FAMILY HERBAL. 299 



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Turkey. They have a peculiar method of curing 

 it : they make it clean,, and then soak it four and 

 twenty hours in water ; after this, they hang a 

 quantity of it in a coarse cloth, over the steam of a 

 pot in which rice is boiling ; this softens it, but it 

 gives it a sort of transparence, and qualifies it. for 

 drying; these juicy roots otherwise growing moul- 

 dy. When they have thus far prepared it, they 

 string it upon a thread, and hang it in an airy place 

 to dry: it becomes tough as horn, and transparent. 

 This is a practice common in the East with the roots 

 they dry for use, and it would be well if we would 

 practise it here : the fine transparent kind of ginseng, 

 which we have from China, is dried in this manner. 

 It is highly probable, nay it is nearly a certainty, 

 that the roots of our common orchis have all the 

 qualities and effects of this salep^ bnt we don't 

 know how to dry them. If we tried this method, 

 it might succeed ; and in the same manner, our own 

 fields and meadows might afford us many medicines^ 

 which at present we purchase at a great price, from 

 the farthest parts of the earth. 



The dried root is the part used ; and it is an ex-» 

 cellent restorative, to be given to persons wasted 

 with long illnesses: the best way is to put a small 

 quantity of it in powder, into a bason of warm 

 water, which it instantly turns into a jelly, and a 

 little wine and sugar are to be added. The Turks 

 use it as a provocative to venery : they take it dis* 

 solved in water, with ginger and honey. 



r 



Samphire. Crithmum maritimiim. 



A plant not uncommoa about sea coasts, with 

 much of the appearance of fennel^ only not so tall : 

 Rome have called it sea fennel. It h two feet high. 



Tlie leaves are large, and divided in the manner of 



