E U G E N IA .— In B u rm a h , th e Eugenia is re g a rd e d a s a s a c re d
p la n t. W h e n a sp ra y is c u t, p ra y e rs a n d su p p lic a tio n s for a b s e n t
frien d s an d re la tiv e s a re offered u p before it, a n d tw ig s a n d le av e s of
it a re k e p t in c o n s e c ra te d w a te r in a lm o st ev e ry h o u se, a n d o c c a sio n ally
th e different a p a r tm e n ts a re sp rin k led w ith it a s a protecitive
a g a in s t g h o sts, ogres, a n d evil sp irits . T h e tw ig s of Eugenia a re
som etime s h u n g a b o u t th e eav es, a n d in m a n y ca ses a small p la n t
is k e p t g row in g in a p o t in th e h ouse, so th a t its b enign in fluence
m ay k e ep h a rm aw a y . In ca ses o f c h o le ra ep id em ic ,
th e n a tiv e s of th e affecfted d is tr iil b e ta k e th em se lv e s to a B u d d h is t
m o n a s te ry , c a rry in g p re s e n ts a n d a sm a ll p o t p a r tly filled w ith
w a te r, a n d c o n ta in in g le av e s o f a spec ie s of Eugenia (T h a -
b y ay -b in ), a n d some co a rse yellow s trin g w o u n d ro u n d a small
stick . T h e se p o ts a re b le ssed b y th e B u d d h is t a b b o t, a n d a re
th e n ta k e n aw a y b y th e p eo p le , who e ith e r h a n g u p th e yellow
s trin g in little b ag s ro u n d th e eav es o f th e ir h o u se s, o r else w e a r
it coiled ro u n d th e left w ris t. T h e p o ts o f w a te r a n d sp rig s o f
Eugenia a re k e p t in th e h o u se to g u a rd it from infec tion.
E U P A T O R IU M .—A g rim o n y h a s d e riv e d its n am e o f Eupa-
torium from M ith rid a te s E u p a to r , K in g of P o n tu s , who w a s skilled
in b o ta n y a n d p h y sic , a n d u sed th is p la n t a s a n a n tid o te a g a in s t
th e p oison w ith w h ich h is en emies a t c o u rt a ttem p te d to d e s tro y
h im. E . Ayapana, a n a tiv e o f B ra z il, h a s lo n g b e en fam ed for
c u rin g th e b ite s o f s e rp e n ts , a n d its le av e s, w h en fre sh b ru is e d , a re
u seful w h en a p p lie d to th e face o f u lc e rs . In I ta ly a n d R u s s ia ,
m ag ic a l p ro p e rtie s a re a ttr ib u te d to th is p la n t.
E U P H O R B IA .—T h e E u p h o rb ia o r M ed u sa H e a d p o sse sse s
th e p e c u lia r p ro p e rty o f b lo om in g in w a rm w a te r a fte r a p p a r e n t
d e a th . T h e m ilk y ju ic e o f Euphorbia Canariensis, a n d some o th e r
sp e c ie s of S p u rg e , p ro d u c e s th e d ru g E u p h o rb ium . T h e ju ic e o f
E . heptagona fu rn ish e s th e E th io p ia n s w ith a d e a d ly p o iso n for th e ir
a rrow s. A t B o d o , in In d ia , before th e d o o rw ay o f ev e ry h o u se is
c u ltiv a te d a p la n t of th e s a c red S id j, a sp e c ie s o f E u p h o rb ia , w h ich
is looked u p o n b o th a s th e d om e stic a n d n a tio n a l d iv in ity , a n d to
th is p la n t th e n a tiv e s a d d re s s th e ir p ra y e rs a n d offer u p ho g s
a s sacrifices.
E V E R L A S T IN G F L O W E R S .—W r itin g o f th e Gnaphalium
Alpinum, G e ra rd e te lls u s th a t in h is d a y E n g lish w omen c a lled
it “ L iv e -lo n g ,” or “ L iv e -fo r-ev e r.” F rom h e n c e h a s o rig in a te d
th e n am e E v e rla s tin g , a p p lied to th e g en u s Gnaphalium. T h e
a n c ie n ts c row n ed th e imag es o f th e ir g o d s w ith g a rla n d s m a d e o f
th e s e flowers, a n d from th is c irc um s ta n c e th e y w e re fre q u e n tly
c a lled G o d ’s flowers. In S p a in a n d P o rtu g a l, th e y a re still u sed
to d e c o ra te th e a lta rs a n d th e im ag e s o f th e s a in ts . T h e F r e n c h
h a v e n am e d th e G n a p h a lium , Immortelle, a n d em p lo y it in th e
m a n u fa c tu re o f th e g a rla n d s a n d d ev ic e s w h ich th e y p la c e on th e ir
coffins a n d g ra v e s . Old w rite rs ca ll th e p la n t C u dw e ed , C o tto n -
weed, Gold-flower, G o ld ilo ck s, G o ld en Stoechas, a n d Golden-flower
G e n tle . On e sp ec ie s h a s o b ta in e d th e n am e of Herba Impia, b e c au se
th e la te r flowers g row h ig h e r, a n d , as G e r a rd e say s, “ o v e rto p th o se
th a t come first, a s m a n y w ick ed ch ild ren do u n to th e ir p a r e n ts .”
E Y E B R IG H T .—T h e E y e b r ig h t o r E u p h r a s y [Euphrasia
officinalis) w a s fo rm e rly c a lled E u p h ro sy n e , a fte r one of th e G ra c e s .
T h is n am e b e c am e su b s e q u e n tly c o rru p te d to E u p h ra s y . T h e
p la n t w a s also k n ow n a s O cu la ris a n d O p h th a lm ic a , on a c co u n t of
its u se in th e tr e a tm e n t of d iso rd e rs of th e eye. A c co rd in g to
Coles, it o b ta in e d th e n am e o f E y e b r ig h t from its b e in g em p lo y ed
b y th e lin n e t to c le a r its s i g h t ; o th e r old a u th o rs also say th a t
b ird s m a d e use o f it to re p a ir th e ir v isio n . A rn o ld u s affirms th a t
th e p la n t re s to re d sig h t to p eo p le who h a d b e en b lin d a lo n g w h ile ;
a n d G e r a rd e say s th a t, ta k e n e ith e r a lo n e or in a n y o th e r w ay , it
p re se rv e s th e sig h t, an d , “ b e in g feeble a n d lo st, it re sto re s th e
s am e : it is g iv en m o st fitly b e in g b e a te n in to p o u d e r ; o ften tim e s a
like q u a n titie of F e n n e ll-s e e d is a d d e d th e re to , a n d a little Mace,
to th e w h ich is p u t so m u ch su g a r as th e w e ig h t of th em all com m e th
to .” I t w a s also b e liev ed to com fo rt th e memory, a n d a s s is t a
w e ak b ra in . M ilto n , D ra y to n , S h e n s to n e , a n d o th e r p o e ts h av e
c e le b ra te d th e p ow e rs of E u p h ra s y , a n d we find S p e n s e r w r itin g :—
“ Yet Euphrasie may not be left unsung,
That gives dim eyes to wander leagues around.”
A stro lo g e rs s ta te th a t th e E y e b r ig h t is u n d e r th e sign of th e L io n ,
a n d th e S u n cla im s d om in io n o v e r it.
F A I R M A ID S .— F a ir M a id s o f F e b ru a ry a re S n ow d ro p s, so
c a lled from th e ir d e lic a te w h ite b lo ssoms o p en in g a b o u t th e se co n d
o f th a t m o n th , w h en it w a s c u s tom a ry for m a id en s, d re sse d in w h ite ,
to w a lk in p ro c e ssio n a t th e F e a s t o f th e P u rific a tio n . F a i r M aid s
o f F r a n c e a re d o u b le Crowfoots, o r a p a r tic u la r v a rie ty , o rig in a lly
in tro d u c e d from F ra n c e , v iz .. Ranunculus aconitifolius.
F E L D W O D E .— Med e a, th e e n c h a n tre s s , is sa id b y G ow e r
to h a v e em p lo y ed a c e rta in h e rb , F e ldw o d e :—
“ Tho toke she Feldwode and Verveine,
Of herbes ben nought better tweine.”
T h is h e rb is g en e ra lly su p p o s e d to h a v e b e e n th e yellow G e n tia n ,
o r B a ldm o n ey , Gentiana lutea. (See G e n t i a n . )
F E N N E L .—F e n c k le , or F e n n e l [Fceniculum), w a s em p lo y ed
b y th e a n c ie n ts in th e com p o sitio n o f w re a th s , to b e w o rn b y vicftors
a fte r th e g am e s in th e a re n a . T h e g la d ia to rs m ix ed th is p la n t w ith
th e ir food to in c re a s e th e ir s tre n g th . T h e god S y lv an u s w a s som e tim
e s c row n ed w ith F e n n e l. In la te r tim e s. F e n n e l w a s strew n
a c ro ss th e p a thw a y of n ew ly -m a rried co u p les, a n d w a s g en e ra lly liked
for its o d o u r; th u s O p h e lia s a y s : “ T h e r e ’s F e n n e l for you, a n d
C o lum b in e .” P lin y re c o rd s th a t s e rp e n ts a re w o n d erfu lly fond
o f th is p la n t, in a sm u ch as it re sto re s th em to y o u th b y c a u sin g
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