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CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

 

POMEGRANATE TREE

Description. This is a shrubby plant, covered with a brownish bark, and divided into a great number of branches, which spread in an irregular manner, and are armed with sharp spines, and have their upper end pretty thick set with long narrow smooth leaves, two inches in length, to half an inch in breadth; among these come forth the flowers, of a glorious scarlet colour, consisting of five leaves set in a tough brown calyx, which in time enlarging itself, becomes the bark or covering of the fruit, having a crown on its upper part, being in shape and bigness like an orange, but with a browner and harder peel, in the inside of which grow a great number of cornered acini or kernels, compacted close together in regular order, containing a sweet vious juice, or one more acid and acerb, with a little stone in the middle of each.

Place. It is a native of Italy and Spain; and will seldom stand the cold of our winters, without the shelter of a green-house.

Government and virtues. The tree is under Mercury. Both the flowers and the bark of the fruit is strongly astringent; a decoction of them stops bleedings and purgings of all kinds, and is good in the whites. The pulp of the fruit, when in perfection, is very grateful, and has teh same general qualities with the other acid fruits. The flowers of the pomegranate-tree are kept in the shops under the title of balustines, and are given in powder or decoction, to check purgings, bloody stools and immoderate menses. A strong infusion of them cures ulcers in the mouth and throat, and fastens loose teeth.


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