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This is a page to be proofread from Salmon's Botanologia, 1710.


of them encompajfing the Stalk about, at the lower ends, which is divided at the top into a few Bran ches, bearing somewhat large, Jcalv, green heads, with white or Silver-like edges ; from the midst of which comes forth a larger flower than in the smaller Kind, thinly fet, and of a deeper Violet-blew color :. in which Heads, after the flowers are past, there is found a Down, containing fo?ne few white Seeds, like those of the lesser Kind, but a little larger, and flatter.

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IV. The lesser Common, or Field Blew-bottle, or Corn-flower, hoe Roots somewhat long and large, which Perish every Year, but are Annually renewed by its own fowing h rising or springing up before Winter, and abiding green all the Winter Season, until the next Spring and Summer, when it flowers, Seeds, and tenfhes again. The Leaves are long and narrower than the former, of a whitijh green color, deeply cut in on the Edges in some places, but some more than others, something like unto Scabious leaves. The Stalks are -two or three feet high, according to the goodness and fertility of the Ground, set with such like Leaves, but smaller, and little or nothing cut in on the Edges : the tops are fpread forth into Ceveral Branches, bearing many small green, scaly lie ads, out of which rise flowers, consisting of five or fix, or more, long and hollow Leaves, small at the bottom, and opening wider and larger at the brims, notched, dented or cut in on the Edges, andstanding ^roundabout many small threads in the middle. The colors of these flowers are manifold, and very variable ·, for some are vjholly Blew, or White, or blufh, vr of a fad or light Furple, or of a light or deep Red or of an over-worn furple color, or else mixed of these colors, in some, the edges White, and the rest Blue or furple ·, or the edges Blew or furple and the rest of the flower White, or Striped, Spotted or halved, the one part of one color, the other of another, and the Threads also in the middle varying in many of them-, for in some the said middle Thrumb will be of a deeper furple than the outward Leaves, some voill have it Reddish^deeper^ or palerwhilst the

Leaves are White, or bluff. The flowers being pajh the heads, or bottles contain a Down, in which the Seed is wrapped, which is small, hard, white and ffming. Note, That the flower of that which grows Wild in the fields, is for the mo ft part only Blew.

V. The Places. The first grows Wild in Germany upon Sandy Hills, but with us it is nourished up in Gardens : The other With Blew Flowers grows Wild, in many Com Fields throughout our Kingdom : It is found in Fields of Wheat, Rye and Barley ·, but is also Sown in Gardens, which the skilful Artift, by looking after, makes to become of other colors, as in the description thereof is declared.

VI. Tlje Times. They flower from the beginning of May, to the end of Harveff, and their Seed comes to ripenels in the mean feafon.

VII. The Qualities. They are temperate in reipect to heat or cold, and dry in the first Degree : But Schroder says, they are cold and dry in the second Degree : They are astringent, Ophthalmick, Car-diack, Alterative, and Alexipharmick.

VIII. The Specification. They have a peculiar faculty for the curing of fore and bleared Eyes, and refitting the force of Poifon.

IX. The Preparations. In the Shops are : 1. The blowers. 2. A Pouder of the dried Leaves. An Essence of the Juice with Spirit of Wine. 4. A Colly rium of the flowers. $. A Distilled Water of the .'lowers. 6. A Spirituous Tin flu re of the flowers'.

A Cataplasm of the flowers. 8, A Juice, 9. A Distilled Water oj the herb.

The Virtues.

X. The flowers. They are cold and dry in 10: are Styptick, and good to takeaway Redness arid Inflammations of the Eyes, and pains thereof; they cool in Fevers, resist Poifon, and help in Dropiies. You may make an Acid Tincture of them with Spirit of Wine, mixed with a half part of Spirit of Salt, which in Fevers, Plague, &c. may be given from 20 to 40 Drops, in any fit Vehicle.

XI. The Pouder of the dried Leaves. It is taken in Tent to one dram, for the curing of inward brui-fes, and to heal a Rupture of the Veins, &c. whereby they void much Blood at Mouth. Give it iri Plantane, Comffey,orHorse-tail-water,a€uated with a little White Wine Vinegar.

XII. The Essence of the Juice of the Leaves and flowers. It has all the former Virtues both of the Acid Tincture and Pouder: It helps in the Dropsie, refills all manner of Venoms and Poifons, and is peculiar against that of the Scorpion, Phalangium, Viper, Mad-Dog, and Plague, as also all other Pefti-lential Fevers, and Infectious Diseases: being dropt into the Eyes, it takes away their heat, inflammation and pain.

XIII. Ihe Collyrium, or Eye-Water, ψ of the Blew-flowers ω many as you please : put them into Rye Dough or Paste, bake them in the Oven with houflcld Bread, then taking it sorth, diflil all, viz. flowers and Rye Paste, in a Glass Bfdy, m B.M. and keep the Water for use. With this the Eyes are to be wafht three or four times a day. It is admirable for the cure of most Infirmities of the Eyes, especially Heat, Inflammation, Pain, Blooa-ihot, &c. It clears, strengthens and preserves the Ey e-fightj especially of old People, tor which reaion ibme are pleuled to call it BreakSpeilacle-Water : for that thoie that use it, need never come to" the use of Speftacles : If the Dittemper is inveterate or ftub-born, use it five or fix times a day.

. XIV. The Distilled Water of the flowers. Aqua florum CyanL Blew-bottle-fiower-water. # flowers

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