136 THE HERB-GARDEN 



for instance, had its stems speckled like a snake 

 or viper, so it cured snake-bites and the stings of 

 scorpions. In spite of its pretty Forget-me-not 

 blue flowers, the plant has a prickly, viperish look, 

 which makes it very distinctive. Pulmonaria, or 

 Lungwort, has broadish leaves, spotted and marked 

 in a manner which is supposed to resemble the lungs 

 of men and animals. The Heart-trefoil has heart- 

 shaped leaves, which are sometimes blood-stained, 

 so this Herb protects the heart ; the leaves of 

 St. John's Wort look as if they were perforated 

 with tiny holes like the pores of the skin, so here 

 we have a Herb that cures cuts and abrasions ; and 

 (curious indeed) the charming little purple blossom 

 of the Eyebright is marked with a spot of yellow, 

 darker in the middle, which has a distinct resem- 

 blance to a human eye, quite enough to remind 

 anybody of it. 



St. John's Wort deserves a passing mention of 

 its more than mere medicinal virtues. It is one 

 of the most magical of Herbs. Evil spirits posi- 

 tively shudder at it, flying off at the first whiff 

 of its scent. Meg Merrilies knew this when she 

 sang: 



' Trefoil, Vervain, John's Wort, Dill, 

 Hinder witches of their will." 



