THE BOX. 73 



studying bow to rear and propagate new species, of useful 

 and ornamental plants. 



Various extracts and perfumes were formerly made from 

 the leaves and bark of tbis tree, and were considered 

 specifics for a yet greater variety of diseases. Modern 

 science has, however, discarded them all. There seems 

 yet to remain a lingering belief that a decoction of the 

 leaves strengthens the hair ; but in bygone days its efficacy 

 was deemed greater even than that of any of the modern 

 nostrums recommended for the same purpose. 



Old Gerard, who was sufficiently credulous in other and 

 less plausible matters (for example, that the Bernicle- goose 

 owed its origin to the Oak), very wisely observes, that 

 the Box " is more fit for dagger-hafts than to make 

 medicines." 



Box- wood contains a powerful sudorific principle with a 

 bitter taste, which has been separated and named Buxitnia. 

 M. du Petit Thouars some years since stated to the Philo- 

 matbic Society of Paris, that more Box-wood than hops 

 entered into the composition of almost all the beer in 

 France. Olivier de Serres recommends the branches and 

 leaves of the Box as by far the best manure for the vine ; 

 not only because it is very common in the South of France, 

 but because there is no plant that by its decomposition 

 affords a greater quantity of vegetable mould. Wordsworth 

 relates that " in several parts of the north of England, 

 when a funeral takes place, a basinful of sprigs of Box is 

 placed at the door of the house from which the coffin is 

 taken up ; and each person who attends the funeral takes 

 one of these sprigs, and throws it into the grave of the 

 deceased." 1 



1 Twigs of Rosemary were formerly carried, in like manner, by 

 persons attending funerals. In many parts of the Continent the 

 custom still continues. Hogarth, in one of his pictures, represents 

 the mourners carrying small sprigs. In South Wales it is yet 

 common for those who accompany the corpse to carry sprigs of 

 Rosemary, or Yew, which they strew on the coffin after it is 

 lowered into the grave. 



