IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSIC. 217 
ranked amongft the emollients , although 
not one among all the umbilliferous kind 
that i know of, is famous for this quality. 
The people of America ought to give 
the mitreola , Hort. Cliff, for the bite of 
ferpents inftead of the ophiorrhiza *, which 
if they were to do, they would hardly 
ever fail of fucqefs, if botanifts be not 
greatly miftaken. 
* 3 - 
' Phe neglect of vulgar medicines eafily to be pro- 
cured. For we owe the very belt of our me- 
dicines to the vulgar, w’ho have been taught 
the ufe. of them by neceffitv, and conceal 
them as fecrets. 
We learned the ufe of the mezereon in the 
cancer from the countrey people. The 
noble liverwort is reckoned a fpecific in 
hypochondriac affe< 5 tions by the Goth- 
landers. The linntea is commonly ufed 
by the Oftrobothnians in gouty pains. 
The common people ufe pepper often- 
times very injudicioufly in acute diftem- 
pers ; in eruptive fevers under certain 
circumffances very rightly. The coun- 
trey people taught us the vertues of the 
thrujh-mofs for fore throats j of the hop 
in 
