FAMILY HERBAL. 2/7 



botlom. The head is small^ not larger than a horse 

 heaiij and the seeds are small, and of a dark colour. 

 The whole plant is full of a bitter yellowish juice^ 

 , which runs out when it is any wliere broken^ and 

 has something of the smell of opium- 



The flowers are used. A syrup is made from 

 thein by pouring as much boiling water on tljera 

 as will just wet them^ and after a night's standing, 

 straining it off and adding twice its weight of 

 sugar : this is the famous syrup of red poppies* 

 It gently promotes sleep. It is a much weaker 

 medicine than the diacodium. It is greatly re- 

 commended in pleurisies and fevers ; but this up- 

 on no good foundation. It is very wrong to de- 

 pend upon such medicines : it prevents having re- 

 course to better. 



The Primrose. Primula vcris. 



4 



A VERY pretty, and very common spring 



plant. The leaves are long;^ considerably broad, 

 of a pale green, and wrinkled on the surface : they 

 grow immediately from the root in considerable 

 numbers. The stalks which support the flowers 

 are single, slejider, four or five inches high, a 

 little hairy, and have no leaves on them : one 

 flower stands at the top of each, and is large, white^ 

 and beautiful, with a yellow spot in the middle. 

 The root is fibrous*and whitish. 



The root is used- The juice of it snuffed up 

 the nose occasions sneezing, and is a good remedy 

 against the head-ach. The dried root powdered, 

 has the same effect, but not so powerfully. 



Privet- Ligustriim. 



A LITTLE wild shrub in our hedges. It 



