BOT 



BUT 



very wholesome ; while those that inhabit 

 low and watery places are usually among 1 

 the most virulent and deadly of all poi- 

 sons, whatever. Oenanthe crocata poi- 

 sons by its scent in a room, causing head- 

 aches, nausea, and swoonings. Cicuta 

 virosa, if eaten by cattle unawares, while 

 under water, kills them, as Linnieus in- 

 forms us, with the most horrible symp- 

 toms. The mallow tribe, or Columnife- 

 rx, so called from bearing their stamens 

 in a columnar form, are all emollient, 

 abounding with a mucilaginous juice, 

 without taste and smell, very useful in 

 internal irritations. To this, probably, 

 Horace alludes, when he speaks of Izeves 

 malvzc,and not to any external smoothness 

 of the plants mentioned, which, by their 

 soft and downy leaves, would rather 

 claim the epithet of molles. The liliace- 

 ous family are often very dangerous, es- 

 pecially their bulbous roots, from some 

 of which the wild natives of southern 

 Africa are said to obtain a poison for their 

 darts. The natural order of grasses are, 

 as every one knows, wholesome through- 

 out ; for the intoxicating effects recorded 

 of Luliurn temulentum can hardly be 

 deemed an exception. The beneficent 

 Author of Nature has usually indicated 

 the wholesome qualities of plants by an 

 agreeable smell or taste, while dangerous 

 ones are endued with contrary flavours. 

 The berries of deadly nightshade, Jltropa 

 beUadonna^vc indeed an exception to this, 

 but a rare one. 



When we speak here of plants as being 

 wholesome or poisonous, it must be un- 

 derstood only with a reference to our own 

 species, and those animals which most 

 approach us in shape and constitution, as 

 quadrupeds, and even of these some form 

 an exception. Thus goats prefer and 

 thrive upon the most acrid plants, which 

 blister the stomachs, or even hands, of the 

 human species, as clematis, anemone, ra- 

 nunculus, &c. Insects, in general, feed 

 on the most virulent herbs, which no 

 other animals can taste, and thus such 

 are turned to account in the general plan 

 of nature. The art of cookery renders 

 many vegetables wholesome to man, that 

 without it would be far otherwise, as the 

 potatoe, which is a species of nightshade, 

 or Solanum, and many fruits are rendered 

 much more salutary in consequence of 

 being dressed. The cassava bread of the 

 West Indies is made of the highly acrid 

 Jatropha, purified by washing and drying. 

 A number of further observations might 

 be added ; but the above are sufficient to 

 shew the use of botanical science in a me- 



dical point of view. The necessity that 

 those who make use of highly powerful 

 plants for the cure of diseases should 

 know one plant from another is evident. 

 We have known the useless Lythrum sa- 

 licaria gathered, and sold to the apothe- 

 cary, for fox-glove, and the sweet, inactive 

 chervil for the powerful hemlock; we 

 have also known henbane taken, for clary. 

 A little science will guard against such 

 mistakes. The "Medical Botany" of the 

 late Dr. Woodville, so extensive in its 

 sale amony country practitioners, has per- 

 haps done more to prevent them than 

 most other books; but the liberal and 

 dignified physician should be able, by 

 more philosophical means, not only to 

 guard against mistakes and mischief, but, 

 by new inquiries and studies, to advance 

 the healing art. 



BOTE, in our old law-books, signifies 

 recompence or amends : thus manbote, 

 is a compensation for a man slain. 



There are likewise house-bote and 

 plough-bote, privileges to tenants of cut- 

 ting wood for making ploughs, repairing 

 tenements, and likewise for fuel. 



BOTRYCHIUM, in botany, a genus of 

 the Cryptogamia Filices class and order : 

 capsule nearly globular, distinct, cluster- 

 ed in a raceme-like spike ; one-celled, 

 opening from the top to the base. There 

 are five species. 



BOTTLE, a small vessel proper for 

 holding liquors. We say a glass bottle, a 

 stone bottle, a leathern bottle, a wooden 

 bottle, a sucking bottle. Of glass bottles 

 no mention occurs before the 15th centu- 

 ry: for the "Amphorae vitre<e" of Petro- 

 nius, to the necks of which were affixed 

 labels, expressing the name and age of 

 the wine, appear to have been large jars, 

 and to have formed part of the many un- 

 common articles, by which the voluptua- 

 ry Trimalchio wished to distinguish him- 

 self. It is, however, singular, that these 

 convenient vessels were not thought of at 

 an earlier period, especially as among the 

 small funeral urns of the ancients many 

 are to be found, which, in shape, resem- 

 ble our bottles. 



Beckman conceives that he discovers 

 the origin of our bottles in the figure of 

 the Syracusan wine-flasks. Charpentier 

 cites, from a writing of the year 1387, an 

 expression, which seems to allude to one 

 of our glass bottles ; but this, attentively 

 considered, refers merely to cups, or 

 drinking glasses. The name boutiaux, or 

 boutilles, occurs in the French language 

 for the first time in the 15th century; but 

 if it were more ancient, it would prove 



