FAMILY HERBAL. 351 



E:rong, a little hairy, and often purplish. The 

 leaves grow two at each joint ; they are oblong, nar- 

 row, notched at the edg-es, of a dusky green, and of 

 a wrinkled and rough surface. The flowers are white, 

 with a tinge of purplish : there is a long spike of 

 their buds, and of the remaining cups, but only two 

 or three flowers are open at a time. 



The fresh gathered tops are used ; an infusion 

 of them is good against obstructions of the liver and 

 spleen : it is warm upon the stomach, and a 

 continued use of it will remove nervous com- 

 plaints. 



Vine. Vttis. 



A weak shrub, too familiar in our gardens to 

 need much description. The trunk is covered with 

 a rough bark ; the branches arc locg\ weak, and 

 straggling ; the leaves are roundish in the whole 

 figure, but indented deeply into five or seven di- 

 visions, the lower arc inconsiderable : the fruit 

 is round, or oblong, juicy, and produced in great 

 bunches. 



We use no part of the common vine, as it grows 

 with us ; but not to mention the several kinds of 

 wine that arc useful on different occasions, the 

 dried fruit in the form of what we call raisins and 

 currants, is in constant repute. Raisins of the sun, 

 Malaga raisins, and currants all have the same virtue ; 

 they are good in coughs, and soreness of the lungs, 

 and in consumptions. 



Vinegar is also a product of the grape : it is 

 wine become sour, and spirit of wine and brandy 

 of the very best kinds, are made from wine also by 

 distillation. The substance called tartar, of which 

 the cream of tartar is made, is only a salt of the 

 grape, which sticks to the wine casks. So that we 



