VOL. XL.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 269 



nothing of what liad happened. All this day, every object appeared double to 

 them, that is, on looking at a man, or a beast, or a tree, they saw two. 



He returned to see them the day after, and found that the symptoms were 

 removed; but were succeeded by another altogether as surprising, viz. all ob- 

 jects appeared to them as red as scarlet. This last symptom ceased gradually 

 on the third day, and after that time they made no complaint. 



Concerning the Firiues of the Star of the Earth, Coronopus, or Bucks-horn 

 Plantain, in the Cure of the Bite of the Mad-Dog. By the Rev. Mr. The.. 

 Steward, F.D.M. N°451, p. 44g. 



Mr. S. here states that, in the Phil. Trans. N° 443, two vegetables are 

 mentioned as possessing great virtues against the hydrophobia; viz. the lichen- 

 cinereus terrestris and the stellaria or star of the earth, by which king James's 

 hounds, that had been bitten by a mad-dog, are said to have been cured. But 

 the last mentioned plant (the star of the earth) he apprehends to be a mistake, 

 Mr. Ray having taken the Spanish catchfly for the star of the earth ; whereas 

 according to Mr. S. the true star of the earth is the coronopus or bucks-horn 

 plantain, as Mr. Ray himself acknowledged in a letter to Mr. S. adding that he 

 (Mr. Ray) concluded that a false plant had been sent to the king for the star of 

 the earth. 



Relative to this subject Mr. S. introduces the following letter from Sir Hans 

 Sloane, the then president of the R. S. to Mr. Ray, dated June I, 1687, in 

 these words : " I send you inclosed the specimen of a plant growing on New- 

 market-Heath, and in Surrey, known by the name of the star of the earth in 

 those parts. It is particularly taken notice of on the account of its extraordi- 

 nary and admirable virtue, in curing the biting of mad-dogs, either in beasts or 

 men. One of his majesty's huntsmen having proved it a great many times, 

 gave the king his way of using it, which was an infusion in wiue with treacle, 

 and one or two more simples. His majesty was pleased to communicate it to 

 Gresham College, to the R. S. and nobody knowing the plant by that name, 

 some there present confirming its use in some parts of England in that disease 

 the herb being as little known here as if it came from the Indies, I told the 

 society, I would let you have the best specimen of it, which I question not is 

 known to you. If you please to give your sentiments, you will extremely 

 oblige, 8cc." To this Mr. Ray returned the following answer: " I received 

 your letter with the specimen inclosed, which seems to me to be the sesamoides 

 salamanticum magnum of Clusius, or lychnis vise. &c. of Bauhin, which I have 



