oulpkpkr's oomplxtb herbal^ 17ft 



green, smooth, glossy, sometimes of a reddish colour. The 

 flowera are of a beautiful bright yellow. 



P/ ace.— This is a handsome perennial, commonly found 

 at ditch-sides, or where water stands during the winter. 



Time. — It blooms in July or August. 



Oavemment and Virtue*. — Thei*e is an acrid sharpness 

 in this plant, but the juice of it is cooling and astringent, 

 and of use in bums, inflammations in the eyes, and also in 

 cancerous ulcers : it takes the pain from the stings of bees, 

 and assuages the pain of the gout, if applied outwardly. 



GUM THISTJjK—( Euphorbia ffelioscopia.) 



Descrip. — This plant has no leaves, the root is hung with 

 numerous large fibres, the stem is of dark green colour, 

 thick, upright, and armed all the way with sharp prickles, 

 and from the angles of the stem towards the top proceed 

 the small flowers, which are of a yellowish green colour. 



Place. — A native of Africa, but grows in our meadows. 



Time. — It is perennial, flowers from June to September. 



Qovemnveri and Virtues. — It is under Mars, and is hot 

 and dry, being a perfect caustic, of thin parts. A plaster 

 vade of twelve times as much oil, and a little wax, heals 

 all aches of the joints, lameness, palsies, cramps, and 

 shrinkings of the sinews. Mixed with oil of bay and bears' 

 urease, it cures scurvy and scalds in the head, and restores 

 lost hair ; applied with oil to the temples, it heals the 

 lethargy, and by putting it to the nape of the neck, pre- 

 vents the apoplexy. Mixed with vinegar it removes all 

 blemishes in the skin, or with other ointments, heals the 

 parts that are cold, and heals the sciatica. Taken inward- 

 ly, it frets the entrails, and scorches the whole body, for 

 that reason, it must be beaten small, and tempered with 

 something that lubricates and allays its heat, and then it 

 purges water and phlegm. Pills of Gum Thistle greasily 

 nelp dropsy, pains in the loins and guts by moisture, but 

 should only be given in desperate cases, as it operates vio- 

 lently. The oil of this plant, if snufled up the nose purgei 

 the head of phlegm, and is good in old and cold pains of 

 the jointo, liver, and spleen, also cold diseases of the nerves 

 and brain, the head-ache, and pains in the side. It cures 

 cold pains in the kidneys, bladder and womb, by anointiug 

 with it. It provokes lust and heals numbness and stif 

 De« of th» pnvitiet proceeding from cold, by anointing. 



