FLOWERING SHRUBS 
opening and shewing the dark glossy seeds. The whole plant 
is highly aromatic, especially the cases that enclose the seeds, 
which, when rubbed between the fingers, emit a strong 
pungent odor like the scent of orange-peel. 
The root, bark, leaves, and fruit are bitter, pungent and 
aromatic. The root and bark are used in dyeing yellow; 
they are also used medicinally in extract for agues and 
intermittent fevers. 
Though its most usual locality is on the banks of streams 
and in low wettish ground, it will also thrive and increase 
rapidly on dry soil, and on account of its stout woody stem 
it seems well suited for hedges. The Prickly Ash will grow 
both from seed and by shoots sent up from the roots. The 
fruit is ripe in August and September. The dry seed-pods 
are in great request by smokers, who mix them with tobacco 
and regard the fine spicy scent as a great luxury when they 
can obtain the berries from the Indians. 
The following valuable remarks on the medicinal uses of 
this interesting shrub were copied for me by my late, much 
valued friend, Dr. Low, of Bowmanville, from an article in 
the Journal of Materia Medica, No. XII., December, 1859, 
by Dr. Charles Lee, on the Medicinal Plants of North 
America: 
“The ‘Prickly Ash’ is known also by the name of 
‘Yellowwood.’ The bark contains a fixed volatile oil, resin- 
ous coloring matter, gum and a crystallizable substance. The 
berries contain a large amount of oil, one pound yielding 
four fluid ounces when treated with alcoholic ether. The 
Prickly Ash is employed as a remedy for affections of the 
Spine, marrow, and vascular system. The active properties 
consist of an ethereal oil, like oil of turpentine; it is 
decidedly stimulant in languid cases of the nervous system. 
“In Asiatic cholera, during the years 1848-50, it was used 
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