IRISH GARDENING. 



Cultivation of Medicinal Plants. 



IJMMEUIATKLY OH llu' t)ut bleak ol' war an urticlo 

 appeared in The Joiinuil of I lie Hoard' oj Agri- 

 culture (S«pteml)er 1911) tL-aling with the culci- 

 vation of medichial plants in Great Britain. It 

 was at that time believed that, since medicinal 

 plants had been largely imported to a very con- 

 siderable exterit fronx enem>- countries, a shortage 

 of the more important drugs was liable to occr.r 

 in Great Britain. Prices rose rapidly on the out- 

 bi'eak of war, and, as an example, it may be said 

 that Belladonna root, which was worth 45s. per 

 cwt.in January, 1914, sold for 65s. in June 1914, 

 rose to 100s. "by August, 1914, and at present 

 realises several times that price. 



• During the past two years much has been 

 done to increase the home supply of drug plants, 

 and it may now be said that, with the exception 

 ot our essenti.al species, there need be no anxiety 

 as to our supply of drug-yieldiiig herbs. Indeed, 

 as will be pointed out below, the four species 

 referred to are liliely to be put on the market in 

 sufficient quantity to meet all home demands. 



The Board have given, the whole subject careful 

 consideration, and have consulted the National 

 Health Insurance Commission (England), and a 

 recent communication from the Commission to 

 the Board brings out certain important facts 

 and is printed below with the concurrerco of the 

 Commission. 



" The question [of mediciiiul plants] has been 

 widely discussed in the public Press, in which 

 statements have been made which may have the 

 effect of misleading the public in attaching an 

 undue value to the production of plants which 

 are of small medicinal or commercial importance, 

 and it seems desirable that consideration should 



]^e given to tlie subject with a vie.v to determine 

 the following ciuestions, namely :— 



(1 ) What honui-grown plants are of essential 

 nuHlicinal importance V 



(2) What qxiantities of such plants are 



rcqiiired ''. 



(3) What steps should be taken to encourage 



the production of such plants in the 

 ((uantities required ? 



(1) Although many home-grown plants are 

 used in the treatment of disease, only four can, 

 in the opinion of this Department, be regarded, 

 from a medical point of view, as really essential — 

 Belladonna, Henbane, Digitalis, and Colchicum. 



These plants are of great value in the treat- 

 ment of disease, and, in the view of this Depart- 

 ment, it is important that the home production 

 of the plants should be increased to such an 

 extent as to render this country self-supporting, 

 at all events as regards the quantities required 

 for home consumption. 



(2) As regards the quantities of these four 

 plants that are required, it is impossible to make 

 a precise statement, but from inquiries that have 

 been made by this Department it appears that 

 the quantity of belladonna required for home 

 consumption only may be estimated, approxi- 

 mately, as equivalent to about 50 tons of the 

 dried leaves and about 50 tons of the dried root 

 anniially. The quantity of henbane and digitalis 

 required is probably equivalent to about 

 20-25 tons of the dried leaves of each plant 

 annually, while the quantity of colchicum re- 

 quired appears to be considerably less. These 

 estimates relate to home consumption only ; in 

 addition, much larger quantities are needed for 

 the manufacture of medicinal preparations for 

 export. 



(3) It appears that there is sufficient digitalis 



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