The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-05-19 00:00:00

MUOWORT AND ANOTHER PLANT USED AS
CURES FOR EPILEPSY.

The inquiries about the plant umgwort as a cure for
epilepsy, as given through the columns of the Gazette
by Mr. Shepheard, Bettysitown House, lirugheda, have
been so numerous that, in the cease of auflering
humanity, tr. are induced to repeat his cure, end also
to give such further information of its use for that
purpose as we have been able to glean. The eommon
English name for the plant is mugwort, the botanical
name is Arteniesia volgaris, •nd the local Irinh flame.
are Bolide'', tun; Bolalan liayA, BoWan hack, Lin/Ai
.Ifreigark eseaa9a, Baud.la. (but not the Bea.chalon batidhe, or ragwort), and Briefass. It is known
by these several names in the different localities in
Ireland. The Oath* name is As Liat•-firs, and the
Welsh names ilydiareg Irma, and Casioraidd Iwyd.
It is important that we give the several names by which
the plant is known in different place.; and the
following is a very brief description of it. It is at
herbaownie perennial plant,dying down to the ground at
the end of the season, and springing up from the root*
in the spring. In its young state it closely resembles
the garden chrysanthemum, and belongs to the same
Linnean class and order ; Syngeneria superfiva, natural
order Compceita : leaves wing.ckft, fiat, cottony under-
neath, bunches single, florets of the circumference aye,
receptacle naked.

Mr. Shepheard mays : take three or four large roc.*
fibrous roots included, and the. stems and leaves if in
season (that is, the roots only in winter. and the whole
plant--ruots, stems, and leaven—in the spring and
summer); the whole when cut up into very small
pieces, should be equal to a good large handful, and
boiled on a quart of beer, three cupfuls to be taken
three times a day (we suppose this should be read, a
cupful to Ito taken three times a day), morning, noon,
and night.

In hunting up the medicinal history of this plant, we
find in Withering's arrangement of British plants that
• drachm of the powdered leaves was given four Tim.'
a day by • Dr. Home to a woman who had been affected
with hysteric fits for many years. The tits ceased in a
few days. In this patient asafictida and ether had
been given to no purpose. The powdered roots have
been recently prescribed with success in epilepsy on the
Continent; and he says. notwithstanding these favour-
able reports, mugwort is rarely employed in England,
and has been recently prescribed with success in
epilepsy on the Continent; and he says, notwithstan-
ding these favourable reports, liugwort is rarely em-
ployed in England, and has loco rejected by the London
College. Wormwood and flouthernwood, which are
highly aromatic and medicinal plants, belong to the
same genus Artemesia, and may lead many to a dis-
covery of the Mugwort, which grows plentifully in
waste places, waysides, and amongst rubbish.
Another plant, the Meadow Lady's Smock, or cuckoo
flower, Cardamine pratensia, has been in gnat repute
'as • cure for epilepsy. It is • very common phut,
and found plentifully in meadows, pasture lands, and
ditch aides. It bil,ngs to the Linnaau class Tetra-
dynamia, order Siliquosa, natural order Crucifers,-
Quoting from Withering, he says in a foot note

"The virtue of the flowers in hysteric and epileptic
cases was fir-1 nientioned by Ray in his letters, pub-
lished by himself ; and since then by Sir W. Baker, in
ILA Tr. I. 412. The dome is from 20 to 90 grains,
twice a day. I have accounts of their success in young
epileptics, from good authority ; but have never been
fortunate enough to see them of much use to hysterical
eases. Whilst in Cornwall, in the year 170.1, I haul the
pleasure of meeting with the Rev. Mr. Gregor, who
told me that the flowering tops of the lady's smock had
been successfully used by his family for some genera-
tions in the cure of epilepsies. The evidence of Mr.
Gregor has been fully confirmed by the testimony of
others, entirely unconnected with his family, and re-
sident in a different port of England. Lady Holt, late
of Aston Hall, Warwickshire, and her sister, Mrs.
Bracebridge, were long celebrated for curing inveterate
CMS of epilepsy by the use of lady's smock. They
were accustomed to give three doses a day, twelve grains
each, of the powder, carefully pnlared from the dried
beads of the plant, and to continue its use for many
weeks. The failure of this remedy may often be attn.
buted to improper manageineut in the preparation, and
the virtue may be easily dissipated by two mush heat.
The whole flowcring head should be pinched off the
stock altogether, when in full bloom, end before the
seeds are formed, and when free froni dew or rain.
, Spread the heads mem pewter dishes before a brisk lire,
turning and moving them; run them to powder what
sufficiently dry ; pass through a sieve, and put into
Mean, dry bottle's; cover the bottles with leather (no
cork), having holes pricked through it. Two bushels of
flowering heads will yield about eight quarts of this
flue Eamclor. Thus preserved, it will keep • second
year.

We have given the above because the lady's smock is
u now to be seen in flawer, plentifully in Rre. lands,
all over the country, particularly in moist meadows.
This, and for some short time to come, will be the
proper time to gather the ffowering heads, and as epilep-
tics are more plentiful than is generally supposed, from
the known delicacy of thcmsele.s and families to make
their ailment public, it may be of use to suffering
humanity to know that tin re are simple rvurrlies of
old established repute th•t may be useful in relieving
them. Mr. Shepheard and those to whom be bas given
the uiugwort cure are loud in the virtue of this plant;
and we have no doubt but the lady's smock remedy,
1 from the above high authority, may be found wiefuL
It is known that many families have had remedies which
they in soon, measure made • secret of from generation
to generation, and the above testimony of the Key. Mr.
Gregor, Lady Ilolt and her Mater, as recorded by Dr.
Withering, is a full proof of it. The remedies Ire
simple, and worth a trial; for the disease is one that
ranks amongst the physicians as incurable. Let them
try thew—frith Farmers' Gazeue.

The immediate and full benefit of the reduced duty,
anthipiwaies eoildirb,„ni4LtaAi gen;y4ctnedn:b7syi
nrnPurchAfgdSwetali.nlinado7.4.wrdilli6uTbePPleallinlYsg ai‘it'inPfere.3l.4dl.7:4defil".4;:rr:
with thaw who desire to obtain, at a very moderate
pries, the bed tea imported. To enable purchasers in ell
perm of the kingdom to identify the tea, it is neces-
sarily sad only as Paencts—never loose. The label on
each it oleo signed by Horniman It Co., Tea Importers;
whoa, Agent.; in this locality—Chemists, Confectioner',
and Booksellers—are advertised in our oolumas.
Many enquiries have been made respecting the ingre-
dients and method of prepariag the celebrated ansterds.
puddings, and blancmange. which figurcd so Pronsinentil
in the dinners served tip in Mr. Mornah's department
of the late Exhibition. The process of preparation is
simple, if the right material.; are 'sleeted. Theis deli-
cious luxuries can only be made to perfection from
in awarded the ouly pr
jfood " which leaves no roan. to otl:Jbtams.urowhigiy irsirliesolchwirit..fol
best Cora Flom, For invalids and children it is invalu-
able, and is Wetly reoomniended by the first physioians,
th. brig lightest, most palatable, and most digestible
food. IS may be obtained of every respectable Grocer,
but sue should be taken that no other Corn flour is sab-
litated.—Putes.