Weeds Used in Medicine

Part 1

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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

FARMERS’ BULLETIN No. 188.

WEEDS USED IN MEDICINE.

ALICE HENKEL,

Assistant in Drug and Medicinal Plant Investigations, Botanical Investigations and Experiments, Bureau of Plant Industry.

WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1904.

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF, Washington, D. C., December 10, 1903.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a paper on Weeds Used in Medicine, and recommend that it be published as a Farmers’ Bulletin. This paper was prepared by Miss Alice Henkel, Assistant in Drug and Medicinal Plant Investigations, and was submitted by the Botanist with a view to publication.

Respectfully, B. T. GALLOWAY, Chief of Bureau. Hon. JAMES WILSON, Secretary of Agriculture.

CONTENTS.

Page.

Introduction 7

Collection and curing of drugs 7

Roots 8

Barks 9

Leaves and herbs 9

Flowers 10

Seeds 10

Disposal of the drugs 10

Descriptions of plants 10

Burdock 11

Dandelion 13

Docks 15

Part 2

Yellow dock 15

Broad-leaved dock 16

Yellow-rooted water dock 18

Dock roots 18

Couch grass 19

Pokeweed 20

Foxglove 22

Mullein 24

Lobelia 26

Tansy 27

Gum plant 28

Scaly grindelia 29

Boneset 30

Catnip 31

Hoarhound 32

Blessed thistle 34

Yarrow 35

Canada fleabane 36

Jimson weed 37

Purple thorn-apple 39

Poison hemlock 39

American wormseed 41

Black mustard 42

White mustard 44

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page.

Fig. 1. Burdock, flowering plant 11

2. Burdock, first year’s growth 12

Part 3

3. Dandelion 13

4. Dandelion root 14

5. Yellow dock, first year’s growth 15

6. Broad-leaved dock, first year’s growth 16

7. Leaf, fruiting spike, and root of broad-leaved dock 17

8. Yellow dock root 18

9. Couch grass 19

10. Pokeweed 21

11. Pokeweed, flowering and fruiting branch 22

12. Pokeroot 22

13. Foxglove 23

14. Mullein 25

15. Lobelia 26

16. Tansy 28

17. Gum plant 28

18. Scaly grindelia 29

19. Boneset 30

20. Catnip 32

21. Hoarhound 33

22. Hoarhound, flowering top 34

23. Blessed thistle 35

24. Yarrow 36

25. Canada fleabane 37

26. Jimson weed 38

27. Leaves, flower, and capsules of jimson weed 39

28. Poison hemlock 40

29. American wormseed 41

30. Black mustard 43

Part 4

31. White mustard 44

B. P. I.—89. B. I. E.—55.

WEEDS USED IN MEDICINE.

INTRODUCTION.

It is a matter of interest, primarily to the farmer, that certain of the well-known weeds now either generally or locally infesting the country are the sources of crude drugs at the present time obtained wholly or in part by importation from abroad. Roots, leaves, and flowers of several of the species most detrimental in the United States are gathered, prepared, and cured in Europe, and not only form useful commodities there but supply to a considerable extent the demands of foreign lands. Hence it appears probable that while weeds can hardly be made desirable, still in his fight to exterminate them the farmer may be able to turn some of them to account. Some of the plants coming within this class are in many States at present subject to antiweed laws and farmers are required to take measures toward their extermination. It seems, therefore, desirable to make these pests sources of profit where possible. In many cases, when weeds have been dug, the work of handling and curing them is not excessive and can readily be done by women and children.

The prices paid for crude drugs from these sources are not great and would rarely tempt anyone to pursue this line of work as a business. Yet, if in ridding the farm of weeds and thus raising the value of the land the farmer can at the same time make these pests the source of a small income instead of a dead loss, something is gained.

In order to help the farmer to obtain the best possible prices for such products, instructions for collecting and preparing crude drugs derived from weeds are here briefly given. The collector should observe them carefully.

COLLECTION AND CURING OF DRUGS.

Too much emphasis can not be placed upon the importance of carefully and thoroughly drying all crude drugs, whether roots, herbs, leaves, barks, flowers, or seeds. If insufficiently dried, they will heat and become moldy in shipping, and the collector will find his goods rejected by the drug dealer and have all his trouble for nothing.

Another important matter to be considered in collecting drugs for market is freedom from foreign substances. All drugs should be clean and wholesome looking and contain no admixture of fragments of other plants, stones, dirt, or other impurities. A bright natural color is extremely desirable in leaves, herbs, and flowers, and adds much to the salability of the product. This can be readily brought about by giving careful attention to proper drying in the shade (not in direct sunlight), and by protection from dew or rain by placing the drugs under cover at nightfall or whenever necessary. Roots may be cleaned by washing, but leaves, herbs, and flowers should never be washed.

It is important also to collect drugs in proper season only. Neglect in this respect will bring nothing but disappointment to the gatherer, as drugs collected out of season not only are not acceptable to the dealer on account of inferior medicinal qualities, but there will also be, in the case of roots, a greater amount of shrinkage in a root dug during the growing season than will take place when it is collected after growth has ceased.

The collector should be sure that the plant he is collecting is the right one. There are many plants that closely resemble one another, yet one may possess medicinal properties and the other be absolutely useless. Again, a plant may contain very poisonous principles, and if represented to be something else, it might of course do untold injury. It would therefore be best, where any doubt exists, to send a specimen of the entire plant, including leaves, flowers, and fruits, to a drug dealer or to the nearest State experiment station for identification.

ROOTS.

Roots should never be collected during the growing season, as at that time they are deficient in medicinal properties, and they also shrink more in drying and weigh less than when gathered at full maturity.

The roots of annual plants should be dug just before the flowering period, and those of biennial or perennial plants after the tops have dried, the former in the autumn of the first year and the latter in the fall of the second or third year.

After the roots have been dug the adherent soil should be well shaken from them, and all foreign particles, such as stones, dirt, roots and parts of other plants, should be removed. If the roots can not be sufficiently cleared of soil by shaking, they should be thoroughly washed in clean water. It does not pay to be careless in this matter. The presence of soil increases the weight of the roots, but the intending purchaser is not willing to pay for the weight of the dirt, and grades the uncleaned drug accordingly. It is the clean, bright-looking root that will bring a good price.

After washing, the roots should be carefully dried. This can best be accomplished by exposing them to light and air (not direct sunlight) on racks or shelves, or on clean, well-ventilated barn floors or lofts. They should be spread out thinly and turned occasionally from day to day until completely cured. When this point is reached, in perhaps three to six weeks, the roots will snap readily when bent. During the curing process the roots, if dried out of doors, should be placed under shelter at night and upon the approach of rainy weather.

With some roots additional preparation is required, such as slicing and the removal of fibrous rootlets. Wherever this is necessary mention will be made of it under the descriptions of the different plants. In general, it may be said that large roots should always be split or sliced when green in order to facilitate drying.

BARKS.

The plants considered in this bulletin do not furnish medicinal barks, but inasmuch as there are certain sections of the country where trees furnishing such barks are rather abundant, directions for their collection may not be out of place here.

Barks of trees should be gathered in spring, when the sap begins to flow, but may also be peeled in winter. In the case of the coarser barks (as elm, hemlock, poplar, oak, pine, and wild cherry) the outer layer is shaved off before the bark is removed from the tree, which process is known as “rossing.” Only the inner bark of these trees is used medicinally. Barks may also be cured by exposure to sunlight. Moisture must be avoided.

LEAVES AND HERBS.

Leaves and herbs should be collected when the plants are in full flower. It is very desirable that they retain their bright green color after curing, and this can be done by careful drying in the shade. In the collection of leaves the whole plant may be cut and the leaves may be stripped from it, rejecting the stems as much as possible. In the case of herbs the coarse and large stems should be rejected and only the flowering tops and more tender stems and leaves included. All grasses, bits of other plants, and other foreign substances should be carefully removed, as well as dead, shriveled, diseased, and discolored specimens.

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