FAMILY HERBAL. 257 



nut. The wood is not very firm, and when cut, 

 yields a milkv juice, of a very disagreeable smell. 



The wood and the seeds are used; and they 

 have brthtnesame violent operation by vomit and 

 stool ; but the wood given in infusion, and in a 

 moderate dose, only purges, and that, though brisk- 

 ]y, without any danger. It is good in dropsies, 

 and in other stubborn disorders ; and it is excel- 

 lent aga t rheumatic pains. Some recommend 

 it as a specific against the sciatica. The seeds are 

 what are called, graua t ; glia ; but though much 

 spoken of by some writers, they are at this time 

 very little used in the shops. 



The Peach Tree. Persica mains. 



A TREE very frequent against our garden walls. 

 The trunk is covered with a brown oark. The 

 branches grow irregularly. The leaves are beauti- 

 ful : thev are lonar, narrow, and elejrantlv serrated 

 at the edges. The blossoms are large, and of a 

 pale red. The fruit is too well known to need 

 much description : it consists of a soff pulpy mat- 

 ter, covered by a hairy skin, and inclosing a hard 

 stone, in which is a kernel of a pleasant bitter taste. 



The flowers are to be used. A pint of water 

 is to be poured boiling hot on a pound weight of 

 peach blossoms ; when it has stood four and twenty 

 hours, it is to be poured off, through a sieve, with- 

 out squeezing, and two pounds of loaf sugar is 

 to be dissolved in it, over the fire : this makes an 

 excellent syrup for children. It purges gently, 

 and sometimes will make thorn puke a little. They 

 have so frequent occasion for this, that people 

 who haye children, have continual use for it. 



l! 



