196 FAMILY HERBAL- 



same purpose. It is a good method to put those 



into, who require a gentle opiate, and will iiot take 

 Daedicines. 



Wild Lettice. Lactuca sylvcstris major. 



A COMMON plant in our hedges^ and having 

 some resemblance to the garden lettice in its flowers, 

 though not in its manner of growtli. It is six or 

 seven feet high. The stalk is thick, rounds verj 

 iipright/ branched^ and of a pale jellowish green 

 colour. The leaves at the bottom arc very large, 

 afoot long, and five inches broad^ and of a pale 

 green colour ; those higher up the stalks are sraal- 

 Icrj they Are deeply indented at the edges^ and eitheir 

 these, the stalk, or any other part of the plant being 

 %vounded^ there flows out a milky juice, which hag 

 the smell of opium, and its hot bitter taste : the 

 branches are very numerous, and the flowers are 

 also very numerous^ but they are small and of a pale 



yellow. 



This is a plant not introduced into the common 

 practice, but very worthy of that notice. I tiave 

 known it used in private families, with great suc- 

 cess. A syrup made from a strong infusion of it, 

 is an excellent anodyne ; it eases the most violent 

 pain in colics, and other disorders^ and gently dis- 

 poses the person to sleep. It has the good effect 

 of a gentle opiate, and none of the bad ones of tHat 

 violent medicine. ' 



The White Lily. Lilhim album. 



t 



m 



A T\LL, fragrant, and beautiful garden plant. 

 It grows four or five feet high ; the stalk is round, 

 green, thick, firm, and very upright ; a great matiy 



kaves surrouud it at the bottom, and a great nianj 



^ ^ 



