274 WILD FLOWERS. 



purgative and emetic ; exciting, when dry, exces- 

 sive sneezing ; and, when swallowed, in a fresh 

 state, causing intoxication, under the influence of 

 which, the most extravagant and extraordinary 

 feats are performed ; yet the old " Stockholm MS." 

 (acting apparently on the principle, similia simili- 

 bus curantur) declares that 



" Who so for trauayle, or for swynk 

 Use early or late for to drynke, 

 Use betoyn fastande, ifay [fasting in faith'], 

 He schalle not be dronken yt. like day." 



Somewhat on a similar principle would appear to 

 have been its employment by the old Iberian physi- 

 cians in cases of insanity, mania, and even hydro- 

 phobia. 



In addition to its medicinal virtues, the betony 

 was formerly supposed to be endowed with " great 

 power " against evil spirits ; or, as Burton expresses 

 it, " driving away devils and despair/' freeing from 

 their influence whatever place it grew in. On this 

 account it was carefully planted in churchyards, and 

 hung round the neck as an amulet or charm ; sanc- 

 tifying, as Erasmus tells us, " those that carried it 

 about them/' and being also, " good against fearful 

 visions/' Antonius Musa, too, the physician of 

 Octavius Augustus Csesar, whom Culpepper affirms 

 to have been an "expert physician/' alleging the 

 very excellent reason that, " it was not the practice 

 of Octavius Csesar to keep fools about him/' de- 

 clares it to be a great preservative against witch- 

 craft. It would, however, appear only to possess 



