NATURAL HISTORY 



377 



a continual noise was occasioned by 

 the bubbles of air, which rose with 

 the sap, and which burst in the 

 opening made by the auger. 



This noise continued to take 

 place, in trees pierced in this man- 

 ner, during the whole summer; 

 it gradually decreased however, and 

 was, as may be imagined, propor- 

 tionally greater, as the heat of the 

 sun increased the perspiration of the 

 leaves. Scarcely any noise could 

 be heard during the night, or when 

 the days were wet and cold. 



From the noise, and from the 

 quantity of bubbles of air which 

 escape, it appears that the quantity 

 of air, or of gas, of whatever sort 

 it may be, which rises with the sap, is, 

 as I have already said, incomparably 

 greater than the quantityof sap itself. 



May it not be supposed, from the 

 above observation, that the only cir- 

 culation which exists in trees, takes 

 place in those parts which are near 

 the central canal of the tree, and 

 in that infinite number of medul- 

 lary horizontal rays at the end of 

 which we always see the buds form 

 themselves and expand, and esta- 

 blish a medullary communication 

 with the axis of the tree ; the dia- 

 meter of which communication in- 

 creases, in proportion as the bud 

 enlarges and becomes a branch. 



I submit these experiments to 

 the consideration of botanists, who 

 I hope wHl repeat them. They 

 will perhaps serve to throw some 

 light on the physiology of vegetables. 



On the Uses of the Juniper Plant, 

 by S. Ahpceus ; from Ike Trans- 

 actions of the Economical So- 

 defy of St. Petersburgh. 



^HE juniper plant is too well 

 known in our northern cli- 



mates to require any particular de- 

 scription in this place. It is a very 

 useful plant, both in medicine and 

 economy. Every part of it — its 

 leaves, its resin, its berries, its 

 wood, and its roots, may all be 

 applied to some useful purpose. 



I shall pass by the uses to which 

 this plant may be applied by apo- 

 thecaries, and shall here only consi- 

 der that which is made of it in 

 Finland, both for economical pur- 

 poses, and as a domestic medicine. 



1st. The leaves are employed 

 for fumigating houses, in order to 

 expel or correct noxious air. 



2nd. All the waterused forbrew- 

 ing malt-liquors is previously boiled 

 with juniper twigs, which renders 

 the beer both better tasted and more 

 wholesome. 



3rd. All vessels used for contain- 

 ing milk are washed with water in 

 which juniper twigs have been 

 boiled, which is supposed to con- 

 tribute to keep the milk sweet, and 

 to improve its taste. 



4th. Vessels for that purpose are 

 made of juniper wood in prefer- 

 ence to any other. 



5th. Warm decoctions of juniper 

 are given to cows, in order to in- 

 crease their milk. The same is also 

 sometimes practised with respect to 

 sheep. 



6th Juniper-berries contain a re- 

 sinous aromatic oil, which is em- 

 ployed for various uses. 



7th. The ripe berries, pounded 

 and infused in hot water, are drank 

 as tea. They are excellent puri- 

 fiers of the blood, also diuretic 

 and gently aperient. 



8th. Some roast and infuse the 

 berries in the manner of coffee, and 

 consider them as a palliating reme- 

 dy in gouty and calculous affections. 



ytli. In Finland and Carelia, a 

 very well-tasted and wholesome 



