Lycium europaeum L.
Folklore
Where is it referred to in the Bible?
Who are the people who use it?
For what medical purpose is it used?
Uses
In the treatment of
Description A bush of the Solanaceae family whose height is 1-3 meters. The bush is found in the edge of cultivated fields, on the land of deserted villages, in loessial ravines and on riverbanks. Lycium is very common in the loessial ravines of the Northern Negev. The main branches are long and arched, with elongated fleshy leaves that end in a rounded edge. Short wooden spikes emerge from the axil of some of the leaves. Lycium flowers from August to September. The flowers are lilac colored and have a delicate smell. Fruits are small greenish-red berries.
Reference and Folklore Lycium is first referred to in the Bible as a mark for a threshing-floor beyond Jordan (Genesis, V, X). In Yotams fable it is characterized as a small plant with little use. Tozfot refers to it as a thorny plant, which was in the way of Bene Israel while they were crossing the desert.
The Bedouin of the Negev desert draw tattoos by squeeze the Lycium leaves and injecting the liquid subcutaneously. These tattoos were very common with the Bedouin at the beginning of the 20th century; women tattooed their daughters when they were of age, so they would be beautiful and attractive.
From Maimonides - Avsig, he two is one of the branched trees. He that is called Al Golohem and Al Arked, likewise Ramnos. He is Ashiabradin and he is called in Spanish: espina alba
Hozaz, thus is the name of a juice from a plant. The plant whose juice is Al Hozaz is named Philezharge, and his Greece name of this juice is Litkon, he is the Kolirin of Halvan .
The Drugs that shall not go down in the body, and are regular always to the outside, there are those that are equal between hot and cold, and they are four: Lycium
And so it is proper for all who is bitten by a stray dog or a dog that his affair is unknown, shall try in his management including, that I have reminded, wanting to say the tying and the scratching and the sucking and the bleeding of much blood, in cups the sucking of that place, and vomit and the drinking of the Triak. And will custom also from what can be found of these special remedies of stray dog . . . of them Hindi Hozaz, which is Lycium, shall drink from him half a shekel every day in cold water.
Folk medicine Lycium is a plant very commonly used in the folk medicine of the Northern Negev Bedouin; the liquid in the leaves is used as drops for sore eyes, to stop balding and as a treatment for headaches. A tea made from the leaves is used in treating gas, to elevate toothache, gingivitis, stomach pain in infants, irritated skin and itchiness.
Uses To benefit of the condition of hypertension and diabetes is achieved by boiling the cooked roots. With babies suffering from measles, mix the juice of the leaves with henna - kofer and smear on the body.
For external use: to treat irritated skin, fungi and itching boil one hundred grams of leaves in a liter of water, for ten minutes, soak cotton wool and treat the ill skin.
For internal use: to lower high blood pressure and high blood glucose level cook ten grams of the root in a liter of water, for ten minutes, filter and drink four to five glasses a day. The tea is prepared by pouring boiling water on a handful of leaves.