I40 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



the disputes of writers as to the identity of the " true 

 Ponticke "Wormwood," and says that " he himselfe is 

 certainly accurate on the point, having been taught it by 

 Gerhardas de Wyck, at that tyme the Emperour's sec- 

 retary " at Cologne. "This noble Clerk was afterwards 

 sent by Charles the fyft, Embassator to the great Turke." 



It is from wormwood that Absinthe is made ; and it 

 has been used Instead of hops in making beer. It used 

 to be laid among stuffs and furs to keep away moths 

 and insects — by its bitterness, ordinary folk supposed, 

 but Culpepper knew better, and gives an astrological 

 reason : " I was once in the tower and viewed the ward- 

 robe and there was a great many fine cloaths (I can give 

 them no other title, for I was never either linen or 

 woolen draper), yet as brave as they looked, my opinion 

 was that the moths might consume them. Moths are 

 under the dominion of Mars ; this herb Wormwood 

 (also an herb of Mars) being laid among cloaths will 

 make a moth scorn to meddle with the cloaths as much 

 as a lion scorns to meddle with a mouse, or an eagle 

 with a fly." One would not expect to find a moth a 

 " martial creature," but evidently he is, and this explana- 

 tion of the working of the law of " sympathies," 

 not only tells us so, but kindly shows us a sure means 

 of safeguarding our goods from an ubiquitous enemy. 



Mugwort has many reputed medical virtues, and Dr 

 Thornton who usually crushes any pretension to such 

 claims, says it "merits the attention of English physi- 

 cians, in regard to gout." It is with this plant that the 

 Japanese prepare the Afoxa that they use as a cautery 

 to a great extent. 



Mugwort is said to be a good food for poultry 

 and turkeys. De Gubernatis tells a Russian legend 

 about this plant which they call Bech. Once the Evil 

 One offended his brother, the Cossack Sabba, who 

 seized and bound him, and said he should not be 



