138 MINT. 



plant distilled with water, affords a considerable portion of very 

 odorous, pungent, essential oil, of a pale greenish yellow colour, 

 becoming darker coloured, and often more fragrant, by age, and 

 holding camphor in solution *. Gaubius discovered the presence 

 of camphor in the shape of white flocculent shining filaments, 

 which were thrown down from the distilled water of the dried 

 herb, after being kept several months, and it has since been de- 

 tected by Proust, and other chemists, in nearly all the Labiates. 

 Medicinal Properties and Uses. — Some very apocryphal 

 qualities were attributed by the ancients to Mint. Observing 

 that the plant hindered the coagulation of milk, by a false 

 induction they concluded that it must necessarily attenuate the 

 humours, and impart an undue fluidity to the blood ; hence it 

 was esteemed antiaphrodisiac f, capable of producing sterility, 

 and efficacious in dissipating coagulated milk in the breasts of 

 mothers. The properties attributed to Pepper-Mint, in modern 

 times, are those of a tonic, stomachic, carminative, antispas- 

 modic, and resolvent. In the former capacity it is useful in 

 debility of the stomach and torpidity of the bowels ; as a car- 

 minative J and antispasmodic, it has been particularly recom- 

 mended in syncope, paralysis, asthma, hysteria, nervous 

 vomitings, flatulent colic, hypochondriasis, and other spasmodic 

 affections. It has also enjoyed considerable reputation for 

 restoring suppressed menstruation, dependent on inertia or 

 defective action of the uterus ; and it forms an empirical 

 remedy against stone and gravel. 



* As with Lavender, &c, the essential oil resides in utricles or pores 

 scattered over the leaves, but more especially the calyces. A much larger 

 quantity of oil is obtained in a warm dry season, and tbe produce varies 

 from a drachm and a half to three drachms, from two pounds of the recent 

 plant. If the Pepper Mint is cut in wet weather, it turns black and is 

 worthless. " The cultivators of the plant observe, that to keep up its quality 

 the roots must be transplanted every three years, otherwise it degenerates 

 into the flavour of Spear Mint." 



-f- " Mentha (pivfa) calefacit et urinam ciet, vomitionemque sistit ; ac 

 si quis earn saepe comedat, ejus genitale semen colliquefacit ut effluat, et 

 arrigere prohibet, corpusque imbecillum reddat." Hippocrates de rictus ra- 

 lioncy lib. ii. p. 359. ed. Foes. Aristotle also advises, " Mentham tempore 

 belli nee serito nee edito." 



X Martial (Epig. lib. x. 48.) calls it " ruclatria. Mentha " 



