174 Roots. 



by the most skilful physicians of that country, and taken by 

 the mandarins with the flattering hope of having their exist- 

 ence prolonged by its powers. It is propagated by sowing the 

 seeds in the autumn, soon after they are ripe, which come up in 

 the spring, but if the seeds are kept until the spring they seldom 

 succeed. The earth should be light and of considerable depth, 

 for the root cannot make its way through chalk or gravel ; and 

 when the soil is wet these plants do not prosper, as they are apt 

 to rot during the winter; but in good light earth and in warm 

 situations, the Mandrake root will continue sound longer than 

 the life of man. It should never be removed after it has attained 

 any considerable size ; as it is hardly possible to take it up with- 

 out Wreaking the lower fibres, which so stints the plant that, al- 

 though it may live, it seldom recovers its former strength. 



Pliny observes, that for medicinal purposes, the plant should 

 be taken up about the time of vintage, as it is then fullest of its 

 powerful juice. The same author observes, that in some coun- 

 tries they eat the fruit or berries of this plant ; but those who do 

 not understand the manner of preparing them, sometimes lose 

 their tongue, and become dumb after eating them. We learn both 

 from ancient and modern writers, that the Mandrake root is an 

 anodyne and soporific of a dangerous nature, if not administered 

 with great judgment, as it has been known to excite maniacal 

 fury, and has sometimes proved to be a mortal narcotic. The 

 berries have, however, been eaten without producing this effect; 

 but we cannot help condemning all such idle experiments, since 

 it is known that the seeds certainly possess deleterious qualities. 



Roots, 



It has been well observed that a root is never green, even when 

 exposed to the air and light Its principal office seems to be to 

 fix the plant to the earth, and supply it with nourishment. The 

 mode in which it fulfils the former office is evident enough, but 

 the latter needs some explanation. We have before mentioned 

 the little bundle of leech-like mouths or tubes, called spongioses; 

 these are endowed with a peculiar power of only sucking up and 



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