Spikenard

an herb related to valerian. It is found in the Himalayan region. The plant has been used by the Hindus as a medicine from the remotest ages. An oil with a heavy odor derived from the leaves is much employed as an ointment. The spikenard of the druggist consists of pieces of the root-stock, still covered with fibrous remains of leaf stalks. The ancients made an aromatic ointment in which spikenard was the chief ingredient. It was highly prized and commanded a high price among the western nations. Some of the bystanders are represented in Mark xiv as finding fault with the woman who came "having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box and poured it on his head." They thought that so costly an ointment should have been sold, and the money bestowed on the poor. Various aromatic plants are known as spikenard. The American spikenard is a much-branched herb with large leaves and aromatic root-stocks. It is known botanically as Aralia. It is related to the wild sarsaparilla and grows with it in deep, rich woods. Several of the valerians are known as spikenards. See Oil; Perfume; Medicine; Spurge