COLUMBINE 219 



rounds itself with so goodly a progeny that it is 

 absolutely necessary in the interests of other things to do 

 a little judicious eradication. 



It was held by Tragus and others that the seeds 

 of the columbine given with saffron in a little wine were 

 remedial for those suffering from jaundice, while the 

 leaves were boiled in milk as a remedy against sore 

 throat. However this may be, Linnaeus records cases of 

 children that have lost their lives through being over- 

 dosed with it. Leaves, root, flowers, seeds, have all been 

 pressed into the service of the professors of medicine. 

 One Pauli asserts that he cured children of small-pox and 

 measles by administering columbine seeds in powder to 

 them ; and one Scopoli, not to be outdone, declares that 

 he was equally successful. Another man commends a 

 decoction of the leaves in water as a gargle for inflam- 

 mation of the throat ; but the plant has now no place in 

 the paraphernalia of the disciples of the healing art and 

 lives in peace, having no longer any attraction to the 

 herbalist collecting his simples. 



It would be evidently impossible within any reasonable 

 compass to deal with all the various fruit forms that may 

 be found in our country rambles, nor would there be any 

 great gain in doing so. Our object has been rather to 

 take the leading forms and those that may be considered 

 fairly typical. We propose, therefore, next to deal with 

 the scarlet poppy, since its " heads " form an excellent 

 illustration of the globular capsule, as those of the campion 

 do of the flask-like form. The parsnip again, and the 

 shepherd's needle, that we come to in due course, are 

 illustrations of that great order of umbel-bearing plants 



