Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-04-22
MEDICINE IN WEEDS.

1
MEDICINE IN WEEDS.
Foreign Products Are Imported at Tire.
| mendous Cost.
The United States spends hundreds
of thousands of dollars each year In
Importing foreign weeds considered to
have medical value, when the Ameri-
can farmer could dry the same weeds
pulled in his garden or farm and make
a snug little sum selling them to the
same people who import the foreign
weeds. In Europe the time Of the far
mer Is not as valuable as in this
country and the people save nearly
everything.
| The department of agriculture Is
trying to impress upon the American
farmer and family gardener that he
throws away many valuable weeds
pulled each year, and that he spends
much money buying patent medicines
that contain nothing of greater value
than the essence Of the very weeds
thrown away month after month. The
department treats learnedly on the
medicinal value of burdock, dandelion,
docks, couch or dog grass, pokeweed,
mullen, lobelia, tansy. gum plant,
boneset, catnip, hoarhound, yarrow,
jimson weed, poison hemlock, purple
thorn apple and many other things
known to nearly every American ex-
cept those born and reared in cities
and ignorant Of the various species
of weeds.
| The department experts declare If
in ridding the farm and garden OF
weeds the farmer would properly col
| lect and. prepare the crude drugs for
market he would be adding source
Of income to his work. Rules for care
fully preserving the medical weeds are
given. There are different times for
collecting the roots, barks, herbs, etc..
and the department tells when is the
proper time for each. Roots, it is
said, should be dug just after they
have attained their full size and just
before the Towering period begins.
Leaves and herbs should be collected
when the plant is in full flower and
barks of trees should be gathered in
the spring.
| Burdock, for instance, is an un-
slightly weed that abounds the world
over, being abundant in this country,
yet the root brings from 8 to cents
per pound when imported, and $4,000
pounds come to this country annually.
The root is the principal part, al
though the seed is also used, both be-
ing used in skin and blood diseases.
The leaves are used externally for
poultices.
The dandelion has a long root and
1852 pounds Of it were imported
into the United States in 1908. 1t Is
worth from to s cents a pound If
properly dried. Every child knows
something of the solitary yellow flow
er that comes at the summit Of the
dandelion plant.
There are many kinds Of docks, and
the roots are worth about the same
as burdock and dandelion. They are
employed in blood remedies.
Over 25O,OOO pounds of couch grass,
or dog grass, roots are imported into
the United States each year, and bring
from 8 to 7 cents. A fluid extract used
from this grass is used in kidney and
bladder troubles.
| n11 nd
used for medical purposes. The root
is poisonous in some instances, but
when used medically and properly pre-
pared, is said to have some good
qualities. The root is worth to 5
cents a pound and the berries cents
a pound.
Mullen leaves are turned into med
icine having value in coughs and ca
tarrh, and the dried leaves are often
smoked for catarrh. Nearly every
country boy remember when he made
cigarettes or cigars Of mullen leaves
Lobelia is pretty widely used for
medicine, the leaves and Towering
tops and the seed being the valuable
portions. Lobelia Is an expectorant
and should be handled only by people
who know how it is to be used.
All the old time "grannies" and
"mammies" in the south know some
thing about tansy, catnip and bone
set and they can tell marvellous tales
about what each of these plants has
done. Tansy, when turned into drug,
is poisonous and has been known to
produce fatal results. Captnip has
quieting effect on the nervous system.
Hoarhound is another common weed
that has a wide use and 125.000 pounds
are imported annually at about 8
cents a pound.
Even the thistle is worth something
and the medicine derived from the
leaves and tops is employed in fevers,
dyspepsia and as a tonic to restore
appetite.
The rank, ill-scented and poisonous
jimson weed has a medicinal value.
but must be handled carefully. The
leaves are poisonous. causing dilation
of the eyes. So are the seeds, and chill
dren have been known to have been
poisoned by eating the leaves and
caa1