Domestic Encyclopædia (1802)/Savin

SAVIN, or Juniper Sabina, L. an exotic evergreen shrub, which has small, rather prickly leaves, and produces blue berries, only after it has arrived at a considerable nge. Its stem attains the height of seven feet, and is apt to grow in a reclining posture: the wood is internally of a beautiful reddish shade, resembling that of mahogany.

The savin is of slow growth, but may be easily propagated by layers, by cuttings, or by the berries: if the latter can be procured, they should be sown in beds of common light earth, and in the spring or autumn, the young plants are to be set out in nursery-rows, two feet asunder. In October, November, or early in April following, they must be carefully transplanted to the place of their destination.

The leaves of savin possess a bitter, acrid taste; and their smell is so powerful and disagreeable, that it expels moths and similar vermin. When distilled with water, these leaves yield an uncommonly large proportion of essential oil.

With respect to its medicinal properties, savin is warm, stimulant, and aperient, being well calculated for promoting sweat, urine, and all the glandular secretions.—Hence a conserve made of its tops and leaves has afforded permanent relief in obstinate gouty and rheumatic cases, if taken for several months, nay, for a whole year, in small doses of a tea-spoonful or two, every morning and evening: few patients, however, will submit to swallow this nauseous drug; though it requires only a certain degree of resolution at the commencement.—The oil distilled from this shrub is one of the most violent emmenagogues, and ought therefore to be used with the greatest caution in obstructions of the uterus, or other viscera proceeding from laxity or weakness. No druggist should sell this preparation to strangers.

An essential oil and watery extract of the savin are also kept in the shops.