HERBS. 385 
the loss of such insignia of manliness as the facial hair, and its 
accompaniments, has sometimes a strange effect on the masculine 
abilities ; thus he had a boar which was so fierce and venereous, 
that to prevent mischief orders were given for his tusks to be 
broken off. No sooner had the beast suffered this injury than 
his powers forsook him, and he neglected those females to whom 
before he was passionately attached, and from whom no fences 
would restrain him.” This was a forecast of Darwin’s more 
recent substantiated facts. 
The famous “ Hungary water’? for outward application, 
was first invented for a Queen of Hungary, who by its continued 
use became completely cured of paralysis; it was prepared by 
putting one and a half pounds of the fresh tops of Rosemary 
when in full flower into a gallon of spirit of wine, which had to 
stand for four days, and was then distilled. Hoyes tells that 
the formula for composing this noted “‘ water,” as written by 
Queen Elizabeth’s own hand, is still preserved in the Imperial 
Library at Vienna. It was further esteemed for doing much 
good against gout when occurring in the hands, and feet, by 
being rubbed into the affected limbs with some brisk friction. 
In the French hospitals it is customary to burn Rosemary 
together with juniper berries, for purifying the air, and preventing 
infection. This plant contains also some tannin, together with 
a resin, and a bitter principle. By old writers it was said to 
increase the flow of breast-milk ; the herb is used in preparing 
Eau de Cologne. In olden days sprigs of the shrub were 
put with a corpse into the coffin, and others were thrown 
into the grave “for remembrance.” Most probably an 
instinctive knowledge had even then been acquired oi the 
anti-putrescent virtues of this herb, as well as of its protective 
aromatic powers against infection. Mrs. Gaskell, in Sylvia’s 
Lovers, has told of the same custom when describing a rustic 
burial: “ Some sign of mourning was shown by everyone, down 
to the little child in its mother’s arms that innocently clutched 
the piece of Rosemary to be thrown into the grave ‘for remem- 
brance.’” The poet Gay also alludes to the same practice when 
describing -the burial of a country lass who had come to an 
untimely end :-— 
