THE SPEEDWELL. 297 



a simple infusion in pulmonary attacks, and most 

 probably with quite as much effect as if the herb 

 had undergone these processes. In a similar form 

 it was anciently administered at the commencement 

 of dropsy, and in yellow jaundice ; while it formed 

 a principal ingredient in the vaunted medicament 

 known as English " treacle/' a term which origin- 

 ally signified any remedial agent, though derived, 

 through the French theriaque, from the Latin the- 

 riaca, which medicine was composed of many in- 

 gredients. Chaucer twice uses it in this generic 

 sense ; 



* * "I have almost caughte a cardiacle, 

 By Corpus Domini, but I'll have a triacle :" 



and again, with a very different meaning ; 

 " Crist ; which is to every harm a triacle." 



One of our old divines says, the true Christian 

 not only slays Satan (or the serpent), " but like the 

 skilful apothecary, makes antidote and treacle of 

 him ;" and Berthre de Bourniseaux, in his " Precis 

 Hist, de la Guerre de la Vende'e/' thus speaks of 

 viper treacle : " Chacun sait que les viperes du 

 Bas Poitou etoient autrefois particulierement re- 

 cherchees pour la confection des theriaques de Ve- 

 nise : depuis la revolution ce commerce est entiere- 

 ment tombeY' &c. 



The veronica is said to have been used by the 

 Emperor Charles V., as an " arcanum " for gout ; 

 and the V. eldtine (?) is declared, by the old 

 writers, to be of great efficacy in cancer, as well 

 as in dysentery; being for the latter malady given 



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