> 



l6o pfant "bore, Tsege^/, and "bi^ric/'. 



That great naturalist, John Ray, whilst expressing his disbelief 

 of the Doctrine of Plant Signatures as a whole, admitted that 

 there were tangible grounds for the formation of the system. He 

 wrote: — "Howbeit, I will not deny but that the noxious and ma- 

 lignant plants do, many of them, discover something of their 

 nature by the sad and melancholick visage of their leaves, flowers, 

 or fruits. And that I may not leave that head wholly untouched-, 

 one observation I shall add, relating to the virtues of plants, in 

 which I think is something of truth ; that is, that there are, by the 

 wise dispensation of Providence, such species of plants produced 

 in every country, as are made proper and convenient for the meat 

 and medicine of the men and animals that are bred and inhabit 

 therein. Insomuch that Solenander writes that, from the frequency 

 of the plants that spring up naturally in any region, he could easily 

 gather what endemical diseases the inhabitants thereof are subject 

 to. So in Denmark, Friesland, and Holland, where the scurvy 

 usually reigns, the proper remedy thereof. Scurvy-grass, doth 

 plentifully grow." 



It is impossible to make an attentive examination of the old 

 Herbals without being astonished at the extraordinary number and 

 nature of the ills which their authors professed to cure by means 

 of plants and simples. Every conceivable disease and ailment 

 appears to be enumerated, and each has a number of specifics 

 allotted for its treatment and cure. The contents of these ancient 

 works, indeed, are apt to heat the imagination, and to cause one 

 to form a conception that the merrie England of our forefathers 

 was a land swarming with wild beasts, so venomous in their 

 nature, and ferocious in their proclivities, that the unfortunate 

 inhabitants were constantly being grievously maimed and wounded 

 by their malicious "bitings." Be this as it may, however, it is 

 evident that the old herbalists deemed themselves fully equal to 

 any emergency. Leopards, Wolves, and venomous beasts of all 

 kinds, as well as Dragons, Serpents, Vipers, and Scorpions, could 

 all, by means of herbs, be driven away, kept at bay, or killed, and 

 the venom of their bites be quickly and effectually cured. Such 

 simple things as the stings of Hornets, Wasps, and Bees, were of 

 course easily extracted by men who professed themselves able and 

 willing to draw out arrow-heads from wounds, or remove broken 

 bones, glue them together, and cover them when bare of flesh. They 

 could provide counterpoisons against deadly medicines, poisoned 

 arrows, noxious herbs, and the bitings and stingings of venomous 

 creatures; they could cure the bites of sea Dragons and mad 

 Dogs, and could keep Dogs from growing great. They could cause 

 troublesome and dangerous dreams, and they could cure nightmare. 

 They could drive away dulness and melancholy, and consume 



