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Show WHITE BRYONY ROOT. MEDICAL VIRTUE. White bryonyrootis a strong rough purgative, which is now thrown out of our dispensatory ; it has a nauseous, bitter, acrid taste, but Joses part of its acrimony bydrying. gummous and resinous principles. It contains both Cartheuser says, an ounce contains about half an ounce of gummous and half a drachm of resinous principles; that both are purgative, but the resinous part the most so. It was formerly much used as a hydragogue purgein dropsies ; and Dr. Sydenham has recommendedit mach in maniacal disorders, to the quantity of a drachmof its powder, in a gill of milk; or an infusion of half an ounceof it in a gill of white wine; the dose in .substance is from a scruple to a drachm. The infusion is milder than the roct in substance; and Dr. Lewis says, that an extract prepared by water acts more mildly, and with greater safety, than the root itself; given from half a drachm to a drachm, it proves a gentle purgative, and likewise operates powerfully by urine. It is said also to cure epilepsy * and rheumatism. The bryony root may be procured in Covent Garden, andas an external application [ have seen great good result in cases of gout, rheumatism, and paralytic affections, The root is scraped with a knife, and the scrapings, which feel like soap, is to be rubbed overthe affected parts once a day. Immediately a sense of tingling is felt, like nettles, which soon goes off: andthis mild rubefacient I have found also do goodin cases of asthma, rubbedover the chest, and pleuritic affections. CRACK WILLOW: SALIX FRAGILIS. caveat Class XXII. Dicecia. Order IJ. Diandria. Essenr. Gen. CHar. Maleflower—Catkin squamous: Corolla none: Neetariferous Glands. Female flower—Catkin squamous: Corolla none: Style bifid: Capsule one-celled, two-valved: Sced pappous. Serc. Caan. Leaves serrated, smooth, ovate-lanceolate: Petiolus with glandularteeth. EE * Arnoldus de Villa Nova, Breo. Pract, b. 1, c. 22. DESCRIPTION. A LARGIsH tree, covered with a gray wrinkled bark. Leaves long, narrow, lance-shaped, serrated, on footstalks. Flowers inconspicuous, seeds numerous, crowned -with a simple hairy pappus. HISTORY. This tree, which grows in hedges and about the banks of rivers in several parts of England, is easily to be distinguished from the other species of willow by the readiness with which it breaks at the year’s shoot last made upon being slightly struck with the finger; and hence the name jragilis, April and May. It flowers in |