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Upright Water Parsnep

Description. This water-parsnep has large, deep green leaves, consisting of several longish pinnae, broad at the bottom, narrow, and sharp pointed at the end, pretty much cut in about the edges. The stalks are tall, hollow, and channelled, having several small leaves growing on them; and on the tops large umbels of white flowers, succeeded by small striated seed. The root is large, fastened in the mud by several long stringy fibres.

Place. It grows in rivers and large waters.

Time. It flowers in May and June. The leaves are used. There are other varieties of growth, as that distinguished by the name creeping water parsnep, sium nodiflorum, with white flowers, which grows also in watery places, and flowers in June: and the great water parsnep, sium latifolium, common about ditches, with white flowers, blowing in July. Of these latter, the seeds only are used.

Virtues. They are accounted opening and attenuating, useful for obstructions of the liver and spleen, and the womb; help the stone and strangury, and scorbutic affections; outwardly applied, they are commended against cancerous tumours in the breasts. Reduced to powder, and taken in doses of about a scruple, it stops perging, and is good in all kinds of haemorrhages, but more particularly in excessive menstrual discharges, and spitting of blood. Taken in larger doses, it will frequently cure intermitting fevers and agues. A strong decoction of it is good for sore mouths. The leaves infused in the manner of tea are much used by country people to allay the heat in burning fevers. The roots boiled in vinegar, and applied in form of a poultice, disperse swellings or inflammtions in any part of the body; and applied to old putrid sores, cleanse and dispose them for healing. The juice is good to bathe inflamed or sore eyes with, and drank to the amount of four ounces a day for several days together, is said to be almost a certain cure for the jaundice. It is likewise serviceable in the whites and other disorders of the sex. PEAS.

Description. Peas are more used in the kitchen than in the shops, being known to every body to have whitish green leaves, consisting of two or three pair of large oval pinnae, with claspers at the ends; the stalks are weak, angular, and not able to support themselves. The flowers are white and papilionaceous, and the peas, when ripe, round and while.

Place. They are planted in fields and gardens.

Time. They flower in May, and the fruit is eat in June. Government and virtues. Jupiter in Aries has dominion of this esculent plant. Peas, when green, are a pleasant, grateful, nourishing food, but somewhat flatulent and windy, as well as when dry; and are good to sweeten the blood, and correct salt scorbutic illness either raw or boiled.