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Quassia Wood | | Name : | Quassia Wood | | Synonyms : | Bitterash
Bitterbark
Bitterquassia
Bitterwood
Loftyquassia
Quassiabark
Quassiawood
| | Parts Used : | Wood, bark | | Habitat : | A native of tropical America and the West Indies. A small tree nativeof Surinam and Guiana being introduced to the West Indies. | | Description : | The quassia tree grows from 50 to 100 feet high; it has smooth, graybark and alternate, odd-pinnate leaves with oblong, pointed leaflets.Its small flowers are yellowish or greenish, its fruit is a smallrupe about the size of a pea. | | Constituents : | Anthelmintic, febrifuge, stomachic, bitter tonic | | Uses : | An infusion of the wood has been used for fever,rheumatism, and dyspepsia.Taken internally, it kills roundworms,and as an enema it kills pinworms. The tea is said to destroy appetitefor alcohol. Water left standing overnight in a cup made from quassiawood becomes a weak infusion suitable as a bitter tonic for the stomach.An infusion serves as a scalp rinse to counteract dandruff. | | Dosage : | Infusion: steep 1 tsp. quassia wood in 1 cup boiling water.Take 1 cup per day. Also, an infusion may be made by 1 oz. of woodchips or shavings in 1 qt. cold water; let stand for 12 hours; thedose is about 1/2 tsp. 3 times a day. A little ginger, cloves, lemonpeel or warm aromatic may be added to render the infusion more palatable.
Tincture: a dose is from 2 to 5 drops. | | Myths : | Quassia is a common component of insecticides.
A pure bitter with no sensible odor, Quassia cups were once verypopular, and obtainable in drug stores. They were a sort of woodencup or goblet, make of Quassia wood, for the purpose of drinking outof, to obtain the properties of the wood, which is so bitter, andyields its properties so readily to water, that if water is allowedto remain a few minutes in the cup, it will become quite bitter. Whatis most singular, this bitter principle seems almost inexhaustible.Quassia chips are used to discourage thumb sucking among children.The decoction is applied to the thumb or finger usually sucked. Renewapplications according to persistence of the child. Unlike Capsicum,which is sometimes used in preparations to discourage thumb sucking,tea of quassia chips will not burn the eyes when the child happensto come in such contact.
Quassia chips, an intense bitter, is used in aperitifs and sometimesas a substitute for hops in making beer. In Europe it is used in tonicwines.
The generic name Quassia is derived from a man named Quassi of Surinam,who employed the wood with uncommon success as a secret remedy inthe malignant endemic fevers which frequently prevails in Surinam.He sold the secret to Daniel Rolander, a Swede, who in 1756 took specimensof the wood to Stockholm, and shortly afterwards it became highlyextolled throughout Europe, and it has been prescribed by numerouseminent doctors as an excellent stomachic tonic. The whole plant;root, wood, and bark, is intensely bitter.
Quassia is used in hair lotions. An old-fashioned plant spray todrive off plant lice was made with a strong decoction of Quassia mixedwith liquid soap. A strong infusion sweetened and placed in a sauceris used to kill flies. This is harmless to house pets.
Steep 1 pint of quassia chips for 1 hour or more in a gallon of hotwater. Add to this 1 pint of softened strong laundry soap and anothergallon of water. Beat until you have strong suds. Add 1 tsp. of keroseneand demulsify thoroughly. Then add another two gallons of water andapply with a good brass syringe through a fine nozzle. This is a suremealybug killer.
To repel gnats, put a handful of Quassia chips into a bowl of coldwater, leaving for 12 hours or longer. Bottle, and for use, spongethe exposed skin with the liquid. The bitter taste is a preventive. | | Sold : | Tincture or powder |
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