COWSLIP. 221 
a little water, is admirable for giddiness from nervous debility, 
or from previous nervous excitement. It is of old date as given 
formerly against palsy. Dr. Quincy ordered the same in his 
English Dispensatory, 1728. There is among the curios at 
Lilford Hall, Northants, a primitive apothecary's jar—of about 
that time—made of Dutch Delit, in grey glaze, with handle and 
spout. It bears in front a conspicuous blue painted legend, “ Syr. 
Paralyseo” (Syrup for the Paralysed.) A quaintly drawn blue 
angel supports the label at each end. Cowslip petals were 
conserved in sugar, and dried in the sun by our grandmothers 
to mix with tea. The flowers were then known as Paigles, 
Kingeups, Crewels, and Petty Mulleins; but dearest of all is 
the old Saxon name “ Cusloppe,” still almost unaltered. They 
emit an odour of Anise, which is due to their containing some 
volatile oil identical with Mannite ; their more acrid principle 
is saponin. For making Cowslip wine, “take one gallon of 
water, and three pounds of loaf sugar, and boil together for 
half an hour; in the meantime have ready the rind and juice 
of two lemons, also the rind and juice of one Seville orange ; 
pour it boiling over these, having first stramed the juice ; when 
lukewarm add one gallon of Cowslip pips picked from the stocks 
and seeds; then add two tablespoonfuls of brewers’ good yeast, 
and let it ferment for three or four days; afterwards to every 
gallon of wine add half a pint of French Brandy ; put all into a 
cask, and let it remain for two months; then bottle off for use.” 
As a quieting solace at bedtime when a person is nervously tired, 
a good wineglasstul of this Cowslip wine, mixed with one, or two. 
wineglassfuls of quite hot water, and with some nutmeg grated 
in, makes an excellent sedative ; taking also, if desired, a genuine 
Abernethy biscuit. In Northamptonshire the Paigle is known 
as Bedlam Cowslip. Herbals of the Elizabethan date tell that 
an ointment made from Cowslip flowers “ taketh away the spots 
and wrinkles of the skin, and doth add beauty exceedingly, as 
divers ladies and gentlewomen, and she citizens, whether wives, 
or widows, know well enough.’ Lord Chesterfield, writing to 
his son, then at Venice (October, 1749), told him that ‘“ mens 
sana in corpore sano” is the first and greatest blessing; and 
I would add “ et pulchro” to complete it: “‘ May you have that 
and every other.” 
CRAB (See LopstTER.) 
