230 Botanic Drugs 



carminative, and tonic. Dose of oil, 1 to 2 drops. 

 Lavandula officinalis, LAVENDER, tonic, stimulant, 

 and carminative. The U. S. P. Spirit of Lavender 

 contains 5% of the oil of the flowers. The average 

 dose is 30 minims. Lycopus Virginicus, BUGLE- 

 WEED or WATER HOREIIOUND, is more bitter and 

 less aromatic than most of the mints. Has a repu- 

 tation for improving the circulation through an 

 influence upon the sympathetic system, and is used 

 in doses of 5 to 10 minims of the fl. Has also been 

 used in chronic cough. It was stated of lycopus 

 that it slows the rate of the heart-beat. I have 

 made very careful test of this, with proper con- 

 trols and twice-daily records on the chart, and 

 very little influence of any kind was demonstrated, 

 so far as the circulation was concerned. Certainly 

 the heart was not slowed. I have thought, how- 

 ever, that it is about the equal of wild cherry as a 

 tonic and cough remedy in chronic pulmonary 

 affections. It is not reasonable to expect a sedative 

 action from a mint; but it is not at all unreasonable 

 to expect a tonic influence such as we get from hore- 

 hound. See "Marrubium." I believe these two 

 agents to act similarly, and that they do not possess 

 anything like the value in tuberculosis and hemor- 

 rhagic difficulties once attributed to lycopus. How- 

 ever, lycopus is somewhat astringent. Leonurus 

 cardiaca, MOTHER WORT, is another bitter mint with 

 tonic properties. The same can be said of Melissa 

 officinalis, BALM. 



Mentha piperita, PEPPERMINT, is widely official 

 in several forms. Mentha viridis, SPEARMINT, is 

 official in the U. S. and England, mentha arvensis, 

 JAPANESE PEPPERMINT, is official in Japan, as 



