The Herb Garden 117 



ingredients, many of which are seldom, perhaps 

 never, used now in medicine. Unripe Blackber- 

 ries, Ivy berries, Eglantine berries, " Ashen Keys," 

 Acorns, stones of Sloes, Parsley seed, Houseleeks, 

 unripe Hazelnuts, Daisy roots, Strawberry "strings," 

 Woodbine tops, the inner bark of Oak and of red 

 Filberts, green " Broom Cod," White Thorn berries, 

 Turnips, Barberry bark, Dates, Goldenrod, Gourd 

 seed, Blue Lily roots, Parsnip seed, Asparagus roots, 

 Peony roots. 



From herbs and simples were made, for internal 

 use, liquid medicines such as wines and waters, 

 syrups, juleps ; and solids, such as conserves, con- 

 fections, treacles, eclegms, tinctures. There were 

 for external use, amulets, oils, ointments, liniments, 

 plasters, cataplasms, salves, poultices ; also sacculi, 

 little bags of flowers, seeds, herbs, etc., and poman- 

 ders and posies. 



That a certain stimulus could be given to the brain 

 by inhaling the scent of these herbs will not be 

 doubted, I think, by the herb lover even of this 

 century. In the Haven of Health^ 1636, cures 

 were promised by sleeping on herbs, smelling of 

 them, binding the leaves on the forehead, and in- 

 haling the vapors of their boiling or roasting. 

 Mint was " a good Posie for Students to oft smell." 

 Pennyroyal "quickened the brain by smelling oft." 

 Basil cleared the wits, and so 'on. 



The use of herbs in medicine is far from being 

 obsolete; and when we give them more stately names 

 we swallow the same dose. Dandelion bitters is still 

 used for diseases caused by an ill-working liver. 



