Nettle

an herb belonging to the same family as the elm, hemp, and hop vine. In the popular mind nettles are associated with their sting, but that is not their only characteristic. The fibre of several species is used for ropes, cloth, and lace. The fruit is used like hops in making beer. Nettle tubers are eaten in India like potatoes. Roots are boiled with alum to make a yellow dye. Chopped nettles are fine food for young poultry. Many minor uses of various species might be named. The sting of the nettle is due to pointed hairs. Each hair contains a reservoir of liquid which is set free when the hard point of the hair is broken off in the flesh. If a nettle be grasped firmly with a sliding motion, these hairs are pressed down sideways and cannot enter the hand. A careless caress which merely touches the tips of the hairs is most to be regretted. Cold water only revives the pain. A dock leaf, rhubarb juice, or vinegar will relieve the pain. The sting of an East Indian nettle is described as like the blister of a hot iron, retaining its intensity for twenty-four hours and liable to return for eight days.