N 



FAMILY HERBAL. m 



A violent present disorder ; but is an excellent pre- 

 servative^ taken cautiouslj. 



Red Beiien. Limonium majus. 



A COMMON" Wild plant about our sea-coa8t«> 

 and a very pretty one. It g;ro\vs to a foot 

 in height; the stalks are naked^ and the flovr- 

 qrs red ; and, in their disposition, they somewhat 

 resemble lavender, whence the plant is also called 

 by some sea lavender. About the bottoms o/ 

 the stalks stand clusters of larg'e and broad 

 leaves^ rounded at the ends^ of a deep green 

 colour and fattish substance ; these rise imme* 

 diately from the root, and the stalks grow up 

 among them. The stalks are very tough and strong, 

 and branched^ and of a paler green ; the root is long 

 and reddisb. 



The people In Essex cure themselves of purg- 

 ings, and of overflowings of the menses^ with an 

 infusion of this root ; and it is a very great me- 

 dicine, thougli little known. It is to be gathered, 

 as soon as the youg leaves appear, cleaned and 

 dried : it may be taken in powder half a drachni 

 for a dose. These are not the white and red beheA 

 roots of the old writers on physick, but tbey are 

 better. 



'The Ben-Nut-tree. Balaniis tnyrepsica. 



THIS is an Arabian tree, not very large, but 

 exceedingly singular in the nature of its leaves. 

 They are composed of a great number of small 

 roundish parts, growing at the extremities of 

 strong branched foot-stalks. The leaves fall 

 first, and these foot-stalks long after. Whea 

 the leaves arc fallsn, atul the stalks remain, 



