THE INCOMPLETE 43 



It is sometimes known as Wild Spinach. It is distin- 

 guished from the preceding by its branched stems and 

 its smooth smaller leaves of a li£:ht-o;reen hue. 



In some places it is boiled as a pot herb. Ray has 

 recorded a case in whicli five persons sufFered severely 

 after eating this plant fried with bacon; and other cases 

 are on record, in two of which death intervened one hour 

 after eating this plant as a vegetable. 



Among herbalists tliere is a market for Dog's Mercury: 

 it is listed as one of the plants for wliich there is a ready 

 bale in the British market. 



XJrticacege. — The Xettle Family. In tliis family are 

 included: — 



1. The Sthiging Nettle. 



2. The Hop, 



3. Pelhtory of the Wall. 



As a family Urticaceae is distinguished from the 

 Euphorbiaceae by the structure of the ovary, this organ 

 having only one or two cells, wdiilst in the Euphorbiaccas 

 it always contains three compartments. 



Stinging Nettle: 



Great Nettle {Urtica dioica). Leaves tapering 

 to a point. 



Small Nettle {Urtica iirens). Leaves elliptical. 



The sting of the Nettle is too familiar to need a special 

 description. When touched the delicate prickle is burst, 

 c^nd into the sliglit w^ound made in the skin a small exu- 

 dation of formic acid takes place. The effect is purely 

 local. After boiling, the plant is free from any dele- 

 terious substances, and is commonly boiled and eaten as 

 a vegetable; in parts of Scotland the tips are made into a 

 foup, and the nettle beer that i>s prepared in many localities 

 is not only a palatable drink but also a cooling medicine. 



Hop (Hamulus LinndusX— The Hop industry is an 



