Prunus Laurocerasus (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Rosaceae
Synonyms: Laurocerasifolia. Cherry-Bay. Common Laurel.
Laurier-armande.
Laurier aux Crèmes. Laurier-cérise.
Part Used: Fresh leaves.
Habitat: A native of Asia Minor. Largely cultivated in Europe.
Description
| Constituents
| Medicinal Action
and Uses
| Dosage
¶ Description.
This small, evergreen tree, growing to
20 feet in height, has spreading, slender branches, smooth, shining, and pale
green. The leaves are thick, alternate, on short, thick stalks, oblong-ovate,
from 5 to 7 inches long, growing narrower at each end, and with a slightly
serrate margin. The dark green upper surface is smooth and shining and the under
one much paler, dull, and the midrib very prominent. There are glandular
depressions and hairs near the base.
The five-petalled, small white flowers grow in erect, oblong racemes. The
fruit resembles black cherries, but grows in clusters like grapes. The leaves
are without odour except when bruised and added to water, when they have the
ratafia or almond odour of prussic acid. The taste is bitter, aromatic, and
astringent.
The shrubs were introduced into Europe about 1580, and shortly afterwards
into England.
The leaves are used for flavouring, but should be used with great care, owing
to the risk of poisoning.
Cherry-Laurel Water has been used in Paris fraudulently to imitate the
cordial called Kirsch.
The most active essence is reserved for perfumery.
There is difference of opinion as to the best season for gathering the
leaves. Drying destroys the active principle.
The bruised leaves, like those of peach or almond, when rubbed within any
vessel will remove the odour left by oil of cloves, balsam of copaiba, etc., if
the grease has first been cleaned away with alcohol.
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¶ Constituents. The leaves yield a volatile oil in
the proportion of 40.5 grains to 1 lb. of leaves. This resembles oil of bitter
almonds, and in Europe is sometimes sold for it, as flavouring, but the
glucoside decomposes more slowly than crystallized amygdalin, and is liable to
hold hydrocyanic acid, when it becomes poisonous. This glucoside was called
Laurocerasin, or Amorphous amygdalin, and now Prulaurasin.
With emulsin and water, prulaurasin is decomposed, and yields
benzaldehyde,
hydrocyanic acid, and dextrose.
- Cherry Laurel Water (Aqua Laurocerasi), according to the British
Pharmacopceia, is prepared as follows:
- 'One pound of fresh leaves of cherrylaurel, 2 1/2 pints of water. Chop the
leaves, crush them in a mortar, and macerate them in the water for 24 hours;
then distil 1 pint of liquid; shake the product, filter through paper, and
preserve it in a stoppered bottle.'
In America, oil of Bitter Almonds is often substituted, owing to the variability
of the above.
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¶ Medicinal Action and
Uses. The water is a
sedative narcotic, identical in its properties, to a diluted solution of
hydrocyanic acid, but of uncertain strength.
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¶ Dosage. Water,
B.P., 1/2 to 2 drachms. Used for
asthma, coughs, indigestion and dyspepsia, 1 drop of sulphuric acid added to a
pint of Cherry Laurel Water will keep it unchanged for a year.
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Reprinted from "A
Modern Herbal" (1931)
Mrs. M. Grieve, Edited by Mrs. C.F. Leyel
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