This poisonous plant rises from one to two feet in height the leaves are large, cut into irregular lobes, or pointed segments, undulated, and embrace the stem flowers bell shaped colour a dingy yellow, with purple streaks, which is the true characteristic mark of all poisonous herbs or plants. HISTORY. Hen-bane is an annual plant, which grows beside the roads, the sides of fences, about old ruins, and church yards: flowers in July and August. MEDICAL VIRTUES. Taken internally, it eases pain and procures sleep externally, it is good to disperse tumours, removes the inflammation of the eyes, and mittigates pains in scirrhous and indolent tumours of the breast. The extract made of the expressed juice of this herb, is efficacious in palpatations of the heart, melancholy coughs, spasms, convulsions, madness, epilepsy, hysterical complaints, and a variety of nervous maladies, and dropsies, far superior to opium in such complaints, leaving the stomach soluble, without effecting the head, A dose of the extract, in all the above complaints, is from one to two or twenty grains, arcording to circumstances or effect. PREPARATION. The following discutient ointment I have found very efficacious for discussing hard breasts and indolent tumours : Melt one pound hogs fat and half a pound of green bay berry tallow, in an earthen pipkin over the hot embers; and stir into it two ounces of the fine sifted powder of the leaves of hen-bane; one ounce of the sifted leaves of thern apple or stramonium, one ounce of the fine powder of the bark of bitter sweet, one ounce of the flowers of Saint Johnswort, and half an ounce of the powdered leaves of fox glove: stir all the powders in the melted fat, and if too thick pour into it beefs gall, and mix it well-this ointment is the best discutient ever made known to the public. The buboes, &c. must be rubbed with this ointment three times a day, and covered with flannel well greased with the ointment. The patient must keep the bowels open constantly, while using the ointment, by caster oil or cream of tarter, or a tea spoonful of powder of the root called may apple or mandrake This plant rises three feet in height: leaves similar to the leaves of crow foot: blossoms small, and blue. HISTORY. This aromatic plant grows in meadows, and low woods among rocks: the root is about the size of a small quill, fibrous, of a black or purple colour, smell strong, and very aromatic. MEDICAL VIRTUES. • It is an excellent sudorific, aromatic, and emmenagouge. PREPARATION. Pour two quarts of boiling rain water on two ounces of the dried root, bruised. In all fevers where a diaphoresis is necessary, as in pleurisies and recent colds, after necessary evacuation, give the patient, in bed, a tea-cup full of the warm tea every hour, and soak his feet before lying down, in warm water for ten minutes, which will promote perspiration, and by morning the patient is generally cured: let the patient stay in the house the next day and not venture too soon in the cold air. Women, in order to promote the menses, may bathe their feet in warm water, and sit for ten minutes over the fume of penny royal, &c. every night, and drink half a pint of the tea with a wine glass of rum in it, at bed time, and take aloes as a warm purge. This must be done once or twice, before the full and change of the moon. The following tincture I have found beneficial in such cases: take one ounce of extract savine, and half an ounce of succotrine aloes in powder: and pour two quarts of old rum on the ingredients: shake the bottle often, and take a wine glass full twice a day, in order to bring down the terms and removes costiveness. |