514 



MEDICAL BOTANY. 



Medical Uses. — It was in use among the Indians as a vulnerary at the 

 time of the discovery, and is still used for this purpose in domestic practice 

 in some parts of the country, being considered as efficacious in all kinds of 

 wounds and bruises, and is taken in the form of an infusion for headache, 

 colic, indigestion, &c, and hence has received the common name of Heal-all. 

 Schoepf was the first writer who noticed it ; he says it is beneficial in 

 ague, snake-bites, and colic, and externally as a friction in rheumatism. Dr. 

 Mease (Domest. Ency., ii. 177), states that an infusion of the root in cider, has 

 proved perfectly successful in several cases of dropsy. 



The best detailed account of the properties of this plant was given by Dr. 

 C. Hooker, of New Haven (Annal. Soc. Lin. Par.), but Dr. French of 

 Milford in Connecticut, appears to have been the first practitioner who employ- 

 ed it in diseases of the urinary organs, and was extremely successful with it, 

 and its efficacy in such cases is corroborated by Dr. Hooker and Dr. Biers ; 

 the latter gave the powdered root in spoonful doses, but found that he was 

 often obliged to suspend its use from the occurrence of irritation of the 



stomach ; he also found it of service 

 rig. 222. in ovarian dropsy and ascites. Dr. 



Hooker is of opinion that the active 

 principle is volatile, and that the most 

 advantageous mode of administration 

 is the infusion, which should be made 

 in a close vessel, and by a very gentle 

 heat. The powdered root soon loses 

 all power, and even when kept in an 

 entire form cannot be depended upon, if 

 kept for any time. It appears probable 

 that the best preparation would be the 

 essential oil, though the tincture might 

 perhaps retain all the virtues of the 

 recent plant. 



It is also said to be an excellent tonic, 

 and has been given with benefit in low 

 fevers, exhaustion of the forces, and 

 leucorrhcea. From all that can be 

 learnt respecting it, there is no doubt 

 that it is an active medicine, and one 

 that deserves attention. 



All the other species have the same 

 smell, taste, and properties. The odour 

 of the C. anisata is somewhat similar 

 to that of aniseed. They have a close 

 resemblance to each other, but pre- 

 sent sufficient specific distinctions to 

 be recognised by an experienced eye. 



Numerous other plants of this order 



have been, and are still employed as 



stimulants, carminatives, &c., but it 



would only be encumbering the pages 



c. canadensis. of this work to notice them except in 



the most cursory manner. Most of the 



species of Ocymum are stomachic, but some of them, as O. viride and 



O. sanctum, are reported to be febrifugic, and O. cavum and O. crispum 



to be sudorific. Meriandra bengalensis much resembles Sage in its 



