CORRESPONDENCE OP RAY. 175 



stalks, dividing themselves into many branches, at the 

 ends of which there generally grew little balls, or buttons, 

 as large as peas. He fancies this to be a vegetable as 

 much distinct from the hornbeam as mistletoes are from 

 the trees they grow on. M. Dodard could only find it 

 in old wormeaten hornbeams, never in young or sound 

 ones, which makes him conclude that it cannot anyways 

 serve the economy of the tree, but that it is a plant 

 growing up in decayed hornbeams, exactly between the 

 bark and the wood. It is as it were set (enchassee) in 

 the bark, into which it here and there enters, and loses 

 itself. M. Marchand found a hornbeam tree, whose 

 trunk being cut off, yielded on all sides a gum very like 

 to gumTSfcca. This gum of the hornbeam M. Clos dis- 

 solved in spirit of wine. The trunk continued to pour 

 forth many gummy threads for some years after it had 

 lain in a low room. M. Dodard afterwards observed 

 the same gum upon many hornbeam trees. I have 

 extracted this from the 'Journal des Scavans/ an. 1675. 

 Mens. Decemb. 



Wepfer, in his history of the Cicuta aqnatica, proves 

 that most of the poisonous plants, as all the hemlocks, 

 the hellebores, the solanums, the napellus, hyoscyamus, 

 &c. are hot and acrimonious, and kill by saline, fiery, 

 and pointed particles, which vellicate the genus nervosum, 

 and either congeal, or else colliquate, the blood. The 

 best way to cure these poisons is first to give a gentle 

 vomit, then oils, broths, warm water, and fat emulsions, 

 till all be evacuated and come away; at which time 

 alexipharmics, volatile salts, and other alkalies and ano- 

 dynes are to be given. 



I find upon the journals of my late voyage, that I 

 observed many people in the Low Countries to make use 

 of the turmeric root [Curcuma] in pickling and preparing 

 their fish. They told me that it gave the fish a grateful 

 taste and a yellow colour, which was much esteemed by 

 them. I think Bontius remarks the same thing of the 

 Germans and Poles. 



