ob frAMILY HERBAL. 



w 



But, because they are so, we foolishly neglect 

 them. 



It is hardly necessarj to describe the common bur- 

 dock. It may be enough to say^ that it grows a yard 

 tiighj and has vast leaves^ of a figure approach- 

 ing to triangular, and of a whitish green colour. 

 The stalks are round, striated, and very tough : 

 The flowers are small and red, and they grow 

 among the hooked prickles of those heads which 

 we call burs, and which stick to our clothes. 

 Even this seems a provision of nature in kindness 

 to us. In pulling off these we scatter the seeds of 

 which they are composed, and give rise to a most 

 tiseful phnt in a new place. The root of the 

 burdock is long and thick ; brown on the outside, 

 and whitish within ; this is the part used in me- 

 dicine, and it is of very great virtues. It is to 

 be boiled, or infused iu water, the virtue is diu- 

 retic, and it is very powerfullj so. It has cured 

 dropsies alone. The seeds have the same virtue^ 

 but in a less degree. The root is said to be 

 sudorific and ^ood in fevers j but its virtue in ope- 

 rating hy urine is its great value. 



Burnet. PimpineUa scmguisorba. 



A COMMON wild plant. It grows by way- 

 sides^ and in dry places^ and flowers in July. The 

 leaves which rise immediately from the root are 

 very beautiful ; they are of the winged kind, being 

 composed of a great Humber of smaller, growing 

 on each side a middle rib, with an odd one at the 

 end. They are broad, short, roundish, and elegant- 

 ly serrated round the edges. The stalks arc a 

 foot high, round, striated,' purplish or green, and 

 jEilmost naked ; the few leaves they have are like 



those at the bottom. On the tops of these stalkf 



