Peppermint.

Botanical name: 

Mentha piperata.

Also see: Spear Mint - Water mint - Peppermint - Long Leaved Wild Mint - Penny-royal

A plant kept in our gardens, but much more resembling the wild mint last described, than the spear mint, both in form and qualities. It grows two feet and a half high. The stalk is square and firm, upright, and of a pale green; the leaves stand two at each joint: they are broad, not very long, of a dark green, and serrated deeply at the edges. The flowers grow in thick spikes, but not very long ones, they are large, and of a pale red. The whole plant has an agreeable quick smell, and a hot taste like pepper, but not disagreeable.

The whole plant is used fresh or dried; but the best way is to give the distilled water. It cures the colic, often almost instantaneously, and it is good against the gravel.


The Family Herbal, 1812, was written by John Hill.