 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Oats (groats, oatmeal) Avena sativa Although a very good foodstuff for convalescents, a poultice can be made from soaking and mashing a handful of oatmeal with twice the amount of boiling water...wait until the oatmeal has softened, and apply to the skin (direct, or within a muslin bag, or over gauze)...this is a skin softener and also soothes the skin.Oats work well for the convalescent due to their anti-depressant and sedative properties. |
| Parsley Carum petroselinum Parsley tea can be made by infusing five good sized leaves with the stems (or a teaspoon of the dried herb) to half a pint of boiling water. This sipped when cool enough will help sort out a childs' tummy upset if it has anything to do with wind. For adults, it is a mild stimulant- a tonic. It aids the digestion, and helps with bladder disorders. Chewing the leaves will help rid you of the smell of Garlic. A bruised leaf applied direct to the skin will be effective against bites and stings of poisonous insects. |
| Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis The herb sacred to remembrance.It was once believed to help with memory and to strengthen the brain. The herb was also strongly associated with love and friendship- and every bride would have a sprig of Rosemary in her bouquet, and a few little sprigs in the wedding cake too. The tea is an effective tonic, and an instant remedy for the ease of colds, nervous complaints, headaches, wind, poor circulation...and thinning hair.It also makes the hair shiny if used as a rinse- and this is also supposed to be a sure way of preventing baldness.To make the tea: infuse the tops of the Rosemary (four or five young tops and leaves) in a pint of water. Another good way of adding Rosemary into the diet is to add the young tops and leaves to three times their weight of Clover honey. This is comforting to those with coughs- and you may use this mixture diluted with hot water or milk for the same effect. If diluting with water, a few drops of lemon juice may also be added, as lemon will help ease a sore thrat and tickly cough. |
| Sage (garden sage, red sage, sawge) Savia officinalis Although native to Mediterranean countries, it has been cultivated through Britain, France and Germany. There is an old English proverb that says "He that would live forever, must eat Sage in May"...The plant is said to aid digestion, and is soothing to the stomach.Fresh leaves can be rubbed on the teeth and gums to strengthen and cleanse- and even today a lot of toothpowders contain Sage. Sage tea, an infusion made by poring a pint of boiling water over half an ounce of fresh Sage leaves (or a teaspoon of the dried herb)~~is an excellent remedy for loss of appetite, headaches, delirium of fever, nervous excitement, and a weak stomach . The tea may be gargled to help ease a sore throat and help cure bleeding gums. It may also be used to bathe bruises, ulcers and raw skin grazes. If applied to the scalp, this tea is also said to darken fading hair. |
| Tansy (buttons) Tanacetum vulgare The Tansy is a beautiful aromatic herb, often found growing on wasteland, and considered by some as a weed. It boasts of a great sheaf of green feathered foilage, topped in summer with dense clusters of flowers much like bachelors buttons. Tansy has a certain property that helps the body digest fats, and because of this it is often added to food after the oily fish diet of Lent. Taken in large quantities, this herb can be dangerous and is violently irritant. Please be careful if making Tansy tea, that you do not over estimate the amount of herb you use. Tea: one teaspoon of dried Tansy, or four fresh leaves, to one pint of boiling water. This tea, taken no more than one cupful a day, will help with tummy upsets, feverishness, digestion, and period pains. The tea will promote perspirations to sweat out colds, chills and influenza. A hot infusion can also be used to bathe a sprained area, as a relief from gout and will ease the pain of a rheumatic part. |
| Thyme (common or garden thyme, tomillo) Thymus vulgaris We use thyme so sparingly in these times, that we seem to have forgotten its beneficial propereties. Thyme is antiseptic to the stomach, aids digestion, and help dispel wind and colic. The pounded leaves of the fresh herb (or dried herb) ... about 2 ounces... mixed with honey (preferably clover honey) and taken 1 teaspoon daily is said to be a safe and easing cure for whooping cough. To ease this complaint, and for coughs in general, infuse 1 teaspoon of dried thyme (or fresh) to one pint of boiling water and sweetened with honey. This may also help promote a perspiration at the start of a cold, and will help in any feverish complaint. |
| Yarrow (milfoil, thousandleaf) Achillea millefolium) This is a familiar plant, with its dark green, fine, ferny leaves and flat masses of tiny white or pink-hued flowers. It yeilds a high content of copper, and is valuable for promoting a perspiration to help relieve a feverish cold. An infusion of 1 ounce of the fresh herb to one pint of boiling water makes a tea that will help rapidly to cure influenza- especially if it is mixed with tea made from peppermint and elderflowers. It is said to ease in the discomfort of 'spotty' illnesses- such as measles and chickenpox., and also rheumatism. Yarrow has astringent properties too, and the tea used as a lotion will help cope with bleeding wounds. It can also be used as a hair rinse, said to prevent baldness. |
| Some fruits that I would also like to add to this list... |
| Strawberry Fragaria vesca Fresh strawberries, while tasting delicious, have some other uses too... if the pulp and juice is left on teeth for about five minutes, it will remove discolouration (the teeth should be cleaned afterwards with warm water to which a pinch of bicarbonate of soda has been added). Sunburn can be relieved in mild cases, if the skin is rubbed with the juices of a freshly cut strawberry- this is also suitable for the face. Be sensible- if you are allergic to strawberries, leave them alone! |
| Blackberry (Bramble, brambleberry, bumblekite) Rubus fructicosus The leaves and flowers of this fruit can be made into a potent wine, but there is also something to be said for the vitamin C content of this plant. Eating blackberries is a way of getting those vitamins into your child when they have a cold coming. Blackberries are also said to help ease diarrhoea. |
| Blackcurrant (quinsy berries, squinancy berries) Ribes nigrum A common garden plant in britain, it was originally found only in Yorkshire and The Lake District. The fruit juice is wonderful for sore throats, and if you infuse a handful of fresh leaves with a pint of boiling water, this left to cool, is a good cleanser for the skin. My great gran had a wonderful cure for a cold: half a cup of very hot water, topped up with blackcurrant cordial and a tot of whiskey will ease the symptoms- one for the adults only! |
| Yarrow, in large or unmetered doses, has been known to be poisonous- and in extreme cases has caused renal failure. |
| In very large quantities, Oats have been known to be the cause of headaches at the back of the head. |
 |
|
| IN-SITE LINKS |
| ~ HOME ~ |
| ~ SITE-MAP ~ |