66 Gerard describes several species and varieties of marigolds that were grown in our gardens previously to 1597; and the species now alluded to, Calendula sativa, he says, was so much used in Holland, that the yellow leaves of the flowers are dried and kept throughout Dutchland against winter, to put into broths, in phisicall potions, and for diuers other purposes, in such quantities, that in some grocers or sellers of spices houses are to be found barrels filled with them, and retailed by the pennie, more or lesse, in so much that no broths are well made without dried marigolds." Most of the old physicians recommend the conserves made with the leaves of this flower and sugar, to be taken as a preventive against the plague or other pestilential diseases. They also state that these preparations cure the palpitation of the heart. Marigold tea was one of the domestic medicines given in agues, and often with success. We cannot avoid noticing how much less frequent this disorder has become within these last twentyfive years; and we attribute it principally to the improved state of the cultivation of our lands. The rapid advance in price of every agricultural production at the commencement of the war occasioned by the French Revolution, induced the farmers to drain their lands where formerly waters were suffered to congregate and become stagnated, and where vegetable matter would naturally putrefy and corrupt the air. In justice to the age we live in, it must be remarked that the lower orders of the country people were never better fed or clothed than during the late war, notwithstanding the high price provisions bore, which circumstance also proved a powerful defence against this autumnal complaint. The ancient authors make but slight mention of the marigold; Columella notices it in his 10th book, under the name of Caltha. "Candida Leucoia et flaventia lumina Calthæ." Stock gilliflowers exceeding white, GERARD. Virgil notices the flower in the second Eclogue of his Bucolicks. 66 Cassia and Dill are added to the store, Adorn'd with every flow'r and every sweet." Gay, in his burlesque Pastorals, gives this riddle: "What flower is that which bears the Virgin's name, The richest metal joined with the same?" The flowers of the common marigold are thought to be aperient and attenuating, as well as cardiac, alexipharmac, and sudorific; they are greatly esteemed in uterine obstructions, and the jaundice, as also for throwing out the small pox and measles. The leaves of the plant are said to be antiscorbutic, and are of a stimulating and aperient nature. The young leaves were formerly eaten as a salad, and they are said to be a proper food for those that have any scorbutic taint in their constitution. The leaves of the plant appear to be of greater virtue than the flowers: their expressed juice has been given, in doses of two or three ounces or more, as an aperient; and is said to loosen the stomach, and promote the natural secretions in general.* The petals are of an aromatic smell, and when chewed, exert a penetrating and almost burning acrimony: hence they derive their sudorific virtues; in which, says Dr. James, they are scarce inferior to saffron itself. For this reason, the flowers of the marigold have merited a place among the catalogue of alexi * Lewis. pharmacs; and, according to Schulzius, in his Prælectiones, have had uncommon efficacy ascribed to them by some very celebrated physicians, in the cure of malignant and pestilential fevers. Velschius informs us, that upon the breaking out of a pestilential fever, Le Fevre prescribed the juice of the marigold, to be taken in white wine as a vehicle; by which most of the patients who used it recovered; and that this same medicine was the celebrated arcanum of Veslin gius.* Ray says, "The flowers may properly be prescribed wherever stimulating medicines are necessary; and by reason of their resolvent and aperient qualities, they are used in decoctions for the cure of the jaundice. This plant has been called Verrucaria, on account of its efficacy in extirpating warts. Some have called it Solsequia, or Solsequium, and Sponsa Solis; because its flower opens at the rising, and shuts at the setting of the sun. It was an old practice with dairy-women, to churn the petals of the marigold with their cream, to give their butter a yellow colour. * Eph. N. C. D. 1. a. 4. 333 MILLET.-MILIUM. Natural order, Gramina. A genus of the Triandria Digynia class. Ir is supposed to have derived the name of Milium from mille, a thousand, because of its numerous seeds. "To every land great Nature hath assign'd VIRGIL, Georg. book i. The Ethiopians inhabiting that part of Africa now called Abyssinia, knew no other bread or gruel than that which was made from millet or barley; yet they were complimented by Homer, who styled them the favourite of the gods, and the justest of men ; and it is a singular fact, that their country has never been invaded by a foreign enemy. Millet is also a native grain of Tartary, and, when mixed with mare's milk or horse's blood, (which was obtained by opening a vein in the leg of this useful animal,) it formed the |