FILIX, in botany. See Frices.

Fern is very common in dry and barren places. It is one of the worst weeds for lands, and very hard to destroy where it has any thing of a deep soil to root in. In some grounds, the roots of it are found to the depth of eight feet. One of the most effectual ways to destroy it is, often mowing the grass; and, if the field is ploughed up, plentiful dunging thereof is very good; but the most certain remedy for it is urine. However, fern, cut while the sap is in it, and left to rot upon the ground, is a very great improver of land.

In some places of the north, the inhabitants mow it green; and, burning it to ashes, make those ashes up into balls with a little water. They then dry them in the sun, and make use of them to clean their linen with; looking upon it to be near as good as soap for that purpose. It is said that the frequent treading them down... down by sheep, while that sort of cattle feed upon them, is an infallible method of killing them.

The ancients used the root of the fern and the whole plant, in decoctions and diet-drinks, in chronic disorders of all kinds arising from obstructions of the vices, particularly in hypochondriac cases, and in obstructions of the spleen and pancreas. There are not wanting modern authors who give it as high a character in these cases as the ancients have done; but it is an ill-tasted medicine, and in no great use in the shops. The country-people esteem it as a sovereign remedy for that troublesome distemper the rickets in children; and they give it also as a powder, after drying it in an oven, to destroy worms. As aperients and anthelmintics, the roots have been in high estimation with some; and Simon Pauli tells us, that they have been the grand secret of some empirics against the broad worm, called tania. In the Medical Commentaries, vol. vi. p. 307, are given some instances of the success of this remedy, by Dr Duncan of Edinburgh.

Female Fern. See Pteris.