FAMILY HERBAL. 117 



common under hedges ; and in the earlier part of 

 the year makes a pretty appearance. People might 

 very naturally be tempted to eat of it among other 

 spring herbs, for there is nothing forbidding in its 

 aspect ; and what is much worse, the authors most 

 likely to be consulted on such an occasion, might 

 lead those into it, whom they ought to have guarded 

 against it. 



It is about a foot high, and has but few leaves, 

 but they are large. The stalk is round, thick, 

 whitish, pointed, and a little hairy ; the leaves 

 stand principally toward the top, four, five, or six, 

 seldom more : they are long and considerably 

 broad, sharp -pointed, notched about the edges, and 

 a little hairy. The flowers- are inconsiderable : they 

 stand in a kind of spikes at the tops of the stalks ; 

 and the seeds are on separate plants, they are dou- 

 ble and roundish. The herb has been from this 

 divided into two kinds, male and female, but they 

 have in earlier time given the distinctions of the sex 

 wrong. Those which bear the spikes of flowers, 

 are the male plants ; the others, notwithstanding 

 any accidental resemblance, female. 



There is not a more fatal plant, native of our 

 country, than this ; many have been known to 

 die by eating it boiled with their food ; and proba- 

 bly many also, whom we have not heard of: vet 

 the writers of English Herbals, say nothing of this. 

 Gerard, an honest and plain writer, but ignorant 

 as dirt, says, it is thought they agree with the 

 other mercuries in nature. These other mercuries 

 are eatable ; therefore, who would scruple on this 

 account, to eat also this. Johnson, who put forth 

 another edition of this book, and called it Gerard 

 Emaculated, from the amending the faults of the 

 original author, says nothing to contradict it : but 

 after gome idle observations upc-u other herbs of the 



