LAMIACE^E. 5U 



Medical Uses. — Horsemint, like most of the articles of its order, is 

 stimulant and carminative. It is used in infusion for flatulent colic and other 

 cases requiring the employment of an exciting carminative. Elliott states 

 that the root has some reputation in domestic practice as an emmenagogue, 

 for which purpose it is given in a warm infusion. The volatile oil forms a 

 most efficacious rubefacient and counter-irritant, and is much used where 

 such an application is required. Dr. Atlee, who experimented much with it, 

 found it very beneficial as a liniment in chronic rheumatism, the low forms 

 of fever, neuralgic pains, &c. ; and it has proved very useful in the hands of 

 other practitioners. Where the skin is tender, as in females and children, 

 the oil should be diluted. It may be given internally as a carminative, in 

 doses of two drops, on sugar. 



Origanum. — Linn. 



Calyx ovate, tubular, ten to thirteen-nerved, striated, with 5 sub-equal teeth ; throat 

 villous within, upper limb of corolla nearly erect, emarginate ; the lower spreading, 3- 

 parted. Stamens four, exserted, didynamous, the lower ones longer. Style bifid at the 

 point. Achenia dry, somewhat smooth. 



A small genus, almost peculiar to the countries bordering on the Levant, 

 though some of the species are widely diffused throughout the world. They 

 are herbaceous, with flowers on axillary and terminal peduncles, each sup- 

 porting several spikes, and each flower separated from the others by broad 

 bracts. One species is officinal. 



O. vulgare, Linn. — Erect, villous. Leaves petiolate, broad-ovate, obtuse, subserrate, 

 rounded at the base, green on both sides. Spikes roundish, oblong, panicled, fasciculate ; 

 bracts ovate, longer than the calyx. 



Linn., Sp. PL 834 ; Torrey, Comp. 236 ; Woodville, t. 124 ; Lindley, 

 Flor. Med. 490 ; Stephenson and Churchill, iii. 131. 



Common Name. — Common Marjoram. 



Foreign Names. — Origan, Fr.; Origano, It.; Gemeine Dosten, Ger. 



This plant is a native of many parts of Europe; it is also found in Asia, 

 and has been extensively naturalized in this country. It is generally found in 

 dry, gravelly, or calcareous soils, and flowers from June to September. The 

 whole plant is officinal, but is principally used for the extraction of the oil. 

 This, when first obtained, is of a yellowish colour, but becomes red by age. 

 It has the odour of the plant, and a very hot, pungent taste. Its specific 

 gravity is 0*909. The proportion of oil obtained by distillation varies much, 

 but the average product is half a pound from a hundred weight. 



Medical Properties. — The marjoram resembles the other labiate plants in its 

 remedial qualities, being mildly stimulant and carminative, but is seldom em- 

 ployed. It formerly was held in high estimation as an emmenagogue, and 

 the warm infusion is sometimes used as a diaphoretic. The essential oil is 

 applied to carious teeth, to relieve pain, and enters into the composition of 

 stimulating liniments, for the cure of sprains, rheumatism, &c. 



The Sweet Marjoram, which now forms the type of the genus Marjorana, 

 is principally used for culinary purposes, to give flavour to soups, &c, but at 

 one time was much esteemed as a popular remedy in nervous complaints, and 

 Murray (Appar. Medicam.) states, that the fresh herb applied to painful scir- 

 rhous tumours of the breast has removed them. It is supposed that the O. 

 creticum is the plant mentioned by Dioscorides, but it is also stated that both 

 it and the Amaracum of Pliny, refer to the O. dictamnus, now the type of 

 Amaracus, Bentham. 



