Hamamelis

#### Hamamelis. The north American shrublike tree, **Hamamelis Virginiana**, also known as **Witch Hazel**, has enjoyed a tremendous and over-exaggerated reputation for its virtues with respect to the hemostatic and astringent effects of its leaves and bark. Extracts and distillates of the leaves are still used, and these are quite popular ingredients in skin- lotions, after-shaves, creams, etc. The leaves do contain tannin which is astringent, and they do contain a small amount of an essential oil which has a hemostatic effect. The latter claim is based upon the fact that the **Hamamelis**** ****Leaf**** ****Distillate**** **has a hemostatic effect, and that tannin is not distillable with steam or with hydro-alcoholic vapors; thus, tannin is absent in the leaf distillate. Under the name of **Hamamelis Water**, another product is marketed and used as a popular embrocation. It is prepared from twigs of the witch hazel which are collected just before the buds open. This material is comminuted after partial drying; it is macerated with water, and the mixture is distilled after 24 hours. To the distillate is added alcohol sufficient to preserve the distillate from mold or fungus growth (about 15 percent ethyl alcohol). This product has a peculiar tea-leaf-like odor due to micro-percentages of essential oil. It is inconceivable that this Hamamelis Water can have any therapeutic value. However, the dry extract of the leaves and the standard extract (= fluidextract) are commercially available products, and both are currently used in pharmaceutical preparations. They have occasional application in perfumery when this peculiar note of dry tea-leaves, a herbaceous-foliage type, is required. Our much more common and popular **Hazelnut **shrub, **Corylus Avellana**, a cousin of hamamelis, could probably yield quite similar products from its leaves and bark. But it is probably spared because of the delicious nuts, a valuable and highly appreciated crop.