Book IT.

or Machoacan, of whichproper Place.

I fhali treat in its

J. Of Jalap.

Pomst.

yAlap is the Root of a Plant of fouror five Foo: high, according towhat the Sieur fyuffeau and Father Plttmierhas ffcid of it : The Jalap we now fell isbrought to us from New Spain.to which Mon-fieur Tournefort has not Jong fince given theName of Solatium Mexicanum m.igno FloreSetnine rugofo, Jalap exiflimatum, which Sig-nifies the Nightshade of America, with thelarge Flower, and wrinkled Seed, which isbeliev'd to be a Species of the Jalap.

Father Piumier will have the faid Night-fhade to be the Belle de Nait, becaufe it en'tirely refembles that which we call in LatinMirabilis Peruviana ; this Plant is very com-mon in our Gardens, and defcrib'd by Mr.Evelyn by the fame Name, and becaufe itonly flowers in the Night, it is call'd Belle deNuit, or the Beauty of the Night.

The Jalap fold in the Shops is broughtfrom the H/eft Indies, but great Quantitiesof it come from the Maderas, where it growsvery common, without Culture. It is rec-kon'd an excellent Purger of ferous and wa-try Humours, but mult be given with Cau-tion, according to the Age and Strength ofthe Patient, becaufe it works very vigoroufly,if given in Subftance ; the ordinary Dofe isfrom a Scruple to a Dram,but that is too largea Quantity for Englifh Conftitutions, for if itbe good, ic will operate fufficiently from halfa Scruple to two Scruples, which will anfwerin the itrongeft Conftitutions.

The Refin or Magiftery of Jalap is madewith Spirit of Wine, and precipitated withWater, from whence proceeds a liquid Re-fin, white and gluey, almoft like Turpentine,which after it is dried in the Shade, looks likecommon Refin ; it has a fine Smell, like Scam-many, and if rightly prepared, when tho-roughly dry, is tranfparent ana fo brittle,that it will crumble betwixt the Finger?.This is more valuable than the jalap it lelf,by reafon it is much more efficacious, and canbe eaficr adminifter'd. The Dofe is aboutfive or fiK Grains either by it felf taken inthe Yolk of an Egg, or added in Bolus, Pills,or the like, to make other Phyfitk work quick-

Of ROOTS. 2?

er and brisker. After the Refin, you maymake an Extract by pouring on frefh Spiritsof Wine, which will be of a brown Colour,and of the Confidence of Honey ; this hasthe fame Efte&s with the former, but in a lefsDegree.

Jalap, Jalapium, Gialapa, Ge- Lemery.lapo, 8cc. is a grey Root, full ofRefin, which is brought from thefK/? Indies,cut into thin Slices and dried. The Plantwhich grows from it when in the Ground, isaccording to Father Piumier and MonfieurTournefort a Species of the Belle de Nuit,which the latter calls Jalap officinarum fruBurugofo, the Jalap of the Shops with the wrink-led Fruit. The Stalk grows four or five Foothigh ; the Leaves are very like thofe ofGround Ivy, but they are not fo thick, theFlower is red as Scarlet, and fometimeschanges to yellow and white, very agreeableto the Eye. This Flower blows in the Nghr,andcloies again at the Approach of the Sun,and therefore is call'd Belle de Nuit, or theNight Beauty. Chufe fuch Jalap as is in thethickeft Pieces, ftreak'd with refinous Veins,hard to be broke with the Hands, but eafyto pound in the Mortar ; of a grey Colour,the Tafte a little acrid ; it contains a greatdeal of Oil and Salt in it : Purges all Hu-mours very well, but chiefly the watry, andtherefore is ufeful in Dropfies, Gout, Rheu-matifms, and for Obftrudtions. All theNames belonging to this Root are taken fromthe Indians. There are two forts of thisJalap, to wit, a whittfli.and a blackifh or darkbrown, which being broke (nines a little ;this blackifh fort is much to be preferr'd, be-ing refinous, and heavier than the other, thewhitilh has little Refin in it, and thereforenot fo good, and ftill lefs fo, if Worm-eaten.It was unknown to the Ancients, not beinglong fince we had it from the f-VeJi Indies.

6. of Mechoacan.

71/fEcijcacan, likewife call'd white Rlmbarb,Scarnmony, or Briony of America, is alight white Roor, as well within as without,which is brought to us but in Pieces, fromthe Province of Mechoacan in New Spain,from which the faid Root takes its Name.There is likewife a greac deal of Machoacanaccording to the Sieur fyujfcau, in the Ifland

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