Bark of the Root dried works -by Vomit alone, 
but very roughly. The Fruit may be eaten, but 
it has a fleepy Quality, though not ftrong. 
_ Leaves are ufed in Fomentations and Pultices, to 
allay Pains in Swellings, and they do very well, 
_ . Moft of the idle Stories ‘concerning the Maii- 
' drake, have taken their Origin, from its being 
named in Scripture. And from the Account there 
given of it, fome have imagined, it would make 
Women fruitful ; but this’Plant-does not feem = 
be the Thing intended by the Word, nor has it 
any fuch Virtues. ‘What the Vegetable is, which 
is named in the Scripture, and tranflaed Man~ 
drake, we do not know. 
‘Swit 
