CTOiPEPER^B COMPLETE HERBAL. 159 



Ihey are of diiferent colours white, red, yellow, and 

 green. 



Place,— Thej chiefly grow in hot countries, Italy, 

 Spain, &c 



Time.—Thej shoot forth their long catkins or blossoms 

 early in spring, which fall away for the most part before 

 the leaves appear. The acorns are very seldom ripe before 

 October. 



Oovemment and Virtues. — The acorns differ but little 

 from those produced in our own country. The small 

 gall is Saturnine, of a sour harsh nature, dry in the third 

 degree, and cold in the secoud. It is effectual in draw- 

 intr together and fastening loose and faint parts, as the 

 overgrowing of the flesh : it expels and dries up rheums 

 and other fluxes, especially those that fall upon the gums, 

 almonds of the throat, and other places of the mouth. 

 The other whiter gall also binds and dries, but not so 

 much as the former, having a less quantity of that sour 

 harshness in it : it is good against the dy sentry and bloody 

 flux. The decoction of them in water, is of a mean as- 

 triction, but more powerful in harsh red wine. Being 

 sat over, it remedies the falling of the mother, or the galls 

 being boiled and bruised, and applied to the fundament 

 when fallen, or to any swelling or inflammation will prove 

 a certain cure. The pods of burned galls bein^ quenched 

 in wine and vinegar, are good to staunch bleeding in any 

 place. They will dye hair black, and are one of the chief 

 ingredients for making ink : it is also used by dyera for 

 colouring black. 



The oak apple is much of the nature of galls, though 

 inferior in quality, but may be substituted for them with 

 success to help rheums, fluxes, and other such like oain- 

 ful distempers, 



GARLIC. — (Allium ^mpeloprasum,) 



Descrip.— The root consists of several cloves, or small 

 bulbs of a reddish white colour, set together in a round 

 compass, and enclosed in one common skinny coat or 

 cover, having several small fibres at the bottom ; the 

 leaves are broad and long, like those of Ireks ; on the top 

 of the stalk, which grows two or three feet high, stands 

 an nmbel of small white five-leaved flowers. The whole 

 plant, especially the root, is of a very strong and offensive 

 ■sell 



