loo FAMILY HERBAL. 



The whole plant is to be gathered when begin- 

 ning to flower^ and dried. A strong decoction of 

 it is a good restringent and styptic ; it stops pur- 

 gingS;, even when there are bloodj stools ; and 



overflowins:s of the menses. 



Crovt-foot, Ranuculus. 



A COMMON wild plant. There are several 

 rts of iL but the kind used in medicine is that 



com 



most common in meadows^ and called the 

 creeping crowfoot. It grows a foot or more high ; 

 the stalks are firm^ thick, branched^ and of a pale 

 green ; but thej seldom stand quite upright. The 

 leaves on them are few, and divided into narrow 

 segments ; the flowers are yellow^ of the breadth 

 of a shilling, and of a fine shining colour ; they 

 stand at the tops of all the branches; the leaves 



which rise from the root are large^ divided in a 

 threefold manner^, and often spotted with white. 



Some are so rash as to mix a few leaves of this 

 among salad, but it is very wrong ; the plant is 

 caustic and poisonous. They are excellent applied 

 externally in palsies and apoplexies ; for they act 

 quicker thancantharides in raising blisters^ and are 

 more felt. It is a wonder they arc not more used 

 fur this purpose; but we are at present so fond 

 of foreign medicines^ that these things are not 

 miuded. 



There are two other kinds of crow-foot distin- 

 guished as poisons ; though all of them are, with 

 some degree of justice^ branded with this name : 

 butthe two most pernicious kinds are that callefl 

 spearwort, which has long, narrow^ and undivided 

 leaves ; and that with very small flowers, and leavea 

 somewhat like the divisions of those of sraallage. 

 These both grow in watry pUces, 



