FAMILY H:E^I?AL. 3^ 



■ 



liigh ; <he leaves are broad and beautiful, and 

 the flowers grow in a thick spike, or ear^ at the 

 top of the stalksj and are of a bright red colour. 

 There rise immediately from the root a number 

 of large and beautiful leaves^ long^ broad^ and 

 of a fine green colour. The stalks on which they 

 standi have also a rim of the leaf running down 

 them; the stalks are rounds firm:, *ind erects of 

 a pale green^ and have two or three leaves, like 

 the others, but smaller^ on them, placed at dis- 

 tances. The spike of the flowers is as long, 

 and as thick as a man's thumb : the root is thick 

 and contorted, blackish on the outside, and red 

 within. 



If we mmded our own herbs, we should need 

 fewer medicines from abroad. The root of bis- 

 tort is one of the best astringents in the world : 

 not violent, but sure. The time of gathering it 

 is in March, when the leaves begin to shoot. 

 String* several of them on a line, and let them 

 dry in the shade. The powder or decoction of 

 them, will stop all fluxes of the belly, and is ove 

 of the safest remedies known for overflowings of 

 the menses. They are also good in a diabetes. 

 The use of this root may be obtained without 

 dansrer, till it effects a nerfect cure. 



Bitter-Sweet. Solanum lignosiim. 



A COMMON wild plant, with weak, but 

 woody stalks, that runs among our hedges, and 

 bears bunches of very pretty blue flowers in sum- 

 mer, and in autumn red berries. The stalks 

 run to tea feet in length, but they cannot sup- 

 port themselves upright : they are of a bluiiih 

 colour, and, when broken, have a very disagree- 

 able smell like ratten eggs. The leaves ace oval^ 



