132 FAMILIAR WILL FLOWERS. 



the stem being erect, rather stiff-looking", and the whole 

 plant more or less clothed with hairs. 



Besides the names we have given, the plant is sometimes 

 called the great throat-wort, more possibly from the shape 

 of its flowers suggesting its remedial application than from 

 any inherent medicinal value, though the old authors do 

 not fail to point out its service in " all paines and swellings 

 thereof, being excellent good against the inflammation of 

 the throte, and all manner of cankers and ulcerations of the 

 mouth/' As the throat had to be ' ' gargarized " with a 

 decoction of this plant and " allom/' we may perhaps 

 assume that the greater part of the virtue lay in the 

 astringency of the latter. Sir Walter Scott, in his poem of 

 " Rokeby/' mentions "the throat- wort with its azure bells." 



