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Show DANDELION. 677 MEDICAL USE. The young leaves of this plantin a blanchedstate have the taste of endive, and make an excellent addition to those plants eaten early in the spring as sallad At Gottingen the roots are roasted, and substituted for coffee, by the poorer inhabitants; who find that an infusion prepared in this way can hardly be distinguished from that of the coffee berry +. ‘The originof its name is curious. Leontodon, Greek, Lion’s Tooth, from the toothed-like appearance of the leaf; Leonis Dens, Latin, from theGreek ; Dent de Lion, French, from the Latin; and hence our word from the French, Dan-de-lion; also called Piss-a-bed, from its diuretic quality, which children experience who eat the young plant +. The leaves androots of this plant are bitter, and contain bitter milky juice. They have been esteemed to be diuretic, saponaceous, andresolvent, and to be powerful remedies for removing obstructions of the liver, and of the other viscera. Their putified expressed juice has been given from two to six ounces, twice, thrice, or oftener in the day; and infusions and decoctions of the herb and root have beenused for the same purposes. Boerhaave had such a great opinion of the continued use of the juice, or of the infusions of this plant, that he believed they Were capable of removing most obstructions of the viscera that dicelled. : ease iseee sia. Order I. Polygamia equalis. Receptacle naked: Calyx double: Downsimple, pe A : ! He. CHAR. Outer Calyx reflexed : Scape one-flowered : Leaves runcinate, smooth, with lanceolate toothed lobes f 2 } . . o : . and he adds, ‘¢ that he has seen a similar course of service, in ; : set Me ascites, and in cases of gall stones.” DESCRIPTION. nn Duis is a small plant, and common in everyfield; the flowers ne nor > ‘. 2. stand upon ~h a) od a scape, and are all ligulace, that is strap-shaped, and havefive stamina with uni‘ ted anthers, round apistillum, we e F 2 Segal possessing a bifid stigma. Were to be relieved by medicine. Bergius likewise speaks much in the praise of this simple; and says, ‘‘ That he hasoften seen it proveof service after other remedies had failed; and that he has seen hardnesses of the liver removed, bypatients eating daily, for some months, of a broth made with dandelion root, the leaves uae, . : they took, of sorrel, and the yolk of an egg with water; while at the same time,2 cream of tartar, to |} eep their bodies open ;” Ree at ars KE I Ss CM's The seed, when mature, has a fine circular feathery crown, by which it flies to distant parts. HISTORY. Native of England, and every where to be found, flowering during April, June, and July. ee ee * Withering’s Bot. Arrang. p- 839. Murray’s Apparat. p..107. e e + Whe a swa ne of: locusts ists had he dest ee royed the $fharvest in the isla o vo'€ay many ofrmthe inha bitants subsisted upon this plant.— eee nd Withering. |