The Greeks are said, at a very early period, to 

 have been supplied with their fine linen from Egypt ; 

 but their term LIN ON applies indiscriminately to 

 cloth of cotton or flax ; and it is probable, that the 

 former was used many ages before the latter. 



Herodotus, the Greek historian, who lived about 

 two thousand years ago, and who travelled in Egypt, 

 frequently notices the use of linen, but we neither 

 find it determined by the historian himself, nor any 

 of his commentators, that flax was, at that period, 

 manufactured into cloth. It may have been culti- 

 vated for its seed only. 



Linseed oil, which is expressed from the seed of 

 the common flax, is highly valuable to the arts, par- 

 ticularly as a component part of paint. 



An infusion of flax seed has been found to be ex- 

 tremely useful as a pectoral drink, in coughs, colds, 

 and affections of the lungs. It is thus prepared : 

 Take an ounce of bruised flax seed, half an ounce of 

 sliced liquorice root, and pour upon them a quart of 

 boiling water ; let it macerate an hour near the fire, 

 and then strain it off for use. A teacup-full may be 

 taken five or six times in the course of twenty-four 

 hours; when a fresh supply should be made. 



Equal parts of linseed oil and lime water, form a 

 liniment that no family should be without. It is sin- 

 gularly tfseful in the cure of burns and scalds ; and 

 if timely applied, prevents the inflammation attendant 

 on these cases. 



The flax stem, when macerated in streams or 

 ponds, is said to communicate a poisonous quality to 

 the water ; and an act of Henry VIII. prohibited 

 the practice, under pain of twenty shillings. 

 Hort. Kew. 2, v. 2, 187. 



