Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
FELON, n. Also fellin, -on. “A soreness of the skin of cattle, due to cold or checked perspiration” (Sc. 1825 Jam., fellin, Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
Combs.: †1. fellon drink, a medicinal drink given as a cure for the complaint; 2. fellin-gerse, -grass, (1) the wild angelica, Angelica sylvestris (Rxb. 1825 Jam., -grass, 1923 Watson W.-B.); (2) bishopweed, Aegopodium podagraria (Rxb. 1866 Hawick Antiq. Soc. Trans. 32, -gerse, 1923 Watson W.-B.).1. Sc. 1764 Scots Mag. (Dec.) 640:
Upon this I had a vein opened; and the blood was, as I expected, thick, and had scarcely any serum in it, resembling that of a person in an ague: Hence I thought a fellon-drink, such as is generally used, would carry off the distemper altogether.
