Self-Heal.

Manawatu Herald, 24 September 1898, Page 3

Self-Heal.

; ' •We were rather astonished the other day whilst sitting in our mnchm to receive a visit from Mr C. Spring, hearing what almost appeared a bouquet in his hand. A? members of Parliament have hao attention paid to them by presents of flowers accompanied, however, by nofealwaya compUmteatery <jards, the thought of all our good works flashed through our mind, caqsing us to wonder which one had been picked out to be so pleasantly acknowledged Mr Spring is not built that way. erring more to the business side of things than the small and pleasant ways of life, and though the plant ''' and flower was intended as a present yet it was brought as a mean? whereby knowledge might be obtained. Mr Spring, in his capacity of roadman, found growing in the public highway a plant he believed to be a pnblic nuisance and therefore arrested itisr farther growth and " ran him in "to seek onr opinion. There are such a variety of weeds, that, not claiming a thorough botanical knowledge, we were unable to relieve the anxiety of oar inquirer without a reference to those admirable leaflets ftablUihed by the Department of Agriculture, but having done so now ■* we are enabled to say that Mr Spring's suspicious were correct and that the plant should not spread any ' further than can be helped. The plant is called Self Heal from the fact that formerly it was credited with, other wild flowers of Europe, with curative properties of considerable value, and appears in most <old Herbals. It was supposed to be of special service as a healer of cuts and wounds, also for qiiinoy and other throat complaints. These are its supposed good qualities, and it is .^ usually a low-growing perennial, with square stem, thickly clothed with hairs ; leaves opposite ; flowers blue or purple, arranged in whorls, forming a crowded terminal spike. This plant is a native of Europe, and was introduced here many years ago. It is now rapidly spreading, especially in somewhat damp or barren pastures. The scientific name of the plant; ia Prunella Vulgarit, and its , ..modern name is now nearly the same all over Europe— namely in English "Self-heal."