slender herb is seldom more than five or six
inches high, and its blossoms are so inconspicuous as to be often
overlooked. The flowers droop gracefully before expansion. In
country places it is often called Mill Mountain, and its infusion is an
old remedy for rheumatism. If bruised, and applied externally, it
reddens the skin, and will sometimes even blister it. In this way it
acts well when judiciously used for lumbago, and rheumatic pains.
The Calamint contains a camphoraceous, volatile, stimulating oil, in
common with the other mints; this is distilled by water, but its
virtues are better extracted by rectified spirit. The lesser Calamint
is a variety of the herb possessing almost superior virtues, with a
stronger odour resembling that of Pennyroyal. "Apple Mint" is the
"_Mentha rotundifolia_."

"Many robust men and women among our peasantry," says Dr.
George Moore, "from notions of their own, use infusions of Balm,
Sage, or even a little Rue, or wild Thyme, as a common drink, with
satisfaction to their stomachs, and advantage to their health, instead
of infusing the Chinese herb." The Calamint is a favourite herb with
such persons. About the Cat mint there is an old saying, "If you set
it the cats will eat it: if you sow it the cats won't know it." This,
the _Nepeta cataria_, or _herbe aux chats_, is as much beloved by cats
as _Valerian_, [345] and the common _Marum_, for which herbs
they have a frenzied passion. They roll themselves over the plants,
which they lick, tear with their teeth, and bathe with their urine. But
the Cat mint is the detestation of rats, insomuch that with its leaves
a small barricade may be constructed which the vermin will never
pass however hungry they may be. It is sometimes called "Nep," as
contracted from _Nepeta_. Hoffman said, "The root of the Cat
mint, if chewed, will make the most gentle person fierce and
quarrelsome"; and there is a legend of a certain hangman who could
never find courage to exercise his gruesome task until he had
masticated some of this aromatic root.

MISTLETOE.

The Mistletoe, which we all associate so happily with the festivities
of Christmas, is an evergreen parasite, growing on the branches of
deciduous trees, and penetrating with simple roots through the bark
into the wood. It belongs to the _Loranthaceoe_, and has the
botanical name of _Viscum_, or "sticky," because of its glutinous
juices. The Mistletoe contains mucilage, sugar, a fixed oil, resin