THE Bark of this very much resembles, in Size and Colour, the large or gross Cinnamon, except that it is more decay'd on the Out-side, and of the Colour of a broken Nutmeg within, distinguish'd with many little Sparkles. It is very light and spongy, of an almost insipid Taste, and without Smell. They bring it from the Levant to Marseilles, from whence it comes to us. This is of no other use, than as the Chouan, to add to the Perfection of Carmine Colour. A Person assur'd me that it grew about Paris, and gave me a Piece of the Bark, which is something like it, but of a bitter Taste, and an earthy Colour, without any Sparkles.
The Mandrake is a Plant without a Stem, of which there are two Kinds: First, the Mandragoras Mas fructu rotundo of Tournefort. The Leaves rise directly from the Root, above a Foot long, broader than a Man's Hand in the Middle, and narrow at both Ends, smooth, of a brownish green Colour, and a disagreeable Smell. Among these rise short Stalks, each of which bear a Flower made like a Bell, divided commonly into five Parts, a little hairy, of a white Colour, inclining to Purple. When the Flower is gone, it is succeeded by a little round Apple as big as a Medlar, fleshy, and of a yellow green Colour: It contains some white Seeds, which bear the Figure of a small Kidney. The Root is long, thick, whitish, slit, or divided into two considerable Branches, set about with short Filaments, slender almost as Hairs; representing, when it is whole, the lower Parts of a Man; from whence it is call'd Anthropomorpha, which signifies the Figure of a Man.
The second Sort is call'd the Female Mandrake, Mandragora Foemina, or Mandragora flore subcoeruleo purpurascente, according to Tournefort, the Mandrake with a bluish purple Flower. It differs from the former, in that the Leaves are smaller, narrower, more folded, blacker, trailing on the Ground, of a strong stinking Smell; and that the Flowers are bluish, inclining to purple; the Fruit less and paler, not form'd like a Pear, as some Authors will have it, but round, scented, full of Juice, and containing very small black Seeds. The Root is about a Foot long, divided into two Branches, brown without, white within, and furnish'd with some Fibres, but nothing like the former. Both Sorts grow in the hot Countries, in the Plains, or mountainous Places; but the last much rarer. They contain in them a great deal of Oil and Flegm,' but little Salt. They are narcotick, cooling, stupefying, &c. applied outwardly, and likewise relieve Inflammations of the Eyes, Erysipela's, scrophulous Tumours, and the like. The Apples are cold and moist, but not so cold as the Root. Being smell'd to, they cause Sleep; so also their Juice taken inwardly, in little Quantities, in a good generous Wine. Some pick them, and so eat them: others eat them with Pepper and hot Spices. The Antidote against their Poison is Worm-wood, Rue, Scordium, Mustard, Origanum, Castor, &c. with Wine and Vinegar. The Antients, by Mandrake, intended another Plant, quite different from this.