HERBS, 367 
“our garden plant, familiar particularly to all lovers of the 
National Roast Beef,—Horse Radish (Cochlearia armoracia)— 
has come to deserve specially well from the British public.” 
Grated Horse Radish, if eaten at frequent intervals during the 
day, and likewise at meals, is found remarkably efficacious for 
getting rid of the persistent distressing cough which lingers 
aiter influenza. The root of Horse Radish contains sulphur, 
a volatile oil, a bitter resin, sugar, starch, gum, albumin, and 
acetates. Chemically its volatile oil is identical with that of 
mustard, being highly diffusible, and pungent, because of the 
“ myrosin.” One drop of this: most volatile oil will suffice to 
odorize the atmosphere of a whole room. The root is expectorant, 
anti-scorbutic, and, if taken too freely, emetic. That it contains 
a somewhat large proportion of sulphur is shown by the black 
colour given to silver, and other metals with which it comes in 
contact. Because of this constituent the plant proves serviceable 
in chronic rheumatism, and for remedying scurvy. Bergius 
alleges that by cutting the root into very small pieces, without 
bruising it, and then swallowing a tablespoonful of these segments 
every morning without chewing them, throughout three or four 
weeks, a cure has been effected of chronic rheumatism which 
had proved intractable by all else which was tried. The 
sulphuretted oil is crystallizable. As to an outward use of 
Horse Radish, Gerarde has said about the root: “If bruised, 
and laid to a part grieved with the sciatica, gout, joynt-ache, 
or the hard swellings of the spleen, and liver, it doth wonderfully 
help them all.” The botanical name Cochlearia implies a resem- 
blance between the leaves of the plant and an old-fashioned 
spoon, cochleare. Formerly it was named Mountain Radish, 
and Great Raifort, (as now styled in France.) or Cran. When 
scraped it exhales a nose-provoking odour, and possesses a 
hot, biting taste, combined with a certain sweetness; on 
exposure to the air it quickly changes colour, and loses its volatile 
strength. Taken by itself, or in a plain sauce (but not being 
boiled) with oily fish, or rich, fatty viands, scraped Horse Radish 
acts as a spur to complete digestion thereof; at the same time 
it can benefit a relaxed sore throat by contact during the swallow- 
ing. When sliced across with a knife the root will exude some 
drops of a sweet juice which may be rubbed beneficially into 
rheumatic, or palsied limbs. An infusion of Horse Radish, 
sliced, or bruised, in cold water makes an excellent gargle, which 
