10 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



neighbours and the country round, the radius varying- witb 

 her repute. 



The tutsan is in French called Tonte-saine, or all-heal ; 

 and Parkinson, writing in the reign of Elizabeth, points 

 out that it is from this that our English name is evidently 

 derived. The common valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is 

 by some old writers called all-heal, but the French Toule- 

 saine, or tutsan, and the English all-heal are now equally 

 neglected. The tutsan should be looked for in open woods, 

 copses, and shrubberies, and it is on this account some- 

 times called park-leaves a name, however, that is much 

 less commonly given to it. In some mediaeval books it is 

 written Tutsayne, a still nearer approach, in sound at least, 

 to the French. Lobel says it is so called " because, like 

 the panacea, it cures all sicknesses and diseases." Alas ! 

 the "panacea" is rarer even than the tutsan. 



The generic name is derived from two Greek words 

 signifying superior and a spectre, as several of the plants 

 forming the genus are supposed to protect the possessor 

 from the power of evil spirits ! The St. John's wort 

 (llypcricnm perforatuni) was in an especial degree accredited 

 with these supernatural powers, and was by the monkish 

 writers called the Fuga demonum. The specific name, 

 Androscumuniy is derived from two Greek words signifying 

 man and blood, in allusion to the dark-red juice that is 

 contained in the capsules, and which at once becomes 

 apparent when they are bruised. An old fanciful name for 

 the plant is ' ' balm of the warrior's wound " a name 

 applied from the mediaeval belief that plants had their 

 healing virtues indicated in some way to the eye, the 

 blood-red juice of the tutsan pointing out its use as an 

 application to wounds. Fuchs says that the name arises 



