30 THE GLORY OF THE GARDEN 



and the remedy which cures them are naturally 

 produced under similar climatic conditions," Macla- 

 gan sought and found in the bark of the willow, 

 which inhabits low-lying, damp situations, this drug, 

 which has proved so valuable in the treatment of 

 rheumatism. 



Paracelsus was full of botanical mysticism, and was 

 a firm believer in the influence of the heavenly 

 bodies upon the vegetable world, or, in other words, 

 in botanical astrology. 



He considered that each plant was under the 

 influence of some particular star, and that it was this 

 influence which drew the plant out of the earth 

 when the seed germinated. He held each plant 

 to be a terrestrial star, and each star a spiritualised 

 plant. 



This subject of botanical astrology will be more 

 fully dealt with in Chapter X. 



T^he Doctrine of Signatures ex'plains the popular 

 names of many of our herbs : 



Clary ^ or Clear Eyes, being most useful in all 



eye troubles. 

 Prunella, or Self-Heal, acting as a magic balm 



on all cuts or bruises. 

 Gout Weed, so called on account of its eflicacy 



in all gouty aflflictions. 

 Feverfew, being a most soothing and calming 



herb in all feverish diseases. 

 Foxglove leaves are of great value, yielding 



the drug digitalin, a very old remedy in 



heart trouble. 

 An extract made from Dandelion roots is used 



in liver tonics. 



