200 BLITUM. 



t 



valent of Anchusa and Rubia^ djeing deep orange rather 

 than red. 



BERBERIS. Add, barberies are used in Egypt in the 

 plague and violent fevers. 



BETA VULGARIS, L. Garden Beet. Root sweet, 

 good food boiled, baked or pickled. Leaves diluent, 

 refrigerant, useful in sore eyes, head ache, tooth ache, 

 corj^a, &c. applied on the parts : the best dressing for 

 inflammations, cutcers, suttons. As good as spinage 

 for greens. Blossoms enhine. Beet sugar is made in 

 France on a large scale, is nearly as good as cane sugar, 

 but lighter : the mashed roots after the juice is pressed 

 out, are excellent food for cattle- 



BETULA, L. Birch Tree. Valuable trees for the 

 timber, sap and bark. The best is B. lenta ; many vul- 

 gar names, Sweet Birch, Black B. Cherry B. Spice B. 

 mountain Mahogany.' Wood much used by cabinet 

 makers, takes a fine polish : bark with a sweet spicy 

 smell and taste, like Gaidiera. alterative and antiscro- 

 fulous, pectoral, diaphoretic and depurative. Nelashkih 

 of the Osages, used for colds, coughs, and breast com- 

 plaints, scrofula and sores. A tea of the bark or twigs 

 commonly used by empirics for obstructions, complaints 

 of the bowels; a syrup of birch bark and peach stones 

 used as stomachic and restorative after dysentery. A 

 beer is made with the decoction, also with tne sap, which 

 is sweet like maple sap, and can become syrup and ho- 

 ney by boiling. All the Birches give a similar sweet sap. 

 The twigs, inner bark, leaves and buds have more or 

 less the same smell and taste. The B. nibra or R^d 

 Birch^ has a fine timber for cabinet makers. The In- 

 dians use the light bark for canoes, B.papyracea (while 

 or paper birch) chiefly, whose white smooth bark can be 

 written upon. The Birch wood raakes fine hoops j the 

 empyreumatic oil of the distilled wood, gives the peculiar 

 amell to the Russia leather, no insects touch it, useful 

 also to preserve furs. 



BIDENS, L. Spayiish Needles. Bad weeds in fields. 

 Leaves small like carrot, they die wool of a fulvous co- 

 lor. Equivalent of Daucus and Acmelicu 



BLITUM, L. Blite. Several species, taste and smell 

 like Cedar or Juniper. Edible and diaphoretic. 



