This section of the book is from "The Complete Herbalist" by Dr. O. Phelps Brown. Also available from Amazon: The Complete Herbalist: The People Their Own Physicians By The Use Of Nature's Remedies.
MEDICINAL PART. The herb.
Description. -- Feverfew is a perennial herbaceous
plant, with a tapering root, and an erect, round, and leafy stem about
two feet high. The leaves are alternate, petiolate, hoary green,
with leaflets inclining to ovate and dentate. The flowers are white
and compound, and the fruit a wingless, angular, and uniform achenium.
History. -- The plant is a native of Europe,
but common in the United States; found occasionally in a wild state, but
generally cultivated in gardens, and blossoms in June and July. It
imparts its virtues to water, but much better to alcohol.
Properties and Uses. -- It is tonic, carminative,
emmenagogue, vermifuge, and stimulant. The warm infusion is an excellent
remedy in recent colds, flatulency, worms, irregular menstruation, hysteria
suppression of urine, and in some febrile diseases. In hysteria or
flatulency, one teaspoonful of the compound spirits of lavender forms a
valuable addition to the dose of the infusion, which is from two to four
fluid ounces. The cold infusion or extract makes a valuable tonic.
The leaves, in poultice, are an excellent local application in severe pain
or swelling of the bowels, etc. Bees are said to dislike this plant
very much, and a handful of the flower-heads carried where they are will
cause them to keep at a distance.
 
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