t:^ FAMILY HERBAL. 



a surprising and speedy effect against those violent 

 pains in the bellj^ which are owing to those crea- 

 tures. The best way of giviug them is in the ex- 

 pressed juice ; or if children will not take that, 

 they may be boiled in milk^ to which they giye very 

 little taste. It is a powerful remedy ; and a small 

 dose will take effect, especially of the juice; so 

 that it is best to begin with very little, and as that 

 is well borne, to increase the quantity. 



Dragons. Dracontium. 



A FINE, tall, and beautiful plant; kept m 

 gardens for its use in medicine, as well as for its 

 appearance. It is four feet high. The stalk is 

 thicks round, and firm ; perfectly smooth, and 

 painted on the surface with several colours ; 

 purple, white, green, and others. The leaves 

 are very large, and stand on long foot-stalks : they 

 are of a deep and strong green ; and each is divided 

 into several portion? in the manner of fingers. 

 The flow er is like that of the common arum or 

 cuckoo pint : it is contained in a hollow green case, 

 of a deep purple within, and the pistil is also of a 

 deep purple ; after this is fallen, appear as in the 

 arum, large red berries in a cluster. The whole 

 plant is of an acrid and insupportable taste. 



The whole plant is to-be gathered when in flower, 

 and dried ; it may afterwards be given in decoction, 

 powder, or otherwise. It was vastly esteemed for 

 malignant fevers, and in the small pox ; but it has 

 of late lost much of its credit : at present it is oiily 

 Used in gome compositions. 



r 



