We find that although the MacBeths filled other professions, such as history, law, and theology, there was never a generation of them without physicians, and several contemporary doctors of the same name and kin could be found in different parts of the West Highlands and Islands, though the most were resident in Skye and Mull. Martin, in his Western Islands, makes mention of them, and incidentally of the Lily of Medicine. He shows that when the Spanish Armada treasure ship, "the Florida, was blown up in Tobermory barbour, Dr MacBeth, the famous physician of Mull, was then sitting on the upper deck, which was blown up entire, and thrown a great way off; yet the doctor was saved, and lived several years after."

In his description of Skye, Martin mentions the wonderful cures wrought by an "illiterate empiric," Neil Beaton, in Skye, "who of late is so well-known in the isles and continent [Scotland] for his great success in curing several distempers, though he never appeared in the quality of a physician until he arrived at the age of forty years, and then also without the advantage of education. He pretends to judge of the various qualities of plants and roots by their different tastes; he has likewise a nice observation of the colour of their flowers from which he learns their astringent and loosening qualities; he extracts the juices of plants and roots after a chemical way peculiar to himself, and with little or no charge. He considers his patients' constitution before any medicine is administered unto them; and he has formed such a system for curing diseases as serves for a rule to him upon all occasions of this nature. He treats Riverius' Lilium Medicine and some other practical pieces that he has heard of with contempt; since in several instances it appears their method of curing has failed when his has succeeded (through, perhaps, the jealousy of his college-bred relatives).

*By "pretends," in the old usage, Martin means claims."

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He then proceeds to mention some marvellous cures, well vouched for, that this "empiric" had wrought; one being the bold essay of cutting a piece out of a woman's skull broader than half-a-crown, and which restored her to perfect health." (Truly trepanning is not so modern, then, as is generally supposed). "The success attending this man's cures was so extraordinary that several people thought his performances to have proceeded from a compact with the devil rather than from the virtues of simples.

To obviate this Mr Beaton pretends to have had some education from his father, though he died when he himself was but a boy. I have discoursed with him seriously at different times, and am fully satisfied he has no unlawful (sic) means for obtaining his end. His discourse of the several constitutions, the qualities of plants, etc., was more solid than could be expected from one of his education. Several sick people from remote isles came to him; and some from the shire of Ross at 70 miles distance sent for his advice. I left him very successful, but can give no further account of him since then.”

Now it is very curious that the family tree of the Beatons gives Angus Beaton, M.D., as the author of the Lilium Medicine. He lived about the last decade of the 16th and second quarter of the 17th centuries. He had, among other sons, Farquhar and Neil. Farquhar had a son Angus who, like his grandfather, was M.D., and another son, Neil. Though no date is given, I rather think that this Neil would be contemporary with Martin, and of course he resided in Skye. There is nothing recorded in the family tree about him. A nephew of his is set down as M.D., and a Neil is found in almost every succeeding generation, as well as Farquhar and Angus. Now, if a man who in all likelihood was a near relative wrote the said medical treatise, why should Martin's Neil Beaton belittle his work? Of course, where there would be more than one son in the physician's family, it could not be expected that in those times he could afford

to send more than one to college. But, all the same, a son who stayed at home might have more of the hereditary healing predilection and skill than his college-bred brother; besides having the advantage of paternal instruction, and seeing and hearing about the work of healing; seeing the plants and herbs prepared as medicines; in fact, he was in a position to breathe in all the lore of leechcraft from his childhood. It is all very well to call him an "empiric," but that was because he was without the magic imprimatur of the School of Medicine. But think of the hundreds of years that this art of medicine (always being improved upon) was in the family. Surely that of itself for a man with the natural gifts, and all the stored-up knowledge, as well as seeing it practised, was as sound and efficient a training as could be found in our country. Of course we must allow for a little professional jealousy of his college-bred brother and other relatives, who in all likelihood disdained his methods; yet who will dare to say that Neil was not right in asserting that he succeeded where they failed? He had his system of studying, and extracting from plants, as also of the constitutions of his patients-a system probably as safe to go by as theirs -a system so long established and practised by his ancestors; and Martin, in speaking of him as he does, shows his narrowness, even though he has written things that rank this Neil as one of the worthiest of his famous people.

We see, then, that plants were regarded by our Gaelic forbears, from the earliest ages, from the practical point of view, not so much for their artistic and decorative as for their utilitarian qualities; it was a case of " handsome is as handsome does." Of course, while saying this, we do not forget that the Gael had an eye for the beautiful in the matter of flowers, much as his Anglo-Saxon brother; indeed, perhaps more so. For no poetry is richer in the imagery (e.g., in describing female charms) drawn from flowers than Gaelic. But in the main plants and trees were employed for utilitarian

purposes, such as food and drink and medicine, and useful utensils and implements.

I have already described plants used for food; let me now endeavour to set before you some of the outstanding ones used in healing. These may be divided into vulneraries, febrifuges, emetics, and cathartics, irritants and tonics.

(1) Vulneraries, e.g.:—

It was supposed at

Lus an ròis, sometimes called Lus-an-eallain (Cancerwort), Herb-Robert (Geranium Robertum); widespread; in waste, stony places. Notable for its reddish tinge of stems, which are also swollen, and small pink flowers. The fernlike leaves become crimson in autumn. one time to be a potent remedy in skin affections like erysipelas; as also cancer. I know of one man in this district who still prescribes it, and maintains he has cured several people by its means.

Meoir Mhuire (or Cas-an-uain, Lamb's foot), Lady's Fingers, is the kidney-vetch, with its twin-tufts of hairy, yellow papillae, and was from of old held to be efficacious in healing (as its Latin name, Anthillis vulneraria, implies) cuts and bruises. It grows in late summer on hard, dry pastures and by road-sides.

Its botanical

Fuinnseag coille, Golden-rod, was supposed to possess the virtue of healing and joining broken bones. name also (Solidago virgaurea) signifies this.

Buine, Wood sanicle (Sanicula Europaea), was regarded as efficacious in healing green wounds and ulcers. It grows in shady places, about 1 ft. high, slender stem, broad tripartite leaves, dark green and glossy, with sparse brownishwhite flowers.

Urbhallach, Devil's-bit scabious (Scabiosa succisa), as its name suggests, was said to cure the itch. It got its English specific name from the legend that the devil, envying the good it might do to mankind, scotched it of its remedial

sovereignty by biting off most of the root. Of course the legend, as in many other cases, was monkishly invented to explain what, at that stage of botanical knowledge, was a mystery, viz., the stem immediately below the surface of the ground being almost detached from the root, apparently as if sliced or bitten off by the teeth. Of course the real explanation is that in the first year of the plant's existence the root is very like a diminutive carrot or radish in shape. It then becomes woody and dies away, the upper part excepted; as it decays and falls away, the gnawed or broken look appears. The portion left throws out numerous lateral roots which compensate for the decayed portion.

Grunnasg (also Bualan), Groundsel, was at one time made into cataplasms to produce suppurations.

Earr-thalmhainn (or Lus chasgadh na fola), Yarrow, or Milfoil (Millefolium Europeum), was, and indeed is, a potent styptic, as I know by experience.

Oragan (or Lus Mharsalaidh), Majorum (Origanum Marjorum). This member of the labiate or Thyme family was at one time in considerable demand to make fomentations for stitches and pains in horses.

Iath-shlat thalmhainn, Ground-ivy (Nepeta glechoma), was said to be efficacious against serpent-bite.

Lus-a'-chrùbain, Common field gentian (Gentiana campestris), so called because largely used once in the cattle ailment called An Crùban. This word means croodling," that is,

the feet of the animal are so affected that the hind-feet and the fore-feet are drawn towards each other. I have seen one ingenious scribe writing to the Press lately, to the effect that it is the foot element in the foot-and-mouth disease, the mouth phase being the Gailleach. As a boy I remember seeing several cases of An Crùban, but in no such case did I hear of its being associated with the mouth trouble.

Lus-nan-cnap, Fig-wort (Scrofularia nodosa), was supposed to cure Scrofula or King's Evil; hence its name.