?. INTRODUCTION. 



mallow, and above all other roots the squill, 

 ami in some degree many others of that kind : 

 these must be cut into thin slices cross-wise., and 

 they will dry best if laid upon a hair cloth stretch- 

 ed across a frame. They must be frequently turn- 

 ed ; and be very thoroughly dry, before they are 

 put up, else they will become mouldy : but,, right- 

 ly prepared, they keep very well. 



Other roots have juices, that evaporate more 

 easily. These have the virtue either throughout 

 the whole substauce, or only in the outer part, and 

 they are to be prepared accordingly. When roots 

 arc of one uniform substance, they generally 

 have the virtue equal, or nearly so, in all parts. 

 These should be split open length-wise, first cut- 

 ting off the head, and the little end ; or if con- 

 siderably thick, they may be quartered ; when 

 this is done, they are to be strung upon a line, 

 by drawing a needle threaded with a small twine 

 through their thickest part, and they are then to 

 be hung up to dry in the manner of the herbs ; 

 the line being stretched across a room, the doors 

 and windows of which are to be kept open in 

 good weather. 



When roots consist of a sort of thick rind, or 

 fleshy substance within the rind, and a hard sticky 

 part in the middle, this fleshy substance under 

 it possesses all the virtues, the hard inner substance 

 having none ; in this case, the root is to be 

 split lung-wise as before, and the hard woody 

 part is to he taken out and thrown awav ; the rest 

 is to be strung as before described, and dried in 

 the same manner. 



Vv hen roots consist of fibres, these are gene- 

 rally connected to a head, if it.be ever so small, 

 and the best wav is to split thi: in two, and then 

 Mri.ig up the separate parts for diving. 



It is needless to enumerate the examples of tha 



