The following notes refer to the species of this plant. Herbal medicinal literature extols its many virtues for all manner of ills and describes the berries being used as a tea, but repeatedly cautions that it is ‘not to be taken internally’. The cautions may refer to the oil, for while the berries are reported as harmless, the oil produced by steam distillation is almost pure methyl salicylate and has caused death when ingested or applied too generously to the skin (Frohne, 2004). Small amounts are added to toothpastes.