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' FAMILY HERBAL. 367 



to be described in its place. The Icates of the 

 zedoary plant are large, very broad^ and not 

 vastly long; they stand in c1 asters, encircling 

 ono another at the bases : the flowers stand on 

 separate stalks : these are only eight or ten inches 

 high. They are small^ of an irregular shape, 

 aisd purplish. 



The root is the only part used ; our drug* 

 gists ke-cp it dry ; it is a warm cordial, and 

 stomachic medicine; it strengthens the stomach, 

 assists digestion, and expels wind. It is good 

 also in all nervous complaints, such as lowhess of 

 spirits, faintings, tremblings of the limbs, and 

 restlessness. An ounce of zedoary, sliced thin, 

 and put into a quart of wine, makes an excellent 

 tincture for these purposes, and is very good 



taken In the auantitv of 



go I 



into a damp, or what is suspected to be a taint- 



ed 



The ZfRUMBETH Plant. Zcrumletha. 



THE zeruraheth plant in some respects re- 

 sembles that which affords the zedoary, but it 

 is larger. It is a native of the East, and has 

 not been yet got into our gardens. The leaves grow 

 together in such a manner as io form a kind of 

 stalk ; this is six feet high or more ; but it is 

 only formed of their lower parts wrapped round 

 one another, m the manner of the leaves of our 

 fla^s. The loose part of each leaf is long, nar- 

 row, and of a bluish green. The flowers stand 

 upon separate stalks ; these rise about a foot 

 higli, and are of a brownish colour: they have 

 only a sort of films upon them in the place of 

 leaves. The flowers stand in a short and thick 



#pikc, at the tops of these, they are oblong. 



