Introduction

The plant is found throughout Europe, in moist situations, along stream banks and in waste lands, and is not unfrequent In damp places in England, but is not a common native plant, and probably is often an escape from cultivation. In America it is probably even more common as an escape than Spearmint, having long been known and grown in gardens.

Of the members of the mint family under cultivation the most important are the several varieties of the Peppermint (Mentha piperita), extensively cultivated for years as the source of the well-known volatile oil of Peppermint, used as a flavouring and therapeutic agent.

The leaves of this kind of mint are shortly but distinctly stalked, 2 inches or more in length, and 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches broad, their margins finely toothed, their surfaces smooth, both above and beneath, or only very slightly, hardly visibly, hairy on the principal veins and mid-rib on the underside. The stems, 2 to 4 feet high, are quadrangular, often purplish. The whorled clusters of little reddish-violet flowers are in the axils of the upper leaves, forming loose, interrupted spikes, and rarely bear seeds. The entire plant has a very characteristic odour, due to the volatile oil present in all its parts, which when applied to the tongue has a hot, aromatic taste at first, and afterwards produces a sensation of cold in the mouth caused by the menthol it contains.

From its stimulating, stomachic and carminative properties, it is valuable in certain forms of dyspepsia, being mostly used for flatulence and colic. It may also be employed for other sudden pains and for cramp in the abdomen; wide use is made of Peppermint in cholera and diarrhoea

• Menthol in mint has antispetic properties. Also carminative, antispasmodic, locally antiseptic and mildly anesthetic.
• Stimulates heart and circulation.
• Used in fever management, chronic pancreatic conditions, overactivity of the digestive system, and Crohn's disease.
• Relaxing to the digestive tract, it is used for indigestion and stomach upset as well as nausea and vomiting..
• Relieves gas and is used for colic, griping, flatulence, diarrhea and spastic constipation.
• Mint is often combined with alfalfa for digestive benefits.
• The oil inhibits spasms in the digestive tract and hard coated peppermint oil capsules are used in England for treating irritable bowel syndrome.
• The hot tea is used for colds, flu, clogged head (nasal, sinus and chest congestion relieved due to menthol content).
• As inhalation treatment: pour 5 to 10 drops of the oil into 2 quarts of boiling water and breathe in to clear sinuses (use towel as a tent to trap the steam; this is not a safe procedure for children!) Also used for asthma
• Also used for migraines associated with digestion.
• Used for painful periods. Add a few chamomile flowers to mint tea to settle upset stomach and relieve cramps and pain.
• Used externally to cool inflammations.
• Used as a wash for poison oak as well as a lotion for external inflammations.
• Used as a mouthwash and in lozenges