Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-23
HEALING BY HERBS.

udu W ue cuuplOycu lOT geEC1nS TlO OF MIN. and
the regicide inquiry was used for this purpose -
HEALING By HERBS.
Their Growth in Every Section, and the Trade in
Them.
In the beginiug of the present century, (says
the New York Starr Boston had a visitation OF
scarlet fever. The old school physicians were
unable to cope with the disease and their pa
tfents were giveu over to DEATH Samuel
thompson appeared among the sick. He dis
carded the use of mineral medicines and the
compounds prescribed by the old pharmacopeia.
and as consequence he was not recognized by
the regular physicians. But he cured his pa
tients with syrup made from cobelia, beaut;-
full biennial plant with pink flower and fbrous
root. His success aroused the envy of the old
school physicians, and he was accused of WITCH
craft and placed on trial for his lfe The Boston
jury was sufficiently intelligent to acquit him.
and Dr. thompson, who was the father of medi-
Cal botany in this country came to be a recog-
nized authority among medical men, But full
justice was never done him-the regular pi,ysj-
clans stole his remedies and Incorporated them
in their books as their own
At the present time the school of medicine
which DIR. Thompson founded can hardly be said
to have recognized representation, but the
simple remedies which he prescribed are used
to an extent hardly credible. There are in this
city large number of establishments doino
business as botanic druggists Their business
consists in collecting, importing and selling
nerDs, eaves, seeds and other vegetable matter,
to be used in part for the manufacture of tine,
lures, extracts and concentrations for the use
OF regular" practitioners; in part also. for the
manufacture of perfumes, but in the main to he
disposed OF and applied as simple remedies 1t
Is estimated that a million pounds of medicinal
herbs reach. this city annually
While many medical men do not admit that
herbs possess any wonderful virtues there are
some among their number who stoutly advocate
their unfailng efficacy. Among them is the
coiored Noudoo doctor. Joseph B. Bass. who
Delieves that there is nothing good in nature
outside the vegetable kingdom. 1t is claimed
by his friends that he is the only man in this
city who speaks the Voudeo language
MIR. Walter Adams, wholesale botanic drug
glst. gave some interesting information to the
reporter. He said the herbs used i'm the A,neri-
can pharmacopRia are mainly the products Of
this country. but q small proportion being inl-
ported. They are in endless VARIETY and are mer
charitable as seeds. leaves, plants, bark and
roots.
'.In what particular section ofth country are
these herbs grown, and what class of persons
pluck them" asked the reporter.
In everV section from Maine to California"
he replied, land they are gathered for private
use by tens of thousands of people. but for the
business"
"WhO are they?'
Principally the members of the Shaker COM
munities in this state and in Massachusetts. Con-
necticut, Ohio and other states These people
cuitivate farms OF these herbs, and sell them
where"
g. Is the traffic large:"
II carry stock Of 200 600 pounds. and there
are several other large houses in the business.
1t Is safe to say that ,0OO, 900 pounds Of medci-
nal herbs are brought to this market every wear.
They are of course thoroughly dried when
gathered, and in the drying process they lose
ABOUT lOO per cent Of their weight. The flowers
are usually gathered when in blossom and
leaves, bark, seeds and roots about the months
of September and October. ANY person can do
the work, but a skilled man must direct and
supervise the gathering, drying and packing.
The roots and barks are sold crude. cut
crushed or powdered and the leaves. herbs and
flowers crude, cut or powdered
is the business important in necuniarv
sense?"
Mostly certainly so. Our goods cost from
three cents per pound to 81 per pound the
price being governed by the supply. An ar
ticie which can be had one year for twenty-five
cents per pound may cost next year So or "a.
Crawley, preparation from which is largely
and successfully used in fever cases. has been
sold as high as "a a pound"
What herbs are dealt in principally"
MY catalogue contains list of nearly 500
varieties. ana 1t Is by no means complete I
might say that medicinal herbs grow wild in
endless varieties. supplying fluid and solid ex-
tracts. tinctures, oils and concentrations to the
pharmacOpGia, In addition to simple remedies
in the forms of teas, powders and syrups"
Ara f1nfclS hurl,S f,.%
Many of them are on the farms OF the
Shaker communities Before the great fire
which consumed the Shaker buildings at Lee
ban0n in this state, some five years ago. that
was great place for the cultivation of medici-
nal plants. Among those largely cultivated
are sweet balm, sweet basil, belladonna leaves.
burdOck root and leaves, caraway seed, castor
leaves, comfrey, dandelion. sweet fern, fox
gloves, hOrehound, lettuce, lovage root and
leaves, marig0ld flowers, sweet moriOram, pars-
ley root, leaves and seed, peony root and
flowers, poppy flowers, pumpkin seed. ounce
seed, rose, rue, saffron, sage. spotted eandus,
strawberry vines, sunhOwer seed, tanZy, thyme,
yellow dock and NORWOOD. A small proportion
of the herbs used are imported from France,
Germany and South America. Irish moss which
Is said to contain remarkable properties, is Ina
ported from Ireland In considerable quantities,
and ginseng, which is used as q nervine and
tonic, is largely imported from China. Many
roots aud herbs can be imported more cheaply
than they can be raised here"
"There is an inclination in some circles to
class men as quacks who adhere to botanic rene-
dies!"
That may be; but think It is great mis-
take. A century ago the old school physicians
had everything their own way, but times have
changed wonderfully, and doctors Of all schools
now admit that they are ignorant of MANY
things. think the fact will yet he established
that the vegetable kingdom contains an abso-
lutte cure for such Affections as lOckjaw and hy-
drophobia, and that the remedy will Be found
in the little plant lobelia, the use OF which at
one time imperied the Life of Dr.. Thompson, the
and prejudice that then prevailed Many of the
plants, flowers and roots used are rank poisons
and should be administered with great skin and
caution. In the manufacture Of perfumes pois-
onous plants arc frequently used