a2. ‘NATURAL HISTOR¥a) > om 
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MANDRAKE PLANT, . 
“Tats plants of two fpecies : One is the common, 
and has a round fruit called the male mandrake ; the 
other has a purple flower, and is called the female 
mandrake. The leaves of the former rife immediately | 
from the root, and are about a foot long. and broader 
than a man’s hand, of a {mooth furface, deep green 
colour, and of a difagreeable fmel& Ihe flowers of 
both are fhaped like a bell, which leave a foft globu- 
lar fruit containing many feeds, fhaped like a kidney. 
‘The root, according to fome naturalifts, reprefenis 
the lower parts of a man, and is therefore called an- 
thropomorpha, which, in Greek, fignifies the figure 
ofaman. But this feigned refemblance of the human 


form is only devifed. by the cunning of quacksand. — 
impoftors, who ‘deceive the ignorant by forming the 
frefh roots ef briony and other plants into thefe re- 
femblances. There is likewife another ridiculous 
fable devifed refpecting this plant; which is, that as 
it is certain death to thofe who root it from its parent 
mould, the ftem is tied to a dog’s tail, and thus it is 
taken from the earth in order to prevent the above 
difaiter happening to any of the human fpecies.—1T he 
report of the mandrake crying like a child, when-torn 
from its foil, is equally falfe and ridiculous; for ma- 
ny of this plant have been removed without any other 
ettects than thofe attendant on the removal of all 
deep rooted vegetables.. But what deferves credit . 
relative to the mandrake is, that the roots will remain 
found above fifty years, and retain all the vigour of © 
the moft youthful plants : They fhould never be re- 
moved after their roots have arrived to any confider- 
able fize, left the lower fibres fhould be broken, and 
thus the growth of the plant be diminifhed,” and its 
r 
, 
t 
ftrength debilitated ; if thus injured, they will not re- — 
cover their former vigour in lefs than two or three 
years. Both the male and female mandrake grow in 
hot climates, and ‘are moftly found in plains. They — 
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