ia use this plant
for removing the sloughs of cancer."

The herb serves admirably to make a gargle for scurvy of the gums,
and a lotion for scrofulous, or syphilitic ulcers. The leaves are thick
and very acrid, being crowded together. This and the _Sedums
album_ and _reflexum_ were ingredients in a famous worm-expelling
medicine, or _theriac_ (treacle), which conferred the title
"Jack of the Buttery," as a corruption of "_Bot. theriaque_."

The several Stone-crops are so named from _crop_, a top, or bunch
of flowers, these plants being found chiefly in tufts upon walls or
roofs. From their close growth originally on their native rocks they
have acquired the generic title of _Sedum_, from _sedere_ (to sit).

HYSSOP.

The cultivated Hyssop, now of frequent occurrence in the herb-bed,
and a favourite plant there because of its fragrance, belongs to the
labiate order, and possesses cordial qualities which give it rank as a
Simple. It has pleasantly odorous striped leaves which vary in
colour, and possess a camphoraceous odour, with a warm aromatic
bitter taste. This is of comparatively recent introduction into our
gardens, not having been [278] cultivated until Gerard's time, about
1568, and not being a native English herb.

The _Ussopos_ of Dioscorides, was named from _azob_, a holy
herb, because used for cleansing sacred places. Hence it is alluded
to in this sense scripturally: "Purge me with Hyssop, and I shall be
clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm li. 7).
Solomon wrote "of all trees, from the Cedar in Lebanon to the
Hyssop that springeth out of the wall." The healing virtues of the
plant are due to a particular volatile oil which admirably promotes
expectoration in bronchial catarrh and asthma. Hyssop tea is a
grateful drink well adapted to improve the tone of a feeble stomach,
being brewed with the green tops of the herb. The same parts of the
plant are sometimes boiled in soup to be given for asthma. The
leaves and flowers are of a warm pungent taste, and of an agreeable
aromatic smell; therefore if the tops and blossoms are reduced to a
powder and added to cold salad herbs they give a comforting cordial
virtue.

There was formerly made a distilled water of Hyssop, which may
still be had from some druggists, it being deemed a good pectoral
medicine. In America an infusion of the leaves is used externally for
the relief of muscular rheumatism, as also for bruises and
discoloured contu