FLEA-WORT.

Description:

Psyllium. There are two kinds of Flea wort, differing very little, only the leaves of one kind abide the winter, but the others do not. Ordinary Flea-wort rises up with a stalk two feet high, full of joints and branches on every side to the top, and at every joint two small, long, and narrow whitish green leaves, somewhat hairy.

At the top of every branch stand several small, short, scaly, or chaffy heads, from which come forth small whitish yellow threads, like those of the plaintain, which are the bloomings of flowers. The seed enclosed in these heads is small and shining, like fleas, both for colour and size, whence its name. The root is not long, but white, hard, and woody, perishing every year. The whole plant is whitish and hairy, smelling like resin. It is a native of France; and is cultivated in gardens in England. It flowers in July.

Herbal Remedies and Medicinal Uses of Fleawort:

The seeds fried and eaten, are good in fluxes, and in over-purging caused by mercurial doses. The mucilage of the seed made with rose-water, and a little sugar-candy, is very good in agues and burning fevers, and other in­flammations, to cool the thirst, and to remove dryness and roughness of the tongue and throat, hoarseness of the voice, and diseases of the breast and lungs, and the pleurisy.

The mucilage of the seed made with plaintain water and the yolk of an egg, is a sure remedy for piles. It relieves inflammations in any part of the body, the headache, and all hot imposthumes, swellings, or eruptions of the skin. It relieves the gout, and sciatica, and the swelling of the navel, applied with oil of roses and vinegar. It is good to heal the nipples and sore breasts of women. The juice of the herb with a little honey put into the ears, cures the running of them, and the worms breeding in them. The juice mixed with lard, is excellent for sores.