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serpents. They are diuretic, and the juice 

 pressed out of the tendrils, or young shoots, 

 of brambles stamped, and afterwards reduced 

 into the consistency of honey by standing in 

 the sun, is, says the above author, " a singu- , 

 lar medicine taken inwardly, or applied out- 

 wardly, for all the diseases of the mouth and 

 .eyes, as well as for the quinsy," &c. The 

 young shoots, eaten as a salad, will fasten 

 teeth that are loose. The roots of the bram- 

 ble, boiled in wine, were esteemed one of the 

 best astringents by the Roman physicians, 

 who preferred the juice of blackberries to that 

 of mulberries for the infirmities of the mouth. 

 Brookes says, " the fruit, when ripe, is cool- 

 ing, and quenches thirst ; and the leaves 

 pounded, and applied to ringworms, and ul- 

 cers of the legs, will heal them in a short 

 time." Boerhaave affirms, that the roots 

 taken out of the earth in February or March, 

 and boiled with honey, are an excellent re- 

 medy against the dropsy. 



The jam made from blackberries is now 

 much used in sore throats caused by colds, 

 and is given in slight fevers. 



The juice of blackberry mixed with raisin 

 wine, before it has fermented, will give it both 

 the colour and flavour of claret. 



There is a kind of this fruit, called rubus 



