The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-11-16
Flowers as Medicine.

OF all the parts of plants used in medi-
cine or the industrial arts, the floral organs
are those which would appear to be of the
very least importance; yet they constitute,
in many cases, objects of much greater
commercial value than one would naturally
suppose. Leaving out of view entirely the
immense number of cultivated flowers sold
in all populous cities for ornamental pur-
poses exclusively, there remain a very
great number that enter commerce in
greater or less quantities for various other
and more practical uses. Among such
products we may mention, for instance,
safhower, saffron, pyrethnm, camomile,
roses, violets and host of others of less
Importance.
SaffiOwer, from the col9red petals of
which is extracted carthamine, extensively
used in dyeing, comes in part from South
ern Europe, India and China. Lyons,
France, is the most important consumer of
this tinctorial product, using it in great
quantities for dyeing silks. The pink
saucers of the shops are prepared with a
thin coating of carthamine, and from the
same product is derived the vegetable rouge
of commerce. Saffron, although growing
in many countries, is cultivated for COM
mercial purposes in the largest quantities
in France and Spain. What is known in
commerce as ''safron" are the stigmas of
the flowers. It takes about 10000 flow
ers to produce two pounds of the fresh
stigmas, which when dried become reduc-
ed to one-ffth of that weight. Pereira
states that it takes nine flowers to make
grain of saffron, such as found in commerce,
and about 1920 flowers to produce an
ounce. 1t is asserted that in order to OBJ
tain one pound of dry saffron, 107 800
flowers are necessary; some authorities
even place the number as high as 200, ,OO0
Saffron is used in medicine. 1t is native
of Greece and Asia Minor; large quanti-
ties are raised in Egypt, Persia and Cash
mere, whence it isshipped to India. Much
of the drug we obtain is imported from
Gibraltar, packed in canisters. Parcels
are also brought from Trieste aud other
Mediterranean ports. The Spanish pro-
duct is usually considered the best Roses
are used both in perfumery and medicine
Extensive rose farms exist at Shiraz, in
Persia; at Ghazepore, in India; Adriano-
pie, in Turkey in Europe; Broussa and
Usiak, in Turkey in Asia. The cultiva-
tors in Turkey are principally the Chris
tan inhabitants Of the low countries of
the Balkan, between Selimno and Carloya,
as far as PhillippopOlis, in Bulgaria, about
two hundred miles from Constantinople
In good seasons this district yields about
10000 ounces; but in bad seasons only
10000 or 10000 ounces of altar are OBJ
tanned. Roses are also cultivated in Eng
land to large extent, near Mitcham, in
Surrey, to make rose water. 1t is estimat-
ed that it takes 1000 roses to make one
drachm of altar, or 5000 pounds of the
petals 10 obtain an ounce The species of
rose cultivated for its oil or altar is the
Provence or hundred-leaved rose; the rose
principally used in medicine is the French
rose. Lavender is grown to an enormous
extent at Mitcham, in Surrey, England
which is the seat of its production, from
commercial standpoint. Immense quanti-
ties are also produced in France, but the
superior odor of the English product causes
it to realize in market four times the price
of the French article The flowers are
the parts used, both in medicine and per-
fumery. Half a hundred weight of good
flowers yield by distillation from IA to 16
ounces of essential OIL The flowers of
the common American elder and the al
lied European species are used in medicine
and perfumery, for the latter use being
distilled to form elder flower water. The
cloves of commerce are the unexpanded
flower buds of tree native of the Mo-
luccas and other islands of the China seas
The average annual crop of cloves from
each tree is, according to Burnett, ? or q
pounds; but a fine tree has been known to
yield l25 pounds of this spice in single
season, and as 5000 buds only weigh
pound, there must have been at least 625,-
900 flowers upon this single tree Several
species of pyrethrum are cultivated in
Europe for the sake of their flowers, which
when powdered come into commerce under
the name of "Persian insect powder. 1"
That which comes from the Caucasus is
considered the best The valuable insect
icide properties of this powder have rem
dered it highly important article of com.
merce. Over 500 tons are annually con-
sumed in Russia alone. The camomile is
native of Europe, and grows wild in all
the temperate parts of the Continent; it is
largely cultivated for the sake of its flow
ers, which are extensively used in medi-
eide under the name of Roman camomiles.
These, as found in our shops, are imported
frcm England and Germany. From the
latter country are also exported, in con-
siderable quantities, what are known ae
German camomiles, which are principally
used by our German population.