250 DANDELION. 



vulgar name by which it is famihar to children, the French 

 Pissenlit*, and equivalent synonymes in other languages, indicate 

 the long and general acquaintance of the people with its diu- 

 retic qualities. 



The flowers of the Dandelion are very sensible to atmo- 

 spheric changes, regularly opening in the morning in fine wea- 

 ther, and closing in rainy weather and at night. When the sun's 

 rays first touch them on a summer's morning, this sensibility is 

 rendered very obvious in the motion of the florets. 



This plant is greedily devoured by hogs, it is relished also 

 by goats, but sheep and cows dislike it, and horses invariably 

 refuse it. Many small birds live on the seeds. 



Qualities and general Uses. — In spring, when the leaves 

 are tender and nearly white, they are used as a salad in many 

 parts of the continent, and occasionally by the poorer class in 

 this country. In France, the blanched leaves are eaten with 

 bread and butter. The root dried and roasted has been pro- 

 posed as a substitute for coffee, for which purpose it is quite as 

 well adapted as Succory. Murray states that a decoction of 

 it is used by the poor of Gottingen, who find it to resemble 

 coffee in no slight degree. The roots are also eaten raw as a 

 salad, and are boiled by the Germans like salsafry and scor- 



zonera. 



The leaves and stem, but particularly the root, abound in a 

 milky juice, which is inodorous and slightly bitter, accompanied 

 with a sweetish saline taste. It reddens the vegetable blues 

 according to Hermbstadt, by the tartaric acid it contains. The 

 other constituents are supposed to be extractive matter, gluten, 

 and a bitter principle, which does not appear to be resinous. 

 Dr. John detected caoutchouc in the juice, notwithstanding 

 ether has scarcely any effect upon it. Water extracts its vir- 

 tues better than alcohol. Infusion of galls, solutions of nitrate 

 of silver, nitrate of mercury, acetate of lead, and sulphate of 

 iron precipitate its decoction, and are therefore incompatible 

 with it. Neither the expressed juice, nor the extrac^t will keep 



• Many a little wight may be seen shrinking with horror lest he should 

 touch the plant, and experience the unfortunate effects which popular 

 tradition has attached to mere contact with it. Experience probably soon 

 renders him bold, and he may then be seen blowing off the featheiy fruit, 

 when ripe, to find out " what's o'clock." 



