Some Herbs and their Medicinal Uses.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 195, 19 March 1887, Page 1 (Supplement)

Some Herbs and their Medicinal Uses.

Upon this subject an English paper has t\& following :— The various " gieen ointments" which were much in vogue at one time are many of them very cooling and healing, and will be found very useful in many forms of cutaneous diseases. Take a handful of fresh groundsell, and the same of chickweed {Stellaria media), just as they are on the point of flowering ; place these in a large iron saucepan with about four tablespoonsful of best fresh lard Stir and squeeze the juicy stalks with a wooden spoon into the lard as it gradually melts. When it is all dissohed, let the pan stand in a safe, warm placo for a couple of hours ; then turn the m iB s es into a coarse c'oth, and squeeze quickly and carefully the green liquid ointment into a basin. This' must be stirred a little as it cools, to prevent its getting too* hard. A useful ointment for external bruises may be made of the wild Solomon's seal ( Polyrjonatum). This plant is not common ; but you will find it sometimes growing in rather damp shady hedge- sides, about eighteen inches high, with large oval leaves, and il? peal peculiarity, the little hollow flowers-, hano ing from under the long flower atallc. (-ather the leaves ; bruise them thoiousfhly in a moitar with half a pound of frc-h laid ; put them into a well covered caitl n en jar, and set it in a warm place, for five days. Take it out; boil it a little; sfctaiu and press it ; thon add to this liquor another handful of bruised leaves and a little nioie lard, and let it stand as before. If you want the ointment very strong, you can repeal this process several times. The last time of boiling add, while hot, to every pound of the ointment two ounces scraped yel'ow bee? wax. *- A delight ful-faSsh ointment can he made foy cooling inflammations, from violets and their leaves ;-/but I have found the?e moro effectual when gently simmered in milk and used as a p ultice. Amongsb the plants which pop-e-s special virtues I may mention the mallow [HJulrasj/lnrstrh) as being useful in nlmopt, every case where hot fomentations arc called for. Camomile for the same purpose is well known. A favourite plant in many places for medicinal uses, both internal and external, is the pretty hyssop (Ify^omis qfficwalis). This plant i^ so uieiul in many way a that it should be gathered every spring as it is beginning to flower, • carefully dried, and kept for use One old-world remedy for. wounds may be made from the 'green herb* bruised and made into ointment, with a little sugar added. It makes) an invaluable gargle m quinsy, boiled with figs and usedwarm.

Hs was a noble young man "pi blue blood and good financial backing, arid as he eat down in the car he pulled outvie handkerchief and gave his nose a princely wipe. An odour of perfume waa waftfed through thecar, and a boy sitting besidi hia mother suddenly called out : u Sdy,lina, why ean } b we buy onions which smell as nice as that ? " Admiral Serame's •,» Service Afloat ; or, fche Career of the Confederate Cruisers Sumter and Alabama during the American Civil War," ia shortly to oe. published in London by Simpson Low & Co. It \fi\\ b& illustrated by .ateel .plates "fond chromo■tinted engravitiasi < ; V 'u,st