90 FAMILY HERBAL. 



German, for the sake of its seed. It is two feet 

 liigh, and has clusters of white or reddish flowers 

 upon the tops of the branches. The stalks are 

 round, upright, and hollow, but have a pith in 

 them ; the leaves, which grow from the root, have^ 

 rounded tops, those ou the stalks are divided into 

 nkrrow parts ; the seeds follow two after each 

 £ower, and they are half round. 



The seed is the only part used : the whole plant 

 when fresh has a bad smell, but as the seeds dry, 

 they become sweet and fragrant. They are ex- 

 cellent to dispel wind ; they warm and strength- 

 en the stomach and assist digestion. It is good 

 against pains in the head, and has some virtue in 

 stopping purgings, joined with other things. 



The Cornel Tkee. Cornus mos. 



A GARDEN tree of the bigness of an apple 

 tree, and branched like one ; the bark is greyish, 

 the twigs are tough ; the leaves are oblongs broad, 

 and pointed, of a fine green colour, but not serrated 

 at the edges. The flowers are small and yellowish, 

 the ^tuii is of the bigness of a cherry, but oblong, 

 not round; it is red and fleshy, of an astringent 

 bark, and has a large stone. The fruit is ripe in 

 autumn; the flowers appear early. 



The fruit is the part used ; it may be dried and 

 used, or the juice boiled down with sugar ; either 

 way it is cooling and moderately astringent ; it is a 

 gentle pleasant medicine in fever* with purgings. 



There is a wild cornel tree, called the" female 

 cornel, in our hedges ; a shrub five feet high, with 

 broad leaves, and black beriies ; it is not used iu 

 medicine. In some parts of the Westlndies they 

 intoxicate fish with the bark of a shrub of thii 

 kind, by only putting a quantity of ii into <he water 



