Verbena officinalis. Vervain 



VERBENA Lin. Gen. PL Didynamta Gymnospermia. 



Rail Gen. 14. SUFFRUTICES, ET HERB.* VERTIC1LL ATJE. 



VERBENA officinalis, tetrandra, fpicis filiformibus, paniculatis ; foliis multifido-laciniatis, cauie folitario, 



Lin. Syji. Vegetab. p. 62. 

 VERBENA foliis tripartitis rugofis, fpicis nudis graciliffimis Haller. hifl. v. I. p. 96. 



VERBENA communis casruleo flore. Bauhin, Pin. 269. mas, feu recta et vulgaris. Parkin/on 674. communis 

 Gerard 664. Rail Syn. 2j6. Hudfon Fl. Angl. p. 505. Scopoli Fl. Carn'wl. p. 433. 



RADIX perennis, lignofa, craffitie digiti minimi, raro | ROOT perennial^ woody, about the thicknefs of the 

 major, in terram profunde penetrans, fibrofa, | little finger, feldom larger, running deep into 



lutefcens, fapore fubamaro. the earth* fibrous, of a yellowiih colour, and 



I (lightly bitter tafte. 



CAULES plerumque plures ex eadem radice, erecti, pe- J STALKS: in general feveral arife from the fame root 

 dales aut bipedales, quadrangulares, duo lateral upright, from one to two feet high, fourfquare, 



excavata, duo fubcorivexa, fulcata, idque alterne, | two fides hollowed out, two roundifh and groo- 



aculeis brevibus armaria, brachiati. % ved, and that alternately, armed with fhort 



I prickles, the branches alternately oppofite. 



FOLIA oppofita, femlia, venofa, profunde dentata, aut | LEAVES oppofite, feffile, veiny, deeply indented or cut 

 incifa, ad bafin anguftiora. % in, narroweft at bottom. 



FLORES in fpicas longas, filiformes, ere&as difpofiti, | FLO WER. S difpofed in long filiform ereclfpikes, fuppor- 

 bractea ovato-lanceolata, acuminata, calyce ^ ted by an oval pointed Floral-leaf fhorter 



breviore fuffulti, jig. 11. | than the Calyx, fg t ii. 



CALYX : Perianthium monophyllum, _ angulatum, | CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, quinquedentate, 

 quinquedentatum, denticulo quinto minlmo, perfifi> $ the fifth tooth exceedingly minute, continuing,^, 



ens, fig. 1 2, 3. I r, 2, 3. 



COROLLA monopetala, inasqualis, purpurafcens, Tubus y COROLLA monopetalous, unequal, purplim, the Tube 

 cylindraceus, incurvatus; Faux villofa, j%\ 5; | cylindrical and crooked, the Mouth villous, 



Limb, us quinquefldus, laciniis rotundatis, fub- | fig-, 5. the Limb divided into hvefegments, which 



aequalibus, fig. 4. y are round and nearly equal, fig. 4. 



STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor breviffima, vix con- | STAMINA : four Filaments very fhort and fcarce 

 fpicua, Anthers quatuor, quarum duse brevi- | confpicuous, four Anthers two of which are 



ores reliquis, ejufdem formas cum Didynamiis ? above the others, of the fame form with thofe 



fig- 6. I of the Clafs Didynamia in general, jig. 6. 



PISTILLUM: Germen tetragonum, Stylus filiformis $ PISTILLUM: theGERMEN four fquare, the Style fill- 

 apice paululum incraflatus ; Stigma obtufum | form, growing thicker towards the extremity, 



fig. 7 K $• the Stigma obtufe, fig. 7. 



PERICARPIUM nullum, Calyx continens Semina. t PERIC ARPIUM wanting, the Calyx contalningfhe Seeds. 



SEMINA quatuor, oblonga, obtufa, interne planiufcula | SEEDS four, oblong, obtufe, on'the iiifide fiatifh and 

 alba, externe fufca, convGXZ, fulcato-reticulata fig. S,g, , o. f white, on the outfide brown, convex, grooved 



¥ and reticulated, fig. 8, 9, 10. 



The Vervain may be confidered as a kind of domeftic plant, not confined to any particular foil, but growino- 

 by the road fides, pretty univerfally at the entrance into Towns and Villages. 



It produceth its bioiibms in the months of Auguft and September. 



There is only one Species of this Genus which grows wild in this country, but in different parts of the 

 world the fpecies are numerous, and what is remarkable, fomehave four and others but two Stamina, hence Linnjeus 

 ranks them among his Diandrous plants, making a divifion of them into fuch as have fiores Biandri and fiores 

 Tetrandri. As our fpecies hath four Stamina, two of which are above the other two, as the Style proceeds from 



externally brown, and beautifully reticulated. 



The Plant which the Romans called Verbena, appears to have been ufed on particular occafions at a very early 

 period, as a token of mutual confidence betwixt them and their Enemies. It was alfo conftant'y applied to the 



dry^harih nature of this herb, agrees but ill with the Pinguis Verbena of Virgil, perhaps it acquired that title from being 

 anointed with the fat of the facrifice. 



In later times Vervain has been accounted a fovereign remedy in a multitude of diforders ; Schroder recommends 

 it in upwards of thirty different complaints, on which Mr. Ray judiciouily obferves " Mirum tot viribus pollen plan- 

 tain nulla infigni qualiiate fenfibili dotatam" ! ftrange that a plant which inherits no remarkably fenfible quality mould 

 poffefs fo many virtues ! 



age of his Patients) tied with a yard of white fattin ribband round the neck, there to be worn till they recover. 



Thofe who know any thing of the effects of Medicines on the human body, will not eafily be perfwaded that fuch 

 a kind of application can produce any very wonderful effecl: in this cafe, even making the greatelt allowance for 

 the powers of the imagination; and Mr. Morley as if fenfible of the inefficacy of his Vervain Amulet, calls to his 

 a ffiftance a number of powerful medicines, among others we find Mercury, Antimony, Hemlock, Jalap, &c ; and 

 by a repeated and oftimes a long continued application of Baths, Cataplaims, Ointments, Poultices, Philters', &c. 

 and the exhibition of gentle purges and alterative medicines, fome have been relieved and others cured; but' can 

 any one hence infer with any degree of reafon that the Vervain Root had any mare in the cure ? certainly no; out of 

 ali Mr. Morley' s cafes there is not one which proves it, and the virtues of this plant If ill remain to be afcerta'ined by 

 rational experiments. 



It fhould be obferved that the Schrophula is a difeafe which at certain periods of life and at certain feafons of the 

 year, is liable to be much worfe than at others, and frequently exceeding bad cafes of this kind have been cured by 

 the moft fimple applications. 



Many people have no doubt applied to Mr. Morley from a fuppofition that his motives were perfectly difintereited, 

 and it muff be confeiled that there are Empirics much more mercenary and infinitely more dangerous ; yet it does not 

 appear but Mr. Morley ads nearly on the fame principle with other Praaioners in Phyfick, with this difference inr 

 deed, that they receive their fees in fpecie, he takes his in kind. 



That we may not be thought to ad difingenoufly by Mr. Morley we fhall quote his own words— «'Many many 

 Guineas have been offered me but I never take any money. Sometimes indeed genteel People have fent me fmall ac- 

 knowledgements of Tea, Wine, Venifon, &c. Generous ones, fmall pieces of Plate or other little Prefents. Even 

 neighbouring Farmers a Goofe or Turkey, &c. by way of Thanks. 



