FAMILY HERBAL. 7 



plant; tlie leaves are pressed gently, and tlie juice 

 received in earthen vessels : it is set to settle ^^ad then 

 dried ia the sun. 



The common aloe is a Tery fine plant; the 

 leaves are above two f^^et long and an inch thick^ 

 they are dciiled at the edges and prickly, and 

 have a very sharp thorn at the point. The 

 stalky when it flowers, is five or six feet high, 

 and divided into several branches; the flowers are 

 yellow streaked with green. 



From the juice of the leaves of this plant 

 are made the hepatic and the caballine aloes * 

 the hepatic is made from the clearer and finer 

 part of the juice, the caballine from the coarse 

 sediutent. 



The socotrine aloes is the only kind that 

 should be given inwardly ; this may be known 

 from the others, by not having their offensive 

 smell. It is a most excellent purge, but it must 

 pot be given to women with child, nor to those 

 who spit blood, for it may be fatal. The best 

 way of giving it is in the tincture of hiera 



p 



icra. 



Aloes Wood. Ligjium aloes 



IT may be necessarj to mention this wood^ as it 

 is sometimes used in medicine, although we 

 are not acquainted with the tree which affords it 

 We are told that the leaves are small, the flow- 

 ers moderately large, and the fruit as big as 

 » pigeon's egg and woolly ; and we read also that 

 the juice of the tree, while fresh, will raise blisters 

 on the skin, and even cause blindness : but these 

 accounts are very imperfect. 



We see three kinds of the wood in the shops^ 

 pnd they are distinguished by three different names. 



