WILD PLANTS AND THEIR NAMES.
(Vol. vii., pp. 175. 233.)
Perhaps the following may prove of some use to Enivri, in reply to his Query respecting the names of certain wild flowers.
1. Shepherd's Purse (Bursa pastoris). "Sic dict. a folliculis seminum, qui crumenulam referre videntur." Also called Poor Man's Parmacitty, "Quia ad contusos et casu afflictos instar spermatis ceti utile est." Also St. James's Wort, "Quia circa ejus festum florescit," July 28th. Also called Pick-purse.
2. Eye-bright, according to Skinner (Euphrasia), Teut. Augentrost; "Oculorum solamen, quia visum eximiè acuit." Fluellin (Veronica femina), "Forte a Leolino aliquo Cambro-Brit. ejus inventore."
3. Pass Wort, or Palsy Wort (Primula veris). "Herba paralyseos."
4. Guelder Rose (Sambucus rosea). "Quia ex Gueldriâ huc translata est." Gueldria is, or rather was, a colony, founded by the Hollanders, on the coast of Coromandel.
5. Ladies' Tresses, a corruption of traces. A kind of orchis, and used, with its various appellations, "sensu obsc."
6. The Kentish term Gazel is not improbably the same as Gale, which, Skinner says, is from the A.-S. Gagel (Myrtus brabantica).
7. Stitch Wort (Gramen leucanthemum, alias Holostium pumilum). "Sic dict. quia ad dolores laterum punctorios multum prodesse creditur."
8. The term Knappert, for Bitter Vetch, is probably a corruption of Knap Wort, the first syllable of which, as in Knap Weed and Knap Bottle, is derived from the sound or snap emitted by it when struck in the hollow of the hand.
9. Charlock (Rapum sylvestre); Anglo-Saxon Cerlice.
10. London Pride or Tufts (Armeria prolifera). "Sic dict. quia flores propter pulchritudinem Londini valdè expetuntur." (?)
11. Avens; also Herb Bennet (Caryophyllata). Skinner says, "Herba Benedicta ab insigni radicis vulnerariâ vi." (?)
12. Mill Mountain, or Purge Flax (Linum sylvestre catharticum, or Chamælinum). "Montibus gaudet."
13. Jack of the Buttery. "Sedi species sic dict. quia in tecto galacterii crescit." Pricket: "a sapore acri."
14. Cudweed or Cotton Weed; Live-long. "Quia planta perennis est."
15. Sun Spurge. "Quia flores ad ortum solis se aperiunt." Churn Staff, from its similarity.
16. Welcome to our House (Tithymalus Cyparissias). "Ob pulchritudinem suam omnibus expetitus."
17. Ruddes (Fl. Calendulæ). "A colore aureo." Wild or Corn Marigold. "Q. d. aurum Mariæ, a colore sc. floris luteo." Gouls or Goulans, with a half-suppressed d, may very well be supposed to indicate its natural name—Gold. Another name of this plant is Lockron, or Locker Goulans.
18. Spurry (Spergula). "Sic dict. quia folia ejus octo, angusta, stelliformia, radios calcaris satis exactè referunt."
19. Mercury Goose-foot. Probably a goose-foot resembling Mercury (Mercurialis), a herb concerning which Skinner doubts, but suggests, "Quia Mercurio, ut ceteræ omnes plantæ planetis, appropriata sit." Another name is Good Henry,—I find not Good King Henry—(Lapathum unctuosum), "A commodo ejus usu in enematis." It is also called All-good, forasmuch as it is useful, not only for its medicinal qualities, but also in supplying the table with a substitute for other vegetables, such as asparagus.
A plant termed in this country Gang Flower is the same as Rogation Flower, recalling the perambulation of parishes on one of those days. There is a vast fund of interesting matter in these old names of wild flowers (mixed up, of course, with much that is trifling); and I cordially agree with your correspondent, that it is well worth a steady effort to rescue the fast-fading traditions relating to them. It must be confessed, however, that the obstacles in the way of tracing the original meaning and supposed virtues, will in many instances be found very great, arising principally from the fanciful translations and corruptions which our ancestors made of the old names. Take, for instance, the following:
Loose Strife or Herb Willow, from Lysimachia, the original being undoubtedly a man's name, Lysimachus.
Ale-hoof (Hedera terrestris). Anglo-Saxon Al behófian. "Herba πάγχρηστος, ad multos usus efficacissima."
Herb Ambrose has a Greek origin, ἄμβροτος, and is not indebted to the saint of that name.
Comfrey or Cumfrey. "Herba vulnera conferruminans;" good for joining the edges of a wound.
Calathian Violets. Simply cupped violets, from κάλαθος.
Brank Ursin (Acanthus). "It. brancha, unguis ursinus."
Blood Strange; properly, String. To stanch.
Bertram. A corruption of πύρεθρον (Pyrethrum).
Spreusidany, Hair-strong, Sulphur Wort. Corrupted from Peucedanum.
Pell-a-mountain, Wild Thyme. From Serpyllum montanum.
Faceless. From Phaseolus, dim. of Phaselus; so called from its shallop shape.
Stick-a-dove, French Lavender. From στοιχὰς, στοιχάδος, Stœchas; so called from the regularity of the petals.
Such instances might be multiplied to almost any extent.
There is, doubtless, a good deal of scattered information respecting old English wild flowers to be met with, not only in books, but also among our rural population, stored up by village sages. Contributions of this description would surely be welcome in "N. & Q."
H. C. K.
—— Rectory, Hereford.
Herbs of all kinds were, some two hundred years ago, esteemed of much value as medicine; for in a curious, and I believe rather scarce, pharmacopœia by Wm. Salmon, date 1693, I find some 414 pages devoted to their uses. This pharmacopœia, or Compleat English Physician, was dedicated to Mary, second Queen of England, Scotland, France, Ireland, &c., and appears to have been the first. The preface says "it was the first of that kind extant in the world, a subject for which we have no precedent."
"I have not trusted," he says, "to the reports of authors, but have wrote as an eye-witness in describing most things therein; and it is nothing but what I know and have learnt by daily experience for thirty years together, so that my prescriptions may in some measure plead a privilege above the performances of other men."
1. Capsella (Bursa pastoris) he describes as cold 1o, and dry in 2o, binding and astringent. Good against spitting of blood or hæmorrhage of the nose, and other fluxes of the bowels. The leaves, of which ʒj. in powder may be given. The juice inspissate, drunk with wine, helps ague. A cataplasm applied in inflammations, Anthony's fire, &c., represses them.
2. Veronica Chamædrys he calls Euphrasia, Euphrosunee, and says it is much commended by Arnoldus de Villa Nova, who asserts that it not only helps dimness of the sight, but the use of it
makes old men to read small letters without spectacles, who could scarcely read great letters with spectacles before; but that it did restore their sight who had been a long time blind. Truly a most wonderful plant; and, if he freely used it, must have been a great drawback to spectacle-makers.
3. Primula veris, he says, more properly belongs to the primrose than cowslip. The root is haumatic, and helps pains in the back. The herb is cephalic, neurotic, and arthritic. The juice or essence, with spirits of wine, stops all manner of fluxes, is excellent against palsy, gout, and pains, and distempers of the nerves and joints. A cataplasm of the juice, with rye meal, is good against luxations and ruptures. The flowers are good against palsy, numbness, convulsions, and cramps, being given in a sulphurous or a saline tincture, or an oily tincture, or an essence of the juice with spirits of wine. The juice of the flowers, or an ointment of the flower or its juice, cleanses the skin from spots, though the worthy old physician only gives a receipt for making essence as follows: Beat the whole plant well in a mortar; add to it an equal quantity of brandy or spirits of wine; close up tight in a large bolt-head, and set it to digest in a very gentle sand-heat for three months. Strain out all the liquor, which close up in a bolt-head again, and digest in a gentle sand-heat for two months more. Rather a troublesome and slow process this.
4. Geum urbanum he calls Caryophyllata, Herba benedicta, and Geum Plinii, and should be gathered, he says, in the middle of March, for then it smells sweetest, and is most aromatic. Hot and dry in the 2o, binding, strengthening, discussive, cephalic, neurotic, and cardiac. Is a good preservative against epidemic and contagious disease; helps digestion. The powder of the root, dose ʒj. The decoction, in wine, stops spitting of blood, dose ʒss to ʒjss. The saline tincture opens all obstructions of the viscera, dose ʒj to ʒiij.
Should Enivri wish to know the medical virtues of our wild plants, I have no doubt but that this worthy old physician will tell him what virtues they were considered to possess in his day, at least by himself; and I can assure him that 1195 of the English Physician's pages ascribe marvellous properties, not only to plants, but to animals, fish, and even the bones of a stag's heart.
R. J. Shaw.