PRIVET. 145 



ture of red to blue paper ; but the flowers and 

 fruit give it much deeper. From this and 

 the chemical analysis, it was conjectured that 

 there was an aluminous salt involved in a great 

 deal of sulphur in the leaves, but that this 

 salt is very much disengaged from it in the 

 flowers and fruit. It yields a great quantity 

 of oil and acid liquor by distillation, as well 

 as a little urinous spirit. All these principles 

 mixed together, are thought to render the 

 privet very detersive. 



, The gargarisms made of 'the juice or dis- 

 tilled water of this plant, were formerly much 

 used for the diseases of the throat, as they 

 were supposed to dry away ulcers, and also 

 to assuage the inflammations of the eyes, and 

 scalds, &c, and were said to stop the spitting 

 of blood, and cure haemorrhages. 



This plant is indigenous to most tem- 

 perate climes, but it is said not to be 

 found in Poland. The Greeks called it <fox- 

 Aupea (Phillurea), the Latins Ligustrum, the 

 Arabians Mahaleb. In Spanish it is named 

 Alfena and Alhena, in Portuguese Alfena, in 

 Italian Ginstrico, in German Liguster Rhein- 

 weden, and Mundholtz, in Russian Schost, in 

 Dutch Keelcruyt) in French Troene, and in 

 English it was formerly called Prim, Print, 

 and Primprint, from being, as is supposed, 



VOL. II. L 



