Chap. 7 5 2. Unglijh Herbs . 
i 
TVtfr, in the Native Places of its Growth , (but \ot 
every Ttur with us , in our Colder Climates \ ) which 
Stalk Jpreads its felf out into feveral Branches, 
on which grow divers Flowers, fomewhat large , and 
hanging downwards, conjifling of fix Leaves, with 
divers Veins , of a weak reidijh or blujh color, 
fpread on the back of the three outward Leaves , 
from the middle to the bottom , but not reaching to 
the edge of any Leaf, Thefe flowers abide not long, 
but quickly fall away, without bearing any Seed in 
our Cold Countries. 
VI. This Plant is thus deferibed by Gerard. 
It has a great Root, thick and Tuberous, very 
knotty, and fu/l of Juice, which is fomewhat 
facet in Tqfle, but of a Pernicious Quality, from 
which Root, rifes up immediately very many Leaves 
round the head thereof the Stalks of which arc 
about a Cubit long, holloaed like a Gutter or Trough, 
very fmootb, and of a green color , like unto that 
c) Woad. The edges of the Leaves arefbarp, like 
the edge of a Knife, and of a brown color. The 
point of the Leaf is a Prickle, asjharp as a Needle ; 
and the whole thereof being well viewed, is not much 
unlike to a Wherry, or fome fuch like Boar. Thefe 
Leaves are alfo very tough, hard to break, and not 
eafie to be cut, except the Knife be very fharp. 
To this Defcription, Johnfon upon Gerard alfo 
farther adds. In fome Tears (fays he ,) it puts 
forth a pretty (tiff, round Stalk, fame three 
Cubits high, divided into divers unequal Branches, 
earning very many pretty large flowers, J hoped 
fomewhat like thofc of FritiUaria, but that they 
arc narrower at their bottoms ; the Leaves of the 
flower are fix in number, which are of a white 
color on their inftie, but on the out fide, of an over- 
worn reddijh color, from the footflalk to the midjl 
of the Leaf-, fo that it is a flower of no gnat Beau- 
ty, but is only cflecmed for its rarity. 
VII. T be Places. The two firft grow in moft 
places of America , from Florida to Peru, and 
about the Straights of Magellan, as alfo in the 
Illands of the Ocean, as in Jamaica, Barbadoes, 
and others of the Caribbee and Leeward lflands, 
even in thofe places where they had Maize, or 
Indian Wheat. The third or lalt of them, grows 
alfo in all, or moft places in the Weft- Indies, 
where the two former grow, from the Southern 
parts of Brazil and Chili, to the Cape of I ’lori- 
da •, and in moft of the Canabal lflands , and 
other Countries neat adjacent to them ; as like- 
wife in our- Englijh Plantations, as in Virginia, 
Maryland , New-England, Etc. as it is conftantly 
affirmed. 
VIII. The Times. The Seafons wherein the 
fitft and fecond Flower and Seed ate uncertain, 
and thereof Authors have faid nothing. The third 
or laft, Flowers about the middle or latter end of 
July, the Flowers falling away within a little time 
after they have been blown open ; but as for its 
Seed, it has neto been obferved to come to perfefti- 
on with us. As tp its Leaves, Gerard fays that 
they kept Green both Winter and Summer, in his 
Garden, without any covering upon them to de- 
fend them, notwithttanding the injury or infelicity 
of out cold Climate. 
IX. The Qualities. Of thefe forts of Plants, 
the Roots ate only of ufe. The Juice of the fir li 
is hot and dry in the fourth degree ; Volatile in 
the higheft degree, and Deleterious or Poifonous ; 
and fo is the Root it felf, if eaten whilft it is 
frelh and moift ; but when dry, or reduced into 
Flower, it is temperate in refpefb to heat or cold- 
nefs, drynefsor moifture, being perfeftly free from 
any Vencne or malign Quality, and fit for Food 
and Nouriftiment of the Body. The Juice of .the 
2 95 
fecond , is affirmed by fome to be free from any 
Poifonous or hurtful Qualities, whereas others fay, 
it has the fame L deleterious Qualities with the firft. 
I know nothing of it by Experience, but if the Root 
is of the nature of Spanijh Potatoes , as is affirmed, 
it muftbe Innocent enough ; and the Root it felf, 
anfwers to all the Intentions of the firft Plant. The 
raw Juice of the third , is faid to be Deadly, or ve- 
ry dangerous, like to the Juice of the firlt. Aidi- 
ng relates, that a Wound made in his Hand by 
the ffiarp Prickle or point at the Leafs end, gave 
him fuch intolerable Pains as almoft Diftrafled 
him, (which fhews the Malignity of its Subtil and 
Volatile parts,) and that he could have no eafe tilL 
he applyed his own Balfam thereto, which cured it. 
But the dryed Root, or the Flower thereof, is in- 
nocent, temperate as to heat or cold, and dry in 
the firlt degree, fit to make Food of, in like man- 
ner as the former. 
X. The Specification . Authors have aferibed no 
Virtues to thefe Plants $ but if we may make an 
Eftimate of them, from the confideration of their 
Roots being received as Food, and nourilhing Man- 
kind, making him to increafe in Subftance and 
Strength it is rational to believe that they are 
reftorative in Confumptions, comfort and refrefh 
weak and decayed Nature, accordingly as they 
may be applyed to thofe purpofes : And as they 
are of a drying Quality, fo they may be Aftrin- 
gent, and lo be profitable to Itop Fluxes of the 
Bowels -, this we fpeak as to the Root it felf. 
And as to the Juice, when it is well prepared, fo 
as to be divelied of its Deleterious and Poifonous 
Qualities, it may be of excellent ufe to allay the 
heat of Fevers, quench Thirft, cure fore Mouths 
and Throats, and the like as alfo to chear and 
refrefh the Vital Spirits, when oppreft and weak- 
ned thro 1 Cares, Affli&ions, Melancholy, Pertur- 
bations of the Mind, or any prelent Heterogene 
matter depreffing them. 
XI. The Preparations. You may prepare from 
the Juices of all thefe Plants, but efpecially from 
the Juice of the firft of them, i. A Drink. 2. A 
Vinegar. 3. ARoborSapa. And from the dryed Root, 
1. A Flower. 2. Cazavi, or a Fine White fort of 
Bread ^ the like of which may be prepared from 
both the fecond and third forts alfo. 
XII. An Obfervation. That the Juice of the 
firft of thefe Plants, (if not of the other two) is an 
Egregious Poifon, Experience, as well as the Tefti- 
mony of Authors, has fufficiently afeertain’d ^ and 
that it is a Poifon of that indubitable Efficacy, 
that it certainly Kills in a very fliort time after the 
taking of it ; whilft the Root it felf when dryed, 
and the Juice when fufficiently boiled, have not 
the lealt of any fuch Qualities in them ^ the 
daily Eating and Drinking of them for many (cores 
of Years, have allur'd us that they h3veno malign 
or hurtful Qualities in them, but abfolutely on the 
contrary, are Confervatory to the Health, Strength 
and Life of Mankind, which feems to be a kind of 
Paradox * fince other Poifons, neither drying, boil- 
ing, nor even burning, can alter their innate Pro- 
perties. The like is to be faid of Opium , that the 
Pouder of that Succulent Gum being gradually dry- 
ed, has not the leaft Deleterious property in it, 
(what ever it had before) but on the contrary, in- 
ftead of making Sick at Stomach, caufing Vomi- 
tings, Convulfions, Faintings and Swoonings (as it 
has done in multitudes of People,) does reftore and 
comfort the Tone of the Stomach, chear and enliven 
the Patient, and profligates the prelent Evil beyond 
all that poflibly it could do, whilft it retained with- 
in it, its Native Deleterious humidity * this is a 
. Note worthy of Obfervation. 
fc XIII. It 
