Southern Wood

Every one knows this plant, especially by the name of lad's-love. The tops of the young branches are used. A decoction of them destroys worms. It is not very pleasant to take. They may be made into a conserve by adding sugar, cinnamon in powder, cloves, or any thing aromatic, to render it agreeable. It corrects a bad stomach, and strengthens it much. It restrains the whites.

It is a nervine, and thereafore good against nervous disorders, and all hysterical comaplaints. It is also anti-scrofulous, and deobstruent, therefore valuable in urinary suppression. The oil applied to the backabone, before fits of ague, prevents them.

Boiled with barley-meal, it takes away pimples, etcetera. The ashes mingled with old salad oil, causes the hair to grow again. Daranters says that southern wood oil, and a little white hellebore, is very effectual to kill lice in the head. The distilled water of the herb is said to remove the stone, and diseases of the spleen and womb.