The wonders of nature and art; or, A concise account of whatever is most curious and remarkable in the world; whether relating to its animal, vegetable and mineral productions, or to the manufactures, buildings and inventions of its inhabitants, compiled from historical and geographical works of established celebrity, and illustrated with the discoveries of modern travellers / [Thomas Smith].
- Smith, Thomas, 1775 or 1776-1830
- Date:
- 1803-1804
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The wonders of nature and art; or, A concise account of whatever is most curious and remarkable in the world; whether relating to its animal, vegetable and mineral productions, or to the manufactures, buildings and inventions of its inhabitants, compiled from historical and geographical works of established celebrity, and illustrated with the discoveries of modern travellers / [Thomas Smith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![' wise in Virginia a herb called dittany by some, ; and by others pepperwort. fll rises to the height of twelve or eighteen inches; it’s leaves are very .•small and shaped like a heart, which shoot out of :the stalk and branches directly opposite to each (Other ; and it smells hot, and biles the tongue like ] pepper. The distilled water of this herb is an (excellent remedy against worms, and an ounce of iit is sufiicient to provoke a profuse perspiration.—; Here are also found two roots, supposed by the ].physicians to be turbith and meehoacan, both strong cathartics. Turbith purges tough serous humours from the remote parts, and is therefore of : service in the dropsy, gout and rheumatism. The root of meehoacan is used to carry off piluitous, se- irous, and aqueous humours from all parts of the bo- ' dy, especially from the breast, and tire head and tnervous system. That is to be chosen which is 1 recent, white, and ponderous. Our author takes notice of another medicinal ]plant about a foot and a half or two feet high, 'whose leaves are rugged like those of borage, but 1 longer, and it’s berries when ripe are yellow. The English call it the fever or ague-root, from it’s ser- 'vice in those distempers. A dram and a half of tthis root newly taken out of the ground, and in- I fused in beer and water for twelve hours, operates 'with great violence ; but a dram of it in powder (only excites a moderate perspiration. It’s taste is a little bitter, and therefore somewhat hot. In speaking of the medicinal vegetables of Arne- . irica we must not omit sassafras, which is a yellow lvvood, of a brisk aromatic scent, the produce of a ttree, whereof there are vast numbers m Florida, and also in Virginia and the other united provinces. The natives of Florida call it pahamwe, and](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22018232_0163.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
