FAMILY HERBAL. 323 



than of any other of the vegetable kinds. It grows 

 to the rocks, and swells out to an irregularly shaped 

 mass of matter, full of holes., of a yellowish colour, 

 and retaining a great deal of water, which is easily 

 pressed out, and is received again on dipping 

 it again in the wet. It is of a roundish figure, 

 and sometimes hollow. Sponge in the shape of 

 a funnel is frequently seen, and has been described 

 as a particular species ; but this is only an accident 

 in the growth. 



It would be very imprudent to swallow sponge 

 in its natural form ; but calcined, it is of excellent 

 service to sweeten the blood, and is <rood against the 

 scurvy, and the evil : great care is to be taken in 

 the burning it. It must be made brittle and fit for 

 powdering, but if it be calcined too long, all the 

 volatile parts will be driven off, and it will be worth 

 nothing. 



'in' 



Great Spurge. Esula major 



We have many kinds of spurge wild in England, 

 and some of them large enough ; but this used in 

 medicine is a different species. It is native of 

 Germany, and is kept in our gardens. It grows a 

 yard high ; the stalk is round, thick, reddish, and 

 divided into branches. The leaves are numerous, 

 and stand irregularly ; they are narrow and of a 

 pale green, and are broadest at the end. The flowers 

 are little, and of a pale yellow, but the seed-vessels 

 are large, and make a conspicuous figure on the 

 tops of the branches. The root is very thick and 

 long ; it consists of a firm heart covered with a thick 

 rind. The whole plant, when broken, affords a 

 milky acrid juice. 



The bark of the root is used dry ; and even in 

 that state is very rough in its operation. It worku 



