MENTHA, MINT, in botany: A genus of the gymnosperma order, belonging to the didynamia class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 42d order Verticillata. The corolla is nearly equal, and quadrifid, with one segment broader than the rest, and emarginated; the stamens are erect, standing asunder. There are many species; but not more than three are cultivated for use, namely, the viridis or common spearmint, the piperita or peppermint, and the pulegium or pennyroyal. All these are so well known as to need no description; and all of them are very easily propagated by cuttings, parting the roots, or by offsets.
Uses. For culinary purposes, the spearmint is preferable to the other two; but for medicine, the pep-
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permint and pennyroyal have in some places almost entirely superseded it. A conserve of the leaves is very grateful, and the distilled waters both simple and spirituous are universally thought pleasant. The leaves are used in spring fallads; and the juice of them boiled up with sugar is formed into tablets. It has been imagined that cataplasms and fomentations of mint, would dissolve coagulations of milk in the breast; but Dr Lewis says, that the curd of milk, digested in a strong infusion of mint, could not be perceived to be any otherwise affected than by common water: however, milk, in which mint-leaves were set to macerate, did not coagulate near so soon as an equal quantity of the same milk kept by itself. Dr Lewis says, that dry mint digested in rectified spirits of wine, gives out a tincture, which appears by day-light of a fine dark green, but by candle-light of a bright red colour. The fact is, that a small quantity of this tincture is green either by day-light or by candle-light, but a large quantity of it seems impervous to common day-light; however, when held betwixt the eye and a candle, or betwixt the eye and the sun, it appears red.
The virtues of mint are those of a warm stomachic and carminative: in loss of appetite, nausea, and continual retching to vomit, there are few simples of equal efficacy. In colicky pains, the gripes to which children are subject, lienteries, and other immoderate fluxes, this plant frequently does good service. It likewise proves beneficial in many hysterical cases, and affords an useful cordial in languors and other weaknesses consequent upon delivery. The best preparation in these cases is a strong infusion of the dried herb in water (which is much superior to the green), or rather a tincture or extract prepared with rectified spirit. These possess the whole virtues of the mint; the essential oil and distilled water contain only the aromatic part; the expressed juice only the astringency and bitterness, together with the mucilaginous substance common to all vegetables. The peppermint is much more pungent than the others.
Pennyroyal has the same general characters with the mint, but is more acrid and less agreeable when taken into the stomach. It has long been held in great esteem, and not undeservedly, as an aperient and deobstruent, particularly in hysterical complaints and suppressions of the menses. For these purposes the distilled water is generally made use of, or, what is of equal efficacy, an infusion of the leaves. It is observable, that both water and rectified spirit extract the virtues of this herb by infusion, and likewise elevate the greatest part of them by distillation. The expressed juice, with a little sugar, is not a bad medicine in the chinchough.