LICHENS AS MEDICINE 407 



The doctrine reached the height of absurdity in the extravagant value 

 set on a lichen found growing on human skulls, "Muscus cranii humani" 

 or "Muscus ex cranio humano." There are a number of lichens that grow 

 indifferently on a variety of substances, and not infrequently on bones lying 

 in the open. This skull lichen 1 , Parmelia saxatilis (Fig. 131) or some other, 

 was supposed to be worth its weight in gold as a cure for epilepsy. 

 Parkinson 2 tells us in all confidence "it groweth upon the bare scalps of 

 men and women that have lyen long... in former times much accounted of 

 because it is rare and hardly gotten, but in our own times much more set 

 by, to make the 'Unguentum Sympatheticum' which cureth wounds with- 

 out the local application of salves... but as Crollius hath it, it should be 

 taken from the sculls of those that have been hanged or executed for 

 offences." Ray 3 says that the same gruesome plant "is celebrated by several 

 authors as useful in haemorrhages and is said to be an ingredient of the 

 famous 'Unguentum Armarium 4 ,' reported to have been invented by 

 Paracelsus." Another lost ointment ! 



c. CURE FOR HYDROPHOBIA. Still another lichen to which extraordinary 

 virtue was ascribed, was the very common ground species Peltigera canina 

 (Fig. 54), a preparation of which was used in the cure of rabies. Dillenius 5 

 has published in full the prescription as " A certain Cure for the Bite of 

 a Mad Dog" which was given to him by a very celebrated physician of that 

 day, Dr Richard Mead, who had found it effective : 



" Let the patient be blooded at the arm, nine or ten ounces. Take of 

 the herb called in Latin Lichen cinereus terrestris, in English Ash-coloured 

 ground liverwort, clean 'd, dry'd and powder'd half an ounce. Of black 

 pepper powder'd two drachms. 



"Mix these well together and divide the Powder into four Doses, one of 

 which must be taken every Morning, fasting, for four Mornings successively 

 in half a Pint of Cow's Milk warm. After these four Doses are taken, the 

 Patient must go into the cold bath, or a cold Spring or River, every Morning 

 fasting, for a Month. He must be dipt all over but not stay in (with his 

 head above water) longer than half a minute, if the Water be very cold. 

 After this he must go in three Times a Week for a Fortnight longer." 



Lightfoot 6 , some forty years later, refers to this medicine as " the once 

 celebrated ' Pulvis antilyssus,' much recommended by the great Dr Mead." 

 He adds that " it is much to be lamented that the success of this medicine 

 has not always answered the expectation. There are instances where the 

 application has not prevented the Hydrophobia, and it is very uncertain 



1 From an examination of old figures of the Muscus cranii, Arnold (1892, p. 53) has decided that 

 several kinds of lichens or hepatics are included in this designation. 



2 Parkinson 1640, p. 1313. 3 Ray 1686, p. 117. v 4 Amoreux 1787, p. 46. 

 6 Dillenius 1741, p. 202. 6 Lightfoot 1777, II. p. 846. 



