Hortus americanus: containing an account of the trees, shrubs, and other vegetable productions, of South-America and the West-India Islands, and particularly of the island of Jamaica; interspersed with many curious and useful observations, respecting their uses in medicine, diet, and mechanics / By the late Henry Barham ; to which are added, a Linnaean index, &c. &c. &c.
- Henry Barham
- Date:
- 1794
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Hortus americanus: containing an account of the trees, shrubs, and other vegetable productions, of South-America and the West-India Islands, and particularly of the island of Jamaica; interspersed with many curious and useful observations, respecting their uses in medicine, diet, and mechanics / By the late Henry Barham ; to which are added, a Linnaean index, &c. &c. &c. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![53 ®ak, and having much fuch a leaf; but they never grow fo large. Its bark hath a very ilrong rank frnelh and poifons fifb. It makes a glorious fliow when in bloirom, which it will be when there is not a green leaf upon it: The blofJoms are very white and iweet, fmall, and in bunches as full as the tree can hold; afterwirds come bunches of a membranous iubflance, looking_like hops at a diflance; in which is contained its feed. The bark is very reftringent : 1 have made a decobtion of this bark;, which would cleanfe and Hop |he great flux of ulcers, and make them fit to heah and cure the mange in dogs. Dragon’s Blood. ( ■’ The trees that affoid this gurn grow in both the In- dies and in Africa. Indian dragon’s blood is a gum that diflils or diops from the trunk of a tree, vrhofe leaves are like fwurd-blades, of half a foot long, and green ; at the bottom of which grows round fruit, of the f]2;e of Engliih cherries, yellow at hril, afterwards red, and of a beautitul blue when ripe; from which^^ having taken oT the nr ft or oiuw'ard Ikin, it appears like a fort oi dragon, which gave it this name. They ^ut the trunks oi the, trees, and there prefently flo'ws a liquid liquor, that is as red as blood, which hardens and forms itfelf into little brittle tears or crumbs. When the firft fort is fallen, there drops another fort, which is brought us wrapped, up in its own leaves: Chufts. that in little tears, clear and britde. Dragon’s blood of the Canaries Hows from the trunlc and large branches of two different trees; one of ■which, has leaves like a pear-tree, but longer, and^tbe Eower refemhies tags at the ends of laces, of a very fine red* *I he leaves of the other come nearer to the cherry*, Uee^ and the imii h yellow ou the edges^ of the big* B 3 \.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29319870_0069.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
