SWEET MARJORAM.

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acrj,j Common Marjoram; Oil of Thyme, offic. (Oleum Origani); has a red colour, anae Co .. aste i and the peculiar odour of the plant. It boils at 324°, and is composed,Jo Mr. Kane, of C so II 40 O, or 5 (CtO H8) -p O. The average produce of•it,,],. . from the herh is one pound from two hundred weight; but it varies exceed-

h ' " till the season and culture of the plant (Braude, Diet. Mat. Med. p. 401).

I.m 1IYsi °bOGicAL Effects. —Stimulant and carminative, like the other5 te plants.

—Principally employed to yield the volatile oil. The driedVo] ^ ave been used as a substitute for China tea (Murray, App. Med.c hr ll -‘ l 1 ' 173). The infusion of origanum has been administered in‘Wtc cough, asthma, and amenorrhoea.

<list n iC, ? f Origani, L. E. D. — (Obtained by submitting the herb toapt!• tlon with water). It is a powerful acrid and stimulant; and is)[j le< l to carious teeth by means of lint or cotton, to relieve toothache.

W ’^ 1 0 H ve oil, it is frequently employed as a stimulating linimenth r J !lst a l°pecia or baldness, rheumatic or paralytic affections, sprains,Us «s, &c.

^ f; !- Tory -—Some botanists regard the ayapanoQ of Hippocrates (p. 5854^°’ e< l- Fats.), the oafvfyvyov of Dioscorides (lib. iii. cap. 47), the\^ r ? CUm or Sampsuchum of Pliny {Hist. Nat. lib. xxi. cap. 35. ed.//; E) as being the Majorana hortensis (Dierbacli, Arzneimittell. d.^°krat. p. 17!)).

t] 1( , , 0 | ' a *N'Y. Gen. Char. — Calyx very shortly campanulate at the base ;th e Unb cleft superiorly, flattened and dilated, quite entire, orbicular;c 0 * ar gin rolled in "beneath the base; fauces naked. Tube of theq ° a as long as the calyx; limb sub-bilabiate, the upper lip nearlyIf,], ’ vonarginate, the lower one spreading, trifid, with almost equal

Majora'na horteiisis, Mcench.— Sweet Marjoram.

Origanum Majorana, Linn. D.

Sex. Syst. Didynamia, Gymnospermia.

(Herba, D.)

‘On

u es.

8 e st.

Stamens four, protruding, distant, didynamous, the inferior ones8 tfa7v‘ Anthers two-celled; the cells parallel, diverging or becomingd^enf] g ' Style cleft into two nearly equal parts. Stigmas minute

—Branches smoothish, racemose-paniculate. Leaves petio-

HjA ^long-ovate, obtuse, quite entire, on both sides hoary-tomentose.I'Un l 6 * s oblong, on sessile, crowded branclilets (Bentham).

- I> e °r vvliite.

-Flowers

U.

■ui.~

Cultivated in kitchen-gardens.

p • A trie a and Asia. Cultiva

°pekties. —The whole plant ( herba majorana) has a warm aromaticit) ', lr ’ a nd a peculiar savoury smell. Its watery infusion is deepenedp 0,1r (tannate of iron) by sesquicliloride of iron.

% ( . r ' M!>os rr i °N.—By distillation the plant yields volatile oil. Thec °nstituents are tannic acid, resin?, bitter matter, and woody fibre.

'ter

0,7

’“'•on,, 07 , 6 ®** Marjoram (Oleum Majorance) is pale yellow or brownish, with the** and taste of marjoram. '

Ls' Sl0I ' 0<ilCAI ‘ Effects. —Tonic and mild stimulant.

Principally employed as a sweet herb by the cook. Its

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