^i^'. 



FAMILY HERBAL. 



Tfae whole plant is used;, fresh or dried^ and is 

 excellent against disorders of the stomach. It 

 will stop vomitings and create an appetite ; it is 

 best given in the simple distilled water, well made^ 

 or else in the form of tea. The fresh herb bruis- 

 ed, and applied outwardly to the stomachy will 

 stopyomitings. 



Water jMint, Mintlia aqiiatica. 



\ 



A COMMON wild plaiit of the mint kind^ 

 not so much regarded as it deserves. It is frequent 

 by ditch sides. It is a foot and half high* The 

 stalks are square, upright, firm, and strong, and 

 generally of a brown colour ; the leaves are broad 

 and short ; they stand two at a joint, and are of a 

 brownish or deep green colour, somewhat hairy, 

 and serrated about the edges. The flowers are 

 larger than these of coraraon mint, and are of a 

 pale red colour ; they stand in round thick clus- 

 ters at the tops of the stalks, and round the up- 

 per joints. The w^iole plant has a strong smelly 

 not disagreeable, but of a mixed kind between 

 that of mint, and penny royal : and the taste is 

 strong and acrid, but it i? not to be called disj 



able- 



s 



A distilled water'of this plant is excellent agamst 

 colics, pains in the stomach and bowels, and it will 

 bf rag down the menses. A single dose of it often 

 cores the colic. The use of peppermint has ex- 

 cluded this kind from the present practice, but 

 all three ought to be used. Where a simple weak- 

 ness of the stomach is the complaint, the conimon 

 mint [should be used; when cqlicy pains alone, 

 lbs peppermint ; and where suppressions of the 

 menses arc in the case, this wild water mint : they 

 may all be giycn in the way of tea^ but a sin- 



