Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

FAMILY HERBAL. 101
The Cubed Plant. Cubeba.
A CLAMBERING plant of the warm climates,
but unknown in this part of the world, until
described by those who have been where it grows.
The stalks are weak, angulated, and reddish ; the
leaves are broad and short, and the flowers small ;
the fruit is of the bigness of a pepper corn, but a
little oblong, and grows on a long and very slender
foot stalk.
This fruit is the "part used ; the druggists keep
it. It is a warm and pleasant spice good against
weaknesses of the stomach, in colics, and in palsies,
and all nervous disorders. But it is seldom used
alone.
The Cucumber Plant. Cucumis hortensis.
A CREEPING straggling plant sufficiently
known. The stalks are a yard or two long, thick,
but spread upon the ground, angulated and hairy.
The leaves are broad deeply indented, and very
rough, and of a bluish green colour ; the flowers
are large and yellow. The fruit is long and thick;
the ?eeds are used in medicine, and the fruit should
be suffered to stand till very ripe before they are
gathered. They arc cooling and diuretic, good
against stranguries, and all disorders of the urinary
passages; the best way of giving them is bea-t up
to an emulsion with barley water.
The Wild Cucumber. Cucumis asininus.
THIS, though called wild, is not a native of
England. It spreads upon the ground in the
manner of the other cucumber, and its branches
grow to a considerable length ; they are thick,