GOURD TRIBE 17 



electuary for coughs, but it must have been a most dangerous medicine, 

 unless used, as it is by modern homoeopaths, in tiny globules. Culpepper — 



' ' As one that on his worth and knowledge doth rely 

 In learned physic's use, and skilful surgery " — 



after recommending it for various maladies, cautiously adds, " When it must 

 be taken inwardly it needs an abler hand to correct it than most country 

 people have, therefore it is a better way for them to leave the simple alone, 

 and take the compound water of it mentioned in my 'Dispensatory,' and 

 that is far more safe, being wisely corrected." Those, however, are most 

 safe who leave the plant altogether out of their list of remedies ; but country 

 people still have a strange belief that vegetable medicines are never dangerous, 

 forgetting that hemlock, aconite, and other plants, contain most deadly 

 poison. Villagers are often so ignorant of the nature of the plants which 

 they use as remedies, that the author has more than once had much difficulty 

 in dissuading persons from taking most powerful and most unsafe decoctions 

 of wild plants. 



This Bryony is commonly called also Wild Vine, or Wood-vine, and in 

 some countries, where hops are not cultivated, it is called Wild Hop. One 

 of its old names was Tetterwort. Though so common in England, it is rare 

 in Scotland. It grows wild in many European countries, and is called by the 

 French Bryone, or Couleam-^e ; it is the Zauriibe of the Germans ; the Bn/oiie 

 of the Dutch ; and Brionia of the Italians ; the Portuguese term it Norca 

 hianca. The goat is the only animal which feeds on its foliage; but 

 Dr. Withering says, that a decoction of the fresh root is an excellent medi- 

 cine for horned cattle, and that it is a common practice in Norfolk to mingle 

 small pieces of this root with corn in order to render their coats glossy and 

 fine. Other physicians consider that it might be used medicinally with great 

 advantage, as several foreign species are valuable medicines of other countries. 

 The seeds of Brtjonia callosa, a common plant in India, afford an excellent 

 oil, much used for burning in lamps. 



Order XXXIII. PORTULACEiE— PURSLANE TRIBE. 



Calyx of 2 sepals, united at the base ; petals usually 5 from the base of 

 the calyx ; stamens 4 or more inserted with the petals ; ovary 1-celled ; style 

 1 or ; stigmas several ; capsule 1-celled, opening transversely, or by 3 valves ; 

 seeds usually more than 1. This order consists of herbs or shrubs with very 

 succulent leaves and stems. The species are all innocuous, and in many cases 

 edible. Fortulaca sativa is the Common Purslane, and is cultivated anr" much 

 liked as a vegetable in several continental countries. The Da-t-kai of Caflraria, 

 celebrated among the Hottentots for its edible roots, is a Purslane ; and Mr. 

 Burchell remarks that an abundance of the Common Purslane is to be found 

 everywhere on the Asbetos mountains, and that he ordered a quantity to be 

 boiled for his dinner, as it rarely happened that he could convert the Avild 

 vegetation of that country to culinary uses, the heat rendering plants so 

 tough and juiceless, that they were unfit for eating. He remarks that this 

 Purslane is one of the few plants whose seeds have been scattered in various 



II.— 3 



