FAMILY HERBAL, 245 



they also have the same dismal aspect ; tney nre 

 large, hollow, and hang down. On the outside 

 they are of a dusky colour, between brown and 

 green, and within they are of a very deep purple. 

 These are succeeded by berries of the bigness of 

 cherries, black and shining when ripe, and full of 

 a pulpy matter, of a sweetish and mawkish taste. 

 The root is long. The berries are fatal ; children 

 have often cat them, and perished by it. The leaves 

 externally applied are cooling and softening ; they 

 are good against the ringworm and tetters, and against, 

 hard swellings. They have very great virtue in this 

 respect, but the plant should be kept out of the way 

 of children, or never suffered to grow to fruit, as (he 

 leaves only are wanted. 



Nutmeg Tree. Nuxmoschata. 



A tall, spreading iree, native only of the 

 "warm climates ; the trunk is large, and the bran- 

 ches are numerous and irregular ; the bark is of 

 a greyish colour, and the wood light and soft. 

 The leaves are large, long, and somewhat broad : 

 they are not unlike those of the bay tree, but bigger, 

 and are of a beautiful green on the upper side, and 

 whitish underneath. They stand irregularly, but 

 often so nearly opposite, that they seem in pairs, 

 as we see in the leaves of some of our willows. 

 The blossom is of the shape and bigness of that 

 of our cherry tree, but its colour is yellow. The 

 fruit which succeeds this, is of the bigness of a 

 small peach, and not unlike it in the general form ; 

 when cut open there appears firs< the fleshy coat, 

 which is a finger thick, and of a reujrh taste, then 

 the mace spread over a woody shell, in which is> (he 

 nutmeg. We often have the \\\\<Ac fruit sent ever 

 preserved 



