This section is from the book "The London Medical Dictionary", by Bartholomew Parr. Also available from Amazon: London Medical Dictionary.
(From haereo, to stick; from its attachment to trees and old walls). Ivy.
Hedera arbohea. Common or tree ivy; corym-bus; hedera helix Lin. Sp. Pl 292; is an evergreen plant, climbing and spreading on old walls and trees; the leaves are angular; the flowers appear in autumn, and are followed in winter by clusters of black berries.
The leaves are nauseous to the taste; but commended by the Germans in the atrophy of children, in rickets, ozaena, and epiphora. By the common people they are used to keep issues open, and applied to sores that have a thin discharge. In the plague the powder of the leaves, with vinegar, has been commended. The dose is from Э i. to 3 i. Quercetanus made an extract from the berries; extractum purgans. From the stalks of the plant a resinous juice exudes in warm countries, called gummi hederae, of a reddish brown colour without, and of a bright brown yellow within, of a vitreous splendour, but not pellucid: when rubbed it emits a light agreeable smell, and is of a resinous, slightly aromatic, and subastringent taste; chiefly used like other resins in plasters.
Hedera terrestris; chamecissus; chamaelema; calamintha humilior; corona terra; bacchica chamaecle-via; ground ivy; ale-hoof; sun-hoof; jack in
 
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