The Pomegranate Tree.
Granatus.
A common wild tree in Spain and Italy, kept with us in gardens. It grows to the bigness of our apple-trees. The branches spread irregularly;they have a reddish brown bark, and have here and there a few thorns. The leaves are numerous; on the extremities of the branches they are small, oblong, narrow, and of a fine green. The flowers are large, and of a beautiful deep red: the fruit is as big as a large apple, and has a brown woody covering; it contains within a great quantity of seeds, with a sweet and tart juice about them.
The rind of the fruit is used, it is to be dried and given in decoction; it is a powerful astringent: it stops purgings and bleedings of all kinds, and is good against the whites.
Wild Pomegranate Tree.
Balaustia.
A smaller tree than the former, but like it in its manner of growth; except that the branches are more crooked and irregular, and are more thorny. The leaves are oblong, small, and of a bright green, and they are set in clusters towards the end of the branches. The flowers are beautiful, they are double like a rose, and of a fine purple.
The flowers are the part of the wild pomegranate used in medicine; our druggists keep them and call them balaustines. They are given in powder or decoction to stop purgings, bloody stools, and overflowings of the menses. A strong infusion of them cures ulcers in the mouth and throat, and is a good thing to wash the mouth for fastening the teeth.
