[Herb department 433]

Part used.—­Leaves and kernels.

Gather.—­When ripe.

Grows (where).—­Cultivated.

Prepared (how).—­By infusion; put ounce of leaves in one pint of cold water and let it steep.

Diseases, Dose, etc.—­For inflammations take one tablespoonful of the cold infusion every hour or two.  For bladder and urinary troubles and leucorrhea, put four ounces of the kernels in a quart of brandy; dose,—­teaspoonful three or four times a day.  For bowel troubles use half ounce of the flowers and half ounce of the kernels to a pint of water; boil to make a decoction and sweeten; dose,—­teaspoonful occasionally, until relieved; for teething children and for worms use about five doses.

Pennyroyal.  Squaw Mint.  Tickweed.  Hedeoma Pulegoides.

Internally, used for.—­Stimulant, sweating, menstrual troubles, suppressed lochia, suppressed menses, flatulent colic in children.

Part used.—­The herb.  Gather.—­In fall.  Flowers (when).—­June to October.

Grows (where).—­In dry sterile places in calcareous soils.  In all parts of the United States, etc.

Prepared (how).—­An infusion, one ounce to a pint of boiling water and only steep, not boil.

Diseases, Dose, etc.—­Use infusion freely.  Dose of oil two to five drops.  For menstrual troubles, checked lochia and perspiration, take a hot foot bath in bed and drink freely of the tea until sweating occurs.  It is frequently taken at bedtime for painful menstruation, etc.

Peppermint.  Mentha Piperita.

Internally, used for.—­Tone stomach, colic, spasms, or cramps in stomach, to check nausea and vomiting.

Externally, used for.—­Fresh herb bruised and laid over the abdomen, to allay sick stomach and diarrhea of children.

Part used.—­The whole herb.

Gather.—­Early autumn.

Flowers (when).—­July to September.

Grows (where).—­Native of England, cultivated here and grows wild in wet places.

Prepared (how).—­Essence, oil; infusion made by adding one ounce of herb to a quart of boiling water and steep.

Disease, Dose, etc.—­One to two ounces of infusion at a dose.  The best form is the essence or oil.  Dose of the essence five to ten drops; of oil one to five drops.  It should be used carefully.

[434 Mothers’ remedies]

Plantain.  Plantago Major.

Externally, used for.—­It is better used externally; the bruised leaves are good for poisonous wounds, bites of snakes, spiders and insects, ulcers, sore eyelids, salt rheum, erysipelas, poisoning from ivy and other skin affections.

Part used.—­Roots and tops.

Flowers (when).—­From May to October.

Grows (where).—­Well known and grows in rich moist places.

Prepared (how).—­Tincture, infusion, bruised leaves for external use.