tvhite] the witch HAZEL 349 



virginiana an ancient name with no obvious application to the 

 plant. The common term witch comes from Saxon wych meaning 

 sprawHng, or drooping or weak probably referring to the sprawHng 

 low habit of growth. It is said that the Oneida Indians first taught 

 the whites concerning its medicinal purposes. The twigs and 

 leaves are distilled with alcohol to make the heaUng extract used 

 for cuts and bruises. 



The formula used by the United States druggists is as follows: 



Hamanelis roots and twigs lo lbs. 



Water 20 pts. 



Alcohol 6% i>^ pts. 



Place roots and twigs in still, add water and alcohol and allow to 

 macerate 24 hours. Distil 10 pts. by applying direct heat or by 

 steam. 



The witch-hazel is a shrub although some writers choose to class 

 it with the trees. It usually grows from six to twleve feet high 

 although imder some conditions it has been known to reach a height 

 of twenty feet ; it is foimd on the sides of deep ravines and edges of 

 woods. Its bark is smooth except for lenticels and dark greyish 

 brown. Its wood is tough and fibrous and white with a yellowish 

 softer heartwood. The leaves are alternate and have flower' -buds 

 at their axils. They are almost roimd, bluntly pointed at tips 

 and rough. The sides are imequal and the edges are scalloped. 

 The veins are straight and prominent on the underside of the leaf. 

 "The witch-hazel leaves are likely to be apartment houses for 

 insects," especially those making galls. One of the most common 

 is a gall, shaped like a horn or sptir on the upper side of the leaf. 

 If torn open this will be found to contain a commimity of Httle 

 aphids. 



The wtich-hazel blossoms are foimd at the axils of the leaves, 

 usually in clusters of three or four on the same short stem. They 

 follow a four-fold plan, i. e., the calyx is four lobed, four petals like 

 narrow yellow ribbons. (In the bud these are rolled like a watch- 

 spring) . There are four fertile stamens alternating with four scale- 

 like imperfect ones. The anthers are very interesting in that they 

 each have two doors which fly open as if by magic to let the pollen 

 out. Only the pistil varies from the four-fold plan, the ovary is 

 two celled and two styled. As has been mentioned before the 

 flowers wait until October or November before opening. The 

 wtich-hazel is an exception to all rules. When the crisp autimm 

 weather warns all plants to prepare for winter these immediately 



