Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-25
HEALING BY HERBS.

Tie reSSiciue inquiry was used for this purpose"
HEALING BY HERBS.
Their Growth in Every t Section and the Trade in
In the beginiug OF the present century, (savs
the New York Stu,) Boston had a visitation of
scarlet fever. The old school physicians were
unable to cope with the disease and their pa
tients 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, beauti-
ful 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 life The Boston
jury was sufficiently intelligent to aoduis him,
and DR.. Thompson, who was the father of med
cal botany in this country, came to be a re,or-
niZed authority among medical men, But full
justice was never done him-the regular physi-
clans stole his remedies and Incorporated them
in their books as their own.
AT the present time the school of medicine
which DR.. Thompson founded can hardly be said
TO nave 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 fiojnr
business as botanic druggists. Their business
consists III collecting. importing and selling
herbs, leaves. seeds and other vegetable. matter
10 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 tn he
olsposed OF and applied as simple remedies 1t
Is estimated that a million pounds Of medicinal
herbs reach this city annually
While many medical Ines, do not admit that
herbs possess any wonderful Virtues there ara
some among their number who stoutly sdyoeata
their unfalin9 efficacy. Among them is the
cOlOred NOudoO doctor. Joseph B. Bass. who
believes 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 VOudoO language
MIR. Walter Adams, a wholesale botanic drug
gist, gave some interesting information to the
reporter. He said the herbs used in the Ameri-
can pharmacOpGa are mainly the products of
this country, but small proportion being i'm
ported. Theyarein endless variety and are ner-
charitable as seeds, leaves, plants, bark and
roots.
In what particular section of the country are
tnese herDs grown, and what class of persons
pluck them!" asked the reporter.
In every section from Maine to California
he replied, land they are gathered for private
use by tens of thousands of people, but for the
market only small number OF persons make it
q 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
cultivate farms of these herbs, and sell them
wholesale to druggists in the city and else
where"
8. Is the traffic larpa,,
9 carry stock of 300, COO pounds. and there
are several other large houses in the business
1t is safe to say that 900 GOO pounds of medic-
nal herbs are brought to this market every year
1hey are OF course thoroughly dried when
gathered, and in the drying process they lose
about 100 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 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, ca. or powdered"
Is the business important in pecuniary
sense!"
Mostly certainly so. Our goods cost from
tniee cents per pound to 81 per pound, the
price being governed by the supply An ar
ticle which can be had one year for TWENTY-FIVE
cents cen per pound may cost next year S3 or "a.
This year, for instance, the plant known as
OIawley, preparation from which is largely
sold as high as - q pound"
what herbs are dealt in prncipally?"
catalogue contains a list of nearly 500
v 's:t ana 1t is by no means complete. I
might say that medicinal herbs grow wild IN
endless varieties, supplying fluid and solid er-
tracts, unctures, oils and Concentrations to the
pharmacopnia, in addition to simple remedies
in the forms OF teas, powders and syrups."
:. Are these herbs cultivated for the market?"
tho
Shaker communities. Before the great fire
which consumed the Shaker BUILDINGS af T o
banOn In this state, some five wears apo H..
was great place for the cultivation of metS;c'
nal plants. Among those largely cultivated
are sweet balm, sweet basil belladonna lesves
burdOck root and leaves, caravan seed castor
leaves, comfrey, dandelon sweet fern. fox-
gloves hQrehOund, lettuce, lovage root and
leaves. raargOld flowers, sweet morjoram pars-
ley root, leaves and seed, peOny root and
flowers, poppy flowers, pumpkin seed. ounce
seed, rose, rue, saffron, sage, spotted eandus,
strawberry vines, sunfOwer 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 Inn
ported from Ireland In considerable quantities,
and ginseng, which is used Is q nerviRe and
tonic, Is largely imported from China. Many
roots aud herbs can be imported more cheaply
than they can be raised here"
AneIo u An lncAnaLiOu n soma 0ICl09 to
dies?"
That may be- but think Is Ii Q ereat mis-
take oentufy ago the Old school physicians
nad everything their own way, but times have
changed wonderfully, and doctors ct ID schools
things think the fact WIN yet he estabaished
that the vegetable kingdom CONTAINS On abso-
lutte cure for such afii1tions - loeouax md hy-
drophobia, and that he remedy win g found
In the little plant l0eeliA, tho No a MIA 8
father Of medical botany, owing 10 ths ienoT.neo
and pretudioe that tAen pRsyNled. My q IT,
planta, 0oweu and roofs us6d afo rank p0isons
and should b administered Win afeat ata and
canton. n tho naannfhctwe q parfnmos potD.