IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSIC. 219 



that the water avens is looked on as a 

 fuccedaneum to the bark by the people 

 of Canada. The water figwort that cor- 

 redls fenna \ the hark^ &c. were commu- 

 nicated by the Barbarians. 



15- 



I'he negle^l of reading botanical writers^ ef- 



pecially thofe, who in thefe latter times have 

 faithfully fet forth what they knew, by cer- 

 tain experiments concerning the vertues of 

 plants. 



Of this kind are Rheede, Sloane, Feuillee, 

 &c. The ufe of the coris is unknown 

 to mofl people, who have not feen what 

 Shaw fays on that fubje6t. The vertues 

 of the ftalks of the bitter-fweet purifying 

 the blood were a fecret, till our prefi- 

 dent brought them to light. Before him 

 the apothecaries gave only the garden 

 night-Jhade^ or the leaves of the bitter- 

 fweet^ yet few here have found any good 

 effedi; from them ; as we have rarely given 

 this remedy hitherto in fufficient dofes. 

 The refi-harrow is leldom prefcribed, be- 

 caufe phyficians have not learned its ver- 

 tues in the Hungarian fever from Scyl- 

 ler. The antients recommended the cot- 

 ton- 



