V 
E R B E N A OFFICINALIS. 
ERVAIN. 
"V ERBENA Lin. Gen. PI. DidynAmia Gymnospermia. 
v _ T Gen. 14. SuFFRUTICES, ET HERBiE VERTICILL A T M. 
\ ERBENA officinalis, tetrandra, i'picis filiformibus, paniculatis ; foliis multifido -laciniatis, catile foiitario. 
Lin. Syj. Vegetab. p. 62. 
foHis tripartitis rugofis, fpicisnudisgraciliffimis Haller, hijl. v. r . p. 06. 
V ERBENA communis casruleo flore. Bauhin , Pin. 269. mas, feu re£ta et vulgaris. Parkinfon 674. communis 
Gerard 664. Raii Syn. 236. Hudfon FI. Angl. p. 505. ScopoliFl. Carniol. p. 433. 
lutefcens, fapore fubamaro. 
RADIX perennis, lignofa, craffitie digiti minimi, raro J ROOT perennial, woody, about the thicknefs of the 
iSiJ? t erram /™funde penetrans, fibroia, | little finger, feldom larger, running deep into 
" ta " " U “ I the earth, fibrous, of a yellowifh colour, and 
ajtttuc , , , I . . . . flightly bitter tafte. 
CAULES plerumque plures ex eadem radice, erefti, pe- $ STALKS: in general feveral arife from the fame root 
dales aut bipedales, quadrangulares, duo latera J upright, from one to two feet high, fourfquare’ 
excavata, duo fubconvexa fulcata, idque alterne, J two fides hollowed out, two roundiffi and eroo- 
aculeis brevibus armati, brachiati. ? ved, and that alternately, armed with ffiort 
FOLU Sfad fe Sn JZffi pr0&nde dentata ’ aut l LEA YJ« °PP^ cut 
FT OP ER ■ f • an ^il 10ra ’ I Hi, narroweft at bottom, 
t LORES in fpicas longas filiformes, ereftas d.fpofiti, | FLOWERS difpofed in long filiform =, -eft fpikes, fuppor- 
bractea ovato-lanceolata, acuminata, calyce | u,, „.,-1 HL.j ^ 
breviore fuffulti, Jig. - - 
inophyllum, angulatum, | CALYX 
ens,/j. , j, '^P^oonmmo, perfift- | Aj fifth tooth exceedingly minute, “continuing;^: 
CALYX "A ,, , 1 ^ 
CALYX quFn^X™, I CALYX ! eaf ’ S-quedentate, 
COROLLA monopetala.maiqualis purpurafeens, Tubus | COROLLA monopetalous, unequal, purplifh the Tube 
cyhndraceus, meurjatus ; Faux villofa , fig. 5 ; | cylindrical and crooked, the MouR villous 
iouiUibns qU r U a ’ &b- I fig. J. the Limb divided into five figments, which 
t TAM T.r A a ’ A- 4* I are round and nearly equaL fig. a. 
STAMUS A : Filamenta quatuor breviffima, vix con- | STAMINA : four Filaments very fliort and fcarce 
fpicua, Anthers quatuor, quarum duse brevi- | confpicuous, four Anthera! two of which are 
ores reliquis, ejufdem formse cum Didynamus | above the others, of the fame form with thofe 
dtcttt T mir "'f' „ r. I of the Clafs Didynamia in general, fk. 6. 
PISTILLUM: Germen tetragonum, Stylus fihformis * PISTILLUM: the Germen four fquare the Style fili- 
apice paululum mcraffatus; Stigma obtufum | form, growing thicker towards the extremity, 
T 7 _ , ? the Stigma obtufe, fig. 7. 
sImTNA o,!V n tr Cal y x contmens Semina | PERICARPIUM wanting, theCal/xcontainingtheSeeds. 
SEMINA quatuor, oblonga, obtufa, interne planmfcula | SEEDS four, oblong, obtufe, on the infide flatifli and 
alba, externe fufea, convexa, fulcato-reUcuhtafig. 8, 9 ,,o. f white, on the outfide brown, convex, grooved 
^ and reticulated, jig. 8, 9, io. 
The "Vervain may be confidered as a kind of domeftic plant, not confined to any particular foil, but growing 
by the road hues, pretty umverfally at the entrance into Towns and Villages. * 0 
It produceth its blofloms . in the months of Auguft and September. 
There is only one Species of this Genus which grows wild in this country, but ill different parts of the 
world the fpec.es are numerous, and what is remarkable, fume have four and others but two Stamina, hence Linnieus 
milks them among his Dtandrtms plants, making a dtvifion of them into fuch as have fores Bimdri and tores 
Letrandn. As our fnenes hafh four Buminn oFw-lal „1 -1 -1 _ dr,. . J ,uiei 
As our_ fpecies hath four c tamina, two of which are above the other two, as the Style proceeds from 
, , °f th . e ro ^ r united Germina, and as four naked feeds follow, which are contained within the Calyx we 
have placed it with Scopoli among the Didynamia Gymnojpermia plants, a Clafs to which the botanic Student who 
nad been lnitructed in rhe .mnrpfm rmnnnUq nf TW ,r -<„,,1:1., 1, — u • j . , . . ’ 
had been inffrudted in the Linnaean principles of Botany, would readily have been induced to referit 
The feed of this plant has lomething remarkably curious in its appearance, on the infide it is of a fnowv white 
externally brown, and beautifully reticulated. J ’ 
The Plant which the Romans called Verbena , appears to have been ufed on particular oceafions at a verv earlv 
period as a token of mutual confidence betwixt them and their Enemies. It was alfo confiantly applied to the 
purpofes of Superstition and Enchantment, m making wreaths and brooms:- for their Altars, and chaplets for their 
i nefts. it is probable from Pliny s account, that the plant which we now deferibe was the fame with that of the Anti- 
ents, but in a larger fenfe, they called the Laurel and Myrtle or whatever was bound round the Altar Verbena. The 
dry harih nature of this herb agrees but ill with the Pinguis V irbena of Virgil, perhaps it acquired that title from being- 
anointed with the fat of the facnfice. ® 
In later times Vervain has been accounted a fovereign remedy in a multitude of diforders ; Schroder recommends 
it in upwards of thirty diderent complaints, on which Mr. Ray judicioufy obferves “ Mirum tot viribus pollere plan- 
tarn nulla mjgm qualitate fenjbth dotatam ! ftrange that a plant which inherits no remarkably fenfible quality lhould 
DOllefs 10 manv virtues ^ J 
Mr. Morley alate writer on the Vervain, confiders it as extremely ufeful in the cure of the’ Schrophula or Kimrs evil 
and in his Eflay on the nature and cure of Schrophulous difeafes, has given us a figure of the plant with particular 
directions for its ufe which confi Its in hanging the root (which is to be of a larger or fmaller fize accordino- to the 
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 effefts of Medicines on the human body, will not eafily be perfwaded that fuch 
a kind of application can produce any very wonderful effodi: in this cafe, even making the greateft allowance for 
the powers ol the imagination ; and Mr. Morley as if fenfible of the inefficacy of his Vervain Amulet calls to his 
aniflance 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, Cataplafms, Ointments, Poultices, Plaiffers &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 anyffiare in the cure ? certainly no; out of 
all Mr. Morley’ s cafes there is not one which proves it, and the virtues of this plant Hill remain to be afeerta’ined bv 
rational experiments. ^ 
It ffiould 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 moffc fimple applications. * ^ 
Many people have no doubt applied to Mix Morley from a fuppofition that his motives were perfectly difinterefted 
and it muff be confefled that there are Empirics much more mercenary and infinitely more dangerous ; yet it does not 
appear but Mr. Morley a£ts nearly on the fame principle with other Pra&ipners in Pbyfick, with this difference in- 
deed, that they receive their fees in fpecie, he takes his in kind. 
That we may not be thought to a ft difingenoufly by Mr. Morley we ffiall quote his own words— “Many many 
Guineas have been offered me but I never take any money. Sometimes indeed genteel People have lent me lmall 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. 
