The Ujeful Family Herbal, 391 
_ Kind, and very diftin& in its whole upper Ap- 
pearance from that, and all of its Sort. Tt is 
two Feet high. The Stalks are round, upright, 
firm, and toward the Top divided into Branch- 
es, the Leaves are very numerous, and ftand 
irregularly. They are longifh, narrow, point- 
ed at the Ends, not at all dented at the Edges, 
and of a dufky green Colour. The Flowers are 
little and yellow, they ftand in fmall Clufters at — 
the Tops of the Branches, and under them is a. 
Kind of Spike of Pods, thefe are long and flender, 
green at firft, but of a Kind of brown Colour 
when ripe; and in each is a great Number of 
Seeds; thefe are round, fimall, and of an extremely 
bitter Tafte, much more bitter than the common 
Wormfeed. 
This Seed is the Part ufed. The good Women 
bruife it, and mixing it with Treacle, give it to the 
Children of robuft Conftitutions againft Worms. 
{t operates powerfully by Stool, and is given in 
too large a Quantity by Vomit. It is therefore 
to be ufed with Difcretion, but it will anfwer the 
_ Purpofe, and is preferable for many Reafons, to 
thofe mercurial Medicines, which it is the Fafhion 
of the Times to give to People for thofe Diforders, 
efpecially in the Country, where there feldom is 
Skill enough in the Pra¢titioner to manage as he 
ought Medicines, which may be the Occafion of 
fo much Mifchief. 
, Common WoRMWOOD, 
 ABSYNTHIUM VULGARE. 
3 A Wild. Plant frequent by Way-fides, and on 
Ditch-Banks. Itis a Yard high. The Stalks 
are round, ftriated, white, firm, and branched. 
The Leaves are large, but they are divided into 
a great Number of fmallParts. They are of a pale 
Cc4 . whitifh 
e 
