86 POPULAR NAMES 



FKOG-BIT, L. morsus ranee, from an idea that frogs ate it, 



Hydrocharis Morsus ranse, L. 



FROG-FOOT, a name that in the Stockholm Med. M.S. 

 1. 783. is with more reason assigned to the vervain, the 

 leaf of which, in its general outline, somewhat resembles 

 the foot of this animal: 



Frossisfot men call it, 



For his levys are lyke the frossys fet. 



In modern works it is transferred to the duckmeat, 



Lemna, L. 



FROG-GRASS, from its growing in mire, 



Salicornia herbacea, L. 



FROG'S-LETTUCE, Potamogeton densus, L. 



FROST-BLITE, a blite whitened as by hoar-frost, 



Chenopodium album, L. 



FULLER'S HERB, L. herba fullonum, from its taking out 

 stains from cloth, a purpose for which it is said by Tragus, 

 c. 131, to have been used by the monks, 



Saponaria officinalis, L. 



FULLER'S THISTLE, the teasel, Dipsacus fullonum, L. 



FUMITORY, Fr. fume-terre, L. fumus terrce, earth-smoke, 

 from the belief that it was produced without seed from 

 vapours rising from the earth. The words of Platearius, 

 a great authority in his day, are : " Dicitur fumus terra, 

 quod generatur a quadam fumositate grossa, a terra reso- 

 luta, et circa superficiem terrse adherente." See also the 

 Ortus Sanitatis, Mayence, 1485, ch. 176, and the Grete 

 Herball, cap. clxxi. And this extraordinary account of it 

 is given not only by the ignorant authors of the Ortus 

 Sanitatis and the Grete Herball, and the writers in the 

 dark ages from whom they copied, but is repeated by 

 Dodoens, and other learned men, his cotemporaries. Pliny 

 merely says, (1. xxv. c. 13), that it took its name from 

 causing the eyes to water when applied to them, as smoke 



