HERBS 



53 



purposes, inwardly to drink 

 for ulcers and outwardly heals 

 wounds. " 



Roots were cooked by the 

 Indians and eaten to relieve 

 colic. A poultice was made 

 of the roots for scalds and 

 burns. 



HEAD 



H-43. 

 umbaria; 



CHI A, 



Mint Fam. 



Salvia col- 

 Plant 



Sage 



Chap. 



Oak 



Grass 



Cult. 



Calif. 



Utah 



Ariz. 



Nev. 



grows mostly below 4000' in 

 open, dry areas. It is 3-15" 

 high, with 2-3 whorls of small, 

 blue flower heads on stem. 



Indians gathered seeds by bending the stalks over a basket and 

 shaking the seeds into it. Seeds are similar to flax seed and were 

 parched and ground to be cooked later as gruel. Medicinally, it 

 was used to sooth inf lamped digestive organs; also a bit of seed- 

 paste put in the eye at night gathered all particles of dirt by morn- 

 ing due to the mucilaginous quality of the wet seed. Seed-paste 

 is also used for soothing inflamed membranes and as a poultice 

 for gunshot wounds. Spanish Californians made a fine drink by 

 mixing a teaspoonful of ground seed in a glass of cold water for a 



few minutes, often adding sugar 

 and lemon juice. 



H-44. JIMSON WEED or 

 THORN APPLE, Datura stram- 

 onium. Potato Fame r-5' tall 

 plant, with stiff, spiny branches, 

 large, coarsely-toothed leaves, 

 white flowers trumpet-like, and 

 sometimes tinged with light laven- 

 der; fruit prickly and about size ^- ^^^ 

 of walnut. 



In 1640 Parkinson wrote: 

 "Spaniards and East Indians used 

 this plant to dissolve gall and kid- 

 ney stones. " The Datura was 

 used by the priests of Apollo at 

 Delphi to produce ravings and 



Cult. 

 Grass 



Most States 



- '^4}p 



