Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

FAMILY HERBAL. 191
Lavender. Lavendula.
A common plant in our gardens,
native of
the warmer parts of Europe ; it is of a shrubby
nature in the stem, but the rest is herbaceous. It
grows a yard high. The trunk, or main stem is
thick, woody, firm, and covered with a whitish
bark. The young shoots from this, are tender and
greenish ; and on these stand the leaves. They are
long, narrow, and of a pale green colour, and stand
two at each joint. The stalks which bear the
flowers are square, green, and naked ; the flowers
stand in short spikes, or ears ,* they are small, blue,
and verv fragrant ; the cups of the flowers are
whitish.
These flowers are the part used ; they are good
against all disorders of the head and nerves. They
may be taken in the form of tea. The famous
Spirit of lavender called palsy drops, and the sweet
lavender water are made with them. The spirit of
lavender called palsy drops is thus made best.
Put into a small still a pound of lavender flowers,
and five ounces of the tender tops of rosemary, put
to them five quarts of common molasses spirit, and a
to this
quart of water : distil oh' three quarts ; put
cinnamon and nutmegs, of each three quarters of
an ormce, red ganders wood half an ounce ; let
these stand together a week, and then strain off the
spirit.
The lavender water is thus made. Put a pound
of fresh lavender flowers into a still with a gallon of
molasses spirit, and draw oif live pints. This is
lavender water.
Lavender Cotton. Abrotonum fuemina.
A WTTI.E shrubby plant, frequently wild in Italy,