wormwood. 413 



quantity of good, strong malt liquor is to bye 

 impregnated with it. This is to be set by for 

 use, to add to beer when brewed, agreeably 

 to the taste, or the time it is required to be 

 kept. 



The wormwood for this purpose should 

 have its seeds carefully preserved in the dry- 

 ing, and it is best when not used till the year 

 after it is gathered.* 



We presume the Artemisia vulgaris obtained 

 its common name of Mugwort, from being in 

 demand to preserve ale. This species of 

 wormwood was formerly called Cingulum 

 Sancti Johannis, because it was foolishly 

 imagined, that, if a crown was made of this 

 herb, and worn upon the eve of St. John, and 

 then thrown into the fire, while mumbling 

 some unintelligible verses, it would secure 

 the person from spectres, diseases, and mis- 

 fortunes, for the following year. 



It was generally called Zona Dili Johannis, 

 St. John's girdle, by the inmates of monaste- 

 ries, who believed that St. John the Uaptist 

 wore a girdle of it when he was in the 

 wilderness. 



We relate some of the fabulous accounts 

 of this plant to shew the great veneration 



* Phil. Trans. No. 124. 



