MARRUBIUM VULGARE. 167 
Sensible Qualities, &c. Penny royal has a strong, spirituous, 
and somewhat disagreeable smell ; its taste is strong, sweetish, and 
slightly acrid, when chewed it heats the tongue and fauces. The 
watery infusion is of a yellowish colour, strong scented with a 
slight spirituous taste : sulphate of iron instantly turns it black. 
Penny royal by distillation, either with water or spirit, gives out both 
its smell and taste. By distillation with water it yields a considerable 
quantity of essential oil of a reddish yellow colour, with the smell 
and taste of the herb in a concentrated degree, the oil contains a 
small portion of camphor. 
Medical Properties, &c. Penny royal in the present day is 
chiefly employed as a domestic medicine by the uninformed, who 
greatly esteem it in uterine obstruction.* Formerly it was supposed 
to possess emmenagogue properties, but it is now disregarded by 
the profession ; it is both carminative and stimulant, like the other 
mints, but its disagreeable flavour causes it seldom to be employed 
as such. 
Off. The Herb. 
Off. Pp. Aqua Pulegii, L. E. D, 
Oleum Pulegii, L. D. 
Spiritus Pulegii, L. 
MARRUBIUM VULGARE. 
Common or White Horehound,'\ 
Class DiDYNAMiA. — Order Gymnospermia. 
Nat. Ord. VERTiciLLATiE, Xiran. Labiate, Juss. 
* The distilled water, sold in the shops under the name of hysteric water ^ is a 
favourite medicine with the vulgar in obstruction of the menses and hysterical 
disorders. 
t Fig. a represents the top of a plant of the natural size, h. The corolla magnified, 
and cut open to shew the anthers, c. The pistillum. d. The corolla, e. Two views 
of the calyx. 
