TANSY. 33.9 



juice of the shoots a green colouring matter, which they use to dye their 

 clothes. The foliage is eaten hy cows and sheep, but refused by horses, 

 goats, and swine. 



Qualities — The leaves and flowers have a peculiar, strong, camphor, 

 ous odour, not very disagreeable, and a warm, bitter, sub-acrid, and aro- 

 matic taste ; the latter are rather more powerful and agreeable. These pro- 

 perties are not much impaired by desiccation. The seeds have a strong fra- 

 grant odour, and a bitter taste. The virtues of the herb are obtained both 

 by water and spirit, most perfectly by the latter. The watery infusion has 

 the taste and smell of the plant, and is rendered nearly black by sulphate 

 of iron. The tincture made from the leaves is of a beautiful green co- 

 lour : that from the flowers of a bright pale yellow. The distilled water is 

 fragrant ; and with it passes over a greenish yellow essential oil, having 

 a powerful odour. " Cartheuser obtained from the flowers one-fourth of an 

 aqueous, and one-sixth of a spirituous extract." * 



Medicinal Properties and Uses. — The leaves, flowers, and 

 seeds of the Tansy have been considered eminently tonic and 

 stimulant, consequently stomachic, carminative, vermifuge, su- 

 dorific, emmenagogue, and antispasmodic. Their action is 

 particularly directed to the stomach, intestines, cutaneous ex- 

 halants, uterus, and the nervous system in general. It has been 

 essayed in intermittent fevers f, but the good effects are not 

 very well marked. In dropsy it is said to be happily substi- 

 tuted for wormwood J. Hoffmann § and Rosenstein |] consider 

 the decoction an excellent lavement for bringing away as- 

 carides ; but the seeds, in the dose of ten to thirty grains, are 

 reputed to be more powerfully vermifuge. In chlorosis ac- 

 companied with vertigo and epilepsy, it appears to be of service, 

 especially when these diseases arise from general debility, or 

 from the presence of worms. Its effects in gout have also been 

 highly extolled ^f, and Dr. Cullen ** says, " I have known 

 several who have taken it without any advantage, and some 

 others who reported that they had been relieved from the fre* 



* Bergius Mat. Med. torn. ii. p. 664. 



f Pontedera in Hall. Hist. st. helv. n. 132. 



t Eph. N. C. Dec. 2. Ann. 2. Obs. 112. p. 267, &c. 



§ Med. Syst. torn. iv. p. ii. p. 333. 



|| Bskd. cap. de vermibus. 



^[ Clark's Essays and Obs. phys. and lit. vol. iii. p. 438. 



** Mat. Med. vol. ii. p. 80. 



A A % 



