A G R 



leaflets, the riiallcft pair being entire, the others deeply 

 ferrated : tlie fruit ftalks are furrouiidcd at the top with a 

 fort of outer calyx, wliich is cloven into five fpcar-fhapcd 

 iiregular fcgments, hairy at the edges and on the outfule ; 

 within this the fruit-flalk is covered with white upright 

 brilUes, above vvliich is a circle of numerous green awns 

 hooked at the end, and within thefc tlie proper calyx of five 

 leaves, fpear-fliapcd, glandular without, marked within with 

 three green lines, terminating with a reddi(h point : the 

 petals are egg-(haped, concave, (lightly notched at the end, 

 twice as lojig as the cup : the flamina from 5 to ij : the 

 jjcrmen crowned with the calyx, and a ycllowifli fielliy re- 

 septacle ; the flowers yellow, in a long thin fpike ; and one 

 feed is frequently abortive. This grows in the borders of 

 «orn fields, ihady places and hedges in Great Britain and 

 moft parts of Europe : it is perennial, and flowers in June and 

 July. The root in fpring is fwect-fcented ; an infufion of it 

 is ufed by the Canadians with great fucecfs, in burning fevers ; 

 and Dr. Hill fays, that an infufior. of fix ounces of the crown 

 c» the root in a quart of boiling water, fweetened with honey, 

 and drank, to the quantity of half a pint, three times a 

 day, is an effeftual cure for the jaundice. He recommends 

 to begin with a vomit, to keep the bowels foluble, and to 

 perfift in the ufe of the medicine as long as any fymptoms 

 ef the difeafe remain. Tiie leaves have a fllghtly bitterifli 

 roughifh tafte, accompanied with an agreeable, though weak, 

 aromatic flavour : the flowers have a ftronger and more 

 agreeable fmell, refembling, when frefh gathered, that of 

 apricots. They readily give out their virtues to water and 

 reftified fpirit : and in diftillation with water, the leaves 

 afford a yello«-i(h eflential oil, with the odour of the herb. 

 This plant has been principally regarded as a mild aftrin- 

 gent and corroborant, and many recommend it as a deob- 

 itruent, efpecially in hepatic and other vifceral obllru£lions. 

 Inftances occur of its fuccefsful ufe in caies where the liver 

 was much enlarged and indurated. It has been ufed with 

 advantage in hemorrhages, and for giving tone to a las 

 and weak ftate of the iohds. In cutaneous diforders, par- 

 ticularly the fcabies, it is faid to have great efficacy : for 

 Avhieh purpofe it was given infufed with liquorice in the 

 form of tea : but, according to Alllon, it (hould be always 

 exhibited in the flate of powder. The country people 

 fometimes apply the leaves by way of cataplafm in contufions 

 and frcfli wounds. When the plant comes into flower, it 

 will dye wool of a good bright full nankeen colour ; and if 

 gathered in September, it yields a darker yellow ; and for 

 the purpofes of the dyers, it deferves further trial. In the 

 Berhn acls, it is recommended for drefling leather. Sheep 

 and goats eat it : Covi's, horfes and fwine refufe it. 



The white agrimony is fmalier than the eomm.on fort, 

 and grows naturally in Italy. The fweet-fcented agrimony 

 grows near four feet high ; its leaves liave more wings 

 tiian tlie former ; they are logger and narrower, and have 

 (harper ferratures ; when handled they emit an agreeable 

 odour. The infufion of the leaves is an agreeable coohng 

 tea to perfons in a fever. This is a native of Italy, and was 

 cultivated here in 1640. 



Martyn's Miller's Diifl. Lewis Mat, Med. p. 28. Murray 

 Mat. Med. vol. iii. p. 148. Withering's Dot, Arr, vol. ii. 

 p. 443. Woodville's Med. Bot. vol. iv. p. 125. Dr. CuUen 

 (Mat, Med. vol. ii. p. 31.) after obferving, that agrimony 

 is now omitted bv the London and Edinburgh colleges, 

 adds, that it flill has more attention given to it than it de. 

 ferves, It has fome altringcnt powers ; but then' are very 

 feeble. Dr. CuUen cxpre/Tes his furprife on finding Dr. Haller 

 and Fruf. Murray repeating after an autlior of fo little 

 «;redlt as Chomtl, that he liad cured a fcliirrous liver by 

 . Vol, T. 



A G 11 



m^aiia. of agrimort)- ; and it feems equally frivolous in 

 Spicllmann to tell uj, that Forreflus had by agrimony broke 

 down a ftone in the bladder, and brougiit it away in pieces 

 by the urine. 



The fecond fpccics is of humble growth ; has longer and 

 narrower pinnae than the former, and the fpikes of flowen 

 are very ifiort and tliick. It multiplies fuller than llie com- 

 mon fort, and the feeds are mucii larger and rougher. It 

 has been furniflied from the botanic garden at Paris, whither 

 it was fent by Mr. 'I'ournefort ; and cidtivated heic by Mr. 

 Miller, in 1739. The third fpecies is a native of the Cape of 

 Good Hope, and is ulually monogynous. Tuc fourth 

 fpecies is a native of Italy and Carniola, in moiil woods and 

 among buflies ; and was cultivated in 1739, by Miller. The 

 fifth fpecies is a native of Nortli America ; and cultivated 

 in 1766, by Mr. Jaines Gordon. 



Thefc plants are hardy and perennial, and will thrive 

 almoll in any foil or iiluation, and require no other care 

 than keeping them cleai from weeds. Tiiey may be propa- 

 gated, by ])arting their roots .in autumn, and planting 

 them at a dillance of at leall tvfo feet ; or by feeds fown iit 

 autumn. 



AGRIMONIA Molucca, is a variety of bidens pilofa. 



AGRIMONOIDES, in Botany, a fpecies of agri. 



MONV. 



AGRIMONTE, or Agromonte, in Geography, a 

 fnall ruined town in the Bafdicata, in the kingdom of Na- 

 ples. E. long. 22° 34'. N. lat. 40" 25'. 



AGRIMONY, u\ Botany. See Agrimonia. 



Agrimony, hemp, in Botany. See EuPATORI^;^f. 



Agrimony, hajlard-'iiemp. See Ageratum. 



Agrimony, water-hemp, in Botany. See BiDEKS. 



AGRINAGARA, in yliiciait Geography, a town of 

 India, on this fide the Ganges ; placed by Ptolemy in long. 

 118° 15', and lat. 22° 30'. 



AGRINIUM, a town placed by Polybius in iluolia. 

 It was on the left of the river Achelous, and north-eall of 

 Thermus. 



AGRIOCARDAMUM. See Cardamine. 



AGRIOCASTANUM, the fame as earth-nut, po- 

 pularly called pig-nut, and arnot. 



AGRIOCINARA, in Botany, a name ufed by fomc 

 authors for that fpecies of wild artichoak, the root of 

 which is ufed inllcad of the cofiiis nigra. 



AG?aOCOCClUELA,OTprum,s/yheJ!r!s. See Plum- 

 tree. 



AGRIOMEI.,A, a name for the crali apple. 



AGRIOMELANZANION, in the BotanicaUrritcrt 

 of the Ancients, a word that has perplexed many of the 

 later writers. The Arabian writers, Avicenna and Sera, 

 pion, ufed the word bedenglan for the iruit of the pomum 

 amoris, a kind of efculent night-fhadc, or folanum, called 

 by the old Greek writers, as Theophraflus, Sic, Jlrychnus, 

 and only diflinguilhed from the other _y?;^'r.'/.'.', or night- 

 Ihades, bv its being defcrihed as Vtholefome, not poifonous. 

 From this Ainibic word ^edengian, the Italians fanned their 

 v.ord mdanzana, and the late Greek writers their melan- 

 zaiiioH, which they ufed as the jiarae of the fame fruit. 

 This, when the plant was cultivated in gardens, was pro. 

 bably larger and fairer than when it grew wild ; but in this 

 latter Hate was not lefs ufed, but v.-as diflinguiflxd by the 

 term agriomelaHXanion, If the Gixjeks, who ufe this ^YOlxl, 

 or the me/anziiiiion, would have «ppropriated tliem to the 

 pomum amoris, and dilUnguiflied thefe from the other night, 

 fhadts, they v.-ould have done icrvice to the world. 



AGRION lignifies the psucedanum, called alfo agrtQ- 

 fhylloriy ..... 



3 I AoRigt}, 



