FAMILY HERBAL. 327 



The fruit 13 criy used, and we somefimes see 

 it at the druggists ; if the present practice en- 

 couraged it we might have it common enough : 

 and it is one of those drugs which we neglect, 

 while we are fond of such as do not deserve the 

 distinction. It is an excellent medicine against 

 coldness of the stomach, colics, and those head- 

 achs which arise from indigestion. It also works 

 powerfully by urine ; and with it possesses all 

 the virtues of aniseed and many others ; and even 

 in a very superior degree : it has not its disagree- 

 able flavour. An oil drawn fpom it by distillation, 

 is sweet and excellent ; it ha& all the virtues of 

 our oil of aniseed, but not its disagreeable taste, 

 and it docs not congeal like it in cold weather. 



Staves-Acre. StapJiis agria. 



A VERY pretty plant, native of Italy^ and 

 kept in our garden^. It is two feet and a half 

 high. The stalk is round, thick, firm, and up 



un- 



right, and a little hairy. The leaves are of a 

 roundish figure, but divided deeply into seven 

 parts^ and these serrated at the edges ; they are 

 large, and of a deep green^ and stand on long foot- 

 stalks. The flowers are of a deep blue, large, 

 and very like the flowers of lark-spur : they grow 

 in a spike at the tops of the stalks; the seed- 

 vessels are notched, and the seeds rough. 



The seeds are used. Some venture to give them 



d 



dly in small d 



They operate by vomit 



and stool, and bring a great quantity of water 

 from the mouth. The powder of them is most 

 used to kill vermin, by sprinkling it on children's 



heads that have been kept uncleanly. 



