GAMOFETALJ^-Iir 137 



SouTHERXWOOD {Artemisia Abr(Aanum). — This is a 

 hoary plant, more or less slirubby, with freely divided 

 leaves and yellow flowers. It has a pleasant aroma and 

 taste. Familiar names for it are Old Man and Boys' 

 Love. Although commonly cultivated here in our 

 gardens, Southernwood is a native of southern Europe 

 and the temperate parts of Asia. On the Continent a 

 kind of beer is made from the plant. The value of the 

 crop in the dry state is from 20s. to 30s. a cwt. 



It should also be mentioned that from Sex Worm- 

 wood (Artemisia maritima), a plant found in salt 

 marshes, a valuable substance called santonine is pre- 

 pared, the supply of which at present comes from Russia. 

 It is a popular remedy for worms, but several cases are 

 on record of children having died from having overdoses 

 administered to them. In addition to giddiness, nausea, 

 and vomiting, santonine turns the urine into a saffron 

 colour, and for many hours everything appears yellow 

 to the vision. In fatal cases, convulsions precede death. 

 Chronic poisoning from santonine is observed in absinthe 

 drinkers. Mr. Shenstone remarks that the value of Sea 

 Wormwood as a source for the extraction of santonine 

 has not yet been investigated; neither have Ave attempted 

 the cultivation of the Russian vaiiety, from which we 

 obtain our present supply of santonine. At the present 

 moment the price of this drug is prohibitive. 



Lettuce Group {Laduca).—T\\e use of the garden 



Lettuce as an aid to sleep is well known. Another 

 member of this gi'oup is Lettuce Opium {Lacttica 

 virosa), from which a sedative called lactucarium is 

 extracted. This plant is cultivated in this country, and 

 is even found wild in waste, stony places. 



The Dandelion {Taraxacum q^cm(t?e). —Consider- 

 able attention is paid nowadays to the collection of this 

 common weed. In norn.al times English roots %vere 



