170 CALABASH-TREE. 
the most useful of all our wild plants. For its medi- 
cinal virtues it has long been esteemed. The Italians 
have an adage which implies that " the fox-glove heals 
"all sores:" hence it is said, that they apply the 
bruised leaves, and the juice of the leaves, in the heal- 
ing of different kinds of wounds, and particularly for 
the removal of scrophulous swellings. 
The juice of this plant has a bitter and nauseous 
taste; and, when taken internally, acts violently on the 
stomach and bowels, and brings on stupor and drowsi- 
ness; notwithstanding which, in careful hands, it may 
be rendered a valuable medicine in dropsy, consump- 
tion, and epilepsy. Jt is given in powder, tincture, 
and infusion of the dried leaves; and such is its 
strength, that Dr. Woodville states, the dose of the 
dried leaves, in powder, should not exceed from one to 
three grains per day. 
182. The GALA EASE-TREE (Crescentia cujeta) is a 
production of the West Indies and America, about the height 
and dimensions of an apple-tree, with crooked horizontal branches, 
wedge-shaped leaves, pale white flowers on the trunk and branches, 
and a roundish fruity from two inches to a foot in diameter. 
The uses to which \he fruit of the calabash tree is 
applied are very numerous. Being covered with a 
greenish yellow skin, which encloses a thin, hard, and 
almost woody shell, it is employed for various kinds of 
domestic vessels, such as water cans, goblets, and cups 
of almost every shape and description. So hard and 
close-grained is the calabash, that, when it contains any 
kind of fluid, it may even be put on the fire without 
injury. When intended for ornamental purposes, the 
vessels that are made of the shell of this fruit are some- 
times highly polished, and have figures engraven upon 
them, which are variously tinged with indigo and other 
colours. The Indians make musical instruments with 
the calabash. 
The calabash contains a pale, yellow, juicy pulp, of 
unpleasant taste, which is esteemed a valuable remedy 
in several disorders, both external and internal. 
