Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

FAMILY HERBAL. 217
but kept for the sake of its virtues and use. It is
a foot high. The stalks are firm, upright, and a
little hairy. The leaves are broad, short, and somewhat
hairy, of a pale green colour, and not indented
at the edges, and of a fine smell. At the tops of the
branches, stand a kind of soft scaly heads, three
quarters of an iuch long,' and from these grow the
flowers, which are small and white. The sec(k are
very small ; and the root is fibrous. The whole plant
has a fine smell.
The whole plant is to be used fresh ; and it is
best taken by way of infusion. It is good against the
head ach, and dizziness, and all the inferior order of
nervous complaints ; but they talk idly who call it a
remedy for apoplexies. It gently promotes the menses,
and opens all obstructions. The dried herb may be
given for the same purpose in powder,
succeed so well.
Wild Marjoram. Origanum.
but it does not
A wild plant, frequent about way-sides,
in
marry places, but superior to the other in beauty
and in virtues. It very well deserves a place, on
both accounts, in our gardens. It grows a foot
and a half
high. The stalk is firm, very upright,
a little
hairy, and of a
purplish brown colour, extremely
regular in its growth. The leaves are broad
and short, of the bigness of one's thumb-nail, and of
a dark green colour ; two stand at every joint, and
they have long foot stalks. The flowers grow on
the tops of the branches : there stand on these long
scaly heads, of a beautiful form, and purple colour ;
from different parts of those, arise the flowers,
which are little, but of a beautiful red colour. The
whole plant has a fragrant smell, and an aromatic taste.
The fresh tops of the herb are to be used. They