Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

FAMILY HERBAL. 367
to be described in its place. The leaves of the
zedoary plant are large, very broad, and not
vastly long ; they stand in clusters, encircling
one another at the bases : the flowers stand on
or ten inches
separate stalks : these are only eight
high. They are small, of an irregular shape,
and purplish.
The root is the
gists keep
only part used ; our drug-
it dry ; it is a warm cordial, and
stomachic medicine : it strengthens the stomach,
assists digestion, and expels wind. It is good
also in all nervous complaints, such as lowness of
spirits, faintings, tremblings of the limbs, and
restlessness. An ounce of zedoary, sliced thin,
and put into a quart of wine, makes an excellent
tincture for these purposes, and is very good
taken in the quantity of a small glass, on going
into a damp, or what i* suspected to ba a tainted
air.
The Zerumbeth Plant. Zcrmnl-eiha.
THE zemmbeth plant in same respects resembles
that which affords the zedoary, but it
is
larger.
It is a native of t'he East, and baa
not been yet got into our gardens. The leaves grow
together in such a maimer as to farm a kind" of
stalk ; this is six feet high or more ; but it is
only formed of their lower parts wrapped round
one another, m t'ie manner of the leaves of our
flags. The loose part of each leaf is long, narrow,
and of a bluish green. The flowers stand
upon separate stalks ; these rise about a foot
high, and arc of a brownish colour : they have
only a ort of films upon them in the place of
leaves. The flowers stand in a short and thick
ipike, at the tops of these, they are oblong,