Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-09-20
Medicinal Herbs.

He maketh grass to grow for the
cattle, and herb for the use of man."
Beside all the food-products of the
vegetable kingdom, there are many
neros useful to man as medicines.
Some OF these are wild and are called
weeds. Prominent among these ranks
the mother-Wort, whose name sl1o
gests its chief use and value. An old
lady, who spent the greater part of her
life in Lancaster, told the writer that
'sthe doctor" in Killinglea, Connecticut,
said that ano woman should pass
mother-wort without stopping to make
her manners" and another lady we'll
known in Lancaster said that her
doctor in Stevens Point, Wis, said:
"Every woman, when passing mother
wort should drop a curtsey. 1t is
such blessing to women" No doubt.
if weak, nervous women" would drink
mother-wort tea frequently Mrs.
Pinkham's very burdensome cores
pondence would be materially lessened.
Nor is its usefulness confined to
women. A very nervous gentleman,
a former we'll known citizen of this
| place used to drink the tea to give him
sleep, when business. cares banished it.
The mOther-wort grows to height
of from one to three feet, usually in
clumps. The leaves proper are shaped
very much like grape leaf, but are
very thickly veined. Each root sends
up a square stalk on which are mar
now three pointed leaves, in the axis
OF which nestle the tiny fesh-tinted
flowers.
The taste of the leaf is intensely
bitter but very soon vanishes leaving
a very pleasant taste.
This is true also OF the tea, which
should be drank cold.
| Another very useful "weed" is the
colt's-tail. A lady from Vermont fell
Ill Of kidney-trouble, and called DR..
Baxter, an excellent physician of early
days. He, perhaps better posted on
the usefulness of herbs, than on their
identity and perhaps thinking g thing
must be "far-fetched and dear bought"
to be valued, prescribed "Flea- bane".
She sent to the drugstore and got
package about the size of a paper of
carpet-tacks for fifteen cents. The
late Hon. J. Allen Barber, whose
versatile mind stored much of useful
knowledge besides that gained from
books, called; and the lady showed
him her medicine which was new to
her. He lapghedEheartily at the idea
Of sending to the. drug store, when she
might have had a pound from her own
garden, told her..iit was nothing but
colts-tail and to prove it picked out
some Of the little blossoms. He also
told her it is a specific for dysehtery.
which assertion she and others have
a5undantly proved to be true. The
weed is named from its shape. Grows
about eighteen inches high. with long
very narrow leaves, stretching almost
straight UP. The top is a sprawling
cluster of tiny white-tipped flowers
the shape Of a. thistle- blossom. Both
weed and flower have a peculiar
peppery taste.
| Another very useful weed is the
doctor Dick" or carpenter's-sq
This has perfectly square stem,
smooth and glossy when young but
getting ridgy with age. The leaf is
shaped like nettle leaf but soft and
the skeleton scarcely shows on the top,
it is all underneath. The buds are
little green balls, flowers very small,
brown, shaped something like a snap
dragon and theN seed ripens and falls
without the flower changing its ap-
pearance. The leaf is Give poultice"
as it's odor some how suggests.
1t is exceIIent..tor:corns and all sur
face infiamations, even sprains. When
green no preparation is needed, be-
yond squeezing for moment in the
hand. A tea of the dried leaves af-
fords great relief in cases of hives.
Another weed akin to the above. has
smooth five-sided stem and oak-leaf
shaped leaves and purple "heads" of
tiny flowers. The leaf is also good
Epoultice but a harsh one, while the
other is very mild. In gathering
l''Doctor- Dick" leaves, do not break
the plant as it will die.if broken when
young and though, like the colts-tail,a
native Badger" is very scarce. The
catnip and smart-weed are too we'll
known to need description. A tea OF
the latter is excellent FOR colds. Cat
nip-tea is excellent for babies, pro-
vided the mother drinks it, this on the
word of a doctors widow herself an
excellent nurse. It makes abundant,
rich and soothing milk.
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