270 EFFECT OF ST. JOHN's-WOBT. 



become acrid. He has seen the backs of white cows covered 

 with sores wherever the bushy extremity of their tails has 

 been applied, after draggling through the St. John's -Wort. 

 Dr. J. M. Bigelow, of Ohio, states that he has known a high 

 degree of inflammation of the mucous lining of the mouth 

 and fauces produced by eating a few of the fresh leaves. It 

 was formerly in considerable repute for its medicinal virtues, 

 but was chiefly employed as a balsamic for wounds." * 



What should induce sheep to eat a noxious plant which 

 they are familiar with, and which is excessively acrid to the 

 taste, it is difficult to conjecture. I doubt whether they do 

 so. Indeed, I doubt whether it so often affects sheep in any 

 way as I formerly believed, and as many persons continue to 

 believe. It grows in most of my hill pastures ; and having 

 ceased to fear it and consequently to make special efforts for 

 its extirpation, it being a hardy perennial-rooted plant, has 

 increased so that it is readily found. Within a week of this 

 writing f I have observed abundant plants of it in a field 

 where I have kept one hundred and eighty ewes and lambs 

 since they were first turned out in the spring, and not one of 

 them has been in the least degree affected by it. I never saw 

 a case where the sheep were affected beyond a soreness of the 

 face : and I do not think I have seen even such a case within 

 fifteen years. All my recollections of it go back to the days 

 of the feeble little Saxon sheep, which were always peeling 

 on some excuse or other ! 



I have some Short-Horn cows, too, with white noses, white 

 spots on their backs, and long tails to draggle -over the St. 

 John's -Wort in their pasture, both when wet and dry; and 

 none of them are affected by it. While I am not prepared to 

 deny that it sometimes causes sores both on cattle and 

 sheep, I am not disposed to concede much to mere popular 

 belief on the subject without better proof than I have yet 

 seen adduced. \ Popular belief in France and Germany, says 

 London, cause the people "to gather it with great ceremony 

 on St. John's Day, and hang it in their windows, as a charm 

 against storms, thunder and evil spirits mistaking the 

 meaning of some medical writers who have fancifully given 

 this plant the name of Fuga Dcemomtm^ from a supposition 



* Flora of New York, Vol. 1, p. 87. 

 t August, 1863. 



t I intended to make some experiments in regard to its effects, preparatory to 

 writing this article, but have not had time to attend to it. 

 Flight of evil spirits or demons. 



