0362 



the Athenians made their crowns and thyrsi out of ivy. 



1 he ivy's berries are purgative. Some country folk take up to ten or twelve of 

 them to achieve a substantial clearing, but this treatment is no longer used medically 

 because it's too powerful. Ivy leaves are often used to cover cauteries and vesicants to 

 keep them fresh; they don't seem to have any other properties. As a decoction they can 

 cleanse old ulcers, and they're used for getting rid of vermin. 



In some areas of the south drops of resin called ivy gum are extracted from 

 incisions made in the stems; it's used in painting to make varnish. 



CULTIVATION. There's a cultivated variety with variegated leaves that can be 

 useful for covering unsightly old walls. 



KEY TO PLATE. 



580. Common ivy. 1. Lower leaf. 2. Complete flower. 3. Corymb of fruit. 



