220 SIMPLES AND SIMPLERS. 



bling blood. Hence it was considered the natural remedy 

 for all blood diseases. It is seldom used in modem legit- 

 imate practice. The liverwort (Hepatica triloba'), a beau- 

 tiful early flowering anemone, not uncommon in our 

 woods, was used as a cure for liver complaints, from the 

 resemblance of its leaf, which is lobed, to the folds of 

 the liver, and of its mottled hues of green and purple 

 to the outward colors of the liver. This plant is still in 

 use by our modern simplers. 



In the use of the five capillary herbs we trace the in- 

 fluence of the doctrine of signatures. All these herbs 

 were ferns : the hartstongue, black, white, and golden 

 maidenhair, and spleenwort. These plants, when they 

 first appear above the ground, are covered with hairy 

 down. This appearance caused them to be credited with 

 efficacy in improving the growth of the hair, hence named 

 capillary herbs. There are three distinct species of maid- 

 enhair in this catalogue, — the black, white, and golden, 

 representing the colors of the human hair in childhood, 

 manhood, and old a^e. The stems of these beautiful ferns 

 are also nearly as slender as hairs ; another signification 

 of their proper medical use, according to this religious 

 doctrine of the Middle Ages. 



The fern called Lunaria, or moonwort, was held in 

 great estimation, from a peculiar crescent shape of the 

 2oinno3 of its fronds, as a cure for lunacy and all diseases 

 of a periodical character, especially for intermittent fevers. 

 This crescent shape won it some astrological repute ; and 

 in order to preserve its virtues, it was to be gathered with 

 a sacred observance of days. The moonwort was collected 

 at the time of the full moon, and by the light of it, or its 

 powers would be of no avail. Astrology was intimately 

 blended with the practice of medicine in the Middle 

 Ages, no less than theology, and many an herb was sup- 

 posed to derive its healing powers from some tutelary 



