44 BURDOCK. 



water is given in wineglassful to teacupful doses as 

 required. 



Distinctive character Stems 1-2 feet high, with 

 alternate leaves, both harsh, with rigid, bulbous hairs. 

 Leaves linear lanceolate, often undulated. Flowers in 

 curved clusters, irregularly tubular, funnel-shaped, blue. 

 Fruit of four small seed-like pyrenes. Taste, mucila- 

 ginous. Odour, none. 



The common Bugloss, Lycopsis arvensis, Linn., has 

 small wheel-shaped blue flowers and wavy toothed 

 leaves which have also rigid hairs with a bulbous base. 



BURDOCK. Arctium Lapps, Linn. 



N.O. Cowposita. 

 Syn. Lappa, Lappa minor, Hill. 



Parts used Root, herb, seeds (fruits). 



Action Alterative, diuretic, and diaphoretic. It is 

 one of the finest blood purifiers in the herbal system, 

 and should be used in all such cases alone or in con- 

 junction with other remedies. Both root and seed may 

 be taken as a decoction of i ounce to a pint and a half 

 of water, boiled down to i pint, in doses of a wineglass- 

 ful three or four times a day. 



Preparations Fluid extract root : Dose, -2 drachms. 

 Solid extract : Dose, 5-15 grains. Fluid extract, seed: 

 Dose, 10-30 drops. 



Distinctive character The root is usually cut up 

 into pieces an inch or more long and about f inch in 

 thickness, brownish grey externally, shrunken and fur- 

 rowed longitudinally, and whitish internally. The 

 fracture is short and the transverse surface shows a 

 thick bark about a quarter of the diameter of the root, 

 and a central cylinder with a radiate structure, some- 

 times with cavities containing white remains of tissue. 

 Taste, sweetish and mucilaginous. 



Fruits, erroneously called seeds, brownish grey, 

 wrinkled, about inch long and ^ inch in diameter. 



