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Show 492 CHERRY LAUREL. great quantities of this water, got a bottle of it from her Ihistress, and gave it to her mother, Ann Boyse, as a very rich cordial, Ann Boyse made a present of it to Frances Eaton, her sister, who was a shopkeeper in town, and who she thought might oblige her customers with it. Accordingly, in a few days, she gave about two ounces of the water to a woman called Mary Whaley, who drank about two-thirds of what was filled out, and went away. Frances Eaton drank the rest. Ina quarter of an hour after Mary Whaley had drank the water (as T am informed) she complained of a violent disorder in her stomach, soon after lost her speech, and died in about an hour, without vomiting or purging, or any convulsion. “¢ The shopkeeper, Frances Eaton, sent word to her sister, Ann Boyse, of what had happened, who came to her upon the message, and affirmed that it was not possible the cordial (as she called it) could have occasioned the death of the woman; and to convince her of it, she filled out about three spoonfuls, and drank it. She continued talking with Frances Eaton about two minutes longer, and was so earnest to persuade her of the liquor’s being inoffensive, that she drank two spoonfuls more, but was hardly well seated in her chair when she died without theleast groan or convulsion. Frances Eaton, who, as before observed, had drank somewhat above a spoonful, found no dis- order in her stomach or elsewhere ; but to prevent any ill conSequence she took a vomit immediatel y, and has been well ever since.” Though this vegetable seems to have escaped the notice of Stoerck, yet it is not without advocates for its medicinal use. Linneus informs us, that in Switzerlan dit is commonly andsuccessfully usedin pulmonary complaints . Langrish mentions its eflicacy in agues; and as Bergius found bitter almonds to have this effect, we may from analogy conclude that. this power of the,lauro-cerasus is well established. Baylies found thatit possessed a remarkable power of dilating the blood, and from experience recommended it in all cases of disease supposedto proceed from too dense a state of that fluid; adducing parti COMMON QUINCE TREE. PYRUS CYDONIA. Class XVI. Teosandria. Essen. Gen. Cuar. Order V. Pentagynia. Calyx five-cleft; Petals five: Pome beneath, five celled, many seeded. Srec. Cuar. Leaves entire: Flowerssolitary. ae DESCRIPTION, pe is rather a small tree. Leaves simple, oval, of a dusky green, underneath whitish, and standing uponshort footstalks. Flowers solitary, conspicuous, of a pale red and white, placed in the axille of the leaves. The calyx is cut into five notched Segments. HISTORY. It was originally a native of Cydon, in Crete, and is now cular instances of its efficacy in rheum atism, asthma, andin scirr hous affections. Nor does this author seem to have been muchafraid of the deleterious quality of the lauro-cerasu s, as he directs a commonin gardens. poundof its in diseases of the kidneys and the stone. leaves to be macerated in a pint of water, of which, hegives a tea-spoonful thre e or four times a day. MEDICAL USE. Theseeds are successfully employed with liquorice rout sliced Its seeds abound so Much with a mucilage, that one drachm will reuder three pints |