Chapter 10

MEDICINAL PLANTS.

Bene-plant. Camomile. Coltsfoot. Elecampane. Hoarhound. Hyssop. Licorice. Pennyroyal. Poppy. Palmate-leaved or Turkey Rhubarb. Rue. Saffron. Southernwood. Wormwood.

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BENE-PLANT.

Oily Grain. Sesamum, sp.

This plant is said to have been introduced into this country from Africa by the negroes. It is cultivated in the south of Europe, and in Egypt is grown to a considerable extent for forage and culinary purposes.

It is a hardy annual, with an erect, four-sided stem from two to four feet high, and opposite, lobed, or entire leaves; the flowers terminate the stalk in loose spikes, and are of a dingy-white color; the seeds are oval, flattened, and produced in an oblong, pointed capsule.

_Propagation and Cultivation._--It is propagated from seeds, which should be sown in spring, as soon as the ground has become well settled. They may be sown where the plants are to remain; or in a nursery-bed, to be afterwards transplanted. The plants should be grown in rows eighteen inches or two feet apart, and about a foot apart in the rows. The after-culture consists simply in keeping the ground loose, and free from weeds. The plant is said to yield a much greater amount of herbage if the top is broken or cut off when it is about half grown.

_Use._--"The seeds were at one time used for food; being first parched, then mixed with water, and afterwards stewed with other ingredients. A sort of pudding is made of the seeds, in the same manner as rice; and is by some persons much esteemed. From the seeds of the first-named sort an oil is extracted, which will keep many years without having any rancid smell or taste. In two years, the warm taste which the new oil possesses wears off, and it becomes quite mild and pleasant, and may be used as a salad-oil, or for all the purposes of olive-oil. Two quarts of oil have been extracted from nine pounds of the seeds."

The properties of the plant are cooling and healing, with some degree of astringency. A few of the leaves, immersed a short time in a tumbler of water, give it a jelly-like consistence, without imparting color or flavor; and in this form it is generally used.

There are three varieties:--

BIFORMED-LEAVED. _Mill._

Plant larger than that of the Oval-leaved; the lower leaves are three-parted, while those of the upper part of the stalk are oval or entire.

OVAL-LEAVED.

Stem about two feet high, with a few short branches; the leaves are oblong, and entire on the borders.

TRIFID-LEAVED. _Mill._

Taller and more vigorous than either of the preceding. The upper as well as the lower leaves are trifid, or three-parted.

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CAMOMILE.

Anthemis nobilis.

This is a half-hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant, growing wild in various parts of England, by roadsides and in gravelly pastures. Its stems rest upon the surface of the ground, and send out roots, by which the plants spread and are rapidly increased.

_Soil and Culture._--Camomile flourishes best in light, poor soil; and is generally propagated by dividing the roots, and setting them in rows a foot apart, and eight or ten inches from each other in the rows. They will soon entirely occupy the ground.

_Gathering._--The flowers should be gathered in a dry day, and when they are fully expanded. They are generally spread in an airy, shady situation for a few days, and afterwards removed to a heated apartment to perfect the drying.

COMMON CAMOMILE.

The flowers of this variety are single. Though considered more efficacious for medicinal purposes, it is not so generally cultivated as the Double-flowering. Its leaves are finely cut, or divided; and, when bruised, emit a peculiar, pungent odor. It may be grown from seeds, or slips, and from divisions of the plants, or roots.

DOUBLE-FLOWERING CAMOMILE.

A variety of the foregoing, with large, white, double flowers. The leaves are of the same form, but milder in their odor and taste. It is equally hardy with the Single-flowering, and much more ornamental. Though generally considered less efficacious than the last named, it is generally cultivated for use and the market on account of the greater bulk and weight of its flowers.

It is propagated by slips, with a few of the small roots attached. Both of the sorts are classed as hardy perennials; but, in the Northern and Eastern States, the plants are frequently destroyed in severe winters.

_Use._--"The flowers, which are the parts principally used, have long been in high repute, both in the popular and scientific Materia Medica, and give out their properties by infusion in either water or alcohol. The flowers are also sometimes used in the manufacture of bitter beer, and, along with Wormwood, made, to a certain extent, a substitute for hops. In many parts of England, the peasants have what they call a 'Camomile seat' at the end of their gardens, which is constructed by cutting out a bench in a bank of earth, and planting it thickly with the Double-flowering variety; on which they delight to sit, and fancy it conducive to health."--_M'Int._

It is considered a safe bitter, and tonic; though strong infusions, when taken warm, sometimes act as an emetic.

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COMMON COLTSFOOT.

Tussilago farfara.

A hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant. The leaves are all radical, roundish-heart-shaped, and from five to seven inches in diameter; the flower-stem (scape) is six or seven inches high, imbricated, and produces a solitary yellow flower, which is about an inch in diameter. The plants blossom in February and March, before the appearance of the leaves, and often while the ground is still frozen and even covered with snow.

_Propagation and Culture._--Coltsfoot thrives best in rich, moist soil. It may be propagated from seeds, but is generally increased by dividing its long, creeping roots. The plants require little attention, and will soon occupy all the space allotted.

_Gathering and Use._--The leaves are the parts of the plant used, and are generally cut in July and September. They should not be exposed to the sun for drying, but spread singly in an airy, shaded situation. They are esteemed beneficial in colds and pulmonary disorders.

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ELECAMPANE.

Inula helenium.

A hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant, introduced from Europe, but growing spontaneously in moist places, by roadsides, and in the vicinity of gardens where it has been cultivated. Stem from three to five feet high, thick and strong, branching towards the top; the leaves are from nine inches to a foot in length, ovate, toothed on the margin, downy beneath; the flowers are yellow, spreading, and resemble a small sunflower; the seeds are narrow, four-sided, and crowned with down.

The plants blossom in July and August, and there is but one variety cultivated.

_Propagation and Culture._--It is generally propagated by dividing the roots; but may be grown from seeds, which are sown just after ripening. The plants should be set in rows two feet asunder, and a foot from each other in the rows.

_Use._--Elecampane is cultivated for its roots, which are carminative, sudorific, tonic, and alleviating in pulmonary diseases. They are in their greatest perfection when of two years' growth.

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HOARHOUND.

Marrubium vulgare.

Hoarhound is a hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant, introduced from Europe, and naturalized to a considerable extent in localities where it has been once cultivated. Stem hoary, about two feet high; leaves round-ovate; flowers white; seeds small, of an angular-ovoid form and grayish-brown color.

_Propagation and Cultivation._--The plant prefers a rich, warm soil; and is generally propagated by dividing its long, creeping roots, but may also be raised from seeds. When once established, it will grow almost spontaneously, and yield abundantly.

_Gathering and Use._--The plants are cut for use as they come into flower; and, if required, the foliage may be cut twice in the season.

The leaves possess a strong and somewhat unpleasant odor, and their taste is "bitter, penetrating, and durable." The plant has long been esteemed for its efficacy in colds and pulmonary consumption.

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HYSSOP.

Hyssopus officinalis.

Hyssop is a hardy, evergreen, dwarfish, aromatic shrub, from the south of Europe.

Three kinds are cultivated, as follow:--

COMMON OR BLUE-FLOWERING.

More generally found in gardens than either of the following varieties. The stems are square and tender at first, but afterwards become round and woody; the leaves are opposite, small, narrow, with six or eight bract-like leaves at the same joint; the flowers are blue, in terminal spikes; seeds small, black, oblong.

RED-FLOWERING HYSSOP.

Quite distinct from the Common or Blue-flowering. The stem is shorter, the plants are more branching in their habit, and the spikes more dense or compact; flowers fine red. It is not so hardy as the White or the Blue Flowering, and is often injured by severe winters.

WHITE-FLOWERING HYSSOP.

This is a sub-variety of the Common Blue-flowering; the principal if not the only mark of distinction being its white flowers. Its properties, and modes of culture, are the same.

_Soil and Cultivation._--The plants require a light, warm, mellow soil; and are propagated from seeds, cuttings, or by dividing the roots. The seeds are sown in April; and, when the seedlings are two or three inches high, they are transplanted to rows eighteen inches apart, and a foot from each other in the rows. The roots may be divided or the slips set in spring or autumn.

_Use._--The plant is highly aromatic. The leaves and young shoots are the parts used, and are cut, dried, and preserved as other pot-herbs.

"Hyssop has the general virtues ascribed to aromatic plants; and is recommended in asthmas, coughs, and other pulmonary disorders."--_Rog._

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LICORICE.

Glycyrrhiza glabra.

Licorice is a hardy, perennial plant. The roots are fleshy, creeping, and, when undisturbed, attain a great length, and penetrate far into the earth; the stem is herbaceous, dull-green, and about four feet high; leaves pinnate, composed of four or five pairs of oval leaflets; flowers pale-blue, in terminal spikes. The fruit consists of short, flattened pods, each containing two or three kidney-shaped seeds.

_Soil, Propagation, and Culture._--"Licorice succeeds best in deep, rich, rather sandy, or in alluvial soil. The ground should be well enriched the year previous to planting: and it should either be trenched three feet deep in autumn, laid in ridges, and allowed to remain in that state till spring; or it may be trenched immediately before planting. The former method is the preferable one.

"Licorice is propagated by portions of the creeping stem (commonly termed 'the creeping root'), from four to six inches in length, each having two or three buds. These are planted in March or April, or as soon as the ground can be well worked, in rows three feet apart, and eighteen inches from each other in the rows; covering with earth to the depth of two or three inches. Every year, late in autumn, when the sap has gone down and the leaves have turned yellow, the old stems should be cut down with a pruning-knife to a level with the ground. At this time, also, the creeping stems are forked up, cut off close to the main stems, and preserved in sand, or in heaps covered with straw and earth, for future plantations. The roots will be ready for taking up three years after planting. This should be done towards winter, after the descent of the sap. A trench three feet must then be thrown out, and the roots extracted; after which, they may be stored in sand for use."--_Thomp._

_Use._--The roots are the parts of the plant used, and these are extensively employed by porter-brewers. "The sweet, mucilaginous juice extracted from the roots by boiling is much esteemed as an emollient in colds."

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PENNYROYAL.

Hedeoma pulegioides.

The American Pennyroyal is a small, branching, annual plant, common to gravelly localities, and abounding towards autumn among stubble in dry fields from whence crops of wheat or rye have been recently harvested. The stem is erect, branching, and from six to twelve inches high; the leaves are opposite, oval, slightly toothed; flowers bluish, in axillary clusters; seeds very small, deep blackish-brown.

_Sowing and Cultivation._--In its natural state, the seeds ripen towards autumn, lie dormant in the earth during winter, and vegetate the following spring or summer. When cultivated, the seeds should be sown soon after ripening, as they vegetate best when exposed to the action of frost during winter. They are sown broadcast, or in drills ten or twelve inches asunder. When the plants are in full flower, they are cut off, or taken up by the roots, and dried in an airy, shaded situation.

_Use._--Pennyroyal possesses a warm, pungent, somewhat aromatic taste, and is employed exclusively for medical purposes. An infusion of the leaves is stimulating, sudorific, tonic, and beneficial in colds and chills.

This plant must not be confounded with the Pennyroyal (_Mentha pulegium_) of English writers, which is a species of Mint, and quite distinct from the plant generally known as Pennyroyal in this country.

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POPPY, OR MAW.

Papaver somniferum, var. nigrum.

A hardy annual, growing naturally in different parts of Europe, and cultivated to a considerable extent in Germany for its seeds, which, under the name of "Maw-seed," are an article of some commercial importance. Stem five or six feet high, branching; leaves smooth, glaucous, clasping, and much cut or gashed on the borders; flowers large, terminal, purple and white; the bud pendent, or drooping, until the time of flowering, when it becomes erect. The petals soon fall to the ground, remaining on the plant but a few hours after their expansion; and are succeeded by large, roundish heads, or capsules, two inches and upwards in diameter, filled with the small, darkish-blue seeds for which the plant is principally cultivated.

_Soil, Sowing, and Culture._--"The soils best suited to the growth of the Poppy are such as are of medium texture and in the highest state of fertilization. As the seeds are small, and consequently easily buried, the land should be well pulverized by harrowing and rolling. The seeds are sown in April, in drills about half an inch in depth, and twenty inches or two feet distant from each other. The young plants are afterwards thinned out to from six to ten inches' distance in the rows, and the whole crop kept free from weeds by frequent hoeing.

"The period of reaping is about the month of August, when the earliest and generally the largest capsules begin to open. The plants are then cut or pulled, and tied in small bundles, taking care not to allow the heads to recline until they are carried to the place allotted for the reception of the seed; which is then shaken out, and the sheaves again set upon their ends for the ripening of the remaining capsules.

"In Germany and Flanders, a mode of obtaining the first crop is to spread sheets by the side of the row, into which the seeds are shaken by bending over the tops of the plants: these are then pulled, tied in bundles, and removed; when the sheets are drawn forward to the next row, and so on, until the harvesting is completed."--_Law._

_Use._--Maw-seed is imported to some extent from different parts of Europe, and is principally used in this country for feeding birds.

OIL-POPPY. _Law._

Gray Poppy. Papaver somniferum olifer.

Stem three feet high, smooth and branching; flowers dull-red, or grayish; capsules very large, oblong; seeds of a brownish color, and produced in great abundance.

It is chiefly cultivated in Italy, the south of France, Germany, and Flanders.

_Use._--"The oil of the seeds of the Poppy is of an agreeable flavor; and, in Europe, is chiefly applied to domestic purposes, for which it is esteemed nearly equal to that of the Olive. Its consumption in this country is comparatively trifling; being principally used for the finer kinds of oil-painting and by druggists."

OPIUM, OR WHITE POPPY. _Law._

P. somniferum, album vel candidum.

Plant strong and vigorous,--the stem, in favorable situations, reaching a height of five or six feet; flowers large, white, and of short duration; seed-pods globular, of large size, often measuring upwards of two inches in diameter; seeds small, white, ripening in August and September.

_Sowing and Cultivation._--"Being an annual plant, the Poppy, when sown in spring, matures its seed the last of summer or early in autumn. It is of easy culture, and can be successfully grown in any section of the Northern or Middle States. It may be sown at any time during the month of April, or the first week in May. The best method of cultivating the plant is in rows two feet and a half apart; and, on the poppies attaining a few inches in height, they are hoed out to a distance from one another of six or eight inches.

"Opium is obtained from the capsules or heads of seed, and is extracted after they are fully formed, but while yet green. The process is simple, and may be taught to children in an hour.

"Two or more vertical incisions are made in the capsule with a sharp knife or other instrument, about an inch in length, and not so deep as to penetrate through the capsule. As soon as the incisions are made, a milky juice will flow out, which, being glutinous, will adhere to the capsule. This may be collected by a small hair-brush such as is used by painters, and squeezed into a small vessel carried by the person who collects the juice. The incisions are repeated at intervals of a few days all round the capsule, and the same process of collecting the exuded juice is also repeated.

"The juice thus collected is Opium. In a day or two, it is of the consistence to be worked up into a mass. The narcotic matter of the plant may also be collected by boiling; but it is only the exuded juice that forms pure Opium.

"In the opium countries of the East, the incisions are made at sunset by several-pointed knives or lancets. On the following day the juice is collected, scraped off with a small iron scoop, and deposited in earthen pots; when it is worked by the hand until it becomes consistent. It is then formed in globular cakes, and laid in small earthen basins to be further dried. After the opium is extracted from the capsule, the plant is allowed to stand, and ripen its seeds.

"The seeds of the Poppy have nothing of the narcotic principle, and are eaten by the people of the East as a nourishing and grateful food; and they yield, by expression, an oil which is regarded as inferior only to that of the olive."--_Law._

The expense of labor forms the principal objection to the cultivation of the Poppy in the United States for its opium. As, however, the plants succeed well, and can be easily and extensively grown in any section of the country; and as the process of extraction, though minute, is yet simple,--the employment of females or children might render its production remunerative.

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PALMATE-LEAVED RHUBARB. _Law._

Turkey Rhubarb. Rheum palmatum.

This species is readily distinguished by its deeply divided or palmate leaves, and is generally considered as that from which the dried roots chiefly used in medicine are obtained. Like the Pie Rhubarb, it requires a deep, rich soil, which should be thoroughly stirred, and put in as fine a state of cultivation as possible, before setting the plants. These should be placed about three feet apart in each direction, and kept free from weeds during the summer. They will not be ready for taking up until five or six years old.

The roots are thick and succulent, with a brownish skin and bright-yellow flesh, streaked or variegated with red. After being dug, they are washed clean, cut in rather large pieces, and dried either by the sun, or in kilns formed for the purpose; when they are ready for use.

Rhubarb from Turkey and the neighboring countries is generally preferred; but it is said its superiority, to a great degree, is attributable to the manner in which it is dried and prepared for market. It is propagated by seed, or by a division of the roots.

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RUE.

Ruta graveolens.

Rue is a hardy, shrubby, nearly evergreen plant, and thrives best in poor but dry and warm soil. It is propagated by seeds, or slips, and by dividing the roots. The seeds are sown in April, and the roots may be separated in spring or autumn. The plants should be set about eighteen inches apart in each direction. When extensively cultivated, they are set in rows eighteen inches apart, and a foot asunder in the rows.

_Use._--"Rue has a strong, unpleasant odor, and a bitter, pungent, penetrating taste. The leaves are so acrid as to irritate and inflame the skin, if much handled. Its efficacy as a vermifuge is unquestioned; but it should be used with caution. It was formerly employed in soups; and the leaves, after being boiled, were eaten pickled in vinegar." The plant is rarely used in this country, either as an esculent or for medical purposes.

The kinds cultivated are the following:--

BROAD-LEAVED RUE.

Stem shrubby, four or five feet high; leaves compound, of a grayish-green color and strong odor; flowers yellow, in terminal, spreading clusters; the fruit is a roundish capsule, and contains four rough, black seeds.

At one period, this was the sort principally cultivated, and is that referred to in most treatises on medicine. More recently, however, it has given place to the Narrow-leaved, which is much hardier, and equally efficacious.

NARROW-LEAVED RUE.

Stem three or four feet high; foliage narrower than that of the preceding, but of the same grayish color, and strong, peculiar odor; the flowers are produced in longer and looser clusters than those of the Broad-leaved, and the seed-vessels are smaller. Now generally cultivated because of its greater hardiness.

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SAFFRON. _Law._

Safflower. Carthamus tinctorius.

A hardy, annual plant, with a smooth, woody stem, two and a half or three feet high; leaves ovate, spiny; flowers large, compound, bright-orange, or vermilion; seeds ovate, whitish, or very light-brown, a fifth of an inch long, and a tenth of an inch thick.

_Soil and Cultivation._--It grows best on soils rather light, and not wet; and the seed should be sown the last of April, or early in May, in drills about two feet apart and an inch deep. When the plants are two inches high, they should be thinned to six inches apart in the rows, and afterwards occasionally hoed during the summer, to keep the earth loose, and free the plants of weeds.

_Use._--"It is cultivated exclusively for its flowers, from which the coloring-matter of Saffron, or Safflower, is obtained. These are collected when fully expanded, and dried on a kiln, under pressure, to form them into cakes; in which state they are sold in the market. It is extensively cultivated in the Levant and several countries of Europe, particularly France, Spain, and Germany; in the latter of which, the first gathering of flowers is obtained in the beginning of September; and others, for six or eight weeks following, as the flowers expand. It flowers somewhat earlier in this country, and seems well adapted to our climate.

"Though the color of the petals is of a deep-orange, they are used for dying various shades of red; the yellow matter being easily separated from the other. The flowers of Saffron are employed in Spain and other countries for coloring dishes and confectioneries; and from the seed a fixed oil is obtained, somewhat similar to that of the Sunflower: for which purpose alone, it does not, however, seem deserving of cultivation."

It was formerly much used in medicine in cases of humors and diseased blood.

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SOUTHERNWOOD.

Artemesia abrotanum.

A hardy, shrubby plant, about three feet high. The leaves are pale-green, and cut, or divided, into narrow, thread-like segments; the flowers are numerous, small, yellow, drooping; the seeds resemble those of the Common Wormwood, and retain their germinative properties two years.

The plant is generally propagated by dividing the roots in the manner of other hardy shrubs.

_Use._--The leaves have a strong, resinous, somewhat aromatic and rather pleasant odor, and are quite bitter to the taste. The root is seldom used; but the leaves and young branches are employed in the same manner and for the same purposes as those of the Common Wormwood.

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WORMWOOD.

Artemesia.

The cultivated species are as follow:--

COMMON WORMWOOD.

Artemesia absynthium.

This species, everywhere common to gardens in this country, is a native of Great Britain. It is a hardy, perennial, shrubby plant, two or three feet in height. The leaves are deeply cut, or divided, pale-green above, and hoary beneath; the flowers are small, numerous, pale-yellow; the seeds are quite small, and retain their powers of germination two years.

The leaves, when bruised, have a strong, somewhat pungent, yet aromatic odor, and are proverbial for their intense bitterness.

ROMAN WORMWOOD.

Artemesia pontica.

This species somewhat resembles the foregoing: but the roots are smaller, less woody, and more fibrous, and the stalks are shorter, and more slender; the leaves are smaller, more finely cut, or divided, pale-green above, and hoary on the under surface, like those of the Common Wormwood; the flowers, which are produced on the upper branches, are small, and of a pale-yellow color; seeds similar to those of the above species, retaining their vitality two years.

It is generally preferred to the Common Wormwood for medicinal purposes, as the taste is more agreeable, and its odor less pungent.

SEA WORMWOOD.

Artemesia maritima.

Indigenous to Great Britain, and common to the seacoast of Holland and the low countries of Europe. Roots creeping, tough, and fibrous; stalks two or three feet high, and, like the roots, tough and woody; leaves numerous, long, narrow, and hoary; flowers yellow, produced on the small branches towards the top of the plant; seeds similar to those of the Common Wormwood.

The leaves are somewhat bitter to the taste, and, when bruised, emit a strong, pleasant, aromatic odor.

_Soil and Cultivation._--All the species are hardy, aromatic perennials; and, though they will thrive in almost any soil, their properties are best developed in that which is warm, dry, and light. They are generally propagated, as other hardy shrubs, by dividing the plants; but may be raised from seeds, or slips. The seeds are sown in April, in shallow drills; and the seedlings afterwards transplanted to rows two feet apart, and a foot from each other in the rows.

_Use._--"An infusion of the leaves and tops of the Common Wormwood is used as a vermifuge, tonic, and stomachic; and the leaves are found to be beneficial to poultry."--- _Thomp._

Most of the other species possess the same properties in a greater or less degree, and are used for the same purposes.