CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

CHICKWEED WATER-WORT

Description. This has often been confounded with Fluellin, for which some writers have absurdly mistaken it. It has a small white fibrous root. The first leaves are moderately small, narrow, and pointed; they increase in size as they rise to the middle, and then gradually diminish to the top; they have no foot-stalks, and are of a grassy gren colour; the stem is so weak, it scarce holds itself upright, but trains some part of its length on the ground. The flowers grow in the bosom ofthe leaves; they are small, and supported on slender and short foot-stalks; they are of a mixt yellowish and dark purple. The seed is very minute, and brown.

Place. It grows upon the borders of corn-fields, and most generally by running shallow waters.

Time. It is in flower in July.

Government and virtues. It is a moist cooling plant, under the Moon. The juice of it is recommended to cleanse and heal old ulcers; and it has at former times beein in esteem as an inward medicine for internal bruises. The flowers and leaves, beaten into a conserve, is the best way of taking it for any inward purpose; it has the credit of being cooling and diuretic; but little notice is taken of it at present. Outwardly it is cooling, but neither way demands much notice.