o24 THE ELDEK. 



remarkable. The Cornu-British words for it are scan and. 

 scauan ; and hence we have many villages^ and two 

 ancient^ families denominated.^ It may at first seem to 

 be owing to the general scarcity of trees that even this 

 humble shrub was thought considerable enough to give 

 name to so many places ; but if we consider the great 

 virtue of this plant in all its several parts and stages, we 

 shall be convinced that few shrubs deserve a greater regard. 

 It is very hardy, enduring all weathers, suiting all soils, 

 easily propagated by seeds and cuttings; the medicinal 

 use of its several parts is extraordinary ; its leaves, buds, 

 blossoms, berries, pith, wood, and bark have more virtues 

 than can possibly have room here without entering into 

 too minute detail : the following are most obvious and 

 most generally applied to for relief. — The buds and 

 leaves, as soon as they appear, are gathered to maek baths, 

 Ibnientations, and cataplasms for wounds, and are a remedy 

 for inflammations, &c. As soon as the flower-buds come on, 

 they serve to make a pickle of very good flavour : the 

 flowers at their opening, infused, communicate their taste 

 and smell to vinegar; infused and let to stand in best 

 Florence oil, excellent to be laid over bruises and external 

 swellings ; and taken internally, very healing and cooling : 

 the flowers in their natural state are very sudorific, and 

 assuage pains ; distilled with simple water, make a sweet 

 cooling wash for the face in summer, which takes off 

 inflammations of the eyes (as a collyrium); is good for the 

 wind in children, and a very innocent vehicle in fevers ; 

 distilled in spirits, it assuages cholical pains in adult 



1 B3Scauan-ros and Boscauanceu in St. Berian parish ; two 

 called by the name of Penscauan in St. Enodor ; Enyscauau in St. 

 Denis ; Lescauan in Sheviock ; Fentouscauan, name of a water iu 

 St. Ives ; Trescau, formerly the most considerable village in the 

 Scilly Isles ; Trescau in Breg, &c. 



2 That of the Eight Honourable Lord Viscount Falmouth, called 

 Boscawen, and the Scawens of Molenik in St. Germans, and of 

 Oarshalton in Surrey. 



3 The Elder is still called Skew-tree in Cornwall. May not the 

 etymology of the word skewer bo traced to this tree ? — C. A. J. 



