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ON THE ANTHEMIS COTULA OR MAY- WEED. 
By W. Arthur Cherry, V. S. 
ANTHEMIS Cotula, Cotula Fetida, May Weed , Madern Ma- 
thern or Morgan , is an acrid plant of the natural order Corymbi- 
fera., very similar in appearance to chamomile, from which it may 
be distinguished by its powerfully acrid and nauseous odour, by 
growing more erect and branching, and with rather coarser leaves — 
flowers white in the ray, and deep yellow in the disc : it flowers in 
strong lands in the greatest profusion in the month of May, in 
light chalky soils less abundantly throughout the summer. It is 
a biennial plant, and is rarely destroyed by the severest winters : 
in strong lands it is most abundantly to be found about the neigh- 
bourhood of old yards. In light soils, from it flowering later, it is 
a great enemy to reapers : its acridness causes about the hands 
very troublesome blisters, which degenerate into sores. 
Anthemis Cotula has been employed in human medicine in 
hysteric fits, and the juice in scrofula. It possesses considerable 
action, as might be inferred, as an external irritant, which may be 
turned to useful purpose in some of the eruptive diseases among 
animals. 
The first knowledge I have of its being employed for eruptive 
affection was by my father, on a troop horse belonging to the 2d 
Regiment of Life Guards, after all other remedial means had 
failed, in which it effected a perfect cure : since which I have 
rather largely employed it in country practice for similar affec- 
tions, in consequence of its being easily procured, and because it 
is so abundant at those seasons when such diseases are most pre- 
valent. Though the Anthemis Cotula is so cheap and common a 
remedy, it has proved a valuable adjunct to my pharmacopoeia, 
and is worthy of being retained as a remedial agent. 
It may be employed in the form of an ointment, or as a simple 
infusion : I prefer the latter, both because it is cleanly and more 
easily applied, as also that greasy applications do not generally 
suit eruptive disorders. As an ointment it may be composed of one 
part of the fresh plant to two or three parts of lard, which must be 
kept on a stove for two or three days, in order that the lard may 
imbibe the active principle, which can onty be done while it 
is in a fluid form, as also to allow of the evaporation of the watery 
parts. Strain the ointment thus made through muslin, and apply 
as often as is necessary to the affected parts. It is as well to chop 
small or bruise the plant before it is put into the lard. 
