60. LAPSANA communis. NIPPLE-WORT.--This plant is considered by the country people as a sovereign remedy for the piles. The plant is immersed in boiling water, and the cure is effected by applying the steam arising therefrom to the seat of the disease; and this, with cooling medicine and proper regimen, is seldom known to fail in curing this troublesome disease. 61. DAPHNE laureola. WOOD LAUREL.--The leaves of this plant have little or no smell but a very durable nauseous acrid taste. If taken internally in small doses, as ten or twelve grains, they are said to operate with violence by stool and sometimes by vomit, so as not to be ventured on with safety, unless their virulence be previously abated by long boiling, and even then they are much to precarious to be trusted to. The flowers are of a different nature, being in taste little other than mucilaginous and sweetish, and of a light pleasant smell. The pulpy part of the berries appears also to be harmless. The bark macerated in water has of late been much employed in France as a topical application to the skin for the purpose of excoriating and exciting a discharge. 62. RUMEX acutus. SHARP-POINTED DOCK.--The root of this plant has long been used in medicine, and considered as useful in habitual costiveness, obstructions of the viscera, and in scorbutic and cutaneous maladies; in which case both external and internal applications have been made of it. A decoction of half or a whole drachm of the dry roots has been considered a dose.--Lewis's Mat. Medica. 63. ELYMUS arenarius. ELYMUS geniculatus. LIME GRASS.--The foliage of these grasses make excellent mats and baskets; and where they grow in quantity afford a livelihood to many industrious persons who manufacture these articles. 64. SALSOLA Kali. GLASS-WORT, or KELP. Soda and Barilla are yielded by this plant. The ashes of this vegetable yield an alkaline salt, which is of considerable use for making glass, soap, &c. The small quantity grown in this country is by no means equal to the demand, and Spain has the advantage of trade in this article, where the plant grows wild in the greatest abundance. An impure alkali similar to these is obtained from the combustion of other marine plants, as the Fuci, &c. by the people in Scotland. 65. BORAGO officinalis. BORAGE--A fine cooling beverage is made from this herb, called Cool Tankard. It is merely an infusion of the leaves and flowers put into water, with the addition of wine, nutmeg, &c. &c. * * * * * OBSERVATIONS on the BLEEDING TREES, and procuring the Sap for making Wine, and brewing Ale. In the article BIRCH TREE, (p. 34, No. 107, of this volume,) we have mentioned the abstracting the sap for the purpose of making wine; and as this is practicable, and may be obtained in some places at little expense and trouble, I shall take the liberty of transcribing the following curious paper on the subject.