The Ufeful Family Her bah 



Aloes Wood. 

 LIGNUM ALOES. 



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T may be neceflary to mention this Wood, as it; 

 is fometimes ufed in Medicine, although we 

 are not acquainted with the Tree which affords it, 

 We are told that the Leaves are fmall, the Flow- 

 ers moderately large, and the Fruit as big as 

 a Pigdon's Egg and woolly j and we read alfo that 

 the Juice of the Tree, while frefh, will raife BliA 

 ters on the Skin, and even caufe Blind nefs : But 

 thefe Accounts are very imperfed. 



We iee three kinds of the Wood in the Shops, 

 and they are diftinguifhed by three different Names, 

 Calambac, common Lignum Aloes, and Calam 



bour i of thefe the Calambac is the finell and the 

 mod refmous, the Calambour is almofi a mere 

 Chip, the other is of a middle Value between them. 

 They are all of the fame Virtue, but in different 

 Degrees. They are f^id to be cordial and ftrength- 

 ^ning to the Stomach, but we ufe them verv little. 



True Amomum. 

 AMOMUM VERUM RACEMOSUM 



A 



Momum is another of thofe Drugs we re^ 

 ceive from abroad, and do not know the 



Plants which produce them. The Fruit itfelf 

 which is called Amomum, is like the leffer Car' 

 damom but that it is round; it confifts of a 

 fkinny Hufl. and Se.ds within, and is whitilh 



and of the Bignefs of a Horfe-bean. Several of 

 theie lometimes are found erowino- too-pthpr m 

 one Stalk in a clofe Body. "' ^ ^^"^ ^^' 



The old Phyficlans ufed it as a Cordial anc^ 

 C^.rm]na.tive, but at prci^nt it is much ne-lecled " 



"rf 



COMMOPf 



