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SYLYA FLOR1FEKA. 



sidered of such efficacy, that drinking-cups 

 were made out of this wood for those that 

 laboured under this complaint ; and the phy- 

 sicians ordered their patients to eat out of 

 dishes formed from tamarisk-wood. 



The magicians used it to impose upon the 

 credulous by their pretended magical powers; 

 and they ascribed qualities to this plant too 

 much against common reason and decency to 

 mention. Pliny mentions its use for besoms 

 amongst the Romans. 



It is found abundantly on the mountains of 

 Dauria and Caucasus in the Russian empire ; 

 and the Russians and Tartars use a decoction 

 of the twigs in the gout and rheumatism, and 

 contusions of the limbs, as a fomentation ; 

 they also drink it in case of internal injury. 

 They make handles for whips, &c. of the 

 wood. 



Dr. Smith remarked this plant in great 

 plenty in Italy, about Sinigaglia, and all along 

 the hedges near the sea, where the sheep pre- 

 ferred it to every other food, never touching 

 any other vegetable while that remained. It 

 grows plentifully also on the coast in Algiers, 

 as well as in Japan. In some places it grows 

 to a tree of middle size ; but in England it 

 remains as a shrub, seldom exceeding fourteen 

 or sixteen feet in height 



