202 MENTHA YIRIDIS 



genous in the north of England. It also grows in kitchen 

 gardens in most parts of Europe, Asia, and the Cape of 

 Good Hope, North and South America, &c., and is cultivated 

 for medicinal purposes at Mitcham, Surrey, and in the United 

 States. It flowers in August and September, and is sometimes 

 found with crisped leaves. 



Smith, E. FL, iii, p. 75 ; Baker in Journ. Bot., 1865, p. 239 ; Syme, 

 E. Bot., vii, p. 7; Hook, f., Stud. Fl., p. 279; Gren. & Godr., 

 Fl. Fr., ii, p. 649; Benth. in DC., 1. c., p. 168; Lindl. Fl. Med., 

 p. 486. 



Official Parts and Names. OLEUM MENTHA VIRIDIS. The oil 

 distilled in Britain from fresh flowering spearmint (B. P.) 

 The oil (Oleum Mentha viridis), obtained by distillation from the 

 fresh herb when in flower (I. P.) MENTHA YIEIDIS. The leaves 

 and tops (U. S. P.) 



General Characters and Composition. The botanical characters 

 of the herb have been already given. It has a strong aromatic 

 peculiar odour, and a warm slightly bitter taste resembling that of 

 peppermint, but less pungent, and to many more agreeable. 

 These properties are somewhat less marked in the dried herb, but 

 are retained for a long time. The medicinal virtues of the plant 

 essentially reside in the official oil of spearmint. This oil is 

 colourless, pale yellow, or greenish when recently prepared, but 

 it becomes red by age. It has the odour and taste of the herb ; 

 it has a specific gravity of 0'914, and boils at 320. According 

 to Gladstone, it consists of a hydrocarbon almost identical with oil 

 of turpentine mixed with an oxidised^ oil, to which is due the 

 peculiar smell of the plant. 



Medical Properties and Uses. The medical properties of spear- 

 mint are similar to, although feebler than, peppermint. These 

 are aromatic, carminative, mildly stimulant, and stomachic. The 

 oil is carminative and stimulant, and is also used as a flavouring 

 ingredient. Spearmint water possesses similar properties, but is 

 chiefly used as a vehicle for other medicines. Spearmint is also 

 frequently employed for culinary purposes ; and the oil is used 



