56 POT-POURRI FROM A SURREY GARDEN 



It is, therefore, curious to note that Parkinson figures an 

 American plant amongst the vegetation of Asia. The 

 old Eed Indian natives of North America used to sow the 

 Maize with a fish on either side of the seed to propitiate 

 their gods. No wonder it grew luxuriantly. Africa has- 

 in the foreground what appears to be a Stapelia, Aloes* 

 and Date-palms. America has Cactuses, Pineapples, and 

 the large Sunflower, being the vegetation rather of South 

 than North America. As representing the geographical 

 knowledge and art notions of the day, it is decidedly an 

 interesting title-page. The woodcuts throughout the 

 book are of the whole plant, root and all ; but they are 

 without much character, all about the same size, and less 

 well-drawn than the flowers in the ' Paradisi.' The 

 medical properties of the plants are described at length 

 and with much detail, and are really curious. I wonder 

 if our complicated prescriptions and remedies will some 

 day sink to the level which the science of herbs has 

 reached to-day. It would not be so very surprising if this- 

 should happen, considering how much the faith put in 

 the modern drugs resembles the belief in cures as- 

 described in these old Herbals. At the Museum there is 

 a great collection of Herbals of all nationalities, especially 

 German. They are all much of the same kind, and 

 illustrated in the same way as this one of Parkinson's, 

 leading one to conjecture that the medical science 

 throughout Europe at this time was about on a 

 level. 



1633. 'The Herbal or General Historic of Plants 

 gathered by John Gerarde, of London, Master in Chirur- 

 gerie.' This edition of Gerarde's Herbal appeared between 

 the publication of Parkinson's two books just described, 

 but it is a reprint of an earlier edition, very much enlarged 

 and amended by Thomas Johnson, citizen and apothecary. 

 The frontispiece is stately and serious. The title is on a 



