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prosaic title
frighten ‘on, for
the wor con-
’ nected with
a.- herbs is alto-
!‘ gether interest-
- ing and delight-
ful, whether you cultivate
the herbs in your garden,
or go and seek for them,
basket and knife in hand,
up and down the green
lanes, on the breezy u -
lands and down by t e
river’s bank, and bringing
them home concoct heal-
ing ointment and salves,
strengthening decoctions
and all the army of “soveraine remedies"
spoken of by the ancient herbalists.
I do not wish to dwell upon the medicines
of the chemist’s shop, even if made of herbs,
nor to describe senna tea, nor rhubarb root in
all their nauseousricss! But I will merely
give a slight sketch first of the herbs which we
may easily grow in our gardens-where, I hope,
there is already a herbary for ot-herbs-and
then we will roam out into t e countriy and
pick some of the many plants which ower
and prosper best when left in their own self-
chosen habitat.
In our medicinal herbary we will lant the
following :-Tree mallow, camom' e, hore-
hound, hyssop, marigold, horse-radish, riie,
all the various “ mentha” tribe, peppennint,
spearmint, pennyroyal (lllmtlzapulz a), balm
and poppies, and in them we sha find the
principal garden herbs for daily re uirements.
Mallow is most useful. You pic the large
leaves and simmer slowly to make poultices or
fomentations for swellings or inflamed surfaces.
It is singularly healing, and each garden should
possess a goodly plantation of this lant. It
is easily killed y frost, but w en once
established young plants spring up year by
‘ear.
) Camomile, so well known for soothing
poultices in toothache, is also an excellent
tonic when taken as a cold infusion, fasting in
the morning. For feverish colds or chills, it
should be taken as a hot decoction at bed-
time, and produces abundant perspiration and
lessens fever. Two or three flowers infused in
water make a strengthening eye lotion.
The two next plants, horehound and hyssop,
are used by our country people for colds and
hoarseness; and in this way, take a handful of
the leaves of each, with a few leaves of rue,
make a strong infusion by pouring on boiling
water, sweeten with honey, and drink at bed-
time. Hyssop can be used with advantage as
a gargle or as a green ointment for wounds, as
it possesses very healing ualities.
Marigolds with their right blossoms are
well-known, and they are much valued to
form a drink to be taken as a remedy in
measles. The flowers should bedricd in the
shade, and can be kc t for use at any time.
Ilorsc-radish, whic is generally only looked
upon as an accom auiment to roast beef, is
valuable as a cure or hoarscness. Scrape two
drains of the root, cover with boiling water and
infuse with an equal weight of brown sugar.
Let it stand for a few hours, and then take an
occasional tcaspoonful, which will cure the most
obstinate hoarscncss. The root scraped and
applied on linen to a rheumatic joint cases the
pain.
355
MEDICINAL HERBS.
BY THE LADY GEORGINA VERNON. -
Rue (Rutrz grazveolms) was a very favourite
remedy with old herbalists for a host of
diseases. It is astiniulant and anti-s asmodic,
but the taste is strong and disagreea le. It is
a most useful medicine for fowls, particularly
for the roup, and can be given to them chopped
small and mixed with butter.
Next on my list come the various plants of
the “ mentha " tribe-pepperrnint, Spearmint,
balm, and pennyroyal. All these are of an
aromatic and carminative nature. They are
most useful when distilled, but if we have not
the means ofcpreparing them thus they can be
used as a ecoction, in the way I have
described before, namely, pouring boiling
water on a handful of the leaves. These
plants can all be picked green, carefully dried,
and hung up in muslin bags for winter use.
The various species of mint should all be
cultivated ; they prefer rather a moist soil, and
can be propagated by dividing the roots in
February or March. The old plants should
be cut down at the approach of winter.
Poppies should be grown for the sake of
their anodyne pro crties, as the heads of
seeds-which sboul be picked when ripe-
are useful for soothing pain, particularly used
in hot foiricntations.
I have mentioned some of the best herbs
to cultivate in our gardens, and so we will
go out into the fields and lanes to search for
those wild lants which love best to grow in
their natural) homes.
The first plant which claims our notice is
the common daisy, from which a most useful
remedy for bruises and sprains can be made.
Pick the blossoms in the early summer, some
dry morning, pound them thoroughly in a clean
mortar, then turn the mass into a coarse
muslin or sieve, strain out the juice, and add
to the quantity one-third of pure spirits of
wine. Let it stand a few hours, and then
if it appears thick, and the sediment has not
all fallen to the bottom, add a little more
spirits of wine. This preparation is called
“bellis.” It should be allowed to stand
till winter, then strained and is fit for use.
The lotion should now be of a clear, brown
colour, and should be applied to the part
affected by alinen rag steeped in the lotion.
It is an excellent and a safe substitute for
arnica.
KVe shall probably not go far without find-
ing a bunch of nettles growing. Nettle tea is
a specific for skin diseases or any impurities of
the blood. And here let me remark, that
young nettles picked in early May make the
most delicious substitute for spinach, prepared
in the same way, or can be made into a
paysanne soup, such as would surprise a they’
0’: cui'u'ne by its velvety consistency and
piquant flavour. A plant of which a dccoc-
tion is esteemed serviceable in skin complaints
and used much in the same way as nettles, is
the common cleavers or Gallium aparinz,
which you will see clinging up the hedges with
its long weak stems and many whorls of leaves ;
this plant is considered of great use by poultry
fancicrs, and is given chopped small to young
turkeys with much advantage.
Now ifwc go on further along these tangled
hedgerows we shall hnd much food for our
collecting basket. First ick some bunches
of the sweet wild violet caves and flowers;
from them ‘on can make a delightful green
salve for app ying toinflamed surfaccs,altliough
I have sometimes found it more efficacious to
simply simmer :1 handful in milk and then
zippy as a poulticc. A little further on, by
this deep ditch, growing in the moist ground,
you may notice some plants of comfrey,
.S)unplzz'tum %c1'rml, with its rough leaves
and purple hanging flowers. The virtues of
this plant are manifold, but the root is the
part which is usually gathered; this is good
for wounds or cuts, when bruised and laid on
them, and it is said to relieve the pain of gout
either by making a plaster of the bruised -
leaves, or of the roots crushed, spread upon
linen and bound on the affected part.
Another plant you ma very likely find
growing here on the shady moist side ofa
hedgerow is Solomon’s seal or polygonaton;
the roots of this are used very much in the
same way as the roots of the comfrcy, and are
especially good in relieving bruises.
Amongst the tall grass and brambles of the
hedge side "on will see there are several sorts
of St. John swort or hypcricum growing ; but
the one we now require is the sort named
erforatum, and you can tell it by picking a
eaf and holding it against the light, when it
will appear as if full of pinholes; from the
flowers of this plant a most useful red oil can
be made. Pick a good handful of the golden
flowers and put in a wide-mouthed bottle,
cover with sweet olive oil and tie the top down
with a bladder, then place the bottle where
the sun will shine on it, and gradually on will
see that the oil will change toa deep rc colour,
and then it is fit for use. The oil should be
strained ofl and be used as a preventive of bed
sores or for healing wounds. It should be
applied with a feather. This same red oil
a so makes a healing ointment thus: Melt iii
a pipkin two drains of spermaeeti, four dranis
of white wax, and three ounces and a half of
the red oil. This will be found an invaluable
ointment.
As we wander on along the lane in our
search for plants, we pass a patch of once
cultivated ground, and there we shall find an
abundant supply of chickweed and groundsel,
from which one of the best of the cooling
green ointments can be made by simmering
the whole plants (equal parts of each) in pure
lard till the juice is extracted, then squeeze
well through muslin into a basin and stir
gentl till it becomes cool.
Al round in the tall hedges are growing
wild roses in all their summer beauty, and in
a short time, when the flowers are succeeded
by scarlet hips, one of the most valuable cures
for tightness on the chest or lungs can be
made. The hips should be picked when
dry, and the tiresome work of taking out
all the little hairy seeds thoroughl ' done.
Then place the hips in a saucepan wit three-
quzirtcrs of a pound of sugar to each ound
of hips and a very little water. Let it boil
gently for about an hour till the fruit is tender,
and then pass it as :1 syrup through a hair
sieve. The sweet fragrant jelly that results
is of the greatest use in all cases of cold or
hoarseness.
Now we must search on some old shed or
wall for the common houscleck or Stmpaa
zvizimn lrtlorum. The thick fleshy leaves
should be crushed with cream, and gives
immediate rcliefin burns or sealds. '
I fear I must now end this short paper, and
I feel that I have only given a very slight
glimpse into the world of herbs; but it may
lead some of my readers to search for them-
selves amongst the treasures of our fields and
lanes, and to decide with some of my country
friends that such simple remedies as I have
described are “ better nor pliysic.”
.. V -‘----.--------3--.,
