220 OBSTACLES TO THE 
ton-thiftle in cancerous cafes ; but from 
neglect of reading the antients* this fpe- 
cific is almoft forgot. 
1 6. 
NegleB of a method in exhibiting medicines. For 
inftance, phyficians expert thofe vertues from 
a'dryed plant, or in a decoCtion, which is not 
to be found but in the frefh plant, or from its 
expreffed juice. Hence it may jufily be ex- 
pected from apothecaries, that they fet about 
cultivating plants ; that fuch, as ought to be 
ufed frefh, may be had daily from their gar- 
dens. 
The hedge hyffop , when frefh, purges very 
fmartly and vomits ; when old it produces 
no ehfeCt at all. The diuretic vertue of 
our water flag , which is very confiderable, 
when the plant is frefh, intirely goes off, 
when it is kept long. Therefore we ought 
to expeCt this vertue from the expreffed 
juice, and not from a decoCtion of it. 
The ft one crop , when dry, has none of that 
efficacy in the fcurvy, which is found in it, 
when frefh. The fame may be faid of the 
houfe-leek , the juice of which is celebrated 
by the Hottentots. The radijh^ the fcurvy - 
graft y the horfe radiflo , the garden , water y 
and 
