This section is from "The Domestic Encyclopaedia Vol1", by A. F. M. Willich. Amazon: The Domestic Encyclopaedia.
Butter-Burr, the Common, or Colt's-foot, the Tussilago Petasites, L. is an indigenous plant, growing in moist meadows, pastures, and banks of rivers. Its leaves are the largest of any plant in Britain, and, in heavy rains, afford a shelter to poultry, and other small animals. Its flowers appear in April, before the leaves, as in most other vernal plants. The root, dug up in spring, abounds with a resinous, aromatic matter : it has a strong smell, and a bitterish, acrid taste.
In Germany, tie leaves of the butter-burr are bruised, and mixed with chad", or cut straw; in which state they are fondly eaten by cattie..
Formerly, the root of this plant was highly esteemed as asudoritic, and alexipharmic, for which pur-poses a dram of it was given tor a dose ; but, as it has been found to possess those virtues in no eminent degree, it has again been d in the shops. The late Sir John Hill, however, in h:s ''Virtues of British Herbs, " pub-lished in 1/70, calls the common butter-burr an admirable medicine in fevers of the worst kind; as, when taken early, it prevents the mischiefs that often arise naturally in the disease; and oftener from the errors of physicians. Sir John tardier informs us, that, about the middle of the last century, when a disease of the putrid kind prevailed in England, the same fever raged also in Germany and while the English died by bleedings, and by chemical medicines, the Germans lived by the use of the butter-burr. He also very seriously speaks of a heavier visitation, and if the greatest of all calamities should come, there are tew things from which we might expect so great relief as this herb. The Greeks used it with the greatest success; and the very name of the plant among the Germans, is pesiilence-wort.—We trust, however, there will be no necessity for putting Sir John's assertion to the test of experience; as we should be apprehensive of the result.
 
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