THE SUNDEW. 37 



a rare and singular remedie for consumption ;" and 

 adding, "but the use thereof dothe otherwise teache." 

 I cannot, however, but acknowledge (though I do 

 not enter into the merits of the question), that 

 he is very much to be suspected of judging by pre- 

 conceived generalities, as he immediately weakens 

 his satire by affirming that "reason sheweth the 

 contrarie, being of such a hot and biting nature;" 

 alluding, I imagine, to the sundew, and not to 

 reason. 



This is the plant of which Burton, in his " Ana- 

 tomie of Melancholy/' says that " Bernardus Penot- 

 tus prefers his herba solis before all the rest (of 

 herbs) in this disease (melancholy), and will admit 

 of no herb upon the earth to be comparable to it. 

 It excells Horner's moly, cures this, falling sickness, 

 and almost all other infirmities." 



The sundew was formerly much used as a tinc- 

 ture, to obtain which, it was distilled with wine, 

 and then spiced and sweetened. In this way a most- 

 stimulating spirit was produced ; and the plant is 

 still employed in the manufacture of the Italian 

 liqueur called "rossoli." Several of the Droseras, 

 which are widely distributed throughout temperate 

 climates, possess dyeing properties, as may be re- 

 marked in our own three species, D. dnglica, rotun- 

 difolia, and longifolia, which not only produce a 

 deep red impression on the back of the sheet of 

 paper on which they are placed in drying, but will 

 communicate it to a thickness of several contiguous 

 sheets ; and for years afterwards will stain fresh 

 ones placed in contact with it. 



