FAMILY HERBAL. 167 



The young shoots are eaten as spinage, the juice 

 of the whole plant works gently, and well by urine ; 

 and the dried herb is used in decoctions for glisters. 



Hermodactyl Plant. Hermodactylus. 



A beautiful plant, having more the aspect 

 of a garden flower, but it is common wild in the 

 Ea3t. The root is roundish, but flatted, and in- 

 dented at the bottom, and smaller at top. The 

 leaves are small and broad ; they are sharp at the 

 point, and of a deep green colour. The flowers ^are 

 large and of a whitish colour, veined and striped 

 with purple ; this is the best account we have re- 

 ceived of the plant, but part of it comes with less 

 authority than one would wish to things of this kind. 

 The root is dried and sent to us. 



It is a gentle purgative, but it is less used at 

 this time than many others. It has been in more 

 repute, perhaps with reason. 



Holloak. Malva arborca 



A common garden flower. It grows eight feet 

 high, and the stalk is round, firm, hairy, and 

 upright. The leaves are large and roundish, of a 

 deep green, hairy, and cut in at the edges ; the 

 flowers are very large, red, white, or purple, and 

 stand in a kind of long spike. The root is white, 

 long, and thick, and is of a slimy nature, and not 

 disagreeable taste. 



This is the part used ; a decoction of it operates 

 by urine, and is good in the gravel ; it has the 

 same virtue with the mallow and marshmallow, but 

 m a middle degree between them ; more than the 

 mallow, and not so much as the other, nor is it so 

 pleasant. 



