mended in hysterical and hypochondriacal cases. An infusion, or tea, made of equal parts of this plant, of betony leaves, and white horehound, is asserted by Ray, both to prevent the gout, and mitigate the attacks of that painful disorder, if three or four tea-cupfuls of it be regularly drunk every day.
HOREHOUND, the Water, or Gypsywort, Lycopus Europæus, L. an indigenous perennial plant, which grows on sandy ground, on the banks of streams and ponds; it flowers from July to September.
The French manufacturers are chiefly indebted to this plant for the deep black colour of their cloth; its juice imparts a permanent dye to wool, silk and linen, and is much used by travelling gypsies, for the purpose of staining their faces.
HORN, a hard substance growing on the heads of various animals, particularly on cloven-footed quadrupeds.—The oil extracted from it, by repeated distillations, becomes extremely subtle and volatile; in which state it is called oil of Dippel, being the name of its inventor.
The horns of stags yield the greatest proportion of rectified animal oil, as they contain a larger quantity of that species of earth which is found in bones, than those of any other animals.
Horns form a considerable article in the arts and manufactures. Those of bullocks, when softened by heat, are converted into lanthorns, combs, knives, inkhorns, &c. After the horn is roasted over a fire made of the stalks of furze, so as to render it sufficiently soft, it is slit on one side, and spread out between a pair of flat tongs, large enough to keep it expanded a second time over the fire, and reduce it to a flat state; it is then put into a press between iron plates which are heated and greased. Here the horns are suffered to remain till they are gradually cooled; next they are soaked in water, till soft enough to be pared down to a proper thinness, with a large knife worked horizontally on a block. Thus, they acquire their transparency; and, after being immersed in urine, they are polished, by rubbing them with whiting and the coal of burnt willow.
The refuse or shavings of horn are of considerable utility as a manure for chalky land, on which they are strewed in the proportion of fourteen bushels per acre. Their efficacy was not exhausted after a succession of four crops, each of which was remarkably improved. Hence they are advantageously employed on light and gravelly soils, together with hotter manures, preventing the latter from burning the crops; because horny substances have been observed to attract the dew, and retain moisture.
HORN-BEAM, or Carpinus, L. a genus ot plants consisting of five species, one of which is a native of Britain; viz. the Betulus, Common Horn-beam-tree, Hard-beam-tree, Horse or Horn-beech-tree. It grows in woods and hedges; flowers in the month of May.
The horn-beam will thrive on poor, stiff soils, on barren and exposed hills; and, if intended for trees, it is propagated by seed, as soon as it is ripe. It vegetates eighteen months before the plants appear above ground; and the young trees are transplanted at the age of two years, to the spots where they are intended to remain. When designed for hedges and underwood, it is propagated by layers.
