OCR Text |
Show COMMON RUE. rue has a principal share, repels all poisons. A35 Hertice this adage, “ Salvia cumruta faciunt tibi pocula tuta.” It is made into tea, and drank with advantage to cure hysterics. Fits in infants are often cured by the syrup. Boerhaave celebrates the numerous virtues of this plant, and amongst its many properties enumerates, ‘‘ that mixed with wine and salt it stops gangrene, restores vitality to the part, prevents suppuration, and heals the wound.’?—‘‘ Hac herba est laudatissima,inter alias alexipharmacas, antidoxicas, antihystericas, antiepilepticas, antiapoplecticas, antispasmodicas, antipestilentiales, antiphlogisticas, antigangrenosas refertur; nam cum pars jam gangrena,est mortua, si hec herba cum vino et sale contusa ap- plicetur, vitam iterum reddit, suppurationem prohibet, et pars sanatur.” COMMON RUE. RUTA GRAVEOLENS. Class X. Decandria. Order 1. Monogynia. Essent. Gen. Cuar. Calyx five-parted: Petals concave: Receptacle surrounded with ten honey-bearing points: Capsule lobed. Spec. Cuar. Leaves twice compound : Lateral flowers quadrifid. ee DESCRIPTION. Tins plant rises a foot in height. The leaves consist of double sets of irregular pinne, are blunt at the ends, and of a glaucous colour. Flowers numerous, of a pale yellow. tated, or fringed at the edges. Petals five, dens HISTORY. This shrub is native of the south of Europe, flowers from June to September, and is commonin the gardens. MEDICAL VIRTUE. It is supposed to be antipestilential, and hence our benches of judges have their noses regaled with this most foetid plant : this arose from the ancients believing that mithridate, in which It is strongly recommended as a cure of bad eyes. ‘* Visum acuit si mane bibatur instar thée, et vapor oculo excipiatur.” That is, if taken as tea in the morning, and the vapour of it be received by the eyes, the vision will be improved, and all disease of that organ removed. “ Nobilis est ruta, quia lumina reddit acuta.” Andthe author of this work has several times, with himself and others, cured the most violent inflammations of the eyes by the vapour of boiling water alone: so much for the probability of this practice with rue, as reported by the great Boerhaave! |