360 The Scottish Naturalist. 



another on the animals, ' Zoologica Medicinalis Hibernia,' about 

 the year 1739, giving the Irish names as pronounced by the 

 peasantry at that period. They are now rare works, and are of 

 no value save for the names, for they contain no information 

 except the supposed medicinal virtues of the plants and animals 

 given in them. 



All creatures, from the biggest mammal to the meanest worm, 

 and all plants, were supposed to have some potent charm or 

 virtue to cure disease. A large number of K'Eogh's prescrip- 

 tions are compounds of the most disgusting ingredients. We 

 can only now smile at the credulity that would lead any one to 

 imagine that by merely looking at the yellow-hammer {Ember- 

 iza citrinella) " by any one who has the jaundice, the person is 

 cured, but the bird will die." Or that "the eyes drawn entire 

 out of the head of a hare taken in March, and dried with pepper, 

 and worn by women, will facilitate childbirth." 



He gives this singular cure for the jaundice : "A live moth, 

 laid on the navel till it dies, is an excellent remedy ! Nine 

 grains of wheat taken up by a flea, are esteemed good to cure 

 a chincough — that insect is banished and destroyed by elder 

 leaves, flowers of pennyroyal, rue, mint, and fleabane, celan- 

 dine, arsmart, mustard, brambles, lupin, and fern-root." For 

 worms: "Take purslane seeds, coralina, and St John's-wort, of 

 each an equal part ; boil them in spring water. Or take of the 

 powders of hiera picra (Pieris hleraeioides), of the seeds of the 

 bitter apple, of each one dram, mixed with the oil of rue and 

 savin, spread on leather, and apply it to the navel ; this is an 

 approved remedy." Epilepsy — " The flesh of the moor hen, 

 with rosemary, lemons, lavender, and juniper berries, will cure it." 

 And for children — "Take a whelp (cullane), a black sucking 

 puppy (but a bitch whelp for a girl), strangle it, open it, and 

 take out the gall, and give it to the child, and it will cure the 

 falling-sickness." One more example will sufficiently illustrate 

 the value of K'Eogh's books. " 'Usnea capitis humani, or the 

 moss growing on a skull that is exposed to the air, is a very 

 good astringent, and stops bleeding if applied to the parts, or 

 even held in the hand." 



Ollamh. This was the highest degree, in the ancient Gaelic 

 system of learning, and before universities were established, in- 

 cluded the- study of law, medicine, poetry, classics, &c. A suc- 

 cession of such an order of literati, the Beatons, existed in Mull 

 from time immemorial, until after the middle of last century. 



