OirLPXPBR*8 OOlfPLVTE HIRBAL. 883 



leaves grow in clusters from certain small protuberancef 

 in the bark ; they are oblong, smooth on the surface, en- 

 tire at the edges, and of a dark green colour. The flowers 

 are so numerous aa to make the branches appear almost 

 the whole length, of a beautiful red colour ; sometimes, 

 however, they are white. The seed grows single, nearly 

 round, and of a fleshy substance. 



Place and Time, — It is found wild in several parts of 

 England and is kept in most gardens for the beautiful ap- 

 pearance it makes in January, February, and March, the 

 months in which it flowers. 



Oovemment and Virtues. — It is Saturnine. The whole 

 plant has an exceeding acrid biting taste, and is very cor- 

 rosive. An ointment prepared from the bark, or the ber- 

 ries is a serviceable application to foul ill-conditioned ul- 

 cers. A decoction made of a dram of the bark of the root 

 in three pints of water, till one pint is wasted, and this 

 quantity taken in the course of a day, for a considerable 

 time together, has been found very efficacious in resolving 

 and dispersing venereal swellings and excrescences. The 

 bark of the root, or the inner bark of the branches, is to 

 be used, but it requires caution in the administration, and 

 must only be given to people of robust constitutions, and 

 very sparingly even to those ; for if given in too large a 

 dose, or to a weakly person, it will cause bloody stools and 

 vomiting ; it is good in dropsy and other stubborn disor- 

 ders. A light infusion is the best mode of giving it. 



GARDEN MINT, or GARDEN SPEAR -('i/en/Aa 

 Viridia.) 



Descrip. — This Mint has many souare stalks, which, in 

 good ground, will grow to two or three feet hi^h, having 

 two long fiharp-pointed leaves, set opposite at a ]oint, with- 

 out footstalks, nigh-veined underneath, thinly serrated at 

 the edges. The flowers grow in long spikes on the tops of 

 the stiilks, set on verticillatim, being small and purplish, 

 having a galea and labella so small, that they are hardly 

 perceiveablk a white, long pontel standing out of their 

 mouths. The root creeps and spreads much in the earth, 

 being long and slender. The leaves, stalks, and flowers, 

 have a pleasant and agreeable smell. 



Place, — It is planted in gardens. 



TiJiK.— It flowers in July. 



Oov€nmerU and KirruM.— It Li an herb of Venus, and 



