Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

172 FAMILY HERBAL,
round, blunt, ridged', and angulated, and composed
of It is
joints.
hollow, weak, and seldom supports
itself tolerably upright. The branches are
of the same structure, and they are again branch-
of the
ed ; they grow several from every joint
main stal-k, and have others again, though in less
number, growing from their joints. The whole
plant is of a green colour, and when bruised, not of
a very agreeable smell.
The whole plant is to be usea, and it is best fresh ,
though it retains a Given in
great
deal of its virtue dried.
decoction, it stops overflowings of the
menses, and bloody stools ; and applied externally,
it immediately stops the bleeding of wounds and
heals them.
Hound's Tongue. Cynoglossum*
A tall and singular looking plant, frequent by
our way sides, and distinguished by its large whitish
leaves, and small purple flowers, as also by the
particularity of its smell, which has been supposed to
resemble that of a kennel of hounds. It is two feet
and a half high. The stalk is angulated, firm, and
upright : the leaves are long, considerably broad,
pnd of a pale whitish or bluish green colour, sharp
at the points, and not at all serrated at the edges.
The flowers are small, and of a deep purple : they
grow along the tops of the branches, and are followed
by rough seeds.
The root is the part used ; it is long, thick, and
brown, but whitish within ; it is balsamic and
astringent. Given in decoction, it is excellent against;
coughs arising from a thin sharp
humour. Dried
and powdered, it is good against purging?, and
stops the overflowing of the menses.