Important: Safety Warning
This page describes preparations historically taken to end pregnancy or "bring on the menses." These substances do not work as claimed and are seriously toxic; their use has caused poisoning and death.
In addition, this page prescribes plants as medicine according to pre-modern medical theory. Several of the plants named are toxic, correct identification is difficult, and the doses given have no scientific basis. Do not ingest or apply any preparation described here.
This information has been left in for historical purposes but should not be acted upon.
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Squinanth Rush
Description. Though this is commonly called a rush, yet it is not one, but a species of grass, whose leaves grow thick together, inclosing or encompassing one another, having a small fibrous root; they are long and narrow, of a pleasant sweet smell. The stalks grow to be a foot or more high, bearing pinnacles of short woolly spikes, set opposite to one another. It grows in Arabia, and other eastern countries. The leaves only are used. Government and virtues. Rushes are under Saturn. This squinanth is heating and drying, opening obstructions of the liver and spleen, and provoking the catamenia; it eases the pains of the womb after child-bearing, provokes urine, cleanses the reins, aand helps the hiccough, occasioned by wind in the stomach. It is an ingredient in the two great compositions, theriaca, andromachi, and mithridate.