74 THE NEW ZEALAND FAMILY HERB DOCTOR. 
to bruise or grind them before infusion. One ounce to the 
pint of hot water, cover up for 4 an hour, strain, and take one 
or two wineglassfuls three or four timesa day. The tincture 
also is useful, made in the usual way, and dose one to two 
teaspoontuls; or the fluid extract, dose half to one teaspoonful. 
JUNIPER BERRIES (Junirervus Communis), 
This evergreen shrub is a native of Europe, but can be 
acclimatised as it is in America and the colonies. It grows in 
this city. Its height is usually from three to six feet, but it 
sometimes attains to 12 or 15 in the south of France and 
northern Italy. The leaves are small, sharp, deep green, 
shiny on the upper surface; the bark and wood have a 
characteristic aromatic smell, owing to the essential oil which 
pervades the whole plant. The berries are the best part for 
medicine. Whenripe they resemble black currants ; dried, 
they are nearly the same in appearance, only a little 
shrivelled. They have a sweetish warm taste, with a 
slight flavour of turpentine. As a diuretic the best 
and quickest way to extract their virtue is an infusion in 
hot water of the bruised berries, 1 oz. to the pint, the whole 
of which may be taken inthe day; used in dropsy and similar 
troubles, when the kidneys need stimulating. A tincture 
may be prepared with two ounces to the pint of proof 
spirits. This will be found better than gin or schnapps, which 
have very little of juniper berriesin them. The chiet objection 
to families preparing the tinctures is the high price of the 
spirits of wine. However, by permission of our N. Z. Govern- 
ment, we manufacture in bond these tinctures at half the price 
of the spirits alone. The oil of juniper, made from the 
berries, is good in mucous discharges from the urethra and 
vagina, also pains in the back, and suppression of urine. 
Dose: 5 to 15 drops on sugar three times a day. 
PARSLEY PERT (PeErcicrEr), 
Is a well-proved herb for gravel. It is a good diuretic. 
Was formerly called parsley-break-stones; alluding to its 
