me with which Achilles cured
the wounds of his soldiers." But, he adds, "the virtues of each sort
of Milfoil are set to be both alike."

The flowers of the Common Yarrow or Nosebleed are white or
pink; those of the _Nobile_ are yellow.

The popular name of Nosebleed has been given to the Yarrow
because the hairy filaments of the leaves, when put up the nose,
provoke an exudation of blood, and will thus afford relief to
headache, caused by a passive fulness of the vessels. Parkinson says
"if it be [617] pat into the nose, assuredly it will stay the bleeding
of it," which mast be the' effect of action according to similars. Or
if using Yarrow in the same way as a love charm, the following lines
were repeated:--

"Green arrow! green arrow!
You bear a white blow;
If my love love me
My nose will bleed now."

The leaves have a somewhat fragrant smell, and a bitterish taste.
The odour of the flowers, when rubbed between the fingers, is
aromatic. In consequence of this pungent, volatile principle, the herb
has proved useful in hysteria, flatulence, heartburn, colic, and
epilepsy; also, it is employed in Norway for the cure of rheumatism,
and sometimes chewed for toothache.

Yarrow is one of the few aboriginal English plants, having held the
primitive title, _Gearwe_. Greek botanists seem to have known the
identical species which we now possess, and to have used it against
haemorrhagic losses. It yields, chemically, a dark-green volatile oil,
and achilleic acid, which is said to be identical with aconitic acid;
also resin, tannin, gum; and earthy ash consisting of nitrates,
phosphates, and chlorides of potash and lime.

For preparing an infusion of the plant, half an ounce should be
boiled down in half a pint of water to six ounces; one tablespoonful
for a dose.

Sir John Hill says the best way of giving Yarrow is in a strong
decoction of the whole plant. A hot infusion of the herb taken freely
on going to bed at night seldom fails to make short work of a cold.

A medicinal tincture (H.) is prepared from the whole plant with
spirit of wine. This, when employed in a diluted form of the first or
third decimal strength, and [618] in small doses of from five to ten
drops in a tablespoonful of cold water, will act admirably in
arresting nocturnal losses in the male; likewise bleeding from the
lungs, the kidneys, or the nose, especially in florid, hectic subjects.
It has been found by healthy prove