blood to the head, and bleeding from
the nose. When administered, on the principle of curative affinity,
in much smaller doses, it is singularly beneficial against nervous
headaches, with oppression of the brain, acting helpfully within
five minutes. Dr. Hughes (Brighton) writes: "I value this medicine
much in nervous headaches, and I always carry it in my pocket-case--
as the mother tincture--which I generally administer _by olfaction_."
For epilepsy, it is said in the United States of America
to be "the one grand master-remedy," by giving a drop of the
tincture every five minutes during the attack, and five drops five
times a day in water, for some weeks afterwards.

The Melilot (from _mel_, honey, and _lotus_, because much liked
by bees) is known as Plaster Clover from its use since Galen's time
in plasters for dispersing tumours. Continental physicians still
employ the same made of melilot, wax, resin, and olive oil. The
plant contains, "Coumarin" in common with the Sweet Woodruff,
and the Tonquin Bean. Other names for it are "Harts' Clover,"
because deer delight to feed on it and "King's Clover" or "Corona
Regis," because "the yellow flouers doe crown the top of the
stalkes as with a chaplet of gold." It is an herbaceous plant
common in waste places, and having light green leaves; when
dried it smells like Woodruff, or new hay.

CLUB MOSS.

Though not generally thought worth more than a passing notice, or
to possess any claims of a medicinal sort, yet the Club Moss,
which is of common growth in Great Britain on heaths and hilly
pastures, exerts by its spores very remarkable curative effects, and
[114] therefore it should be favourably regarded as a Herbal
Simple. It is exclusively due to homoeopathic provings and
practice, that the _Lycopodium clavatum _(Club Moss) takes an
important position amongst the most curative vegetable remedies
of the present day.

The word _lycopodium_ means "wolf's claw," because of the
claw-like ends to the trailing stems of this moss; and the word
clavatum signifies that its inflorescence resembles a club. The
spores of Club Moss constitute a fine pale-yellow, dusty powder
which is unctuous, tasteless, inodorous, and only medicinal when
pounded in all agate mortar until the individual spores, or nuts, are
fractured.

By being thus triturated, the nuts give out their contents, which are
shown to be oil globules, wherein the curative virtues of the moss
reside. Sugar of milk