FAMILY HERBAL. 191 



Lavender. Lavendula. 



A common plant in our gardens, native of 

 the warmer parts of Europe ; it is of a shrubby 

 nature in the stem, but the rest is herbaceous. It 

 grows a yard high. The trunk, or main stem is 

 thick, woody, firm, and covered with a whitish 

 bark. The young shoots from this, are tender and 

 greenish ; and on these stand the leaves. They are 

 long, narrow, and of a pale green colour, and stand 

 two at each joint. The stalks which bear the 

 flowers are square, green, and naked ; the flowers 

 stand in short spikes, or ears ,* they are small, blue, 

 and verv fragrant ; the cups of the flowers are 

 whitish. 



These flowers are the part used ; they are good 

 against all disorders of the head and nerves. They 

 may be taken in the form of tea. The famous 

 Spirit of lavender called palsy drops, and the sweet 

 lavender water are made with them. The spirit of 

 lavender called palsy drops is thus made best. 



Put into a small still a pound of lavender flowers, 

 and five ounces of the tender tops of rosemary, put 

 to them five quarts of common molasses spirit, and a 

 quart of water : distil oh' three quarts ; put to this 

 cinnamon and nutmegs, of each three quarters of 

 an ormce, red ganders wood half an ounce ; let 

 these stand together a week, and then strain off the 

 spirit. 



The lavender water is thus made. Put a pound 

 of fresh lavender flowers into a still with a gallon of 

 molasses spirit, and draw oif live pints. This is 

 lavender water. 



Lavender Cotton. Abrotonum fuemina. 



A WTTI.E shrubby plant, frequently wild in Italy, 



