HISTORY OF BOTANY. ;33 



liabitiit and its temperature,^- with a general statement of its 

 uses in medicine ; but the greater part of the work is made 

 up of the various complaints that each plant was used for. 

 These are set down separate^, after the description of the 

 plant, with the manner of application. Many of these 

 remedies are rather amusing, and an illustration or two 

 will not be out of place. It is the idea at the present day 

 that if one would avoid drunkenness the best plan is to 

 avoid drink ; but it appears that in the days of Henry YIII. 

 the same object was attained in another way: — 



" For dronkennesse. 

 '' To eschewe dronkennesse, drink ye iuce of bryony with 

 as moche vyneygre and he shall not be dronke of all that 

 weke.-' 



'•■ It seems necessary to explain what is meant by the " temperature " 

 of a plant, for it is a term that is used in all the " Herbals." It originated 

 from a maxun of Hippocrates, who laid it down that our bodies are 

 governed by a principle that he called Nature, and when he comes 

 to explain more particularly what this Nature is, he resolves it into 

 heat, which he looked upon as ha\-ing something immortal about it. 

 Then he held that contraries or opposites are the remedies for each other ; 

 thus heat was destroyed by cold, and cold by heat, &c. In the treat- 

 ment of diseases he did not depend greatly on physic, but much on 

 diet ; still either in the one case or the other he followed out this 

 principle ; to oppose the hot to the cold, the moist to the dry, and vice 

 versa. The idea of ascribing a certain degree of " temperature " to a 

 plant remained until quite recently. It refers to the effect which a 

 plant has on the temperature of the human body, and it was measured 

 in four degrees. 1st. The same heat as the body, and useful to restore 

 heat when it is wanting. 2nd. Hotter, and causing a gentle perspira- 

 tion, and, as the expression used to be, "removing obstructions, and 

 cutting thick humours." 3rd. Causing violent perspii-ation, and having 

 the repute of resisting poison. 4th. Such plants as bhster tlie skin 

 when outwardly applied. 



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