GOLDENSEAL - NATIVE AMERICANS USED IT FOR SKIN PROBLEMS, HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF GOLDENSEAL

GOLDENSEAL, HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS 

When the early settlers reached the North American continent they found that the Native American tribes used goldenseal for skin diseases and for cancerous growths. They adopted the use of the goldenseal root, which they could harvest in autumn after the plant had died back and could dry it for later use. Goldenseal is a member of the buttercup or crowfoot family, Ranunculaceae, so it is a relative of the lesser celandine and black cohosh. It has been used for liver problems, and when applied in a poultice or you can simply mash the root, it has been effective in acting as an antiseptic for cuts as it has antimicrobial and anti-bacterial properties. The Cherokees used it as a cancer treatment and for an eye wash. The name Hydrastis comes from the Greek meaning to accomplish and water, so this could be because of this use,

  By the early twentieth century the little plant was considered a cure-all and used against colds and flu, as it is now, especially when combined with Echinacea. It is actually now one of the most popular herbs in the US, although this may have something to do with the unfounded rumour that it can mask a positive result on a drug test for illegal drugs. Studies have found that it actually has no effect on the results.

  There is actually no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of this herb, although it does contain berberine, it is not absorbed as well in the body as that found in other herbs. Berberine has been shown to kill bacteria in vitro (in test tubes not in animals) and to be effective against some yeast infections in the urinary tract such as candida. It may stimulate the action of white blood cells to combat infection and so may strengthen the immune system.

  In the traditional Chinese medicine system it has been used for malaria and heart failure, but tests have not substantiated this use.

  An infusion of the root may help to eliminate toxins and salt from the kidneys and liver, but the downside is that it could raise blood pressure so is not recommended for use if you already have high blood pressure or heart problems. Also avoid giving goldenseal to children and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, don’t use it.

  When its popularity grew in the late 1990s the little plant became at risk of being endangered and is on the list of the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) as an endangered species due to its over-harvesting.

  Goldenseal was introduced to the UK in 1760 where it became used for catarrh, the root being dried and ground to a powder for snuff to clear the nasal passages and also for its decongestant properties for bronchial catarrh. It was also used as a digestive aid and to regulate a woman’s periods.

  The Native Americans primarily used it for skin problems and it has a reputation for being good as a skin wash being credited with stopping pitting after chicken pox and smallpox. They also used the yellow juice from the root as a dye for clothes, body paint and to colour weapons.

  As it is considered an endangered species, don’t rush off and try to harvest the root!

FUMITORY - A "RANK" WEED ACCORDING TO SHAKESPEARE: HISTORY,USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF FUMITORY

FUMITORY, FUMARIA OFFICINALIS  

There are many types of fumitory, but here we deal with the one which is used in medicine Fumaria officinalis. It gets its English name from the Latin (and French) fume-terre, or earth-smoke. It actually looks smoky, with its grey-green leaves and legend has it that it grew, not from seed but from vapours that came from the ground (as with hot springs for example). Pliny begs to differ, however, and writes that it was so named because the plant’s juice brings tears to the eyes as though one were looking through smoke, and so it was used for eye problems in Roman times. Ancient shamans used the smoke from burning fumitory to exorcise evil spirits. It can also be used to curdle soybean milk with a few sprays of the herb put into each litre so that when it has curdled it does not taste rancid.

  The plant is in the Fumariaceae family and fumitory of one kind or another grows in most parts of the world including Iran and South Africa. This one is also native to Britain. It is also known as Beggary, Nidor and Vapour, and John Gerard, writing in the 16^th century said that the distilled water of fumitory “conduceth much against the plague and pestilence, being taken with good treacle.”

  In the 14^th century, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote about it in his “Canterbury Tales” and in The Nun’s Priest’s Tale it is listed as a laxative:-

   “…ere ye take your laxatives

   Of lauriol, century, and fumitory,

   Or elles of elder bery that growith thereby,

   Of catapus or of dogwood berrys,

    Of yvy in our yard, that mery is:”

Dioscorides writing in the first century AD believed that it was good for cleansing the blood and as a tonic, but as we can see from Chaucer and later writers, it was used with an infusion of senna as a laxative.

  Shakespeare makes mention of fumitory too, and classifies it as a “rank” weed, as we can see from Cordelia’s speech in “King Lear” Act IV scene 4 when she is talking about her mad father, the king, describing him in these words: -

  “As mad as the vexed sea, singing aloud,

    Crown’d with rank Fumiter and Furrow-weed,

    With burdocks, nettles, cuckoo-flowers

    Darnel and all the idle weeds that grow

    In our sustaining corn.”

  Furrow weeds were any type of weed that grew in ploughed land and darnel were also any type of weed, although these may have been thistle-types. Clearly Shakespeare didn’t think much of fumitory as in Henry V he once again classifies it as “rank” in Act V scene 2 :-

  “Her fallow leas

    The Darnel, Hemlock and rank Fumitory

    Doth root upon.”

Interestingly, Nicholas Culpeper in his Herbal wrote that it can banish Melancholy but warns against taking the pills in large doses over a period of time. He quotes Ibn Sina or Avicenna thus: -

“Pills of Fumitory: Take of myrobalans, citrons, chebs and Indian Diagrydium of each 5 drams; Aloes 7 drams; let all of them be bruised, be thrice moistened with the juice of Fumitory and thrice suffered to dry, then brought into a mass with a syrup of Fumitory.” Culpeper adds “It purges Melancholy. Be not too busy with it I beseech you.”

  He writes that fumitory has cooling properties along with strawberry leaves, wood sorrel, teazles and houseleeks among other plants for the head, and writes that it is “Cold in the second degree” as are plantain, chicory (Succory), and strawberry leaves and also states that it is good for the spleen. He suggested it be mixed with vinegar and docks and used as a wash for skin problems such as sores, scabs and pimples. (The old herbalists believed that fumitory could help with all skin problems including leprous sores.)

  Fumitory flowers in summer and a yellow dye can be obtained from the flowering tops. These are also the parts used in medicines as well as the seeds of this plant. One old (and rather expensive remedy these days) is to macerate 2 ounces of the flowers and tops in 2 pints (the expensive part) of Madeira and this was to be taken twice a day for dyspepsia. The dose was 2 to 4 fluid ounces.

  Fumitory flowering tops may be gathered in summer and dried for later use as they are thought to be especially useful for obstructions in the liver, kidneys, gall bladder and spleen. In Germany it is approved for “colicky pain affecting the gallbladder and biliary system, together with the gastrointestinal tract.” However it is said to have a hypnotic and sedative effect and should not be used for a period of longer than eight days. Fumitory is diuretic and a digestive, and slightly diaphoretic, meaning that it can promote sweating. It is also used for a tonic as it contains vitamins which help to boost the immune system.

  However caution should be taken with this herb because one can have too much of it for comfort.

SOLOMON'S SEAL - GOOD FOR "BOTH MAN AND BEAST": HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF SOLOMON'S SEAL

SOLOMON’S SEAL, POLYGONATUM ODORATUM, P. OFFICINALE

Solomon’s Seal is so called because of the marks or scars left on the rhizome when the stem has died back. Solomon’s seal was a ring given to the King who was reputed to be very wise by God or Allah. It symbolized human wisdom or super-wisdom as Solomon was thought to have and God’s grace.

  The plant is related to the lily-of-the-valley, and it certainly looks like a larger version of this, but it can have either white of creamy-yellow flowers. It is a member of the Liliaceae or lily family of plants so is related to the Arum lily too.

  It has been used in traditional medicine to help knit bones together when taken internally either in an infusion or a decoction, and the parts used are the rhizomes. The rest of the adult plant is poisonous, although the young shoots may be eaten in spring like asparagus. The pounded fresh root has been used to reduce the discolouration of bruising as John Gerard, the 16^th century English herbalist points out.

“The roots of Solomon's Seal, stamped while it is fresh and greene and applied, taketh away in one night or two at the most, any bruise, blacke or blew spots gotten by fals or women's wilfulness in stumbling upin their hastie husband's fists, or such like.”

He goes on to add:

“As touching the knitting of bones and that truly which might be written, there is not another herb to be found comparable to it for the purposes aforesaid; and therefore in briefe, if it be for bruises inward, the roots must be stamped, some ale or wine put thereto and strained and given to drinke . . . as well unto themselves as to their cattle,' it being applied 'outwardly in the manner of a pultis' for external bruises.”

Nicholas Culpeper writing in the 17^th century concurs with Gerard and adds some information of his own.

“Government and virtues. Saturn owns the plant, for he loves his bones well. The root of Solomon's Seal is found by experience to be available in wounds, hurts, and outward sores, to heal and close up the lips of those that are green, and to dry up and restrain the flux of humours to those that are old. It is singularly good to stay vomitings and bleeding wheresoever, as also all fluxes in man or woman; also, to knit any joint, which by weakness uses to be often out of place, or will not stay in long when it is set; also to knit and join broken bones in any part of the body, the roots being bruised and applied to the places; yea, it hath been found by experience, and the decoction of the root in wine, or the bruised root put into wine or other drink, and after a night's infusion, strained forth hard and drank, hath helped both man and beast, whose bones hath been broken by any occasion, which is the most assured refuge of help to people of divers counties of the land that they can have. It is no less effectual to help ruptures and burstings, the decoction in wine, or the powder in broth or drink, being inwardly taken, and outwardly applied to the place. The same is also available for inward or outward bruises, falls or blows, both to dispel the congealed blood, and to take away both the pains and the black and blue marks that abide after the hurt. The same also, or the distilled water of the whole plant, used to the face, or other parts of the skin, cleanses it from morphew, freckles, spots, or marks whatsoever, leaving the place fresh, fair, and lovely; for which purpose it is much used by the Italian Dames.”

  As a tisane it is used for stomach disorders and for menstrual cramps and other ‘female problems.’ It has been used in this way by Native Americans for centuries. In recommending this herb for pimples and freckles, these old herbalists were echoing Galen (circa AD 130-200), so this wisdom goes back to ancient times.

  The roots should be dug up in autumn when the above parts of the plant are dying and the berries are ripe. (These are very poisonous.)

   Clinical trials have been carried out, but very few, however some seem to show that the plant may be helpful in treating both diabetes and cancer, although the trials have only so far been conducted on animals in the lab.

  Solomon’s seal is also known as Lady’s Seal and the old herbalists called it Sigillum Sanctae Mariae or Saint Mary’s Seal. There are several Latin names for different plants which all go under the general name of Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum multiflorum, P biflorum, P. giganteum, P.canaliculatum, P. commutatum are among these names. Polygonatum means many-angled and refers to the root system of the plant.

  A tisane is made with one ounce of the chopped root to one pint of boiling water. Allow this to steep for 15 minutes and drink it for stomach cramps. It is also supposed to be good for the kidneys and was given for TB. The flowers and roots were used in love potions in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This is not recommended these days, however, try dark chocolate instead!

LUPINS HAVE SO MANY POSSIBILITIES: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF LUPINS

LUPINS, LUPINUS GENUS

Lupins, like hollyhocks can be found in many quintessential English gardens. It is believed that the white lupin, Lupinus albus originated in Greece, and spread from there to ancient Egypt and Rome. Whatever the case, lupins, or lupines as they are spelled in American English, have been cultivated around the world for between 3 and 4 thousand years, both for animal fodder and human food. They usually grow to heights of 2 to 3 feet but can grow up to 6 feet tall. They belong to the Fabaceae or Leguminoceae family of plants so are related to the green bean, pea, indigo, the pongam tree and the Monkey Pod tree, carob and the Butterfly pea, to name but a few.

  The word lupin comes from the Latin meaning wolf (lupus) as it was believed that the lupins stole fertile land which could have been used for other crops just as a wolf stole sheep from a shepherd. We now know that they are nitrogen fixers and actually increase the fertility of poor soil. Frederick the Great of Prussia seemed aware of this fact when, in 1781 he took large quantities of lupins from the Mediterranean and transplanted them in northern Germany to improve the fertility of the soil. By the 1860s there were lupins along the Baltic coastal plains and the soil was much improved.

  The Germans have been proponents of the lupin for centuries and in 1917 a German scientist, Doctor Thomas held a Lupin Fest or banquet in Hamburg for those with an interest in botany. The feast consisted of Lupin soup, Lupin beefsteak cooked in lupin oil and seasoned with extract of lupin, with bread made from 20 % lupin flour, lupin margarine to put on the bread, lupin cheese made from lupin albumen and all this was washed down after the meal with a lupin liqueur, and lupin coffee. If someone who attended the feast felt like writing a letter, then there was paper and envelopes (with lupin adhesive) made from the fibre of lupin stems and the whole meal was served on a tablecloth which- you’ve guessed it- was made of lupin fibres. They could also wash their hands after the meal with lupin soap.                                                                                      

  After such a tour de force interest was renewed in the lupin’s possibilities, and a less bitter type of lupin was developed for human consumption during the 1920s.

  On 3^rd January, 2011, it was reported in news.softpedia that a German scientist, Dr. Peter Eisner of the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Freising, Germany, had suggested that the lupin could be the answer to both the health of the environment and the Earth’s population, as it contained protein which was gluten-free and also lactose free so could be used in the preparation of ice-cream and cheese. He went even further when he pointed out that the protein content of lupin seeds or beans could be put to use as a meat substitute in the German wűrst (sausage). This would provide a low-fat cholesterol free sausage as the lupin bean or seed is full of healthy polyunsaturated fats and a source of Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.

  Writing in his Natural History in the first century BC Pliny the Elder wrote: - “No kind of food is more wholesome and light in digestion than the White lupin, (Lupinus albus) when eaten dry. If taken commonly at meals, it will contribute a fresh colour and a cheerful countenance.” Lupin seeds were sold on street corners in ancient Rome as snacks with sunflower seeds. They were also used as props in Roman tragedies and comedies, substituting for money, so were known as a mere trifle. This use was also known in Mediaeval England as they were, according to Dr. Fernie, writing in his Herbal Simples in 1897 called “tristis lupinus” meaning the sad lupins by Virgil. That being said this epithet attached to them by Virgil, probably had nothing to do with them being regarded as no money at all, but was more likely to have been a reference to the fact that in ancient Greece pilgrims visiting the Oracle of the Dead on the banks of the river Acheron ate copious amounts of lupin seeds as it was believed that they would facilitate communication with the departed whom they wished to contact. In the ancient world, lupins were thought to aid communication with spirits in the afterlife.                                            

  It has been found that lupin seeds provide one of the best sources of the amino acid, arginine, which is believed to help the health of blood vessels and to reduce high blood pressure. It should therefore help men with erectile dysfunctions. They are a useful source of β-carotene as their colour asserts. They have antioxidant properties too and so are under scrutiny by scientists.

  In the Mediterranean areas of Italy, Greece and Portugal, you can buy lupin seeds which have been pickled in brine like capers and olives, and these may be added to breakfast cereals for extra vitamins, minerals and protein. In the Andes, lupin flour is mixed with fresh papaya juice while in Australia and beans are sprouted like alfalfa and mung beans to produce bean sprouts.

  Lupin flour is gluten free and can be used in cooking and baking as it is in the med. It may be used to thicken sauces and soups and stews, or used as a face pack to rejuvenate tired skin. The seeds are roasted and used as a coffee substitute which is probably preferable to dandelion coffee, and you can also make them into a poultice (bruise and crack them) for ulcers. Taken internally the seeds have diuretic properties and have been used in traditional medicine systems to regulate a woman’s periods. They can also help regulate blood sugar levels and have a reputation for being able to rid the body of internal worms.

  Seeds from an Arctic lupin species (Lupinus articus) found in lemming burrows in the Yukon, Alaska, were dated to around 10,000 years old and were successfully germinated. They are not the oldest seeds to have done so, though as this record is held by the lotus seeds (Nelumbo nucifera) which germinated after lying dormant for 13,000 years.

  If you use lupin seeds fresh and pick them yourself you should soak them in several changes of water before using them in any way as they contain some toxic alkaloids and tannins which could react badly in the body. Leaching the beans and discarding the water will help. However, the pickled beans are cheap and delicious too. Roasted they can be combined with melon and watermelon seeds for a healthy snack.

MOONWORT, ONE OF THE FERNS: HISTORY, SUPERSTITIONS AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF MOONWORT

MOONWORT, BOTYRCHIUM LUNARIA

Moonwort or common moonwort is a fern which grows throughout Europe, North and South America, parts of Asia and Australia. Botyrchium lunaria is sometimes called the common moonwort to distinguish it from others in the same family of Botrychiaceae, in the order of the Ophioglossales or adder’s tongue order of plants.

 Moonwort has long been a plant associated with magic and it is said that witches used to gather it by moonlight (preferably during the full moon) and use it in their spells and during incantations. Superstition has it (in the UK and as mentioned by Nicholas Culpeper) that it could unlock locks and unshoe horses which trod on it unwittingly. This is what Culpeper has to say abut this tiny fern, which grows to a staggering 3 inches high, which is why it is so difficult to spot in long grass.                                                               

spores of moonwort

“Government and virtues. The Moon owns the herb. Moonwort is cold and drying more than adder's tongue, and is therefore held to be more available for all wounds both inward and outward. The leaves boiled in red wine, and drank, stay the immoderate flux of women's courses, and the whites. It also stays bleeding, vomiting, and other fluxes. It helps all blows and bruises, and to consolidate all fractures and dislocations. It is good for ruptures, but is chiefly used, by most with other herbs, to make oils or balsams to heal fresh or green wounds (as I said before) either inward or outward, for which it is excellently good.

Moonwort is a herb which (they say) will open locks, and unshoe such horses as tread upon it. This some laugh to scorn, and those no small fools neither; but country people, that I know, call it Unshoe the Horse. Besides I have heard commanders say, that on White Down in Devonshire, near Tiverton, there were found thirty horse shoes, pulled off from the feet of the Earl of Essex's horses, being there drawn up in a body, many of them being but newly shod, and no reason known, which caused much admiration: the herb described usually grows upon heaths.”

  In some states in North America, moonwort is an endangered species, particularly in New England, where it is on the critically endangered list in the state of Maine. It has the distinction of being the only moonwort which grows in Britain where as Culpeper reports (writing in the 17^th century) it was mainly used as a vulnerary or wound healer. John Parkinson (1567-1650), who was herbalist to King Charles I of Britain, says that the plant was used by alchemists who sought to change base materials into gold.   

  Because it is so small it is difficult to spot, but it has spores, which look a little like flowers, between the months of June and August, when you are more likely to detect it. It doesn’t have fronds like the maidenhair fern or bracken, but nevertheless it is a small fern.

HONEY AND ITS HEALTH BENEFITS

                                                        HONEY

Honey is very useful in the winter months as it can help protect us from coughs, colds and flu. In Pakistan children are given a spoonful of honey in hot milk for breakfast to keep them warm as honey has “hot” properties according to Eastern medicine systems. It also boosts the immune system and helps protect us from diseases. It is a natural antibiotic too which means that we can use it if our bodies and the invading viruses and bacteria have become immune to the effects of pharmaceutical antibiotics.                                               

  Raw honey is of course the best for our health. This is honey which has not been subjected to heating at 70 º C or more so still contains all the enzymes which the bees have in their honeycombs. This is difficult to obtain unless you happen to know a beekeeper or apiarist as they are known. The darker the honey, the stronger the flavour, the lighter, the less oomph it packs, although this is not to say that it doesn’t have health benefits.

  Commercially produced honey which you get from your supermarket shelves has been processed so that it has a longer shelf-life, which means that it doesn’t crystallize as quickly as raw honey. Crystallized honey can still be used to sweeten hot drinks and in cooking and baking, so don’t throw it away.

  When honey is heated for commercial use, it loses some of the nutrients such as yeast, bioflavonoids and minerals and vitamins. However, all of them are not lost. If you want to buy “pure” honey, then you should read the label on the jar or tin very carefully and choose honey that has not been adulterated with such ingredients as molasses, corn starch and so on. The best honey is that which has been produced from one source, lavender, or thyme flowers, orange flowers etc. If the honey is raw you should be able to get the aroma of the flowers when you open the jar or tin. Some people say that you can tell if honey is pure by rubbing a little of it on the palm of your hand, and if you have a slight burning sensation it is pure. The real test, it would seem, is to drop some honey into water and if it is difficult to get it to dissolve because it forms a solid mass at the bottom of the cup, then it is pure. Commercial honey will dissolve more quickly.

  Bees make a substance called propolis which means “defence of the city” in ancient Greek, and this is made by the bees chewing the resin which exudes from buds on trees, so mixing it with their saliva to make a natural antibiotic substance which they use to seal cracks in their hives so that the hive is protected against the elements and diseases and infections. It keeps the hive healthy and warm. Propolis is rich in nutrients and may contain bees’ wings and other flecks and is also used by its creators to seal and repair the honeycombs. It consists of 50 -70 % resins, 30% wax (beeswax), 10 % etheric oils and about 5% of pollen. The bees sting invaders of the insect world to death and then embalm them in this substance. Ancient Egyptians used the process for embalming in their mummification process. Propolis is rich in nutrients which include carotene (vitamin A), B-complex vitamins B1, B2, B3 and biotin and bioflavonoids (vitamin P). It has 500 times more bioflavonoids than an orange and also contains the minerals, calcium, potassium, phosphorous and magnesium. It promotes wound healing and the regeneration of tissue, and is a natural alternative to antibiotics such as penicillin.                                                                                                

  Raw honey also shares these properties as it contains propolis, and is a rich source of antioxidants, so having just a teaspoonful of honey a day will make you less susceptible to illnesses and honey does not increase the blood sugar levels as quickly as does sugar, making it comparatively good for diabetics. It also has anti-inflammatory properties as well as anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral ones and if that isn't enough to convince you that it is good for you, it also contains selenium, the trace element that produces the feel-good factor.                                                                                                    

  A teaspoonful of honey mixed with lemon juice and ginger root juice is an excellent remedy for coughs, colds and sore throats, etc. In the UK people also add blackcurrant juice to this for extra vitamin C and vitamins A and E.

  Our ancestors, the hunter-gatherers used honey and so did the people of ancient civilizations. They gave honey as offerings to their gods, as well as eating it themselves if they foraged for it. Otherwise, honey was only available to the wealthy as it was expensive. This was true until commercially produced honey became available with the mechanized honey extractor.

  If you can get raw honey from a beekeeper this is the best way of ensuring your honey is pure; if you can’t check the label carefully for adulterants. Some of the best honey I have eaten was from Crete, and that from Athens was very good too, believe it or not. In Greece, it is used in thick natural yoghurt topped with seasonal soft fruit such as strawberries, bananas and kiwi fruit, which makes a wonderful breakfast dish.

 

DOG ROSE - USE THE HIPS FOR HEALTH: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF DOG ROSES

DOG ROSE, ROSA CANINA 

The dog rose can be found in hedgerows in Britain, mainland Europe, North Africa and south western Asia. It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries and as a beauty aid. Cleopatra is said to have soaked the sails of her barge with rose water to impress both Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony.

  It is thought that this wild rose originated in the East and spread to Persia (now Iran) and Babylon, then was taken by Arab traders to Egypt, from where it was transported to ancient Greece and Rome, where it flourished along with the wild damask rose. Roses were worn as garlands around the necks of ancient Romans and figured in feasts, orgies and marriages. The rose, particularly the red rose, has been a symbol of love for centuries. Wild roses are closely related with the cultivated ones and belong in the same Rosaceae family as plums, loquats, apricots, almonds and a multitude of other plants which provide us with fruit and nuts.

  The wild rose or dog rose gets its name from the Old word “dag” for dagger which refers to its thorns and the tale of the Devil who was tormented by the thorns when he fell from grace into a wild rose bush. Some believe that the word ‘dog’ came about as Pliny says that the Romans used the roots of the wild rose to cure the bites of rabid dogs.

  Nicholas Culpeper writing his herbal in the 17^th century has this to say of the dog rose: -

   “Government and virtues. It is under the dominion of the moon. The flowers of the wild-briar are accounted more restringent than the garden-roses, and by some are reckoned as a specific for the excess of the catamenia. The pulp of the hips has a pleasant grateful acidity, strengthens the stomach, cools the heat of fevers, is pectoral, good for coughs and spitting of blood, and the scurvy. The seed has been known to do great things against the stone and gravel; and the same virtues are attributed to the spongy excresence which grows upon the stalk. The best way of preserving its virtues is, by keeping it conserved.”                                                                                           

  The German Commission E might agree with Culpeper’s last statement, as they have stated that the fruit loses a lot of its natural potency as regards health benefits soon after it is picked. This means that you should use freshly picked fruit – hips or dried powder. By “restringent,” Culpeper means astringent I believe and this is affirmed by modern science. The dog rose petals have more astringency as do the leaves than those of other roses. This means that they can be used to treat stomach upsets and can be applied to wounds. Usually this is done in the form of a wash.

  A tisane, syrup and rose water can be made with the parts of the dog rose, and rose petal jam is a good preserve. The fruit or hips can be eaten raw or cooked and this begins to appear in October but is sweeter and softer after a frost. The flowers are in bloom in June and July and decorate the hedges with their pink or pink and white, or more rarely white flowers. I used to be fascinated with these wild roses and was told that they were brought to Britain by the Romans. However this is made reference to so far as I have found on the Net. I liked to believe it was true, and of course, it may be. It can grow to 3 metres (9 feet) tall by the same dimensions wide.                                                                    

  The dried leaves of the dog rose can be powdered and made into a tisane, which is said to help with stomach upsets. The petals can be made into rose water, but it takes a long time. You can pick the flowers on a sunny day when they are at their most fragrant and put them into an enamel pan or a stainless steel one, and cover them with fresh spring water or distilled water. Cover the pan and put it on a low heat and bring it to a simmer. Turn the heat down as low as you can and heat it through for 10 minutes, lightly covered. Turn off the heat and allow the flowers to steep overnight, then, in the morning, strain the liquid and add a quarter of the volume of alcohol to preserve it. Bottle it in sterile glass jars or bottles and store in a cool dark place. This is a useful toner for the skin and can be used as a wash for acne and other skin blemishes. You can also use it in cooking and it is very good in milky puddings, such as rice pudding, or with fruit salads.

 Rose hip tisane has mild laxative properties, probably because of the malic and citric acids it contains along with pectin. You can make a jelly with rose hips as you can with crab apples.

  Rose hip oil is a good moisturizer and rejuvenates the skin. This is obtained from the seeds contained in the hips. These are rich in vitamin E and they can be ground and mixed with flour or added as a thickener to sweet dishes. However they are fiddly to deal with as you should really remove the tiny hairs that grow on the seeds. Boiled seeds have been used to treat the pains of rheumatism, arthritis and gout and should be boiled for at least an hour if you are thinking of using the remedy.

  In Anatolia the fruit is used in the treatment of diabetes, and a study by Orhan N. et al., published in 2009 in the Pharmacognosy Magazine Vol. 5 (20) pp 309-15 “Anti-diabetic Effect and Antioxidant Potential of Rosa Canina  Fruits” supported this traditional use. Other Turkish research has shown the anti-inflammatory effects of extracts of the fruit.                             

  Rose hips from the dog rose contain fatty acids, which is unusual for a fruit, and they have more vitamin C than oranges or any other citrus fruit (so was useful during the Second World War in Britain) as well as vitamins A, D, E and K, and the minerals, boron, sodium, calcium, copper, zinc, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorous. There are also bioflavonoids, tannin, carotenoids including β-carotene and some of the B-complex vitamins. As it is red, as are strawberries, tomatoes and watermelons, it contains lycopene, which reduces the risk of prostate cancer in men.

  A Danish study conducted by R. Christenson published in 2008 has suggested that the extracts of the rose hips of this particular wild rose may indeed soothe the pain of inflamed joints, and osteoarthritis.

  The following recipe is to be used with freshly picked rosehips and is a syrup which can be given to people suffering from colds, flu etc as it will boost the immune system and reduce the number of days the symptoms stay. It can also be used in winter as can the infusion of the hips to boost the immune system and so lessen the risk of colds and so on. However, it takes ages to make, although you don’t have to look after it while it simmers.

ROSE HIP SYRUP

Ingredients                                          

2 pints water 

4 ozs fresh rose hips

1lb sugar

Method          

Put the hips and water in a pan and cover it. Bring the water to the boil and boil, covered for 20 to 30 minutes.

Strain the liquid and clean the pan, then pour the liquid back into it.

Leave it uncovered on a very low heat until only 7 fluid ounces are left. (This is what takes the time.)

Add the sugar and still on a very low heat, simmer until it dissolves.

Allow it to cool a little before bottling it.

Store in a cool dark place.

DWARF ELDER: USED FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES AROUND THE GLOBE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF DWARF ELDER

DWARF ELDER, (EUROPEAN), SAMBUCUS EBULUS 

The dwarf elder is in the same genus as the elder or common elder tree and in the Adoxaceae family of plants, although formerly it was in the Caprifoliaceae family. The Himalayan viburnums belong in the same family as does the Guelder rose (Viburnum opulis), making them relations of the European dwarf elder, which is different altogether from the plant called by the same name in the US; Aralia hispida of the Araliaceae family. This dwarf elder is native to Britain and mainland Europe as well as to the Mediterranean and eastwards to the Himalayas. Its cooked fruit is edible, and so are the leaves as they can be made into a tisane or infusion and have been used as a tea substitute.

  The Dwarf elder is also known as Danewort, Danesblood, and Walwort and there are legends surrounding these names. “Wal” means slaughter, and it was thought (or perhaps hoped) that the plant grew where the blood of invading Danes had been spilled in Britain. There are places called the Slaughters (Upper and Lower) in the Cotswolds and there are quite a lot of dwarf elders there still. It is also called Blood Elder or Blood Hilder and it was thought to have been brought to Britain by the Danes to lay on their graves.

  The berries and leaves closely resemble those of the elder tree, but this is a plant which only grows to around three feet high and it dies back in winter. The stem of this plant is not woody and the white flowers are sometimes splashed with red and they have red anthers. They bloom in July and August, and like their relatives, the Himalayan viburnums, they don’t smell pleasant. In fact the whole plant when bruised, smells obnoxious, and does not have the musky smell of the elder. It is said that the plant repels moles and mice, so perhaps the leaves repel mice too.

  The plant has been found to have some anti-cancer properties, anti-inflammatory ones and have antioxidant properties; it is an anti-rheumatism plant and can be used as a remedy for piles according to some modern research. The flowers and berried contain essential oil. And the rest of the plant contains tannins, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides including sambunigrin and ebuloside and ebulin, along with caffeic acid derivatives and other substances. However, much more research needs to be done to find how this plant can be used effectively for human health.

  In Iranian traditional medicine the plant is used to treat sore throats, and bee and nettle stings as well as arthritis. Juice from the root is used to dye hair black, in some parts of the world, and a blue dye and ink may be obtained from the berries.

  In traditional medicine the root is used as a very effective and drastic purgative and this is not recommended! The leaves also can be used as a milder purgative. These have anti-inflammatory properties, can help to increase the flow of bile in the body and help remove it, act as an expectorant, and in fevers can promote sweat. They also have diuretic activities. The leaves can be placed on burns and scalds to help heal them and can also be made into a hot or warm poultice for sprains and swellings. It was thought that placing a bunch of dwarf elder leaves on the chest of someone who had just begun to get T.B. would help, and if a person had a fever, he or she might be laid on a sheet which had the leaves on it and then wrapped in a blanket to get rid of a fever. The physicians of Myddfai used it for fevers, as you can see from these ancient remedies of theirs: -

  “Fevers The mugwort, madder, meadow sweet, milfoil, hemp, red cabbage, and the tutsan, all these seven herbs enter into the composition of the medicine required. Whosoever obtains them all, will not languish long from a wounded lung, or need fear for his life. Any of the following herbs may be added thereto, butcher's broom, agrimony, tutsan, dwarf elder, amphibious persicaria, centaury, round birth wort, field scabious, pepper mint, daisy, knap weed, roots of the red nettle, crake berry, St. John's wort, privet, wood betony, the roots of the yellow goat's beard, heath, water avens, woodruff, leaves of the earth nut, agrimony, wormwood, the bastard balm, small burdock, and the orpine”

This was a treatment for an intermittent fever such as malaria is: -

  “Take the mugwort, dwarf elder, tutsan, amphibious persicaria, pimpernel, butcher's broom, elder bark, and the mallow, and boiling them together as well as possible in a pot, or cauldron. Then take the water and herbs, and add them to the bath.”

  Nicholas Culpeper writing his herbal in the 17^th century, much later than the old Welsh physicians, has this to say of the dwarf elder: -

  “The dwarf elder is more powerful than the common elder in opening and purging choler, phlegm, and water; in helping the gout, piles, and women's diseases, coloureth the hair black, helpeth the inflammations of the eyes, and pains in the ears, the biting of serpents, or mad dogs, burnings and scaldings, the wind cholic, cholic and stone, the difficulty of urine, the cure of old sores and fistulous ulcers. Either leaves or bark of elder, stripped upwards as you gather it, causeth vomiting. Also Dr. Butler, in a manuscript of his, commends dwarf elder to the sky for dropsies, viz to drink it, being boiled in white wine; to drink the decoction I mean, not the elder.”

  This plant has been used for centuries for various ailments, and it seems that it has far more benefits for our health than even the old herbalists gave it credit for.

  

FRENCH MERCURY NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE BY CULPEPER: HISTORY AND MEDICINAL USES OF FRENCH MERCURY

FRENCH, GARDEN OR ANNUAL MERCURY, MERCURIALIS ANNUA

This Mercury, like dog’smercury is a member of the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family of plants along with Ricinis communis or the castor oil plant, cassava or manioc, and Croton tiglium or jamalgota among others. It is sometimes confused with Good-King-Henry, which is often called English Mercury to distinguish it from this plant which is poisonous. Garden mercury or French mercury has been used dried as a decoction in injections by the French, possibly for STDs, this is unclear, but it is best to take the advice of Nicholas Culpeper, the 17^th century English herbalist and stay away from Mercuries. He had this to say of them: -

“This species of mercury has been confounded with others of the same name, with which it has been thought to agree in nature. But there is not a more fatal plant, native of our country, than this. The common herbals, as Gerard's and Parkinson's, instead of cautioning their readers against the use of this plant, after some trifling, idle observations upon the qualities of mercuries in general, dismiss the article without noticing its baneful effects. Other writers, more accurate, have done this; but they have written in Latin, a language not likely to inform those who stand most in need of this caution. This is one of the reasons for compiling of this work.”

  It is said that the young leaves can be used as a spinach substitute, as it would appear that they lose their poisonous principle if heat is applied to them. However to be on the safe side, don’t use this herb or dog’s mercury either. Raw leaves are poisonous. It is said that this herb was once used as a pot herb but I find this very hard to believe.

  The leaves have been chopped and boiled or fried in lard to make a moisturizing cream for dry skin, and the herb has been used for a number of purposes in ancient medicine. However it doesn’t smell at all pleasant, so why would anyone want to use it when sweeter smelling herbs can be employed for all the purposes it was used for. I guess it wasn’t terribly popular unless one was desperately in need of a purge, in which case it was less noxious to use than dog’s mercury.

  Best advice? Take that of Culpeper and stay away from the mercuries!

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