306 FAMILY HERBAL. 



deep blue colour, and each is composcfl of a number 

 of smaller flosucIeSj collected into a head. The root 

 is long and brown. 



The leaves growing from the root are to he 

 gathered for use before the stalks appear. They 

 are best fresh. A strong- infusion of them is good 

 against asthmas, and difficulty of breathing, and 

 the same infusion made into syrup, is good against 

 coughs. The flowers are said to be cordial, and 

 .an infusion of them to promote sweat, and carry 

 off fevers, but this is less authentic ; the juice exter- 

 nally applied is good against foulnesses of the ikin. 



The ScAMMONY Plant. Scammonia. 



A CLIMBING plant, native of the eastern 



parts of the world. The stalks are numerous, 



green, slender, and angulated ; they are five or six 

 feet long, but unable to support themselves with- 

 out the help of bushes. The leaves stand irregular- 

 ly, and not very close io one another ; they are of 

 a triangular figure, and bright green colour, and 

 they stand upon long foot-stalks. The flowers 

 are large and bell-fashioned ; they resemble very 

 much those of our common little bind-weed being 

 whitish, but they oftener have a yellowish than a 

 reddisli tinge. The root is a foot and half long, and 

 as thick as a man's arm, full of a milky juine. They 

 wound the roots and catch the milky juice as it 

 runs out in shells ; and this when it has concreted 

 into a hard mass is the scaramony we use. 



It is a rough purge, but a very powerful and 

 useful one. It is good against the rheumatic 

 pains, and will reach the scat of many disorders that 

 a common purge does not aflect. However, it is 

 seldom given alone : and a great misfortune is, 

 t!}atthecomposilions made with it are never to bo 



