V e r b e n a o f f i c i n a l i s . V e r v a i n ,
VERBENA Lin, Gen. PI. Didynamia Gymnospermia.
Raii Gen. 14. SuffrutIces, et Herb® verticillat®.
VERBENA officinalis, tetrandra, fpicis filiformibus, paniculatis; fbliis multifido-lacmiatisj caule folltario*
Lin. Syfi. V ’.getab. p. 62.
, VERBENA foliis tripartitis rugofis, fpicis nudis graciliffimis. Haller, hiß. v. 1. p. 96.
VERBENA communis caeruleo flore. Btiubin, Pin. 269. mas, feu redia et vulgaris* Parkinfon, 674. communis
Gerard 664. Raii Syn. 236. Hudfon. Fl. Angl. p. 505» Scopoli. FI. Cdrniol. p. 433.
RADIX perennis, lignofa, craflitie digiti minimi, rarojROOT perennial, woody, about the tbicknefs of the
major, in terram profunde penetrans, fibrofa, f little finger, feldom larger, running deep into
lutefcens, fapore fubamaro. | the -earth, fibrous, of a yellowifh colour, and
I {lightly bitter tafte.
CAULES plerumque plures ex eadem radice, eredti, pe-|STALKS: in'general feveral arife- from the fame root,
dales aut bipedales, quadrangulares, duolatera| upright, from one to two feet high, four fquare,
excavata, duo fubconvexa, fulcata, idque alterne, | two fides hollowed out, two roundifh and
aculeis brevibus armati, brachiati. I grooved, and that alternately, armed with fhort
1 t prickles, the branches alternately pppofite.
FOLIA oppofita, feflilia, venofa, profunde dentata, aut J LEAVES oppofice, feffrle, veiny, deeply indented or cut
incifa,* ad bafin ariguiTiora. | in, narrowed: at bottom.
FLORES in fpicas longas, filiformes, eredtas difpofiti, | FLOWERS difpofed in long filiform efedt fpikes, fup-
bractea ovato-lanceolata, acuminata, calycel -ported by. an oval-pointed. Floral-leaf
breviore fuffulti, fig. 11. I fhorter than the Calyx, fig. 11.
.CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, angulatum, | C A L YX : a Perianthium of one leaf, quinquedentate,
quinquedentatum, denticulo quinto minimo, per-1 the fifth tooth exceedingly minute, continuing
' Mens, fig. I, 2, 3. ' J Jig. 1, 2, 3. .
COROLLA monopetala, inasqualis, purpurafcens, T ubus f COROLLA monopetalous, unequal, purplifli, the T ube
cylindraceusjincurvatus; Faux villofa,/#. 5. ; | cylindrical and crooked, the Mouth villous,
L im bu s quinquefidus, laciniis rotundätis, fub- J fig. 5. the L imb divided into fivefegments,. which
asqualibus, fig. 4. ? are round and nearly equal, fig. i,.
STAMINA: FilaMenta quatuor breviflima, vix con-1STAMINA: four Filaments very fhort and fcarce
fpicua, Anther.® quatuor, quarum duze brevi- $ confpicuous, four Anther®, two of which are
ores reliquis, ejufdem forms cum Didynamiis,| ' above the others, of the fame form with thofe
fig- 6. I ' of the clafs Didynamia in general, fig. 6.
P1STILLUM: GErmen tetragonum, Stylus filiform^ |PISTILLUM: the Germen four fquare, the Style
apice paululum incraffatus; St igma obtufum, | filiform, growing thicker towards the extremity,
fig- 7* . I the Stigma obtufe, fig. 7.
PERICARPIUM nullum, Calyx continens Semina. |PERICARPIUM wanting, theCalyx containing theSeeds.
SEMINA quatuor, oblonga, obtufa, interne planiufculaf SEEDS four, oblong, obtufe, on the infide flattifh and
alba, externe fufca, convexa, fulcato-reticulata, | • white, on the outfide brown, convex, grooved
fig. 8, 9, 10. I and reticulated, fig. 8, 9, 10.
The Vervain .may be confidered as a kind of domeftic plant, not confined to any particular foil, but growing by
the road fides, pretty univerfally at the entrance into Towns and Villages.
It produceth its bloffoms in the months of Auguft and September.
There is only one Species of this Genus which grows wild in this country, but in different parts of the world
the fpecies are numerous ; and, what is remarkable, fome have four and others but two Stamina; hence L inn®us
ranks them among his Diandrous plants, making a divifion of them into fuch as have fiores Diandri and floret
Letrandri. As our fpecies hath four Stamina, two of which are above the other two, as the Style proceeds from
the center of the four united Germina, and as four naked feeds follow, which are contained within the Calyx, we
have placed it with Scopoli among the Didynamia Gymnofpermia plants, a Clafs to which the botanic Student, who
had been inftru&ed in the Linnasan principles of Botany, would readily have been induced to refer it.
The feed of this plant has fomething remarkably curious in its appearance; on the infide it is of a fnowy white,
externally brown, and beautifully reticulated.
The Plant which the Romans called Verbena, appears to have been ufed on particular occafions at a very early
period, as a token of mutual confidence betwixt them and their Enemies. It was conftantly applied to the
purpofes of Superftition aild Enchantment, in making wreaths and brooms for their Altars, and chaplets for their
Priefts. It is probable from Pliny's account, that the plant which we now defcribe was the fame with that of the
Antients, but in a larger fenfe: they called the Laurel and Myrtle, or whatever was bound round the Altar, Verbena.
The dry harfh nature of this herb agrees but ill with the Pinguis- Verbena of Virgil; perhaps it acquired that title
from being anointed with the fat of the facrifice.
In later times Vervain has been accounted a fovereign remedy in a multitude of diforders; Schroder recommends
it in upwards of thirty different complaints, on which Mr. Ray judiciöufly pbferves, “ Mirum tot viribus poliere ■
plantam nulla infigni qualitate fenfibili dotatam ! Strange that a plant which inherits no remarkably fenfible quality
fhould poffefs fo many virtues !
Mr. Morley, a late writer on the Vervain, confiders it as extremly ufeful in. the cure of the Schrophula or King’s
evil, and, in his Effay on the nature and cure of Scrophulous difeafes, has given us a figure of the plant, with particular
directions for its ufe, which confifts in hanging the root (which is to be of a larger or fmaller fize, according 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 effeCts o f Medicines on the human body, will not eafily be perfwaded that fuch.
a kind of application can produce any very wonderful effeCt in this cafe, even making the greateft allowance for
the powers of the imagination ; and Mr. Morley, as if fenfible of the inefficacy of his Vervain Amulet, calls to his
affiftance a number of powerful medicines, among others we find Mercury, Antimony, Hemlock, Jalap, See. ; and
by a repeated and oft times a long continued application of Baths, Cataplafms, Ointments, Poultices, Plafters, &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 any {hare 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 ftill remain to be afeer-
tained by rational experiments.
It fhould be obferved, that the Scrophula 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 moft fimple applications.
Many people have applied no doubt to Mr. Morley, from a fuppofition that his motives were perfectly difinterefted;
and it muft be Confeffed, 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£ritioners,in Phyfick, with this difference
indeed, that they receive their fees in fpecie, he takes his in kind.
That we may not be thought to a£t difingenuoufly by Mr. Morley, we {hall quote his own w o r d s “ Many,
many Guineas have been offered me; but I never take any money. Sometimes indeed genteel People have fent me
fmall acknowledgements of Tea, Wine, Venifon, &c. Generous ones, fmall pieces of Plate or other little
JPrefents. Even neighbouring Farmers a Goofe or Turkey, &c. by way of Thanks.”
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