The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-27

Prescribed.
From the London Standard.
The possession of health is one-half the
enjoyment Of life; the receipt Of the doc
tors bill for medical services lengthens
the already elongated face of the philo-
sophical invalid, and causes him to quote
feelingly, Throw physic to the dogs; I'll
none of it." Henceforward he viii turn
TO nature for a cure, and searching the
pages Of the ancient works on herbalism,
he finds certain and sure remedy for
every disease under the sun. For centu-
ries, the popular belief obtained that
herbs and astrology were in intimate as
sociation. Every plant was under the
influence of planet; each planet domi-
mated certain portion of the human
frame, and the herbs under It's influence
necessarily supplied the proper medicine
for that special part of the body.
Mature has stamped on divers plants
legible characters to discover their uses, :"
writes an old authority on the use of
herbs Therefore, on the principle that
like cures like, jaundice may be cured by
yellow flowers; the hated freckle re
moved by the distillation of spotted
herbs; badness done way with by an ap-
plication of moss hanging upon the tree
in a manner like hair; and the nagging
toothache relieved by the juice of the
tooth-like henbane seel.
SOME OF THE CID REMEDIES.
A horse suffering from To- staggers
may be entirely cured by the administra-
ton of ragwort, on the principle that the
uneven edge of the plant resembles the
of "a mn
whether the same herb might afford judi
cious relief to those afflicted with strong
alcoholic prOpenSities, Nicholas Culpep-
per does not enlighten US. Who would
suffer longer from the curse of indiges-
ton when a decoctiOn of vinegar of squills
taken in the morning before an hours
walk is potent to effect cure, and at the
same time to improve the voice, sharpen
the sight and clear the complexion9 Foot
ballors with broken collar-bones may be
glad to hear that Soloman's Seal dis
solved in ale affords delight
full glue for the most cOmpli-
Gated Of fractures. Women of a certain
age may fly to the Juice of the cowslip as
a sure restorative of beauty; while doc
tors may retire from their profession,
learning that single spoonful OF the mall
low juice is a preservative from all dis
ease. Nor is the benefit of these simples
y
The jealous wife, doubling the constaucy
of her lord and master, needs only to feed
him with dish of periWinkle leaves, and
from that moment his love for her in
creases hundredfold. Rue makes a man
subtle, quick and inventive; sage strength
ems his memory, and, indeed, possesses so
many virtues that one of its admirers
asks How is it that one who grows sage
In his garden can ever dieln
QUAINT RECIPES OF HRRBALsTs.
Some quaint recipes are given US by the
herbalists Here is one, good against
merrie gals another ito ripen felOns, ("
one to 'engender naughty humors," and
lastly, one for a subtle form of murder
masmuch as the decOction is ito kill a
man in such sort as though he seemed to
die laughing" So many antidotes exist
against plague and poison that according
to the herb doctors there is no excuse for
any to perish from these dreaded ills.
We have the famous antidote of King
Mlthrldates, who insured his safety so
completely by using the following recipe
that when he attempted to commit sui
eide by taking poison he utterly failed
The famous recipe runs thus: 1.-TWO wal
nuts, 2 figs and 20 leaves of
rue beaten together and taken
fasting will preserve against poison or
plague that day" To the lovers of the
animal kingdom, it may be interesting to
learn that dogs eat grass as an emetic;
that asses cursed with melancholy be-
come lively by eating milk waste; that
deer preserve themselves from the i'll
effects of serpent bites with wild parsnip ;
and that the willy weasel before enCOun-
tering the snake, insures his safety with
meal of rue. e-bright, by analogy,
cures the failing sight of linnets and gold
inches; while the eyes of young swal-
ON st1-@, IL. 1
so made blind, within three or four days
after will see again-the old swallows
Will restore their sight with the juice Of
celandineo Serpents clear their eyes
with fennel, and so much distrust the ash
that, sooner than pass under its shadow,
they will prefer to go through fire.
SOME QUEER sUPERsTITIoNs.
Lovestrife bellies its name. inasmuch as
being cast between fighting oxen, they
will part, and If the plant be tied around
their necks, peace is insured thencefor-
ward. Adder's tongue put in the left ear
OF horse will make him fall down as if
DEAD, but on its removal he will become
IlVeller than ever. Asses fed on hemlOck
fall so fast asleep that some, thinking
Them to be dead, have flayed off their
SKINS yet, after they have done operating
the beasts have stirred and walked out of
tnelr sleep, to the grief and amaZement Of
theT owners and the laughter of others :"
imagination, we know, may play us lively
Tricks but that man, unconscious of the
odSll power to encourage scorpions, once
pred reptile in his head by merely smell
ing the plant seems a tale of the Mum
cAausen breed. We read, however, that
an ambassador from Genoa, being
refused a hearing by the Duke
OF Milan, gave that ruler handful
Oh basil. An explanation was demanded
OF inns singular reply. Whereupon the
ambassador remarked that basil, gently
handled, gave out pleasant odor, but
l9at II wrung and bruised, it bred scor-
pIons. The duke took the hint and treated
the diplOmatist thencefOrth with due
courtesy. Perhaps the herb Of the most
learSome reputationis mandrake. 1t was
commonly believed to spring from the
plood OF the malefactor, to resemble the
human form in shape, and not only to
ssnrlek when pulled out of the ground, but
70 punish any man attempting to remove
IL with instant death, so that dogs were
commonly employed for that purpose
NerFlan roots were wound round the
neck TO keep away the kings evil; house
eeks might be used as lightning conduc-
Tors, and no man sheltering beneath bay
Tree might be hurt, for
Lightning may inclose, but never stay
Upon his charmed branches.
CURES OF OLD WRITERS.
Nor are herbs the only form of nature