Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

FAMILY -HERBAL. 2S3
owing to the gentleman who brought it over, and
with it some of the plant, for the inspection of thf>
curious. The roots of the English polygala were
tried ; those of the common blue or white (lowered
milkwort, (for that variety is purely accidental,)
and they were found to have the same eifects :
they were given by some in pleurisies, with great
success. It was said at that time they had less
virtues than the seneca root, though of the same
kind : but it must be remembered, the virtues of
the seneca root were then supposed to be much
greater than they really were. The novelty adding
to the praise.
Common Reed, Arundo.
A tall water plant sufficiently known. The
stalks are round, hard, jointed, and six or eight
feet high. The leaves are long and broad, but other-
wise like those of grass, of a pale green colour, and
highly ribbed. The flowers are brown and chaffy, and
stand in prodigious numbers at the tops of the stalks,
in a kind of panicle. The roots are knotty and
jointed and spread vastly.
The juice of the fresh roots of reeds promotes the
menses powerfully, but not violent! v. It is an ex-
cellent medicine : it works by urine also ; and is
good against stranguries and the gravel.
Prickly Restiiarrow. Anonis spinosa.
A little, tough, and almost shrubby plant,
common in our dry fields, and by road sides. It is
a foot high. The stalks are round, reddish, tough,
and almost woody. The leaves arc numerous :
they stand three on every foot stalk, and groyy