284 FLORA HISTORICA. 



holes in sandy ground, and in diuers woddes, which 

 is called in English Foxe-gloue, and in Dutch 

 Fingerkraut. It is named of some in Latin Digi- 

 talis, that is to say Thimble-wurt. It hath a longe 

 stalke, and in the toppe manye floures hanginge 

 doune like belles or thumbles." 



Of the properties of this plant, the learned Doc- 

 tor says, " I haue heard one that sayd that he 

 proued that the whole herbe, stalkes, leues, and 

 floures, brused a litle, and put betwene the horse 

 sadle and his back, is an excellent remedy e against 

 the farcy e or farsones." 



In the succeeding reign the properties of the Di- 

 gitalis seem to have been in some degree discovered, 

 as Gerard, a physician of London, tells us in 1597, 

 that '^ Foxe-gloue boiled in water or wine, and 

 drunken, doth cut and consume the thicke tough- 

 nesse of grosse and slimie flegme and naughtie hu- 

 mours 5 it openeth also the stopping of the liuer, 

 spleene, and milt, and of other inward parts. 



" The same taken in like maner, or boiled with 

 honied water or sugar, doth scoure and dense the 

 breast, ripeneth and bringeth foorth tough and 

 clammie flegme." 



Lobelius, a Flemish physician, who settled in 

 England during the reign of James the Fiist, re- 

 marks that the country people of Somersetshire, in 

 his time, were in the habit of employing a decoction 



