230 FAMILY HERBAL, 



is disagreeable. It strengthens the stomach, and 

 promotes the menses. It is in this latter respect h 

 very valuable medicine, but the use of it must be con- 

 tinued some time. 



MiiiTLE, Mj/rtus 



A litti.i; shrub, very beautiful in its mannei 

 of growth, a native of Italy, hut common in our 

 gardens. The trunk is covered with a rough 

 brown bark. The branches are numerous, slen- 

 der, tough, iu\i\ reddish. The leaves are very 

 beautiful ; they are small, short, of a fine green, 

 pointed al the <:i\>.U, not serrated at the edges, and 

 they stand in .great numbers, and in a beautiful 

 order upon the branches. The flowers stand on 

 short fooi stalks ; they are large, white, and full 

 of threads : the fruit is a round black berry, as 

 large as the biggest pea, and has a crown at the 

 top. The leave.-, when bruised, have an extremely 

 fragrant smell. ine shrub will bear our climate 

 better than is imagined'; there are, in some places, 

 hedges of it five or six feet high, that stand the winters 

 without (he least hurt. 



The leaves and berries of the myrtle are \\?cd ; 

 they are cordial and astringent. A strong infusion 

 of the ;'; sh leaves is good against a slight purging, 

 i i i<r the stomach at the same time that it 

 remove- the complTmt. The dried leaves powdered, 

 are rvelienl a .'.ainst the whites. The berries an* 

 ood again-! bloody fluxes, overflowings of th** 

 mens.. :-. and in spitiin ; : ' I loud 



M'.'-i :":or:. i Vsc.vs 



A s!\;a f.\u plant, native of our own country 

 but ii'!ovi i ._>;, not on th.e earth as other herb-., bui 



