214 THE FRUITS OF THE COUNTRY-SIDE 



highest Veneration by People of all Ranks, I conjectured 

 that this Veneration in great Measure proceeded from the 

 wonderful Cures they wrought by means of the Mistletoe. 

 But Misdetoe of the Oak being the only Mistletoe 

 recommended as good for anything, I was in great Straits 

 how to procure a quantity of it, for I did not remember 

 in all my Travels to have seen any of it : so amongst 

 all my Acquaintance I do not know that I have met 

 with above two that have." 



This set the Doctor experimenting on the practical 

 basis that if one cannot get what one wants one must 

 see what one can get, the highly satisfactory result being 

 that " from ten Years large Experience I find the ordinary 

 Mistletoe to be the most noble Medicine I ever knew. 

 Mistletoe of the Oak not being to be obtained, I furnished 

 myself with a large quantity of that of the Lime, the 

 Trees in one of the Parks at Hampton Court affording 

 great Plenty." The Doctor certainly gives very detailed 

 accounts of some very striking cures. There is no 

 suspicion of quackery or merely personal gain about his 

 Dook, and it appears a pity that the matter should have 

 been allowed so entirely to drop out of sight, and with 

 this thought in our minds we are the less apologetic for 

 dealing at such length with it. 



Culpeper declares the misdetoe to be under the dominion 

 of the sun, and " it can also be taken for granted that that 

 which grows upon oaks participates something of the 

 nature of Jupiter, because an Oak is one of his trees." It 

 does not seem to have occurred to him that the fact of the 

 mistletoe preferring some twenty other trees to the oak 

 might perhaps make a litde difference. 



