Sea. 8.

Of Cathartic f.

fitter for Amufèmenr, than reduci-ble into any ufëful Practice,

Radices, Roots of,

464. Hermodactyli, Her-

modactyls. Caff. Bauhine calls thisColchicum radiceficcatâ aléa, whichis the Meadow-Saffron ; but manydifpute whether it be of this kind,or not, fome taking it to be a Spe-cies of the Dens Caninus, others ofthe Iris tuberofit, amongft whomis Mathiolus, and others of the Cy-elamen ; However, this ftands ibmuch in the efteem of fome Wri-ters, as to be digniry'd with theName of Anima, Articulorum, theSoul of the f oints; be eau fe they be-liev'd it to be very efficacious infcouring the mucilaginous Glands,and preierving them from the Lodg-ment of fuch gritty Matter, as oc-cafions the Gout and Arthritic Com-plaints. This is ot that kind ofCathartics, which exert not them-felves but in the fmalleft Paflâges,and therefore are flow in Operation,altho of great Confequence in theirEfféûs. The Auguflan Difpenfa-tory has a compound Pill with itsName from it; and it is a princi-pal Ingredient in the Pulvis Ar-thriticusTurneri, as likewiiè in fomeRecipes of the ExtraBum Rudii, andother officinal Competitions of thelike Intentions.

465-. Mechoacann«, WhiteJalap. This is brought chiefly froma Province in Nif» Spain, call'd Me-choacnn, whence it has its Name.Some indeed call it Indian Rhubarb,but improperly. Monardus willhave it a Species flf Exotic Briony ;and C. Bauhine calls it Bryonia Me-choacanna alba ; Ray, ConvolvulusAmericanus. It is defcribed underthe Title of Jetucu by Fifo, and its by moil iuppofed the Tacuacheeu Radix Michuítcanica. of tier-

This is reckon'd, as thea very efficacious Purge,

nandez.former

but of flow Operation, the Seat"ofits A£tion being chiefly in its ex-treme Parts, and therefore account-ed good in ail arthritic Pains: forwhich Purpofe it Hands in greatcommendation amongft theAntients,altho it is almoft rejected in modernPractice.

466. Rh ab arb a ri, Rhubarb.This, is a Species of the Lapathum,and comes to us of two ibrts ; onefrom China, titled amongft Bota-nifts, Lapathum Chinenfe longifo-lium, which is of a fine NutmegGrain j and another from Mufco-vy, that is heavier, and of a moredusky Colour; tho Gardas andAcofta believe it all to grow na-turally in China only ; and thatwhat is met with in Mufcovy, isbrought thither by the way ofTartary to Aleppo, and thence fur-ther. It is certain this Root wasnot known to Diofcorides or Ga-len ; fo that fome injudicioufly con-found it with their Rhapontic, *thothey differ in molt of their manifeftProperties : and the prcfent offici-nal Rhubarb is accurately defcribedby Abr. Muntingius ; which fhewsthe Miftake of Amanhus, who de-nies it ever to have been fb. Thatwhich is accounted the fineft of all,is very little purgative, but is muchpreferable in all the Intentions of 3Reftringent, and therefore is beftin Fluxes of ail kinds. The purga-tive Quality of this Root feems toconult moil in its gummy Parts, byreafon it is beft drawn out with «-queens Menfirua impregnated witha lixivial Salt. Extreme drying de-ftroys its purgative Virtue ; where-fore it is frequently order'd to betoafted, on purpofe to make it lefspurgative and more aftringing. Itis infufed from cm Dram to three,O 4 foï