220 OBSTACLES TO THE 



ton-thiftle in cancerous cafes ; but from 

 negied of reading the antients, this fpe- 

 cific is almoft forgot. 

 1 6. 

 Negle^ of a method in exhibiting medicines. For 

 inftance, phyficians expe6t thofe vertues from 

 a dryed plant, or in a decodion, which is not 

 to be found but in the frefh plant, or from its 

 exprefled juice. Hence it may juftly be ex- 

 pedled from apothecaries, that they fet about 

 cultivating plants ; that fuch, as ought to be 

 ufed frefh, may be had daily from their gar- 

 dens. 



The hedge hyjfop, when fi-efii, purges very 

 fmartly and vomits-, when old it produces 

 no effedt at all. The diuretic vertue of 

 our water fiag^ which is very confiderable, 

 when the plant is frefli, intirely goes off, 

 when it is kept long. Therefore we ought 

 to exped this vertue from the exprelTed 

 juice, and not from a decodlion of it. 

 Tli^ftone crop., when dry, has none of that 

 efficacy in the fcurvy, which is found in it, 

 when frefn. The fame may be faid of the 

 houfe-leek., the juice of which is celebrated 

 by the Hottentots. The radi//j^ xhe fcurvy- 

 grafsj the horfe radifh^ the garden., water ^ 



and 



