The Cornel Tree.
Cornus mas.
A GARDEN tree of the bigness of an apple tree, and branched like one; the bark is greyish, the twigs are tough; the leaves are oblong, broad, and pointed, of a fine green colour, but not serrated at the edges. The flowers are small and yellowish, the fruit is of the bigness of a cherry, but oblong, not round; it is red and fleshy, of an astringent bark, and has a large stone. The fruit is ripe in autumn; the flowers appear early.
The fruit is the part used; it may be dried and used, or the juice boiled down with sugar; either way it is cooling and moderately astringent; it is a gentle pleasant medicine in fevers with purgings.
There is a wild cornel tree, called the female cornel, in our hedges; a shrub five feet high, with broad leaves, and black berries; it is not used in medicine. In some parts of the West Indies they intoxicate fish with the bark of a shrub of this kind, by only putting a quantity of it into the water of a pond; we have not tried whether this of ours will do the same.
