Pennyroyal

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This article is for the herb pennyroyal. See Pennyroyal Tea for the Nirvana song.

The herb Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium, family Lamiaceae), is a member of the mint genus; an essential oil extracted from it is used in aromatherapy. Pennyroyal has a traditional folk medicine use in inducing abortions and is an abortifacient. These oils are high in pulegone, a highly toxic volatile, which can stimulate uterine activity.

Pennyroyal tea has been traditionally employed as an emmenagogue to promote menstrual flow, and as an abortifacient to initiate self-abortion. Pennyroyal tea may safely stimulate mild increase in menstrual flow, but the oil is very different and can be used to induce abortion. However it should not be used to self-abort since complications can always occur: in 1978, a pregnant woman died after consuming two tablespoonfuls (20 ml) of Pennyroyal oil, and in 1994, another death occurred after a pregnant woman (attempting to self-abort, but with an unknown ectopic pregnancy) consumed tea containing Pennyroyal extract.[link]

The oil is also used as a flea repellant for pets. This latter usage is the origin of the plant's Latin species name, the flea being Pulex irritans. However the distantly related American Pennyroyal or Hedeoma pulegioides is the source of much of what is called pennyroyal oil.

Sprinkling the dried form of the herb is also known to repel spiders.

The term Pennyroyal (or Pennyrile, from a dialectal pronunciation) is also used to describe a geographic province of western Kentucky where the above-described herb grew in profusion sufficient to lend its name to the whole area.

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