I know there's quite a few of our members interested in medicinal plants and alternative medicine. I decided to post a new herb under this topic every 2-3 weeks (depending on time available) for those interested. Probably not everyone's cup of tea (no pun intended), so if you are interested, read forth, if not, please move on...
Here we go, the first herb I'll throw in here, is "Yarrow".
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Common names:
Yarrow, Milfoil, Woundwort, Nosebleed, Thousandleaf, Carpenter's weed'
Interesting facts about YARROW:
1. The name Achillea may stem from the battle of Troy, when Achilles healed many of his warriors injured with iron weapons, after being instructed in yarrow's ability to staunch blood flow.
2. Long considered sacred, yarrow stems were used by the Druids to divine seasonal weather in Europe, while in China yarrow stems were used to foretell the future with the assistance of the "I Ching" (Book of Changes).
3. The woodcarver retained a close relationship with "herbe aux charpentier" – carpenter's wort, which healed many a carpenter's wounds.
4. The link between humans and the conscious use of herbs and flowers can be traced back to Neanderthal man, following the analysis of pollen clusters by scientists which shows that a funeral bouquet containing yarrow flowers was placed in the grave of a male buried 60 000 years ago at Shanidar Cave in Iraq.
5. Yarrow's root secretions will activate disease resistance of nearby plants:
"Milfoil should on no account be weeded out. Like sympathetic people in human society, who have a favorable influence by their mere presence and not by anything they say, so milfoil, in a district where it is plentiful, works beneficially by its mere presence"
- Dr Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925)
6. "Mylfoile of some Yarrow or Nosebleede, is a small and short set or shrub. It hath his leaf like to the Birdes feathers. They are devided by cuttes and are sharpe also like the Cummin. Dioscorides saith, it is profitable to stay eruption of bloud"
- John Maplet, A greene Forest, 1567.
Description:
Perennial, up to 60cm high. Foliage fernlike, feathery, aromatic and hairy. Masses of large, flattened terminal corymbs of tiny daisy-like flowers, ranging from white to pink. Spread by means of rhizomes.
Habitat:
Europe and temperate Asia. Do best in sunny, well-drained sites. Often seen in pasture and meadow lands of Europe and the USA.
Parts used:
Flowering tops and leaves.
Constituents:
Amino acids, Fatty acids, Achillein (alkaloid), Flavonoids, Tannins, Volatile oils, Sugars.
Medicinal/Folk uses:
Fever, common cold, cystitis, essential hypertension, amenorrhea, dysentery, diarrhea, thrombotic conditions. The Pak-Ute Indians used it for "weak and disordered" stomachs.
Actions:
Diaphoretic (induces perspiration), diuretic, urinary antiseptic, hypotensive (lowers blood pressure), anti-thrombotic (prevents blood clots), mild vasodilator, anti-inflammatory, astringent.
Thanks Bertie - makes for interesting reading, I look forward to your next installment!
Bertie you are a star! I grow lots of herbs, make soap, infusions, etc, etc so this is great. I'm saving these to pdf under "Bertie's Herbs" - please keep posting! 3d smiles(281)
Interesting stuff Bertie ... natures dispensary .. our forbears survived with traditional medicine ...
True, Sandy. It baffles my mind how the people knew - through trial and error, by watching animals, being in touch with their surroundings, and by listening and learning from their ancestors - which medicines/plants were good for what conditions. (Without books, internet, telephones, etc)
Nowadays we have the means to experiment with and analyze these plants in hi-tech laboratories with fancy equipment what the constituents of plants are, and how they work.
For instance this comparison:
Ages ago: The American Indians knew if you put the sap of the Purple coneflower (Echinacea) on a spider/snake bite wound immediately after being bitten/stung, their chances of survival were much better. They attributed it to a magical force (spirit) inside the plant.
Today: We know the plant has an alkalide in its sap which inhibits the hialuronidaze enzyme in human tissue which is necessary for the poison to spread, thereby preventing this spread and by localizing it, the body's immune response through specific antibodies and white blood cell intermediates, manages to break down the poison easier.
Magic!!!! My outlook - even if we know what the special chemical is, the plant should still be seen as a magical, spiritual part of the healing process. Only then will you appreciate the natural world around us and the magic hidden all around. We have to look, to see.
Magic .. a good word .. believeing does help healing ... as it sets the stage where the body is better equipped to help itself with the assistance of the herb or yes the modern mass produced tablet ... some people you can treat with the best medication and it will not be as effective if they have a negative attitude ,, saying .. well yes we alll know the words hey ??.. compared to the soul who is grateful to mans intuittion for natural remedies or technology being there to manufacture medications to help one ..
Thanx all for the response and PM's. This next one is for you, Cherry...
Comfrey (Symphytum officinalis)
Common names:
Comfrey, Boneset, Knitbone.
Interesting facts about COMFREY:
1. Comfrey has been used since the Middle Ages for setting broken bones.
2. The herbalist Culpeper was delighted with comfrey in 1653. He wrote in "The English Physitian Enlarged" that it is: "... special good for ruptures and broken bones; yea it is said to be so powerful to consolidate and knit together, that if they be boiled with dissevered pieces of flesh in a pot, it will join them together again."
Herbal specialists today are a little more modest, although the properties
of comfrey are still praised.
3. "For the dry couge. Take horehound and comfrey and ete wit hony three morowes and iij eves."
- MS.136 Medical Society of London, 1444.
4. Comfrey leaves can be fried in a batter for a delicious high-protein vegetarian meal.
5. Many plants that contain Pyrrolizidene alkaloids (PA's) like Comfrey, is feasted on by insects which use these chemicals to make them unpalatable to other predators. Similarly, these PA's are used by tropical danaid butterflies to make important pheromones.
Description:
Leafy perennial herb with erect flowering stems up to 1 m arising each year from a fleshy rhizome. Large hairy leaves borne along the stems and tubular blue-pink flowers in one-sided clusters at the tips.
Habitat:
Eastern and Western Asia. Used as companion plant – keeps the surrounding soil rich and moist.
Parts used:
Leaves (internal and external), Roots (externally only)
Constituents:
Allantoin (stimulates re-generation of skin tissue, reducing the formation of scar tissue), Pyrrolizidene alkaloids (possible liver toxicity), Tannins, Triterpenes, Phytosterols, Rosmarinic and silicillic acid, Vit B12, Proteins (Same percentage as soya beans!)
Actions:
Comfrey is a vulnerary (promotes wound healing) and demulcent (soothes and protects mucus membranes), with unparalleled wound, ulcer and fracture healing actions. It is anti-inflammatory, soothing on a dry or inflamed Gastro-intestinal tract, and an age-old remedy for dry irritable coughs (expectorant).
Safety:
The Pyrrolizidene alkaloids may cause liver toxicity. The highest concentrations of these alkaloids are in the roots and very young leaves, and almost nothing is present in the dried herb. The leaves seem to be quite safe. For safety's sake, it is advised to avoid taking Comfrey while pregnant, or if you have an existing liver condition.
Medicinal/Folk uses:
Superficial wounds, Skin inflammations, Ulcers, Sprains, Fractures. The leaves are very nutritious.
Thanks Bertie - keep 'em coming!
Don't forget to contact me when you have my little concoction ready...... cowgirl
Diana - swink
This is grand Bertie. woo_hoo Just having a bit of a tough time with the English. But I'll do my best...
Ok, time for number 3: I decided on BORAGE. Hope you find it interesting!
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Common names:
Borage, Star flower, Bee plant, Beebread, Boretsch.
Interesting facts about BORAGE:
1. Borago has long been regarded for its ability to lift the spirits. Even Pliny called the plant euphrosinum because it made men joyful and merry.
2. Borage was one of the plants most relied upon "to comfort the heart". "It is a herb", said Gerard around 1635, "of force and virtue to drive away sorrow."
3. Culinary uses include candied flowers for cake decorations, and leaves and flowers in salads.
4. The Celtic name borrach meant courage, and the Welsh name Llawenlys translates as herb of gladness.
5. According to Dioscorides and Pliny, borage was the famed nepenthe of Homer, a herb wine that brought absolute forgetfulness.
6. Flowers are a beautiful pure blue, often chosen by Old Masters to paint the Madonna's robe.
7. Borage flowers were also embroidered on fine medieval tapestries and on scarves for tournament jousters.
8. For courage, the flowers were floated in the stirrup-cups given to Crusaders at their departure.
9. "Ego Borago gaudia simper ago." – (I borage bring always courage)
- Pliny
Description:
Robust annual up to 50 cm with hairy leaves and attractive purplish-blue star-shaped flowers.
Habitat:
Southern Europe and Mediterranean.
Parts used:
Flowers, Flowering tops and seed oil.
Constituents:
Mucilage, Traces of unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids, γ-linolenic acid (GLA), fatty acids, Tannins, Saponins.
Medicinal/Folk uses:
Traditionally used as a diuretic, fevers (diaphoretic), bronchitis (expectorant), anti-inflammatory, emulcent, mild sedative, antidepressant. Also a tonic, galactogogue (lactation) and adrenal tonic (for stress).
Keep 'em coming Bertie. Is the practice open? If so, how's it going?
@ Cherry- I'm opening on Wednesday (21st) and I'm glad to say the first day is fully booked! Will be playing dentist on Mon,Tues,Thurs and Fri, and phytotherapist on Wednesdays. If it gets more popular, I'll start phasing the dentistry out, that's my long-term goal.
That is fantastic; I wish you everything of the best. It's great when people fulfil their dreams!
Hi Bertie
Have you any idea what one can take for larangitis(SP)...my sister has lost her voice and the doctor told her to stop talking.. I have told her to take lemon and hunny is there anything else she can do she runs a bed and breakfast and has to talk on the phone and to customers the doc told her it could last about 4 weeks any alternatives..
Hi Barbara,
Honey and lemon is good idea - to sip slowly during the day.
Other herb gargles for laryngitis is the following two combinations (if you know where to get it):
1. Sage (Salvia) and Chamomile (Matricaria) - draw like tea and cool a bit before gargling - repeat every 30-60 minutes.
2. Chilli pepper (Capsicum) and Myrrh (Commiphora) - better to make tinctures and add to teas. Difficult to get, but don't know if you have herbal shops around there?
Of course tincture and/or tea of Echinacea (Purple coneflower) will also be beneficial for inflammation and infection. Taken regularly.
THEN - unfortunately it's true what the doctor said - she has to rest her voice!
Thanks for that Bertie, she has a good herb shop where she lives will tell her to get them to make the teas.
I grow the Purple Cornflower in my garden in the summer didn't know it was beneficial,
She will just have to stop talking which can be quite difficult for her (chatter box)
Here in England we have a Farmers market down the road from me on a Sunday and they sell all the herbs and Tincture.
Thank you once again
I have done the schwedenbitters diluted in warm water for gargle when throat bad and voice dispearing . .. best part is it can be swallowed to do good elswhere .. and it worked .. same as the olive leaf complex did wonders for the abcess ... never ever again even rasied its nasty head .. and of course theres good old mother natures bounty if nothing else is at hand .. warm salt water gargles ... nasturtium leaves slowly chewed and swallowed as well ...
Thanks Sandy will get Susan to try some of these remedies aswell, she does have a problem with gargles so maybe eating or drinking something might be better for her. Will let you know how it goes
Hi Bertie,
I have just heard from my sister (She has laryngitis)she went to the herb shop and they gave her they gave her Full Potency Herbs....Echinacea - golden seal caps *something* claw complex she had to take 3 a day for 3-4 days. Have you heard of them? Are they any good?
In the absence of Bertie ,, echiniacae ,, very good immune booster .. devils claw also has microbial properties ... yes ... but topical gargling helps .. attack through the blood stream works but yes direct attack .. warm salt water gargles .. or yes the schwedenbitter diluted in warm water gargled and then swallowed .. warning .. it tastes awful but can be swallowed in fact a good systemic detoxifier .. next question .. why she taking so long with it .??? at the first sign of any bodily distress I take time out to think of best method of attack .. the answers come and I follow them ... give my love to Susan and yes get well soon ...
Hi Sandy thanks.....she went to the doctors when it first happened and he told her just to rest her voice and do no talking and it would take 4 weeks to go. She is just so fed up now that she was looking for a remedy to see if anything other than not talking will help. The problem with susan is that she cannot gargle it makes her sick.......just hope this herbal remedy works for her...very fustrating when you have to run a business..and are told not to talk.....will send her your love ....
So typical of doctors .. just take time out .. rest .. there are also herbal lozenges available that would contain echinicae and other good stuff .. tell her to check that option out ... hammer
Sorry guys, it's early to bed, early to rise for me! Thanks for Sandy - always there to assist, and definitely great and proven interest in the good stuff (natural alternatives) - well done!
Barbara, the complex is good, with:
Echinacea (known immune modulator and antibacterial),
Hydrastes (Golden seal - has definite antibacterial properties, mainly used for diarrhea),
Uncaria (Cat's claw - I think this is the third herb, and not Devil's claw Sandy - The first is more known for immune modulating, adaptogenic and anti-pathogenic, while Devil's claw is more of an anti-inflammatory herb with special affinity for the musculo-skeletal system).
The only reason I don't use Golden seal, is because it is being harvested wild - and almost extinct! There are other herbs which contain the same alkaloids (like berberine) which is the active ingredient and just as good.
Pity she can't gargle, because like Sandy suggested - that topical "rinse" would have been VERY beneficial. No harm in sipping something like the honey-lemon mix or Sandy's bitters regularly every few minutes, but like Sandy said - yeuch!
Has your sister shown any improvement yet? I'm afraid the capsules will take longer to have an effect than a tea mix or tincture. Good luck!
Mmm devils claw .. cats claw .. me must have the devil on my mind ?? cat3
@ Barbara - My head lecturer, Dr Connie Meyer is originally from England. She says there's a shop called "Baldwins" in London which should be able to supply you with good quality herbs. Maybe you can check it out?
How's our patient doing?
Hi Bertie thanks for all the advice I know we do not pay you for your expertise but do wish to express that we are thankfull for all your help....Will ask my sister to try them they should have an online shop.....She is still the same and i think she should go back to the doctor...been 4 weeks now.....I last spoke to her or should i say tried to on friday...i had to get her to go on skype so she could type me her replies to what i was asking her. One way conversations are not good.... LOL
Sandy would like to thank you for your help too...Susan sends her love to all
Bertie just been on the site for Baldwins they do have online shopping so will lwet my sister know thanks
Yes, good idea to have her see the doctor again, or maybe a second opinion to check her out properly, even maybe an ENT specialist.
It's easy to give advice over the phone or online, but one can unfortunately only go on symptoms which is not the ideal way to go. Usually a consultation would be at least 30 minutes long, during which (for suspected laryngitis) a proper physical exam would be done, including testing the cranial nerves which supply the larynx, and also palpation to check the lymph nodes, thyroid, symmetry, etc.
Good luck!
Hi Bertie - love reading your thread on the medicinal qualities of herbs - i've always believed that there's something to it otherwise it wouldn't be around still after 1000's of years, like all the alternative healing therapies.
Altho you are probably aware of this just wanna add my 2c - a suggestion for those poor zombie like mothers of sleepless babies/toddlers that find their way to your door - I've always kept a bottle of lavender essential oil in the house & when Caryn was little and wouldn't sleep, i'd rub a dot across her forehead and down her temples - the soothing calming aroma & soft rubbing had her in dreamland within 10 minutes. It was particularly useful when she couldn't sleep out of excitement waiting for Easter Bunny and Father Christmas to arrive :) She's 15 and still remembers me doing that - always brings her a smile, obviously a happy memory.
Hi Delia. Yes, Lavender has been used for ages. In aromatherapy it is commonly used to treat headache, migraine, tension, emotional upsets and sleeping disorders. Lovely memory you have created there for your daughter to remember forever - each time she smells lavender it will bring back that feeling of care and love. 23_11_61
It's time for a new herb, I think....
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Common names:
Lemon balm, Sweet balm, Bee balm, Zitronenmelisse.
Description:
Perennial, up to 60cm high with lemon-scented leaves. Small white flowers. Spreads rapidly, dies down in winter, but appears again in spring.
Habitat:
Native to Southern Europe. Cultivated in Mediterranean for over 2000 years.
Interesting facts about MELISSA:
1. Melissa has a long history of medicinal use in Europe, associated with bees and honey, hence the name Melissa (mel = latin for honey).
2. Lemon balm can be a substitute for lemon peel in cooking. A little finely chopped lemon balm gives a special taste to marinades for lamb, fish and egg dishes.
3. In the collection of prescriptions called the London Dispensary of 1696 it was said that "an essence of Balm given in Canary wine every morning will renew youth, strengthen the brain, believe languishing nature and prevent baldness."
4. Equally remarkable eulogies were conferred upon this sweet and homely herb in European practice, for many claimed that its use tended to longevity, and the "Carmelite water" made of balm, flavored with nutmeg, lemon and angelica root, was habitually drunk by distinguished and – apparently – long-lived people.
5. It was reputed to be among the regular morning teas imbibed in the 13th century by Llewellyn, Prince of Glamorgan, who lived to 108 years, while John Hussey, of Sydenham, England, lived to be 116 after 50 years of breakfasting on lemon balm tea with honey.
Parts used:
Dried leaves, Essential oil.
Constituents:
Essential oils – citronellal, citral, germacrene. Rosmarinic acid, Phenolic acids, Triterpenes, Flavonoids.
Medicinal/Folk uses:
Calming and soothing herb. Traditionally used for influenza and feverish colds, to induce perspiration. Sleeplessness, nervous stomach disorders (aids digestion), antiseptic (topical).
The natural sedative Melisana .. good stuff ..
Next herb -
Rue (Ruta graveolens)
Common names:
Rue, Herb of grace, Wynruit, Herbygrass.
Description:
Woody, strong aromatic perennial shrub with deeply divided grey-green leaves, up to 60 cm, with clusters of yellow flowers. It bears four-lobed fruit capsules with black wedge-shaped seeds.
Habitat:
Southern Europe. Prefers slightly alkaline, well-drained soil in full sun.
Interesting facts about Rue:
1. Dogs, cats and evil spirits all hate Rue. Dried and powdered leaves are an effective insect repellent.
2. The volatile oils from Rue are added to liqueurs such as Italian grappa and as a constituent in certain perfumes.
3. Rue was included as a major ingredient of the poison antidotes of Mithridates. Its beneficial effects led to its pre-eminence as a protector against witchcraft and magic.
4. Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo both claimed that, owing to Rue's metaphysical powers, their eyesight and creative inner vision had been improved.
5. Robbers who stripped plague victims protected themselves with "Vinegar of the four thieves", rue being an ingredient.
6. Rue is shown on the heraldic Order of the Thistle and inspired the design of the suit of clubs in playing cards.
7. - Macer's Herbal, 12th Century -- "She doth mekyl good to the stomak if she be ofte drunke. For the hede-ache, medle the jus of rue with the oil of roses and vynegre and the oynement wole cese hede-aches."
Got lemon balm and rue in my garden.... just love my fresh herbs !!
St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Common names:
St. John's wort, Johanneskruid.
Description:
Perennial shrublet up to 60 cm. Small gland-dotted leaves. Oil glands visible as translucent dots on the leaves → from there the name perforatum. Creeping rhizomes. Bright yellow flowers in groups, followed by small dry capsules filled with numerous dark brown, shiny seeds.
Habitat:
Europe. Cool-climate plants, prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade.
Fertile, well-drained soil and plenty of water.
Interesting facts about St. John's wart:
1. As St. John was beheaded, and the herb is in full flower on St. John's Day (24 June), it became known as "herba sancti Ioannis", and later, as St. John's Wort – the herb of St. John.
2. In America St. John's Wort grows freely in the cornfields, which proximity was held by Tilke to operate beneficially upon both herb and grain. He tells us: "It is well known, by almost every baker, that this flour improves the quality of the bread, by having a small quantity of it in every batch, particularly in seasons when the English flour is of inferior quality."
Another author says it contains ¼ more gluten than the famous wheat grown in Gloucestershire, known by the name of "rivets".
3. This herb has been declared an invader in SA according to Regulation 15 of the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act, 1983 (Act 43 of 1983). It has however been controlled by the introduction of its natural enemies, the defoliating beetle (Chrysolina quadrigemina), and the stem-boring fly Zeuxidiplosis giardi).
Not good news for the herbalist's garden!
Parts used:
Flowering tops. A very nice St.John's wart oil can easily be made. When in flower, put the flowers in a jar (more can be added every day), and cover with cold-pressed olive oil. Leave jar in the sun and shake every day. Oil will be ready in 14 days, by which time the oil will have a brilliant wine-red color.
Constituents:
Flavonoids (rutin, hyperin, isoquercetrin), Naphthodianthrone (hypericin, which gives the red colour to oil), hyperforin (which is antibacterial).
Medicinal/Folk uses:
Depression, mood disturbances, anxiety, nervous conditions, wounds, burns, viral infections of skin, inflammatory conditions of the stomach, worms.
Mary Poppins sang about a spoon full of sugar that made the medicine go down. Music works just as well. In fact, if you cook according to this recipe then anything will go down.
Try it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KYQj0-Is98
Hehehe! Bob, you a muppet man then?
image201
Israeli researchers have germinated a sapling date palm from seeds 2000 years old in a bid to find new medicines . one of its leaves was sent for analysis , in the hope that it will reveal medicinal qualities that have disappeared from all modern cultivated varieties . the seeds were found in archaeloical excavations at Masada. the desert mountain fortress where jewish soldiers chose suicide over capture by romans in AD73 . dates from ancient trees were highly medicinal , as well as preperations made from the tree' s leaves . if the plant turns out as female , it will bear fruit in about 30 years time
DON'T WASTE THAT LEMON PEEL
Many professionals in restaurants and eateries are using or consuming the entire lemon and nothing is wasted.
How can you use the whole lemon without waste?
Simple.. Place the lemon in the freezer section of your refrigerator. Once the lemon is frozen, get your grater, and shred the whole lemon (no need to peel it) and sprinkle it on top of your food.
Sprinkle it on your vegetables, salad, ice cream, soup, noodles, spaghetti sauce, rice, sushi, fish dishes. All of the foods will unexpectedly have a wonderful taste, something that you may have never tasted before. Most likely, you only think of lemon juice and vitamin C. Not anymore. Now that you've learned this lemon secret, you can use lemon even in instant cup noodles.
What's the major advantage of using the whole lemon other than preventing waste and adding new taste to your dishes?
Well, you see, lemon peels contain as much as 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself. And yes, that's what you've been wasting. But from now on, by following this simple procedure of freezing the whole lemon, then grating it onto your food, you can consume all of those nutrients and get even healthier.
It's also good to know that lemon peel is a health rejuvenator, eradicating toxic elements in the body.
So place your lemon in your freezer, and then grate it on your meal every day. It is a key to making your food tastier and you get to live healthier and longer! That's the lemon secret!
Better late than NEVER!
The surprising benefits of lemon!
Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy.
Why do we not know about that ? Because there are pharmaceutical companies and laboratories interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge profits. You can now help a friend in need by letting him/her know that lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease. Its taste is pleasant and it does not produce the horrific effects of chemotherapy. How many people will die while this closely guarded secret is kept, so as not to jeopardize the multi-million dollar big corporations ?
As you know, the lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons, as the lime trees. You can eat the fruit in different ways: you can eat the pulp, juice press, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc... It is credited with many virtues, but the most interesting is the effect it produces on cysts and tumors. This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types. Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer. It is considered also as an anti-microbial, with a large spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms; it also regulates blood pressure which is too high and even acts as an anti-depressant, combating stress and nervous disorders.
The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, who says that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that: It successfully destroyed malignant cells in 12 cancers, which included cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas ...
Compounds of the lemon tree have been tested and were found to be up to 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used in chemotherapeutics, slowing the growth of cancer cells. And what is even more astonishing: therapy with lemon extract only destroyed malignant (cancer) cells and did not adversely affect healthy cells.