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Salisbury, William, -1823

"The Botanist's Companion, Volume II"



365. NEPETA Calamintha. FIELD CALAMINT. The Leaves.--This is a low
plant, growing wild about hedges and highways, and in dry sandy soils.
The leaves have a quick warm taste, and smell strongly of pennyroyal: as
medicines, they differ little otherwise from spearmint, than in being
somewhat hotter, and of a less pleasant odour; which last circumstance
has procured calamint the preference in hysteric cases.

366. NEPETA cataria. NEP, OR CATMINT. The Leaves.--This is a moderately
aromatic plant, of a strong smell, not ill resembling a mixture of mint
and pennyroyal; it is also recommended in hysteric cases.

367. NIGELLA romana. FENNEL-FLOWER. The Seeds.--They have a strong, not
unpleasant smell; and a subacrid, somewhat unctuous disagreeable taste.
They stand recommended as aperient, diuretic, &c. but being suspected to
have noxious qualities should be used with caution.

368. NYMPHAEA alba. WHITE WATER-LILY. The Root and Flowers.--These have a
rough, bitterish, glutinous taste, (the flowers are the least rough,)
and when fresh a disagreeable smell, which is in great measure lost by
drying: they are recommended in alvine fluxes, gleets, and the like. The
roots are supposed by some to be in an eminent degree narcotic.

369. OCYMUM Basilicum. BASIL. The Leaves.--These have a soft, somewhat
warm taste; and when rubbed, a strong unpleasant smell, which by
moderate drying becomes more agreeable.


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