154 
whltlfh J woolly, and cut into five, fliort pointed fegments : tKe filaments 
are two long and two lliort, ilender, white, and mrniilied with fimple 
anthers : the germen is quadrifid, and fiipports a Ilender ftyle, with 
a bifid ftigma : the feeds are four, of a brown colour, and lodged in 
the calyx, which ferves the purpofe of a capfule. 
This little fhrub flowers from July till September. It is a native 
of Spain, and is faid to grow plentifully alfo- in 
Crete, and Syria. 
Greece, ^gypt 
> 
Whether this plant was known to the ancients or- not, does not 
and Diofcorides. 
* 
and 
appear from the defcriptions of Theophraftus 
Cortufus ^ difcovered that cats are remarkably fond of Marum ; 
from this circumflance we are enabled with certainty to trace back 
its hiflory to his time, for ever fince it has been known by the name 
of Cat-thyme : there occurs however confiderable difficulty in afcer- 
taining its fynonyma ; and probably fome of thofe to which we ha^ 
referred, are not fufficiently identified. It was firft cultivated in 
England by Parkinfon '^ 
of our wardens. 
^e 
m 
1640, 
nd is now to be found in many 
The leaves and younger branches of Marum, when recent, on 
being rubbed betwixt the fingers, emit a volatile aromatic 
fmell, 
which readily, excites fneezing, but to the taile they are bitterilh 
accompanied with a fenfation of heat and acrimony. Lev/is obferves, 
that *Vthe Marum lofes but little of its pungency on being dried, 
and in this refped it differs remarkably from many other acrid 
herbs, as thofe called antifcorbutic. It gives out its adive matter 
partially to w^ater, and completely to redified fpirit. — Diftilled with 
the former, it yields a highly pungent, fubtile, volatile elTential oil, 
fmiilar to that of fcurvy grafs, but ftronger, and of lefs periihable 
<T 
pun^^ 
ency 
Rectified fpirit carrie 
cc 
8 Oil 
likewife, in the infpiiTation of 
the fpirituous tindure, a confiderable Ihare of the fmell and pungency 
the Marum, but leaves m.uch the greateft part concentrated in the 
of 
See Jac. Antonii Cortufi Catalogus Horti Patavini, anno 1591, & J- Bauh. L c. 
* Cats are alfo known to have a fimilar fondnefs for theNepeta Catariaj and the roots 
of Valeriana off. 
^ Vide Alton's Hort. Kew. 
« Murray fays, — Ut fal volatile olfadum grato (uo et camphoraceo fere aromate nares 
vellicant, in fiernutationem ufquej et per momentum temporis aninium eximie erigunt. 
App. Med, vol. 2f p. 108. 
K - 
r 
extrad 
j» 
/ 
\ 
^ 
