FAMILY HERBAL, 187 



bottle. The flowers themselves are of a bright red, 

 and large. 



The young plant is used fresh : a decoction of it 

 is good against the bleeding of the piles, against 

 loosenesses with bloody stools, and all other bleed- 

 ings. A slight infusion is recommended against 

 sore throats, to be used by way of gargle. There 

 are so many of these gentle astringent plants, com- 

 mon in our fields, as yarrow and the like, that less 

 respect is to be paid to one of less power in the 

 same way. Knapweed may be very properly added 

 to decoctions of the others, but it would not be so 

 well to trust to its effects singly. 



Knot-grass. Polygonum. 



A most common wild plant in our fields, path- 

 ways, and hedges : there are two or three kinds of 

 it, but they pretty much resemble one another in 

 form, and in virtues : the largest is the best. The 

 stalks of this are ten inches long, round, jointed, 

 and of a dusky green. The leaves are of an oval 

 form, of a bluish green colour, and not indented 

 at the edges. The stalks lie upon the ground, and 

 one of these only grows at each joint. The Mowers 

 are small and white, but with a tinge of reddish. 

 The seed is single, black, and three-cornered. 



It has been observed before, that Providence has 

 in general made the most common plants the most 

 useful. A decoction of knot-grass roots, stalks, 

 and leaves, is an excellent astringent. It stops 

 bloody stools, and is good against all bleedings, 

 but, in particular, it is a remedy against the 

 bleeding piles, and against the overflowing of the 

 menses 



