vni] Doctrine of Signatures 2 1 1 



biting of an Adder." In other cases, the signature represents 

 one of the organs of the human body, and indicates that the 

 plant will cure diseases of that organ. For example, "Heart 

 Trefoyle is so called, not onely because the Leafe is Tri- 

 angular like the Heart of a Man, but also because each 

 Leafe containesthe perfect Icon of an Heart, and that in its 

 proper colour, viz. a flesh colour. It defendeth the Heart 

 against the noisome vapour of the Spleen." 



Cole seems to have possessed a philosophic mind, and to 

 have endeavoured to follow his theories to their logical con- 

 clusion. He was much exercised because a large propor- 

 tion of the plants with undoubted medicinal virtues have no 

 obvious signatures. He concluded that a certain number 

 were endowed with signatures, in order to set man on the 

 right track in his search for herbal remedies ; the remainder 

 were purposely left blank, in order to encourage his skill 

 and resource in discovering their properties for himself. 

 A further ingenious argument is that a number of plants are 

 left without signatures, because if all were signed, "the 

 rarity of it, which is the delight, would be taken away by 

 too much harping upon one string." 



Our author was evidently a keen and enthusiastic collector 

 of herbs. In his book 'The Art of Simpling' (1656) he 

 complains bitterly that physicians leave the gathering of 

 herbs to the apothecaries, and the latter "rely commonly upon 

 the words of the silly Hearb-women, who many times bring 

 them Quidior Quo, then which nothing can be more sad." 



Another strong supporter in this country of the doctrine 

 of signatures was the astrological botanist, Robert Turner. 

 He definitely states that " God hath imprinted upon the 

 Plants, Herbs, and Flowers, as it were in Hieroglyphicks, 

 the very signature of their Vertues." 



It is interesting to find that the doctrine of signatures 

 was repudiated by the best of the sixteenth -century 

 herbalists. Dodoens, for instance, wrote in 1583 that "the 

 doctrine of the Signatures of Plants has received the 

 authority of no ancient writer who is held in any esteem : 

 moreover it is so changeable and uncertain that, as far as 

 science or learning is concerned, it seems absolutely un- 

 worthy of acceptance 1 ." 



1 " Doctrina verd de signaturis stirpium, a nullo alicuius aestimationis 



14—2 



