New-York tribune., 1899-08-20
HERBS OF THE OLD GARRET.
GRANpMAMMA's SPECIFICS FOR ALL
SORTS OF HUMAN AILMENTS.
HOW TO TELL BoNEsET AND PEPPERMINT AHp
INDIAN TOBACCO AND ALL THE REST.

INDIAN TOBACCO AND ALL THE REST.
WHEN YOU SEE THEM GROWING.
Along with the memory Of country garret used
as a playground fingers the recollection Of bundles
OF herbs medicinal. savory and sweet scented.
hanging 70 the beams. And then what grewsofne
memories come 10 mind OF nauseous, bitter
draughts administered for wet feet colds. nciges-
ticn headaches and other ailments. From these
old fashioned remedies some OF the most valuable
drugs in modern matera medica, in the form OF
essential oils tinctures, powders, etc. have been
obtained.
Until comparatively recent time the medicinai
xalue OF plants gave them their chief interest
Even s,ipernaturai power was attributed 70 them
sometimes. spenser sings in The Faery oueens':
Oh who car tell
The hidden power Of herbes and might OF magfok
spel2
The names OF plants to this day. both common
and botanical come largely from their supposed
healing properties There firm belief also.
in the doctrine OF signatures" our common
hepatica trilooa liver leaf. owing both titles 10
the shape Of the leaf. which seemed to suggest the
organ for whose Ills this plant was considered q
sovereign remedy.
An old lady who has been famous for her SKIN
In nursing and in herb lore gives these directions
"Cather your herbs when In flower in dry weather,
after the dew is of in the morning and before II
falls at night, rejecting any imperfect or dead
leaves and dry IN the shade. Then tie each. sort
In bundles label, and hang In a dry place.
Probably the most highly priced remedy In the
entire domestic pharmacopeia is boneset or thor
oughwort a common plant belonging TO the CON-
posite order II grows in wet places and Is easily
recognized by it's stout hairy stem, from two 10
five feet high It's opposite lance shaped leaves
unite at the base around the stem, making IL ap-
pear TO pass through the centre. The MOWERS are
a dull white in large. fat topped clusters II -
said 70 cure a disease known in the South A
Dh ha DrObably
name boneset An old medical work says; Bone
set tea is sudorihc. tonic antisepuc. catharuc.
emetic diuretic, stnulant. etc 1t cures obstinate
diseases of the skin Is an sntidote ior snake pes
and an excellent remedy for bilious conc. ~
likewise good for coughs. and used In hysterica
complaints"
Another familiar plant OF the composite family
Is elecampane a tall growth, three 70 nve feet
high with stout stem, common along roads ana III
PASTURES II Is now in blossom; the flowers are
large and yellow daisy like. but with many mar
row rays It's leaves are large wooIy beneath the
u,ner ones partially ciasping the stem. The muci-
lagnous root is the part Used In medicine long eee-
brated for curing lung diseases coughs and co1os.
In the dry places along roadsides grows the h,1e
plant Of most repute in former times-the Ihc-an
tobacco a species OF lobelia. The MOWERS sl7
small pale blue. growing in the axis OF leaves II
ts powerful emetic., and an antidote ior poisO"'
bu. Cray saws IL is itself highly poisonous.
The great mint family holds an honored place IN
medicine II is easy 20 recognize its members Dy
their square stem. opposite leaves ana TWO HpPee
coroua II you hold the leaves UP to the Hsh'
Won can generally see that they are dotted with
neIluci6 glands yielding volatile OIL Whlch gives
the warmth and aromatic odor 70 the mInts
In wet lands we find the strongest OK al tns
rnin,s and the one most commonly used not onV
incidentally but as havorlng extraet-pepI~i
mint Here too IS its sister the spearmihI WINCH
it closely resembles in appearance ana heWevsr
by the flowers which are purphsh IN loosH 80 sp's-s IS
a. 5iyP snJ cgypUded some one has said: When the
Lord made the small boy and the green apps I y,,ie
in aliaying stomach pains is known the world
over 81 ,.-b.r. &. c,,n,p
Win clusters OF whitlsh flowers. dotted with pHr,
pie It grows near dwelling houses Is ,.s an
remedy for collie and headache creates Il P.s !; ha,
ecstatc state OF intoxcaIon and cures most OF ne'
Mention must he made Of at Least three Other
members OF this great famyskeap is wlsh sppS prs -
blue flowers loving WEI PlSGeSS P5oGeS 0af Also moisture
lover with tiny white flowers IL dense cesss ana
Id and diftanv whose bright purple clusters
brighten the dry. roadsdes in autumn. ,o.,,~ ,h.
vicinity of dwelling houses are the small dasyniss
chamomie. the bitter tea famous i2r & prcaJiIs ioY
fst topped flower clusters. used IN medicine since
the Middle Ages. and the common dandehon, srow ,,
,mr,iIkv iuice said 10 remove freckles. -,
on dry pasture lands the tall, yeaow, W., ng" s-s
a familiar feature It's wooy leaves dipped IN hot
uafer used as lamentations are SAID 70 De et,
csIIsnt for tonsiiltls and sore throat The lst OF
plants justly priced in domestic medicine " iiss a.
most endless A few others can only DC riehuoneu
hv name here-pennyroyal. witch hazet ,wlnlsr-
green wormwood. agrimony mustard goldthreao'
Among herbs OF sweet fragrance. me prime ~
vorite has always been the imported lavender, hod-
ing a distinguished place In old fashioned gar
dens and making fragrant stores OF linen for
tbis lao NAV used sweet vernal grass natu.
,aijzea from Europe and native yellow ana
white sweet clover. Both these clovers are ts.I.
rom twO 10 four feet. Their papilonaceous nowers
- sisndsr snikes are fragrant when dried.
In the old time kitchen garden the savory herbs
. lwavs held an hOnored place. Beds were tnere or
ssgs summer savory. thyme. dill and marjorsm.
their spicy odors conturing up visions OF J%nSnns %
giving turkey and a host Of good things Thyme,
an ernigrant from Europe is taking up rs ABODE
With us and many bank where the WHO thyme
blows may he seen purplng the roadsides IN 'ns
'atsks.