356 THYME. 



its erect habit, ovate revolute leaves, and its whorled spikes of 

 flowers. There are several other species indigenous to southern 

 climates. Wild Thyme is subject to many varieties ; when 

 growing on dry exposed downs, it is dwarfish and procumbent, 

 and the heads of flowers are more crowded ; when it grows 

 among furze, &c, it is more slender, and runs up to the height 

 of a foot or more : sometimes it is all over hoary or woolly ; in 

 one variety the leaves are almost linear, and in another the 

 foliage has the scent of lemon-peel, or of balm. The flowers, 

 moreover, are sometimes larger than ordinary, and of a paler 

 purple colour, or even white. 



Qualities and general Uses.— The leaves of this plant infused in 

 boiling water, have been proposed as a substitute for tea. The foliage is 

 eaten by sheep and goats, but refused by swine. It has been asserted that 

 this and other aromatic herbs impart an agreeable flavour to the flesh of 

 sheep that feed upon them ; but it is well known that sheep only crop 

 these plants occasionally, or when there is a deficiency of other pas- 

 turage. The truth is, that the situation favourable to aromatic plants pro- 

 duces a short sweet herbage, best adapted for those animals. Bees are ex- 

 tremely fond of the flowers. 



The odour of the plant is sweet, fragrant, and agreeable ; the taste bitter, 

 camphorous, and aromatic. It yields its virtues both to water and spirit. The 

 aqueous infusion resembles tea, and takes a blackish hue, by the addition of 

 sulphate of iron. The distilled water is fragrant, and with it comes over a 

 small portion of essential oil of a reddish colour, powerful odour, and acrid 

 taste. Its other qualities appear to be owing to the presence of extractive 

 matter, and a resin resembling camphor, found in other labiate plants. 



Medicinal Properties and Uses. — Wild Thyme has the aro- 

 matic, tonic, stomachic, diuretic, and resolutive properties com- 

 mon to many labiate plants ; in addition to which it is consi- 

 dered emmenagogue, antispasmodic, and cephalic. Its effects 

 have been extolled in the flatulent and abdominal pains, which 

 so often disturb nervous and melancholic subjects ; also in 

 hysteria, nervous headaches, giddiness, &c. Linnaeus * speaks 

 of it as well adapted for relieving the headache which follows 

 inebriation. It has also been recommended in leucorrhcea of 

 long standing, chronic diarrhoea, and obstinate catarrhs. " Sir 

 John Hill records the case of a gentleman cured of that trou- 

 blesome affection, nightmare, by drinking the infusion of Wild 

 Thyme." f What has been said in our former pages of Rose- 



* Fl. Suec. n. 535. 



f Waller, Brit. Dom. Herb. p. 343. 



