82 
BRITISH FERNS . 
less frequent in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, but is 
found on the continent of Europe, Africa, and North 
America. 
The virtues of this plant have been highly extolled 
by the older writers, and even now large quantities of 
it are gathered in the villages of Kent, Sussex, and 
Surrey, and prepared according to the old prescrip¬ 
tions. A preparation, called “ Green Oil of Charity,” 
is made from it, and applied to wounds; and Gerarde 
says : “ The leaves of Adder’s Tongue stamped in a 
stone mortar a t nd boiled in oyle of olive, and then 
strained, will yield a most excellent green oyle, or 
rather a balsam, for greene wounds, comparable to 
oyle of St. John’s Wort, if it doth not far surpasse 
it.” We incline to think that the only efficacious part 
of this ointment was the oil of which it was composed. 
Dr. Lindley, in his ‘Vegetable Kingdom,’ says : “The 
herbage of these plants is mucilaginous ; whence 
the species have been employed in broths. Ophio- 
glossum vtilgatum has been used in medicine as a 
vulnerary, but it seems to possess that quality as 
little as the magical virtues once ascribed to it.” 
Mr. Newman quotes a poet who says 
“ For them that are with newts, or snakes, or adders stung, 
The seeking out an herb that’s called Adder’s Tongue, 
As Nature it ordain’d, its own like hurt to cure, 
And sportive did herself to niceties inure.” 
There is no great difficulty in cultivating this fern, 
if it be removed carefully without disturbing the roots, 
