The Ufeful Family Herbal, 589 
Foot-Stalks; and narrower all the Way to the 
Point. ~ They are of a bluifh green Colour, and 
the. whole Plant is covered with them, fo the 
Top has a pretty Afpect. The Flowers are little 
and yellow; they ftand in great Numbers about _ 
the Tops of the Stalks, which are divided into a 
Multitude of fmall Branches ; and they are fuc- 
ceeded by finall Seed-Veffels. The Root is long 
and thick. : 
Although the Dyers are the People, who pay 
moft Regard to Woad, and for whofe Ufe it is 
cultivated, it has Virtues that demand for it 4 
reat deal of Refpect in Medicine. The Top of 
Stalks, before the Flowers appear, contain the 
greateft Virtue, and they are beft frefh. They 
are to be given in Infufion, and they are excellent 
againft Obftructions.of the Liver, and Spleen; 
they work by Urine, and fo take Effect, the Ufe 
of this Infufion muft be continued a confiderable 
Time : Thefe are Diforders that come on flowly, 
and are to be flowly removed. 
W ooDRUFFE, 
ASPERULA. 
A Common little wild Plant, in our Woods, and 
- Thickets : It is ten Inches high. . The Stalk 
is {quare, fender, weak, and not able to fupport 
itfelf perfe@tly upright. The Leaves ftand feveral 
at each Joint, encompaffing the Stalk in the Man- 
ner of a Star; they are oblong, broad, and of a 
deep Green. In their Form and Manner of Growth, 
they much refemble thofe of common Cleavers, 
but they are larger, though the Plant is fo much 
lefs, and they are not rough as in that Plant, but 
nearly fmooth. The Flowers ftand at the Tops 
of the Stalks in little Clufters, they are {mall and 
