FAMILY HERBAL. . h}r, 



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The leaves ihey say are narroWj ail^ of h pale 

 greea: t)ut as to the flower and fruit, tb 



ih^J are 

 silent. Some say it is thorny. 



All that we use is the dry resin^ which is of a 

 yellowish white colotir, and bitterish resinous taste, 

 and strong smell. Our druggists keep this. Whaf-- 

 ever tree produces this^ it is a noble balsam ; di^ssolv- 

 cd in the yolk of an egg, and made into an eniuU 



fiion with barley water^ it will do good in con- 

 sumptions, Avhen almost all other things fail. 

 It were well if the common trifling practice in 

 that fatal disorder, would give way to the use of 

 this great mediciae. 



French Mercury. Mercurialis mas etfceminai 



A WILD plant, but not very frequent in Eng- 

 land, conspicuous for little else than that it has 

 the male flowers on some plants, and the female 

 flowers on others, in the manner of spinage, bemp^ 

 and some others, as has been explained already 

 under the article date-tree. It grows ten inches 

 high. The stalks are angular, green, thick, but 

 not firm, and stand but moderately upright. The 

 leaves are oblong, broadest in the middle, sharp 

 at the point, serrated at the edges, and of a deep 

 green colour. The female plants produce two 

 seeds growing together at the top of a little spike; 

 The male produce only one spike of dusty flowers, 

 without any seeds or fruit at all. But people com- 

 monly mistake the matter^ and call the female tlie 



male. 



A decoction of the fresh gathered plant purges 

 ft little, and works by urine ; it is cooling, and 

 good for hot constitutions and overfulness. The 



dried herb is used in decoctions for glisters. 



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