The Ufeful Family Herbal. 335 



The Leaves are large, and they are compofed 

 of many fmaller fet in Pairs, very beautifully and 

 evenly about a commori Rib, with an odd one at 

 the End of each Rib : They are oblong, and of a 

 beautiful Green. The Flowers are white, and of 

 the Shape of a Pea Bloffom, the Fruit is a large 

 and flat Pod jointed or divided into feveral Parts 

 with Seeds in them, the Tree is of the Acacia 

 Kind, in many Things very like that which pro- 

 duces the Gum Arabic, and the Gum which 1$ 

 obtained from it, is in the fame Manner very like 



that. « r T -T- 



This Gum is the only Produ^ of the Tree 

 heard of in Medicine, and this is not much. 

 It is brought over, however, in great Quantities, 

 for the Dyers ufe a great deal of it. It is in large 



Lumps of the Bignefs of an Egg; rough on the 

 Surface, but glofly and fmooth when broken, and 

 of a pale brown Colour. ' It is as eafily and in- 

 tirely diffolved in Water as Gum Jrahc, and has 

 the fame Virtues. It is very feldom called for by 

 Name in Medicine, but it is neverthelefs often 

 ufed, for the Druggifts have a Way of breaking 

 the Lumps to pieces, and P""ing them amon 

 t\v^ Gum Arabic -, they maybe diftinguilhed by 

 their brown Colour, the true Gum Jrabtc being 

 white ; or yellowilh, if coloured at all, and never 

 having an/brown in it: Some pKk .th^f Jro^sn 

 Pieces^ut! but, upon a feperate Tn^, they are 

 found to be fo perfedly of the fame Nature, that 

 it is a needlefs Trouble. 



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