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the oil. Allionifays that the leaves are too burning and 
inflammatory, and therefore prefers an infufion of the 
root, which he ufed with fuccefs himfelf. The root 
bruifed is laid on the vvrift, to heal the tooth-ach ; it 
leaves a dark lead-coloured mark on the place, very diffi¬ 
cult to be wiped off, whence the name of Plumbago; and, 
if it remains long enough, it burns the fkin, and leaves 
an ulcer. Some put it behind the ear, when it ads as a 
blifter. The Arabs make an ointment, by rubbing the 
leaves with fait and oil, for the itch, tetters, &c. 
2. Plumbago lapathifolia, or dock-leaved leadwort: 
leaves embracing lanceolate even, ftem divaricating. This 
refembles the preceding, but is manifeftly different; the 
Item being higher, the branches longer and divaricated, 
the leaves much larger and fmooth, and the flowers only 
half the fize. Native of Iberia. 
3. Plumbago Capenfis, or Cape leadwort: leaves petio- 
led, oblong, entire, glaucous underneath ; ftem ereCt. This 
has a flower of a delicate light blue, forming a pretty con- 
traftwith thofe of the European fort when they are brought 
together. It is reprefented on the fame Plate, at fig. 3. 
The ftem is flirubby, ered, and flexuofe. Leaves obovate, 
obtufe, narrowed at the bafe and decurrent down, the 
foot-ftalk, pale underneath. Two moon-fhaped ftipules 
at the bafe of the petiole; and feveral fmaller leaves from 
the axils. Inflorefcence a terminal fpike of feveral flow¬ 
ers, of a pale blue colour; calyx feffile, oblong, five¬ 
angled, the upper half covered with vifcid glandular 
hairs, lower half naked; corolla large ; tube ah inch long; 
limb fpreading ; lacinite obovate, quite entire, pale blue 
with a deeper-coloured ftripe in the middle. Stamens the 
length of the tube ; filaments thread-like ; anthers incum¬ 
bent, blue. Style fhorter than the tube. A handfome little 
greenhoufe fhrub. Native of the Cape of Good Hope. 
Found by Thunberg near Kabeljaus Rivier, where it 
flowers in November and December. Communicated 
by Meflrs. Colville and Son, in Auguft 18:9. Curtis, 
N° 2110. 
4. Plumbago Zelanica, or Ceylon leadwort; leaves pe- 
tioled, ovate, fmooth; ftem filiform. This is a perennial 
plant, with a ftrong fibrous root, from which arife many 
flender (talks, growing near four feet high. Leaves about 
three inches long, and an inch and a half broad near their 
bafe, ending in acute points ; they are alternate, and on 
fhort f'oot-ftalks. The upper part of the ftalks divides into 
fmall branches, having fmaller leaves on them, and termi¬ 
nating in fpikes of flowers. The upper part of the ftalks, 
and the calyx of the flowers, are very glutinous, flicking 
to the fingers, and entangling fmall flies that fettle on 
them. Native of the Eaft Indies and of the Society Ifles. 
Cultivated in 1731, by Mr. Miller. It flowers from April 
to September. 
5. Plumbago rofea, or rofe-coloured leadwort: leaves 
petioled, ovate, fmooth, fomewhat toothletted ; ftem with 
gibbous joints. This is a flirubby plant, which frequently 
grows to the height of four or five feet, and is perpetually 
putting forth flowering fpikes ; thefe continue a long time, 
and hence, with proper management, it may be kept in 
flow’er during moft of the year. The parts of fructification, 
whether we regard their colour or ftructure, are highly 
deferving of notice. The calyx has capitate glutinous 
hairs fcattered over it; the filaments are dilated at the 
bafe and arched. Capfule fuperior, clothed with the per¬ 
manent calyx, ovate-oblong, ending in the fubulate-feta- 
ceous ftyle, obfcurely five-cornered; feed oblong, acumi¬ 
nate above, of a dark blood-red or ferruginous colour, 
fufpended by a filiform umbilical chord, fpringing from 
the bafe of the capfule. Native of the Eaft Indies ; intro¬ 
duced into this country in 1777, by the late John Fother- 
gill, M.D. 
6. Plumbago fcandens, or climbing leadwort: leaves 
petioled, ovate, fmooth ; ftem flexuofe-fcandent. Stem 
fuffruefcent, fcandent, fometimes decumbent, loofe flex¬ 
uofe, branched, round, ftriated, fmooth. Native of South 
America and Jamaica, in dry hedges. The calyx lent 
P L U 
by Jacquin proves his plant to be a fpecies diftinCt from 
this. Lamarck diftinguilhes this from P. Zeylanica, by 
the fegments of the corolla not being mucronate; where¬ 
as Swartz fays that they have a very lhort point in the 
middle. It was introduced here in 1778, by Henry de 
Ponthieu, efq. and flowers in July and Auguft. 
7. Plumbago auriculata, or eared leadwort: leaves ovate- 
oblong, petioled, fcaly, dotted underneath; petioles eared, 
embracing. Native of the Eaft Indies. 
8. Plumbago triftis, or dark-flowered leadwort: leaves 
obovate, abrupt, fmooth. Native of the Cape of Good 
Hope, from whence it was fent to Kew by Mr. Mafion, in 
1792. This is a greenhoufe fhrub, flowering in May and 
June. 
Propagation and Culture. The firft fort is increafed 
by parting the roots in the autumn, when the Items decay, 
and planting them in a dry foil; they fhould afterwards 
be kept clean from weeds, and have proper fupport. The 
other forts fhould be raifed from feeds, which fhould be 
fown in pots in the fpring, and plunged in hot-beds. 
They likewife may fometiines be railed by planting flips 
and cuttings in pots, and plunging them in the fame 
forts of hot-beds. Thefe are all ornamental flowering 
plants; the firft in the pleafure-grounds, and the others 
in pots among hot-houfe collections. 
PLUMBA'RIA, in ancient geography, an ifland 
fituated on the coaft of Spain, near the promontory Dia- 
nium, according to Strabo. 
PLUMBA'TAi, J'. among the ancients, a kind- of 
fcourge, the thongs of which were armed with lead. 
Plumbat/e likewife fignified leaden balls, ufed by fol- 
diers to annoy the enemy with. 
PLUMfBEAN, or Plumbeous, adj. [plumbous , Lat.] 
Conlifting of lead ; refembling lead.— Aplumbean flexible 
rule. Ellis's Knowledge of Divine Things. 
PLUM'BERjJi [plombier, Fr. from plumbum, Lat. lead.} 
One who works upon lead. Commonly pronounced 
plummer. 
PLUM'BERY, f Works of lead ; the manufactures of 
a plumber.—The reft; are damned to the plumbery. Bp. 
Hall’s Sat. 
Plumbery, includes the whole art of carting, prepa¬ 
ring, and working, lead; and of ufingitin buildings, See, 
The lead ufed in plumbery is furnifhed from the lead- 
works in large ingots, or blocks, called pigs of lead. 
As this metal melts with little heat, it is eafy to eaft 
figures of it, of any kind, by running it into moulds of 
brafs, clay, plafter, &c. But the chief articles in plum¬ 
bery are Jhetls and pipes of lead. Of the various modes 
of forming leaden pipes, we have already fpoken under 
that article. It remains, therefore, that we give a de- 
feription of the method of carting Jheet-lead. 
The lead deftined for this ufe is melted in a large caul¬ 
dron or furnace, ufually built with free-ftone and earth, 
fortified on the outfide with a maflive of ihards and plaf¬ 
ter. At the bottom of it is a place funk lower than 
the reft, in which is difpofed an iron pot, or pan, to re¬ 
ceive what may remain of the metal after the (beet is run. 
The furnace is fo raifed above the area of the floor, as that 
the iron pot juft refts on it. To ufe the furnace, they 
heat it with wood laid within it; that done, they throw 
in the lead at random with the burning coals, to melt. 
Near the furnace is the table, or mould, on which the 
lead is to be eaft. This confilts of large pieces of wood, 
well jointed, and bound with bars of iron at the ends. 
Around it runs a frame, confifting of a ledge or border 
of wood, two or three inches thick, and one or two high 
from the table, called the Jharps. The ordinary width of 
the table, or mould, is from three to four feet; and the 
length from eighteen to twenty feet. At any rate, it 
fhould be fomething longer than the fheets are intended 
to be, in order that the end where the metal runs off from 
the mould may be cut off, becaufe it is commonly thin or 
uneven, or ragged at the end. It mult ltand very even or 
level in breadth, and fomething falling from the end in 
which 
