FAMILY HERBAL. 185 



liquor our poor people drink under that name, is 

 only malt spirit* and oil of turpentine. 



Ivy. Hedera. 



A very common shrub, crawling about old 

 trees, or upon old walls ; it sometimes runs upon 

 the ground for want of such support, but then it 

 rarely bears any fruit. The trunk is thick, brown, 

 and covered with a peculiar roughness. The 

 branches are numerous and brittle The leaves 

 have a strange variety of shapes, oblong, angular, 

 cornered, or divided. The flowers stand in little 

 round clusters, and they are small and inconsiderable : 

 they are succeeded by large berries. The leaves 

 upon the young shoots that bear the flowers are al- 

 ways oblong ; those on the trunk are angulated. 

 They are all of a deep glossy green. 



The leaves and berries are both used, but nei- 

 ther much. A decoction of the leaves destroys 

 vermin in children's heads, and heals the soreness 

 that attends them. The berries are purging ; an 

 infusion of them will often work also by vomit, 

 but there is no harm in this : they are an excellent 

 remedy in rheumatism?, and pains of all kind*, and, 

 it is said, have cured dropsies ; but this is perhaps 

 going too far. 



The ivy in the warm countries sweats out a kind 

 of resin, which has been used externally at some 

 times, on various occasions * but at this time, it is 

 quite unknown in practice. 



K. 



Kidney Wort. Umbilicus veneris. ' 



A very singular plant, which grows on old 



b b 



