in fabulous history, the daughter of the river Peneus, was at her own desire turned into a laurel by her father, to avoid the amours of Apollo.

Daphne, Spurge-laurel; a genus of the monogyne order, belonging to the octandra clas of plants. There are 11 species, of which the two following are the most remarkable. 1. The laureola, or common spurge laurel, is a native of the woods in many parts of England. It is a low evergreen shrub, rising with several stalks from the root to the height of three feet, garnished with thick spear-shaped leaves fitting close to the branches, of a lucid green colour. Between these to the upper part of the stalks, come out the flowers in small clusters, of a yellowish green colour, and appear soon after Christmas, if the season is not remarkably severe. The leaves continue green all the year, which renders the plants very ornamental; and as they will thrive under tall trees, they are therefore proper to fill up the spaces of plantations. 2. The mezereon, or spurge-olive, is a native of England, Germany, &c., and is a very ornamental shrub in gardens. It rises to the height of five or six feet, with a strong woody stalk, putting forth many woody branches, so as to form a regular head. The flowers come out very early in the spring, before the leaves appear, growing in clusters all round the shoots of the former year. There are commonly three flowers produced from each joint or knot, standing on the same short footstalk, which have short swelling tubes divided into four parts at the top, which spread open; they have a very fragrant odour; so that where there are plenty of the shrubs together, they perfume the air to a considerable distance around them. The flowers are of a white or peach-blossom colour. After the flowers are past, the leaves come out, which are spear-shaped, smooth, and placed without order. The flowers are succeeded by oval berries; those of the white kind being yellow; and of the other, red. Both sorts are easily propagated by seeds, which should be sown soon after they are ripe; for if not sown till the next spring, they very often miscarry.

Very happy effects have been found from the use of the first species in rheumatic fevers. It operates as a brisk and rather severe purgative. It is an efficacious medicine in worm cases; but is dangerous in unskilful hands, as being possessed of considerable acrimony. The whole plant hath the same qualities, but the bark of the root is the strongest. Dr Allton fixes the outside dose at ten grains.—An ointment prepared from the the bark or the berries of mezereon root hath been successfully applied to ill-conditioned ulcers. The whole plant is very corrosive. Six of the berries will kill a wolf. A woman gave 12 grains of the berries to her daughter, who had a quartan ague: she vomited blood, and died immediately. A decoction made of two drams of the cortical part of the root, boiled in three pints of water till one pint is wasted; and this quantity drunk daily, is said to be very efficacious in resolving venereal nodes, and other indurations of the periosteum. The considerate and long-continued heat and irritation produced by this root in the throat when chewed, made Mr Withering think of giving it in a case of difficulty of swallowing, seemingly occasioned by a paralytic affection. The patient was directed to chew a thin slice of the root as often as she could bear it; and, in about two months, she recovered her power of swallowing. She bore the disagreeable irritation and ulcerations its acrimony occasioned in her mouth with great resolution: for she was reduced to skin and bone, and for three years before had suffered extremely from hunger, without being able to satisfy her appetite; for she swallowed liquids very imperfectly, and solids not at all: her complaint came on after lying in.—The plant is eaten by sheep and goats, but refused by cows and horses.