FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 205 



plant is in- much repute as a vermifuge, and for this purpose an 

 infusion is made with a handful of the leaves and tops to 1 pint 

 boiling water, which is given, sweetened by cupfuls, in the course 

 of a day. (De Grosourdy). 



Wormwood. Artemisia absinthium L. 



Absinthe commune (f.) Ajenjo (sp.) 



A well-known bitter, much used as a stomatic in various and 

 other infusions. The plant is a powerful ingredient in anti- 

 septic fomentations. Bundles of it dried are used among clothes 

 to prevent mollis etc. It is the principal ingredient in the well- 

 known liqueurs, absinthe and Vermouth. According to Fortune, 

 the Chinese use fumigations of the dry A. indica in (fathering 

 honey from their bee hives. The smoke appears to intoxicate the 

 bees without injuring them, and prevents them stinging. It is 

 also an ingredient in tin' "joss-sticks" known as Mosquito 

 Tobacco, which are used to fumigate mosquito haunted rooms in 

 China. The leaves and flowers of A. absinthium by aqueous 

 distillation give a dark green oil with odour and flavour of the 

 plant, sp. gr. - 973 boiling at 205° C. soluable in alcohol. 

 A. cana and A. lij'j'H, similarly treated yield a colourless or 

 yellowish oil with odour of the plant and a burning aromatic 

 flavour sp. gr. 0-925-0-945 boiling at 175° C. The root of A. vul- 

 garis (or Jlug\vort) distilled with water gives a thick grease of 

 pale greenish yellow colour, peculiar odour and nauseous bitter 

 flavour and soluable in alcohol. The leaves of Tarragon (A. dra- 

 cunculus) besides being a favourite ingredient in salad vinegars, 

 are cultivated in the South of France for the sake of their oil 

 used as a flavouring in liqueurs, etc. The plant is cropped twice 

 yearly (Julv and October) and distilled with water, yielding 1 lb. 

 oil (sp. gr. 0-935 boiling at 200°-206° C) from 300-500 lbs. of 

 plant according to season and locality. (Spon.) 



Milfoils. Achillea millefolium. 



Various parts of common Milfoil yield essential oils by 

 aqueous distillation. That of the flowers is dark blue Sp. 

 gr. - 92. That of the herb is blue, of buttery consistence when 

 cold, with a strong odour and slightly burning flavour of the 

 herb, sp. gr. 0"852-0'917. That from the fruits is greenish. 

 That of the roots is colourless or slightly yellow, with a dis- 

 agreeable odour, and unpleasant flavour. By aqueous distillation 

 of the whole plant, and from Showy Milfoilf -!. nobilis) is obtained 

 a thick, pale yellow oil, of aromatic camphoraceous odour and 

 bitterflavoursp.gr. (J-'.»7 O'i 8 soluable in alcohol. A. moschata, on 

 being similiarly treated before flowering yields 1 va oil which 

 is clear yellowish, of a pleas 'ous odour, and warm bitter 



flavour." Boiling at 13U to _!10 J C. (Spon.) 



