FAMILY HERBAL. U1 



The young shoots are eaten as spinage, the juice 

 of the whole plant works gently, and well by urine ; 

 and the dried herb is used in decoctions for glisters. 



The Hermodactyi Plant. Hermodactj/lus, 



4^ 



A BEAUTIFUL plant, having more the aspect 

 of a garden flower, but it is common wild in the 

 East. The root is roundish, but flatted^ and in- 

 dented at the bottom, and smaller at top. The 

 leaves are small and broad ; they are sharp at the 

 point, and of a deep green colour. The flowers are 

 large and of a whitish colour, veined and striped 

 with purple ; this is the best account we have re- 

 ceived of the plant, but part of it comes with less 

 authority than one would wish to things of this 



kind. The root is dried and sent to us. 



It is a gentle purgative, but it is less used at 

 this time than many others. It has been in more 

 repute, perhaps with reason. 



HoLLOAK. Malva arborea. 



A COMMON garden flower. It 'grows eight 



feet high, and the stalk is round, firm, hairy, and 



upright. The leaves are large and roundish, of a 



deep green, hairy, and cut in at the edges ; the 



flowers are very large, red, white, or purple, and 



stand in a kind of long spike. The root is white, 



long, and thick, ^nd is of a slimy nature, and not 

 disagreeable taste. 



This is the part used ; a decoction of it ope- 

 rates by urine, and is good in the gravel ; it has 

 the same virtue with the mallow and marshmallow, 

 hut in a middle degree between them ; more than 

 the mallow, and not so mur.h as the other, nor is it 



BO pleasant. ^ 



