{22 j 
_ ROOT annual, flender, divided, furnifhed with numerous minute 
- fibres: ftalk about three or four inches high, branched, round, fome- 
what hoary, reddith. Leaves feflile, oppofite, ovate, deeply ferrated, 
concave, rather hairy, and on the upper fide marked with linear 
impreflions. Flowers without peduncles, in racemi, arifing at the 
alz of the leaves: Calyx pentagonal, permanent, divided at the brim 
into four fegments, which are unéqual, of a dingy purplith colour, 
and befet with {mall glands. Corolla monopetalous, bilabiated, white: 
tube cylindrical, crooked, fomewhat hairy, at the mouth yellowith: 
limb feparated into two lips: upper lip ered, bifid, toothed, ftreaked 
with three purple lines: lower lip largeft, divided into three emargi- | 
nated lobes, of which thofe placed laterally are painted with purple 
ftreaks, and that in the middle tinged with yellow. Filaments four, 
tapering, purplifh. Anthere brown, bilobed, bearded’ with a few 
white hairs at the bottom. Germen egg-fhaped, hairy. Style fili- 
form, downy. Stigma blunt, fringed with minute glands. Capfule 
egg-fhaped, notched at the end, divided into two cells, containing 
feveral whitith ftriated feeds. _ ! 
It is common on barren meadows, heaths, and paftures, producing 
its flowers from July till September. 3 
Eyebright, without any fenfible odour, is fomewhat bitterifh and 
‘aftringent, communicating a black colour to a folution. of ferrum 
vitriolatum. It derives its name from its reputed efficacy in various 
diforders of the eyes, for which it was ufed both externally* and in- 
‘ternally, and has long” been fo much celebrated as to be confidered 
almoft in the character of a {pecific, the “ verum oculorum folamen.”— 
But as there cannot poflibly be a general remedy for all difeafes of 
the eyes, the abfurd and indiferiminate recommendation of Euphrafia 
as fuch, muft receive but little credit from thofe who practice medicine 
on rational principles. It muft be acknowledged however, that fome 
authors have ftated peculiar complaints of the eyes, in which the ufe 
. _* The ufual way of employing it as an external application was by mixing its juice 
‘with wine, and then adding a {mall quantity of honey. 2 
» It is mentioned in this character by Gordon, (Lilium Medicina. Fol. 146. ed. i 305) 
Alfo by Arnoldus de Villa Nova, Sylvaticus, and others, 2 
<4 3 | of 
