294 EXTRACTS FROM 



but a piece of bad policy took place : a heavy duty was laid ou 

 this commodity, and the consequence was, that the manufac- 

 turer found that the indigo was by no means worth his while. 

 The duty is now taken off, and a few adventurers have be- 

 gun again to make this article, which we were of late years 

 obliged to buy from other nations. 



There seems to be no great art in making indigo. The 

 plant at three months old being cut, is put into a clean vat, 

 with as much water as will cover it for a night, or less, if the 

 weather is hot. The green water is strained off into a clean 

 vessel, and beaten two hours with a churn-staff, adding by 

 degrees one-sixth part of clean lime-water. The blue liquor 

 is allowed to settle ; the clear liquor being drained off by a 

 plug, and thrown away. The thick blue mass is put into Os- 

 naburgh bags to drain ; it is then spread on flat vessels to dry 

 in the shade, and is afterwards formed into shining round 

 cakes. 



This plant ferments surprisingly soon, and becomes offen- 

 sive. No wonder the labourers are unhealthy, since, by the 

 old method, it was steeped three days. 



123. Hedysarum canescens, L. — French. Honeysuckle, or Fever 



Weed. 



This plant has woody stems of a brown colour, ternate 

 leaves, and pale red blossoms growing on a spike. The pods 

 are rough and jointed, each joint containing a flat seed. 



The country people make an infusion by way of tea, of 

 the leaves of this plant, and use it for a sweat in colds, and in 

 the beginning of inflammatory fevers ; but I am afraid to no 

 good purpose, since commonly in these disorders the blood is 

 huffy, and the patient requires large bleeding, evacuations, 

 and dilutions. 



It is a vulgar error, and to it I believe the destruction of 

 many a patient i* owing, that the blood of people within tl>< 



