Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

15 FAMILY HERBAL.
the seeds are what they call ash-keys, these ripen in
September.
The bark of the young* branches is good in
obstructions of the liver and spleen, and there-
fore is of great
service in dropsies, jaundice,
and other complaints of that origin : it works by
urine. The seeds have the same virtue, but in a less
degree.
The Manna Ash. Fraxiyins minore folio.
This is a lower tree than the common ash, and is
not a native of our kingdom, but is frequent in
Italy , where the manna is gathered from its leaves
and branches.
The bark of this tree is paler than that of our
common ash, and the leaves are composed of smaller
and narrower parts, but the flower and fruit differ
very little.
They
have also in Calabria another low ash-
tree, which has the backs of the leaves smaller
than ours, and flatter and more rounded, and
from this also they collect manna for the use of
the apothecaries. The manna is a sweet or honey
juiee that naturally sweats out of the bark and
leaves in hoi weather. The finest manna of all
is that which oozes out of the leaves ; this is in
small
pieces. It flows out of the ribs of the
leares in
August,
hardens into this
in the
form.
heat of the day, and soon
They get the greatest
the bark of the trunk
quantities of all, by cutting
and branches, and this is often large and flaky,
but it is
yellowish. That which is
flaky, white,
and hollow, has issued out of itself, and is much
betier.
Manna is
and without
a most excellent purge,
any after
astringency.
very gentle,
Tliere is u