Margaret Grieve - A Modern Herbal. Vol. 1: A-H

A
MODERN HERBAL

THE MEDICINAL, CULINARY, COSMETIC AND
ECONOMIC PROPERTIES, CULTIVATION
AND FOLK-LORE OF
HERBS, GRASSES, FUNGI
SHRUBS & TREES
WITH
ALL THEIR MODERN SCIENTIFIC
USES

By

MRS. M. GRIEVE

F.R.H.S.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY THE EDITOR

MRS. C. F. LEYEL

IN TWO VOLUMES
Vol. I

(A-H)

DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.
NEW YORK

This Dover edition, first published in 1971, is an unabridged
republication of the work originally published by
Harcourt, Brace & Company in 1931.

In 1982 a new Index of Scientific Names compiled by
Manya Marshall was added to Volume II of this work.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 72-169784

International Standard Book Number

ISBN-13: 978-0-486-22798-6
ISBN-10: 0-486-22798-7

Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation
22798727
www.doverpublications.com

CONTENTS

LIST OF PLATES

IRIS, FLORENTINE (Iris Florentind), PLATE LIV

IVY, POISON (Rhus Toxicodendron), PLATE LIV

JUNIPER (Juniperus Communis), PLATE LV

KINO, AFRICAN (Pterocarpus Marsupium), PLATE LV

LAUREL, CHERRY (Prunus Laurocerasus), PLATE LVI

LAUREL (Laurus Nobilis), PLATE LVI

LAVENDER, SPIKE (Lavandula Spied), PLATE LVII

LEMON (Citrus Limonum), PLATE LVII

LETTUCE, WILD (Lactuca Virosa), PLATE LVIII

LIQUORICE (Glycyrrhiza Glabra), PLATE LVIII

LOOSESTRIFE, PURPLE (Lythrum Salicaria), PLATE LIX

MALLOW, MARSH (Althcea Officinalis), PLATE LIX

MARJORAM, WILD (Origanum Vulgare), PLATE LX

MASTIC (Pistacia Lentiscus), PLATE LX

MERCURY, DOG S (Mercurialis Perennis), PLATE LXI

MEZEREON (Daphne Mezereum), PLATE LXI

MINTS (Mentha Viridis, Mentha Pulegium, Mentha Piperita), PLATE LXII

MOSS, ICELAND (Cetraria Islandica), PLATE LXIH

MUSTARDS, BLACK AND WHITE (Brassica Nigra and Brassica Alba), PLATE LXIII

NIGHTSHADE, DEADLY (BELLADONNA) (Atropa Belladonna), PLATE LXIV

NIGHTSHADE, WOODY (BITTERSWEET) (Solanum Dulcamara), PLATE LXIV

NUTMEG (Myristica Fragans), PLATE LXV

NUX VOMICA (Strychnos Nux-Vomica), PLATE LXVI Facing page

OAK GALLS (Quercus Infectoria), PLATE LXVI

OLIVE (Oka Europcea), PLATE LXVII

ORANGE, SWEET (CitrUS Aurantium), PLATE LXVII

OPOPONAX (Opoponax Chironium), PLATE LXVIII

PARSLEY, FOOLS (Mthusa Cynapium), PLATE LXVIII

PARIS, HERB (Parts Quadrifolia), PLATE LXIX

PEPPER, BLACK (Piper Nigrum), PLATE LXIX

PARADISE, GRAINS OF (HUNGARIAN PEPPER) (Amomum Melegueta), PLATE LXX

PERUVIAN BARK (Cinchona Succirubra), PLATE LXX

PELLITORY (Anacyclus Pyrethrum), PLATE LXXI

PIMPERNEL, SCARLET (Anagallis Arvensis), PLATE LXXI

PINE, LARCH (Pinus Larix), PLATE LXXII

PINE, WILD (Pinus Sylvestris), PLATE LXXII

PINK ROOT (Spigelia Marilandica), PLATE LXXIII

POMEGRANATE (Punica Granatum), PLATE LXXIII

POPPY, WHITE (Papaver Somniferum), PLATE LXXIV

QUASSIA (Picrcena Excelsa), PLATE LXXV

RHATANY, PERUVIAN (Krameria Triandra), PLATE LXXVI

RHODODENDRON, YELLOW (Rhododendron Chrysanthum), PLATE LXXVII

RHUBARB, EAST INDIAN (Rheum Palmatum), PLATE LXXVII

RHUBARB, FRENCH (Rheum Undulatum), PLATE LXXVIII

ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus Officinalis), PLATE LXXIX

RUE (Ruta Graveolens), PLATE LXXIX

SAFFRON (Crocus Sativus), PLATE LXXX

SAFFRON, MEADOW (Colchicum Autumnale), PLATE LXXX

SARSAPARILLA, JAMAICA (Smilax Ornata), PLATE LXXXI

SASSAFRAS (Sassafras Officinale), PLATE LXXXI

SEDGE, SWEET (Acorus Calamus), PLATE LXXXII

SENNA (Cassia Acutifolia), PLATE LXXXIII

SENEGA (Polygala Senega), PLATE LXXXIV

SIMARUBA (Simaruba Amara), PLATE LXXXIV

SNAKEROOT (Aristolochia Serpentaria), PLATE LXXXV

SPURGE (EUPHORBIUM) (Euphorbia Resinifera), PLATE LXXXVI

SQUILL (Urginea Scilla), PLATE LXXXVI

STAVESACRE (Delphinium Staphisagria), PLATE LXXXVII

STORAX (Liquidambar Orientalis), PLATE LXXXVII

TAMARIND (Tamarindus Indica), PLATE LXXXVIII

TANSY (Tanacetum Vulgare), PLATE LXXXVIII

THISTLE, HOLY (Carbenia Benedicta), PLATE LXXXIX Facing page

THORNAPPLE (Datura Stramonium), PLATE XC

TOBACCO (Nicotiana Tabacum), PLATE XC

TORMENTIL (Potentilla Tormentilla), PLATE XCI

WOOD SORREL (Oxalis Acetosella), PLATE XCI

TRAGACANTH (Astragalus Gummifer), PLATE XCII

BEARBERRY (UVA-URSI) (Arbutus Uva-Ursi), PLATE XCII

VALERIAN, COMMON (Valeriana Officinalis), PLATE XCIII

WILLOW (Salix Russeliana), PLATE XCIII

WINTERGREEN (ChimophUa Umbellata), PLATE XCIV

WINTER S BARK (Drimys Winteri), PLATE XCIV

WORMSEED, LEVANT, AND LEVANT WORMWOOD (Artemisia Cina and Artemisia Absinthium), PLATE XCV

ZEDOARY (Curcuma Zedoaria), PLATE XCVI

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

I T is impossible to give a complete list of the works consulted for reference in the compiling of this H ERBAL.

Mrs. Grieve has of course drawn her knowledge from books as well as from plants.

As Editor I have confirmed her facts with those in Bentley and Trimens Medicinal Plants in four volumes, Clarkes Dictionary of Materia Medica in three volumes, and Potters Cyclopdia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations.

I have also consulted Anne Pratts Flowering Plants of Great Britain in four volumes, Stephenson and Churchills Medical Botany in three volumes, Dr. Fernies Herbal Simples, Rhinds History of the Vegetable Kingdom, and the English and French official Pharmacopias.

HILDA LEYEL

EDITORS INTRODUCTION

B OTANY and medicine came down the ages hand in hand until the seventeenth century; then both arts became scientific, their ways parted, and no new herbals were compiled. The botanical books ignored the medicinal properties of plants and the medical books contained no plant lore.

The essence of a herbal was the combination of traditional plant lore, the medicinal properties of the herbs, and their botanical classification. From the time of Dioscorides down to Parkinson in 1629 this herbal tradition was unbroken. Culpepers popular herbal was discredited with scientific people because it was astrological.

The death of the herbal was one of the reasons why, with a few exceptions, the only plants which have retained their place in the Allopaths Pharmacopias are poisonous ones like Aconite, Belladonna, Henbane and the Opium Poppy.

Dandelion, Gentian and Valerian for some reason have survived and the Homeopaths use many more, but such useful plants as Agrimony, Slippery Elm, Horehound, Bistort, Poplar, Bur Marigold, Wood Betony, Wood Sanicle, Wild Carrot, Raspberry leaves, and the Sarsaparillas are now only used by Herbalists.

All serious Herbalists have long realized that a new Herbal is badly needed a herbal which must include the traditional lore and properties of plants, and the modern use of properly standardized extracts and tinctures which were unknown in the days of Gerard and Parkinson, and even in the days of Culpeper, and which have been made possible by the development of modern chemistry.