i8o OF TREES AND PLANTS. 



fimples, is plentiful by water-courfes, about bogs, and in damp 

 woods. It is in great abundance among the bufhes by the ftreamlet 

 on the fouth fide of the road near Nunivick-m.\\\ ; alfo in the rectory - 

 wood at Simonburn. We are told by the learned Fablus Columna, 

 that with a dram and a half of the powder of the root (pulled 

 up before it fent forth the ftalks) taken in wine, water, milk, or 

 any other proper liquid, he cured not only himfelf, but others, 

 of the epilepfy, by once or twice taking ; to infants, and thofe 

 of tender years, feized with convulfive fits, he ordered it to be 

 taken in milk, who, by the relation of their friends, were, with 

 God's bleffing, perfectly cured *. We are afTured by the late 

 Czmtndge-ipTofeSbT, Mr. Martyn^ F. R. S. that he had feen it ufed 

 with great fuccefs for the hyfteric paffion, and for violent pa- 

 roxyfms of the afthma. The method was to boil an ounce of the 

 roots in a pint of water, to let it ftand off the fire clofe covered 

 till it was cold, and then take draughts of it in a glafs. He 

 gives a preference to the wood-plants to thofe that grow in watry 

 places f. The famous Halkr feems to have a lefs opinion of its 



optime. Dal. Pharm. p. no. Valeriana fylveftris major. Ger. p. 917. emac. 1075. Park. 

 Theatr. 122. C. B. Pin. p. 164. Raj, Hift. i. p. 388. Syn. iii. p. 200. Hift. Oxsn. iii. p. 

 101. Tourn. Inft. Boerh. Ind. A. p. 74. Valeriana major fylveftris, foliis latioribus. Mor, 

 Umb. p. 50. Valeriana fylveftris magna aquatica. /. B. iii. p. 209. Valeriana foliis om- 

 nibus pinnatis. Linn. Hort. Cliff, p. 16. Flo. Suec. n. 30. Reyen, lugdb. p. 234. Hall. Helv. 

 p. 662. 



* " Addo & hanc proprietatem jamdiu in multis, atque memetipfo expertam, ut pulveris 

 " radicis plants hujus fponte ortae, extirpatse antequam caulem edat, cochlearii dimidium 

 " cum vino, aqua, ladte, aut alio quovis decenti fucco, & aegroti commoditate, & astate 

 " femel fumptum, aut bis, Epilepfia correptos liberet. Hanc exhibendarn pueris, & prse- 

 " fertim infantibus, hoc morbo facile laborant, quibus lafte propinandum pulverem juffi, 

 " amicis dono dedi : qui deinde, Divino prius numine fautore glorificato, pulvere hujus 

 " plantae illis reftitutam fanitatem affirmarunt. Hoc & aliis adultis nonnullis." 



Column. Phyt. loco fupra citato, 

 f Martyn. Tourn. 



virtues. 



