i28 NATURAL HISTORY of NORWAY, 



inhabitant of the above-mentioned hamlet of Sel, had for feveral 

 years been afflicted with an inward weaknefs, but whether it pro- 

 ceeded from the ftomach or the breaft was doubtful ; the man 

 however was in great mifery, and at length confined to his bed ; 

 in his impatience he determined, without confulting any one, to 

 eat a bit of Selfnape, and foon found himfelf relieved ; upon the 

 return of the fit he applied it with the fame remedy, which effec- 

 tually expelled it, and at length he was reftored to a confirmed 

 ftate of health, lived feveral years after, and this many credible 

 witneffes can teftify. However, I will not recommend this as a 

 medicine, frequent experience having difcovered the fatal opera- 

 tion of it, as a poifon on the human conftitution. This is the fub- 

 ftance of what I know concerning the good and bad properties of 

 the Selfnape." 

 Grameii offi. Another vegetable, pernicious to the cattle, tho 5 not fo fatal, 

 fragum. growing in the manor of Sundbord, and in other parts of Nor- 

 piatc ix. b. way, is a kind of ftur-grafs, or large grafs, the leaves broad and 

 pointed, with very little yellow flowers, its name among bota- 

 nifts is Gramen Oflifragum Norvegium. It has a very remarkable 

 effect on oxen and cows, if they happen to eat of it; their 

 ftrength totally decays as if their bones were fractured, or rather 

 mollified, that without the ftrange remedy of adminiftring to 

 them the bones of other cows, which they devour with the ut- 

 moft greedinefs, they quickly die. The before-mentioned letter 

 of that eminent botanift Mr. Reichwein, to Dr. Simon Paulli, con- 

 tains a defcription both of it, as well as of the Selfnape : Among 

 other things he fays, " Confringit et conterit ftatim omnia oila, 

 ita ut fracta inter pellem circa bacillum, circumvolvi poilint. 

 Non ftatim tamen exfpirant, fed curari poffimt, fi illis exhibea- 

 mus ofTa contufa alterius alicujus beftiaa ex efu hujus herbae mor- 

 tuze." This laft circumftance, that the bones ufed for the cure 

 muff, be of fuch cattle as have died by eating this grafs, is con- 

 tradicted in another letter of Mr. J. Fred. Marfchalch, in the 

 above-mentioned work, wherein is this pafiage : " Non enim 

 audivi exhiberi illis ofTa animalium eodem gramine occumbentium 

 ficut Reichwinus beatus fcribit." A gentleman of this country, 

 who from his own obfervation is acquainted with this ftur-grafs, 

 and fent me the original from which the annexed figure was 

 1 taken, 



