MEDICIXAL PLANTS 



1459 



dye which may be dyed on cotton on akimina mordant. The shades ob- 

 tained are good and fast. 



(20) Barberry (Raswat). — The bark, roots, and stem of this plant 

 are rich in a very good yellow dye. This plant is plentiful in the Kumaun 

 Hills. 



Raswat is used chiefly as a dye for silk. ]t was dyed on cotton mord- 

 anted with alumina, but dull shades were obtained. This was perhaps due to 

 the presence of chlorophyll in the preparation w^hich came from Naini Tal. 



(21) Rhus cotinus. — The wood of this plant yields a dye similar to 

 young Fustic. On cotton mordanted wdth alumina an orange yellow coloui 

 was obtained ; with tin an orange red was obtained. The dyeings are, 

 however, not fast to alkalis and soap. 



1083 -The Harvesting and Cultivation of Medicinal Plants in France. — Fdw/Ztw^'/H- 



formation liu Ministere de P Agriculture. 2istyear,Xo. ::8,pp. 1:1-13. Paiis, Jixly i-|th, 1916^ 



The question of the production of medicinal plants in France, as in 

 other countries (i) is one of great importance. The history of the cul- 

 tivation and harvesting of medicinal plants is given in this paper and the fact 

 is recalled that the list of simple indigenous drugs inscribed in the Codex of 

 1908 comprised not less than no species. x\lthough most of the indige- 

 nous medicinal plants grow naturally over large areas, yet several among 

 them grow best and most abundantly in certain districts where the tempera- 

 ture and soil are specially favourable to their development and to the ela- 

 boration of their active principles ; so much so that the same species, ctilti- 

 vated in neighbouring districts differing in soil and exposure,-^ will in the 

 one case acquire a ver^^ great toxicity, while in the other its properties 

 are much less active. DigitaUs is a striking example of this t3'pe of medi- 

 cinal plant ; that grown in the Vosges is very rich in digitalin, while that 

 from the Ardennes contains but very little. This instance shows that the 

 cultivation of certain plants demands special precautions, definite knowledge 

 and scientific control. To entrust the work to inexperienced hands would 

 be to vitiate the results. 



The article outlines the principles which should govern the culti- 

 vation and harvesting of the plants and gives, besides indications of the 

 price and the extent of sale of each, the following list of the chief medici- 

 nal plants grown in France, classified according to the part which is 

 of use : 



Flowers: Arnica, blue-bottle (with calyx), muHcin, borage, colchicinii, poppy, marsh- 

 mallow, lavender, mallow, milfoil (cluster?), lily-of-the-valley, white dead-nettle (without 

 calyx), ground ivj', chamomile, elder, lime (bracts), coltsfoot, Auvergne violets, pa^^que flower, 

 meadow sweet (clusters), hawthorn, buglos'^, marjoram, broom. 



Leaves : Wormwood, agrimony, silverweed, woodruff, cranesbill, borage, shepherd's purse, 

 yellow cheese-rennet (clusters), catmint, blackcurrant, eyebright, ash, goat's rue, yellow me- 

 lilot (cut tips), mercury, St. John's wort, lily-of-the-valley, walnut, poppy, plantain, meadow 

 sweet, bramble, soapwort, henbane, ground ivy, balm-mint, thorn apple, night-shade, hart's 

 tongue, wild thyme, figwort, tansy, valerian, veronica, vervein. 



STIMULANT, 



-AROMATIC, 



NARCOTIC 



AND MEDICINAL 



PLANTS 



(i) See B. July i()i6, N. 75; 



{Ed. 



