Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-11-01
II.-NO. T. WOODSTOCK, w. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1852
ABOUT " YARBs."

| huOul INVpps
What - Doctor Cells About
Them,
A half century ago medicinal roots
and leaves played conspicuous parts 10
the practice Oi medicine, True, herbs
are htill used as much a. ever IN tho
manufacture OF medicines, bul u ID
only tho extract which enters into the
physioan's prescriptions, aud not tho
hFOot and branch" A New York 70.
porter found, on the corner ol one of
tbs RlrestE IN Rn upper ward, tiny shop
where aromatic odori, which stteamed
forth from the open door, proclaimed
herbs Oi all varieties for sale, The
store was rather unique In lta way, win
ila colony OF black cats, whose backs
formed langenls and angles IN q pro-
vokIng manner when any stranger en-
tered upon their domeln, Large eheayeH
OF herbs hung pendant from The ceiling,
and mysterious rows Of tin boxes told
Of unutterable something's which should
hereafter serve ~ poulllces or ~
lmughis. Tho proprietor was extremely
liable, and In anAwer TO numerous
questions gave his experience a. an
horb doctor about on ioilowSi
my business has extended over a
number OF years, and wore ] to tell you
all my adventures with herbs, and with
tho faithful, TO whom q root "a some'
thing TO swear by, ] would tll your
newspaper, | obtain tho greater part
OF nv stock ifom the wooded country
around tho town Of Hancock, Berkshire
county, Mass. The LORDS nro gathered
by prisons Of considerable botanical
! knoSlolge, and arc shipped to mo Va
caFcs, Among the herbs | receive, rom
Massachusetts ore ,ausy, cslnip, wlnteF..
green, white oak bark, birch bark, aud
clr bark, When they arrive here dry
th, IN, and somotmcs weeks elapso he'
iois they are In proper condition 10
sell | gather quantity OF herbs IN
New Jersey, around liobokcn and Wee
ha vixen, and receive few others IRON
III, South and West, Last season !
sold over O ton Of birch bark from which
beer was brewed. Itmakos what is called
II tempemnccAmnk, Isoll large quaint,
" OF hops ior making hop pillows, IL
is very old remedy Tor insomnia, and
IL prescribed by every elderly woman IN
the Eastern states. That there is great
virtue in them there can be no doubt,
as have tried them when troubled with
nervousness and wakeinl nights, and
they have invariably relieved me. l
fancy there IL an increase in the herb
business, not generally, but in the lower
! part of this city. A large number OF
, colored persons have settled in tho
! Eighth ward, and their demand Tor
herbs is astonishingly large. Aiew years
pgo the market was ovcrrun with Indian
herb doctors. They have oil disap.
peared now, and do not know OF ono
! that il left so continue the business.
There is an Indian living in Macdougal
| street who is ono Of my best customers.
| lie will not take II prescril ion from Q
physician, but when he feels disposed
| he comes here for the partic ila herb
which seems to meet his wants, Among
the herbs that are commonly used as
tonics are ouassia wood aud wild cherry
bark, and gentian wood gives the
strength to bitters. Gentian wood Is
used also US q substitute for chewing
tobacco.
Superstition enters to marked de-
gree in the sale of herbs. There is o
, root known as the putty.root TO the
initiated, and to the popular mind a,
Adam and Eve, which, in the minds OF
believers, combines the most striking
appearance with powers for good or evil
that are marveloys 1t grows in the
meadows OF the Eastern states, and the
origin of the superstition rests among
the Southern negroes. 1t is triangular
in shape and has two long roots reach.
ing out in opposite directions. 1t IS
said to bring good fortune to any person
who may possess it, I sell them for VI
apiece. Before they are properly pre-
pared, however, their wonderful virtues
remain dormant. The way in which the
negro completes the charm OF Adam
aud Eve is very curious. He first OBJ
taius n glass bottle which will hold about
two ounces OF liquid; he fills this with
liquid, and then places the root in the
liauor to soak. After short time the
superstitious ones claim that Adam,
having less evil in his specific gravity
than I've, will float, and his less right
eous better-half will sink instanter. A
colored woman who lives in Dominick
street called on me few days ago and
told me that she was bewitched by Q
woman living iu Clark street, and
asked me if could give her something
to break the charm. OF course l told
her, No! A man came in last night and
said that bad luck had been put upon
him, and wanted something to send his
irl.fortune buck to its author. Another
man told me that he had been to Phila-
delphia, and had carried bottle with
an Adam and Eve in his pocket.
| While he was in possession of this root
| he had all the money he could spend,
! but while on his way to this city he
accidentally broke the bottle, and threw
both it and the root out Of the window.
Luck deserted him at once, and he
came to try another. Holders OF Adam
and Eve are all very careful to let no
other person touch the bottle containing
it, for, they explain, luck leaves the
bottle whenever it is touched by any
person except the owner. A number OF
I other roots have the same attraction to
superstitious people. ANY herb that is
especially peculiar in shape or color is
| Immediately thought to be talisman OF
so ne power. The blood-root is always
chosen because of its peculiar color,
and Solomon's seal because it has
strange shape. The golden seal is also
chosen because it has many curious
fibers which branch out in every direc-
tion. The old belief about the four
leaved clover is familiar to every person,
and is accredited with some very re-
markable occurrences"