Ch. Vm. SOUTH AMERICA; 435 



roots by age, they have an claflic quality, yielding with 

 a tremulous motion to the prefllire of the foot, and on 

 its being taken off recover their form. 



In the places where the puchugchu thrives bed^ 

 alfo grows the canchalagua, the virtues of which are 

 well known in Europe. The form of this is like a 

 very thin rufh or ftravv ; bears no leaves, but has a 

 few fmall feeds at its extremity. It is medicinal, and 

 particularly ufeful as a febrifuge ; its tafte is bitter, 

 which iteafily communicates either by infufion or de* 

 co(5i:ion. In this country it is chiefly ufed as a fweet- 

 ener of the blood, though thought to be of a hot qua-* 

 lity. It grows in great quantities, and is found both 

 among the puchugchu, and in other parts on the 

 heath where the cold is lefs intenfe. 



Another plant, not lefs valuable for its virtues, 

 and growing chiefly in thofe dreadful deferts where, 

 either from the feverity of the cold or perpetual 

 fnows, or from the badnefs of the foil, nothing elfe 

 is produced, is found the fo celebrated calaguala ; its 

 height is about fix or eight inches, and naturally 

 fprcads itfelf in thin ftems along the fand, or climbs 

 up the rocks. Thefe branches in their form refem- 

 ble the fibril of the roots of the other plants, being 

 not above two or three lines in their greateft thicknefs, 

 round, and full of little knots, where they bend round 

 like the tendrils of a vine. They have a thin pellicle 

 of a loofe texture, which of itfelf feparates when 

 ths plant dries. The moft fmgular virtue of this, 

 plant is for all kind of impodhumes, internal or ex- 

 ternal, which it difcuffes and heals in a very little 

 time. The manner of adminiftering it is by decodlion, 

 of which a very little ferves •, or, after bruifmg it, to 

 infufe it in wine, and take it failing for three or four 

 days, and no longer, its good effeds in that time 

 being ufually confpicuous ; and being extremely hot, it 

 might prove pernicious, if taken in greater quantity 

 jhan ablblutely neceflary ; for which reafon only three 



F f 2 0r 



