EUROPEAN LABURNUM: PRETTY BUT POISONOUS: HISTORY OS USES OF LABURNUM

LABURNUM, LABURNUM ANAGYROIDES

The laburnum tree is cultivated widely in Europe, particularly in Britain, because of its yellow flowers which hang in clusters but which later give way to poisonous seeds. I once lived close to one of these trees and can say that nothing could grow under it. It is a member of the Leguminoseae or Fabaceae family and so is related to the Indian laburnum or amaltas, carob, peas, beans such as the green bean, borlotti bean, soya beans, chickpeas and choliya, the tree from which we get gum Tragacanth, the butterfly pea, the trees, dhak, jhand, the Indian coral tree, the Borneo or Pacific teak, the Lead tree (Ipil –Ipil), the pongam tree, the monkey pod tree, ashoka, indigo, lentils, alfalfa, field restharrow and a whole host of other plants.

  A botanical synonym is Cytisus laburnum, so it is a close relative of broom, Cytisus scoparius.

  It looks very pretty, but it is poisonous and should be treated with care. It is indigenous to the mountainous regions of France, Germany and Switzerland, but can now be seen virtually all over Europe. Unfortunately the seeds can kill animals, and people. They contain the poisonous alkaloid, cystine, which may be a perfect insecticide, but cannot be used, for example to kill head lice in children (as can Stavesacre or Lousewort) because it may be absorbed through the skin. The poisoning can be fatal from ingestion of this plant, although there are some reports that this can be remedied by administering a violent emetic and then dosing yourself with whiskey or poisoned before having one!)

  It has been suggested that the seeds could be used for whooping cough and asthma, but again this has not been used because of the possibility of death occurring from the dosage which was meant to cure. (This is another plant, like aconite, either Monkshood or wolfsbane, which is best avoided.)

We know that this tree was introduced into England some time before 1597 as John Gerard, the 16^th century apothecary and herbalist, wrote of having one in his garden. He called it Bean trefoil or Anagyris. The laburnum tree is called Faux ébénier in French - False ebony as its wood is used instead of ebony. It is hard and durable but coarse-grained and need to be highly polished. However it is used by turners and may be used for furniture or decorative items.

  This tree may be attractive when it is in flower, but if you have one near you – take care!

STAVESACRE - INSECTICIDE, BUT POISONOUS: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF STAVESACRE

STAVESACRE, LOUSEWORT, DELPHINIUM STAPHISAGRIA 

Stavesacre is a really pretty tall flowering plant which is highly toxic. It contains diterpene alkaloids which can prove fatal. The symptoms begin with euphoria, followed by depression and extreme sensitivity of the nerves, then paralysis, the slowing of the pulse and respiration until finally it causes death by asphyxiation. It acts in much the same way as Monkshood or aconite (also blue-flowered).

  Stavesacre is clearly a corruption of its Latin name, staphisagria (say it and you’ll see how!) It was given the name lousewort, because its main use was to kill parasites, especially head lice in children. It was much used in the Middle Ages, when there were hygiene issues!

  Stavesacre is a member of the buttercup family, or Ranunculaceae, making it a relative of Lesser Celandine, marsh marigolds, black cohosh, wood anemones, goldenseal and wolfsbane (another aconite). It is a native of the Mediterranean region and southern Europe, and can grow to around four feet high, so is quite conspicuous.

  The seeds are the main parts used, and these are collected and dried for later use, although given the toxicity of this plant is best left alone. It was known to Dioscorides and Pliny who both mention its use as a purgative and for killing parasites and insects externally. It has been used for skin problems and was thought to be an effective wart remover.

  Nicholas Culpeper, the 17^th century English herbalist had this to say about it: -

“Government and virtues. It is seldom given inwardly, being of a hot burning taste, though Sylvius de la Boe commends it from gr. xii. to a scruple in a dose, which purges upwards and downwards, causing a great flux of spittle; and is serviceable against the lues neverea. It is sometimes used in masticatories and gargarisms for the toothach. The vulgar use the powder of it to kill lice. The seeds are kept by the druggists, and they have been given in small doses against rheumatic and venereal disorders; they vomit and purge, and that in so rough a manner, that it is better to omit their internal use entirely. Chewed in the mouth, they excite a very large discharge of watery humours from adjacent parts, and frequently prove serviceable in disorders of the head; but they are chiefly used to destroy lice in children's heads, for this purpose the seeds coarsely powdered are to be strewed among the hair, and it never fails of destroying them.”

BIG-LEAF MAHOGANY- PRIZED FOR ITS WOOD: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF BIG-LEAF MAHOGANY

BIG-LEAF MAHOGANY, SWIETENIA MACROPHYLLA

Mahogany has been valued for its high-quality durable timber since the 16^th century. This tree, the big-leaf mahogany is native to Central and South America. In these countries there is a ban on its timber as it is now on the CITES list and the mahogany that is sold now comes from plantations in the Asia-Pacific region, from Fiji, India, Sri Lanka and other countries. It has been on the IUCN red List since 2003 in its natural range.

  Mahogany wood has a rich, red-brown colour and has been used to make musical instruments, for timber in the construction industry, boat-building and high-quality furniture. However the tree also has medicinal properties.

  In Bolivia the Mesetemo Indians use a decoction of the crushed seeds to bring about an abortion, and use the crushed seeds with the oil from Attalea phalerata for skin problems and children’s skin allergies. They make use of the bark to make dye. In Malaysia the seeds are chewed, or swallowed in powder form to treat high blood pressure, while in India the seeds are also used to treat this as well as diabetes. In India the seeds are also used for diarrhoea. In Indonesia a decoction of the seeds is given against malaria.

  In clinical trials the leaves have been found to have anti-diabetic properties, and to have anti-inflammatory properties as well as perhaps having the potential to help against hepatitis C. Traditional uses have also been upheld for the treatment of diarrhoea and malaria. The leaves have also been found to have some anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties.

  In some countries a decoction or infusion is made with the crushed seeds for all of the above diseases with honey added to sweeten the concoction. It is said to increase the male libido and so has a reputation as an aphrodisiac, touted in supplements for erectile dysfunctions. However there is no scientific evidence for these claims.

  The tree grows to great heights of 50 metres and can live for 350 years plus. It has white flowers which fall to form the fruit which is very unusual as it is gravity defying – it points upwards, and so is called the sky fruit. This contains a winged seed, which falls quite near the parent tree because of its weight, meaning that mahogany trees tend to form natural stands. The tree sheds its leaves in summer and is a member of the Meliaceae family of plants, so is related to the neem tree, Azadirachta indica, and to the Chinaberry tree, Melia azedarach. The other trees which produce mahogany are Swietenia humilis and Swietenia mahagoni. This one is also known as the bastard mahogany, as opposed to Swietenia mahagoni.

   Deforestation has led to the endangerment of this tree in South America, along with unsustainable logging for its timber. There has been a ban on felling it in Costa Rica since 1997. When the trees are felled this leads to soil degradation and erosion as the roots go deep into the ground and stabilize the soil.

MASTERWORT, ONCE BELIEVED TO HAVE POWERFUL HEALING PROPERTIES: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF MASTERWORT

MASTERWORT, MEISTERWURZ, PEUCEDANUM OSTRUTHIUM 

Masterwort was called “the divine remedy” in the Middle Ages, and believed to be a wonder herb, capable of curing most ailments. Its leaves were used to flavour soups and its root is still used to make Meisterwurzbrand, a liqueur, in the Tyrol region of the Alps.

   It is a member of the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family of plants, and as such is related to the carrot, celeriac, lovage, opoponax, Alexanders (black lovage), thapsia, cow parsley, sweet Cicely, hemlock, pignuts, lesser and greater burnet saxifrage, ground elder, rock samphire, fennel, sea holly and sanicle, to name just a few of its relatives. It is a close relative of angelica, for which it is sometimes mistaken as it smells very similar. Unfortunately masterwort has a sap in its aerial parts which can cause dermatitis on contact with the skin. It was much used at one time and being a native of Southern Europe, was cultivated in monastery gardens in Britain and Ireland. It is now naturalized in these countries. Its botanical synonym is Imperatoria ostruthium, and another English name for it is Hog’s fennel.

  Hildegard von Bingen mentions it in glowing terms in her “Physica” written between 1150 and 1160, as Astrenica and it was also previously known as Magistranta. All its names reflect the way herbalists thought of it – a powerful remedy.

  It is said to contain myristicin which is supposed to be a psychotropic, found in nutmeg, and responsible for euphoria. The root has been chewed to relieve toothache, and in the USA was once used to calm hysteria and delirium tremens. This is interesting as the root of masterwort was thought to impart strength and courage to its bearer, as well as protection, which was a good thing, as it was believed that if the root were scattered around, any lurking evil spirits would manifest themselves.

  The root is the main part used in medicine, and this is said to be best gathered in spring or autumn and dried for later use.

  Nicholas Culpeper, the English herbalist, writing in the 17^th century had this to say about it:-

“Government and virtues. It is an herb of Mars. The root of Masterwort is hotter than pepper, and very available in cold griefs and diseases both of the stomach and body, dissolving very powerfully upwards and downwards. It is also used in a decoction with wine against all cold rheums, distillations upon the lungs, or shortness of breath, to be taken morning and evening. It also provokes urine, and helps to break the stone, and expel the gravel from the kidneys; provokes women's courses, and expels the dead birth. It is singularly good for strangling of the mother, and other such like feminine diseases. It is effectual also against the dropsy, cramps, and falling sickness; for the decoction in wine being gargled in the mouth, draws down much water and phlegm, from the brain, purging and easing it of what oppresses it. It is of a rare quality against all sorts of cold poison, to be taken as there is cause; it provokes sweat. But lest the taste hereof, or of the seed (which works to the like effect, though not so powerfully) should be too offensive, the best way is to take the water distilled both from the herb and root. The juice hereof dropped, or tents dipped therein, and applied either to green wounds or filthy rotten ulcers, and those that come by envenomed weapons, doth soon cleanse and heal them. The same is also very good to help the gout coming of a cold causey.”

   The infusion or tisane of the chopped root is said to be good for migraines, and it has also been used for asthma. There has not been much research into this plant except by manufacturers of cosmetics who seem to think along with the ancient Romans that it can keep the skin youthful. They were so enamoured of masterwort that some say they were responsible for introducing it to the rest of Europe. 

BAMBOO-NOT JUST FOR PANDAS AND BALE MONKEYS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF BAMBOO: RECIPE STIR-FRIED BAMBOO SHOOTS

BAMBOO, BAMBUSA VULGARIS 

There are many different species of bamboo, all members of the grass or Poaceae family so it is related to rice, black rice, Kans grass, maize, sorghum, millet, rye, barley, oats and wheat just to name a few of its relatives. Bamboo is a favourite food of the Giant panda and the Bale monkey (which was only discovered by Westerners in 1902), which lives in Ethiopia and is dependent on bamboo for its survival. The Asian elephant likes them too, but is not as picky an eater as the Giant Panda or the Bale monkey.

  There is a traditional belief that a bamboo grove was a favourite dwelling place of Buddha and it is said that in such a grove you find tranquility and it also stimulates creativity.

  Some bamboo is used for timber and is a hard one when treated, preferable to hard or soft wood which takes years to grow. Bamboo could be the timber of the century as it can grow to its peak in 5 years and can be harvested after one, so is a sustainable crop. It can also absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than an equivalent stand of trees, so if more were planted, it could help with the world’s pollution problem.

  In ancient China, bamboo was a writing material which faded into obscurity when paper was manufactured in the 4^th century AD or thereabouts. Now it has numerous uses- 1,500 is a figure that has been mentioned. It is useful as fibre as it absorbs sweat and has antibacterial and anti-odour properties. You can now get socks made from bamboo fibre, for example. It has been used to make bicycle frames, for construction (whole houses have been made from it which are earthquake resistant), bridges (there’s one suspension bridge in Sichuan province China, which is at least a thousand years old), fly fishing rods, and many more uses.

  Thomas Edison used bamboo for a filament in his light bulb which is still working in the Smithsonian museum and he used it as needles for his phonographs too. In Japan and other Asian countries, tattoo needles are made from bamboo. In 2005 Asus made a laptop case with it, so you can see that it is very versatile.

  The name “bamboo” is onomatopoeic, as it is said that this is the noise it makes when it is laid in a fire to scare away wild animals. Marco Polo, the Italian adventurer reported this in 1270.

  The material made from bamboo is UV resistant and so can block those harmful rays, and it is also hypoallergenic and heat regulating.

  Bamboo is the fastest growing known plant and this has led to its use as a torture plant. It can grow inside the body for 2 to 4 days if conditions are right, and the poor person subjected to this form of torture would have an excruciating death.

  This grass can also be made into biomass and charcoal. A power station in the Philippines runs on bamboo chips. Clearly it has potential as a fuel as it also makes good charcoal which is a deodorizer.

  The joints or culms of bamboo exude a sap which is rich in silica and this supports many of the body’s functions. It should be no surprise to learn that bamboo has been used in traditional medicine systems in Asia for thousands of years. In Ayurvedic medicine practised in the Asian subcontinent the sap is known as tabasher and is used in Tibet with other ingredients for lung diseases. This substance contains more silica than is found in horsetail and it is the richest source of organic silica known. It is believed that silica can help protect against Alzheimer’s disease, cardio-vascular disease, can help delay the aging process of the skin as it provides a boost to the collagen and elasticin which maintain the skin’s flexibility and elasticity so preventing wrinkles forming. It also assists in healing bones which have been fractured, and in promoting healthy hair, nails, lessening bone mass loss, helping joints retain their flexibility and easing joint pains.

  Bamboo vinegar is a by-product of the charcoal-making process and this has anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, and is added to bath water, used for eczema and other skin problems.

 The leaves of bamboo contain flavonoids which have antioxidant properties. It is thought that these flavonoids may promote blood circulation, reduce inflammation and inhibit allergic reactions. The leaves are used in traditional medicine for their cooling, astringent properties, for fevers, wound healing, for eye problems and to regulate a woman’s menstrual flow. Juice from the leaves is also used to make bamboo-flavoured beer.

  Bamboo is used to stop vomiting, and mainly for coughs, bronchitis and other respiratory complaints. In some countries it is also thought to be an aphrodisiac and is also used to remedy STDs.

  Bamboos shoots, the tender young ones are edible and used extensively in South-East Asian cuisine. They taste sweet and are ubiquitous in stir-fries in the UK. These are rich in minerals and a useful source of the B-complex vitamins.

  There is no doubt that the bamboo has a lot to offer us and there are several research studies being carried out in institutes and universities around the world to discover just how useful it could be in the future.

STIR-FRIED CHICKEN AND BAMBOO SHOOTS

Ingredients

½ chicken breast, boned and thinly sliced

bamboos shoots, sliced

baby corn

sliced green beans

sliced water chestnuts

1 inch root ginger peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ handful fresh chives, chopped

1 red or green chilli finely chopped

white wine (optional for thinning sauce)

Method

Heat the oils together in a frying pan or wok and when hot add chicken. Fry for 2 minutes then add the vegetables, chilli, garlic and ginger. Fry for another 2 mins and add the soy sauce and chives.

Heat through and serve on a bed of rice.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

Note: Add as many vegetables as you require.

CALAMINT -"LET NO WOMAN BE TOO BUSY WITH IT": HISTORY, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF CALAMINT

CALAMINT, CALAMINTHA OFFICINALIS

Calamint gets its name from the Greek kala or kalos meaning good; it is a ‘good’ mint because it was thought to have the power to drive away venomous beasts and especially the king of the serpents, the dreaded basilisk. (Remember Harry Potter?) It is a member of the mint or Labiateae or Lamiaceae family of plants and is closely related to both catnip and ground ivy and with horsemint, peppermint, purple, yellow and white dead nettles, marsh woundwort, the teak tree, marjoram, basil, Holy basil, oregano, savory, thyme, lavender, lemon balm, Scarlet bee balm as well as bugle, motherwort, self-heal, the chaste tree, Jupiter’s sage, wall germander, Fragrant premna and hyssop to name just some of its relatives.

  It is also known as Mill Mountain, Mountain Balm or Mountain Mint and Basil Thyme, and can be used fresh or dried- leaves and flowering tops in a calming tisane. It can grow to around a foot high and can be found on mountains, in hedgerows – virtually anywhere, although its light purple flowers are insignificant. These bloom around July and August and the leaves and are best collected at the end of July or just before, when they are at their peak. This tisane will help relieve flatulence and stomach problems. A conserve of the flowering tops was made and given for hysterical conditions.

  Nicholas Culpeper writing his herbal in the 17^th century had this to say of calamint: -

“Government and virtues. It is an herb of Mercury, and a strong one too, therefore excellent good in all afflictions of the brain; the decoction of the herb, being drunk, bringeth down women's courses, and provoketh urine; it is profitable for those that are bursten, or troubled with convulsions or cramps, with shortness of breath, or choleric torments or pains in the belly or stomach; it also helpeth the yellow jaundice, and being taken in wine stayeth vomiting; taken with salt and honey, it killeth all manner of worms in the body, it helpeth such as have the leprosy, either taken inwardly drinking whey after it, or the green herb outwardly applied; it hindereth conception in women, being either burned or strewed in the chamber; it driveth away venomous serpents. It takes away black and blue marks in the face, and maketh black scars become well-coloured, if the green herb be boiled in wine, and laid to the place, or the place washed therewith: being applied to the huckle-bone, by continuance of time it spendeth the humours which cause the pains of the sciatica; the juice, dropped into the ears, killeth worms in them; the leaves, boiled in wine, and drunk, provoke sweat, and open obstructions of the liver and spleen. It helpeth them that have a tertian ague, the body being first purged, by taking away the cold fits; the decoction thereof, with some sugar put thereto, is very profitable for those that are troubled with the overflowing of the gall, and also for those that have an old cough, and that are scarce able to breathe by shortness of their wind; that have any cold distemper in their bowels, and are troubled with the hardness of the spleen; for all which purposes both the powder called diacaluminthes, and the compound syrup of calamint, (which are to be had at the apothecaries,) are most effectual.”

Culpeper ends his description of its virtues with this warning: “Let no woman be too busy with it, for it works very violent upon the feminine subject”!!

  It was clearly used for a number of ailments, although the idea of using it as a contraceptive by “being either burned or strewed in the chamber” shows just how little the people of the 17^th century understood about such  practices. The “huckle-bone” is the hip bone.

  There have been numerous studies on the properties of calamint, and it should be pointed out that its volatile oil, found in the leaves can be used in cookery. Like peppermint it is also used to flavour some pharmaceutical products. The oil has been found to have “non-selective central nervous system-depressant “properties as far as rats are concerned that is. (Journal of Medicinal Food Vol.14 (3) pp292-300, “Chemical composition and biological activities of Calamintha officinalis Moench essential oil” Monforte M.T. et al. 2011.)

  Another study has shown that “Probably the gastroprotective effect depends on a synergistic action of all the compounds occurring in C. officinalis leaves, even if the antioxidant potential of the leaves plays an important role by removing damaging agents from the gastric mucous.” “Protective Effect of Calamintha officinalis Moench Leaves against Alcohol-induced Gastric Mucosa injury in Rats” Monforte M. T. et al. Journal of Phytotherapy Research 2010.

  Calamint also shows possibilities for diabetes sufferers, and probably more evidence to support the traditional use of calamint will be found in the future.

KAPOK TREE - SAVED FROM BEING ENDANGERED BY MAN-MADE STUFFING: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE KAPOK TREE

KAPOK TREE, CEIBA PENTANDRA 

The kapok tree towers over the others in its native rainforests in South America and has made its way to West Africa where it has established itself. It is thought that the seeds floated between the continents of South America and Africa. In other parts of the world’s tropics, this tree has been planted as in the 1940s the kapok it produces was in demand for stuffing soft furnishings, car seats and life preservers. Now synthetic materials are used and perhaps this has saved the Ceiba pentandra from near extinction. However it is in danger in Costa Rica where it is felled to make pallets.

  Luckily the wood is not highly prized in the West but is used by people where it grows for coffins, dugout canoes and carvings. The kapok is the silky fine hairs which are attached to the seeds which grow in fruit after the white or perhaps pink flowers have fallen.

  This tree used to belong to the Bombacaceae family but it has been moved to the Malvaceae family. It is related to Bombax ceiba, the red silk cotton tree, which also produces kapok, as well as to the dinner plate tree, hollyhocks, the musk mallow, common mallow, Indian or country mallow, marsh mallow, hibiscus, durian fruit and okra to name but a few of its relatives.

  In the rainforest it gives home and shelter to the bromeliads, frogs, birds and insects which find the nooks and crannies in its trunk very inviting. The flowers have a particularly unpleasant pungent odour which attracts the bats which are believed to pollinate it. The seeds in the fruit are oil-producers and this can be made into soap.

  The kapok tree has its medicinal uses too and these vary depending on where it grows, In Samoa the bark is used for asthma, while in the Philippines where trees were planted, the bark is regarded as useful for fever, as a diuretic, for diarrhoea and as a purgative. It is also applied to swollen fingers and wounds, while an infusion is used as mouthwash.

  A decoction of the flowers is given for constipation and an infusion of the leaves is used for coughs, hoarseness, catarrh and uterine discharge. The tender young leaves are used for gonorrhoea, as are the tender tap roots, which are also used in cases of dysentery. The unripe fruit is demulcent, emollient and astringent so useful to soothe the mucous membrane in cases of bronchitis and so on. A decoction of the roots is given for diarrhoea and chronic dysentery while the gum from the bark is astringent and styptic so good for wound healing. It is sometimes given in milk to children who have diarrhoea or who are incontinent.

  Clinical studies have shown that the stem bark has liver protective properties and the tree has antioxidant properties, (leaves and stem bark) while root extracts have been found to have anti-diabetic properties.

  This tree may have lost its raison d’être as far as  kapok for stuffing  goes, but it could have many health benefits for us.

SAVOY CABBAGE - THE KING CABBAGE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES: RECIPE - STIR-FRIED SAVOY CABBAGE WITH CASHEW NUTS

SAVOY CABBAGE, BRASSICA OLEOROSA (capitata var. saboude L.) 

The green cabbages are all descendants of a wild leafy cabbage which was cultivated so that it became a head (capitata) cabbage. It is believed that the Savoy cabbage was developed in the Savoy region in the 15^th century, which at the time encompassed parts of France, Italy and Switzerland. It is the crinkly-leaved cabbage which, like the red cabbage has unique health benefits if steamed or lightly sautéed. The savoy cabbage is closely related to the other members of the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family which include broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, brussel sprouts and collard or spring greens.

  Cabbages may have come from China via Egypt into Europe, although they more likely were indigenous to the Mediterranean region and Greece, as there are wild mustard plants that grow near the sea which could have been ancestors. They were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who used them for both food and medicine as it was believed that cabbage could promote milk-flow in lactating women. However they were also regarded as a nuisance and not grown near grape vines as they were thought to impart their flavour to the vines and so spoil the wine. Nowadays, they are disliked by children because of their taste, but this can be disguised by trying our recipe below.

 You can also substitute steamed cabbage leaves for vine leaves as in our dolmades recipe.

  The cabbage was a staple food for European peasants between the 14^th and 19^th centuries, along with heavy dark bread. It is a winter vegetable and the Dutch and Germans fermented it and made sauerkraut which was eaten by Dutch sailors to prevent scurvy on the voyages of discovery to what is now Indonesia. Cabbage was introduced to North America by the early German settlers who also gave the continent sauerkraut.

  Writing his herbal in the 17^th century, had this to say of cabbages (‘coleworts’ include cabbage and cauliflower)

“Government and virtues. The cabbage or coleworts boiled gently in broth, and eaten, do open the body, but the second decoction doth bind the body: the juice thereof drunk in wine, helpeth those that are bitten by an adder; and the decoction of the flowers bringeth down women's courses. Being taken with honey, it recovereth hoarseness or loss of the voice: the often eating of them, well boiled, helpeth those that are entering into a consumption: the pulp of the middle ribs of colewort, boiled in almond milk, and made up into an electuary with honey, being taken often, is very profitable for those that are pursy or short-winded; being boiled twice and an old cock boiled in the broth, and drunk, helpeth the pains and the obstructions of the liver and spleen, and the stone in the kidneys; the juice boiled with honey, and dropped into the corner of the eyes, cleareth the sight, by consuming any film or cloud beginning to dim it; it also consumeth the canker growing therein. They are much commended being eaten before meat to keep one from surfeiting, as also from being drunk with too much wine, and quickly make a drunken man sober; for as they say, there is such an antipathy or enmity between the vine and the colewort, that the one will die where the other groweth. The decoction of coleworts taketh away the pains and achs, and allayeth the swellings of swoln or gouty legs and knees wherein many gross and watery humours are fallen, the place being bathed therewith warm: it helpeth also old and filthy sores being bathed therewith, and healeth all small scabs, pushes, and wheals, that break out in the skin; the ashes of colewort-stalk, mixed with old hog's-grease, are very effectual to anoint the sides of those that have had long pains therein, or any other place pained with melancholy and windy humours. Cabbages are extreme windy, whether you take them as meat or as medicine: but colewort-flowers are something more tolerable, and the wholesomer food of the two. The Moon challengeth the dominion of the herb.”

  The savoy cabbage has been shown to have unique health benefits, but only if steamed lightly or sautéed lightly. It is a good source of sinigrin which has been the subject of cancer research. The sinigrin found in cabbages converts in the body to allylisothiocyanate (AITC) a compound which has been found to have cancer-protective properties, particularly against bladder, colon and prostate cancers. However if you cook cabbage by long boiling it looses these health-giving properties.

  Savoy cabbage and other green cabbages have potent antioxidant properties perhaps due to the polyphenol compounds found in them. They are very nutritious containing vitamins A, C, E and K, and the B-complex vitamins, including thiamin (B1) and niacin (B2). They also contain the following minerals: apart from molybdenum they also contain calcium, a little copper, iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, selenium and sodium and they also have all the amino acids as well as lutein and zeaxanthin, and choline. The amino acid, glutamine, is known to have anti-inflammatory properties, so as Culpeper says, could indeed take away the “pains and achs, and allayeth the swellings of swoln or gouty legs and knees.” Another constituent of the savoy cabbage, indol-3-carbinol, boosts DNA repair in the cells and appears to block the growth of cancerous cells.

  In Eastern Europe, cabbage is frequently cooked with juniper berries (4 is sufficient for four people) or caraway seeds (1 teaspoon for four people). However cabbage is usually boiled to death and so the nutrients and health-giving substances are lost. The best way of using a cabbage is to shred or chop it and then let it rest for 5 minutes before steaming or lightly sautéing it.

  Why not try this recipe for stir-fried savoy cabbage served on a bed of brown rice mixed with wild rice?

STIR-FRIED SAVOY CABBAGE AND CASHEW NUTS

Ingredients

¾ pound of savoy cabbage, shredded and left to settle for 5 minutes before frying

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 ounces cashew nuts (unsalted)

1 red pepper, finely diced

 ½ tsp chilli powder

1 tsp cumin seeds

freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

1 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsps olive oil

2 tbsps sunflower oil

METHOD

Heat the oils and add the onion and garlic, and fry until the onion is a pale golden colour.

Add the red pepper, spices, cashew nuts and cabbage and stir-fry for 5 minutes.

When the cabbage is wilted a little it is ready.

Serve on a bed of rice as suggested above.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WOLFSBANE - ONE OF THE ACONITES: HISTORY AND USES OF NORTHERN WOLFSBANE

(NORTHERN) WOLFSBANE, ACONITUM LYCOCTONUM 

The northern wolfsbane is native to Europe and western Asia and is a member of the buttercup or Ranunculaceae family of plants. As such it is related to the Lesser Celandine, marsh marigolds, black cohosh, wood anemones and goldenseal. Wolfsbane was known to the ancients, and Pliny the Elder has a few suggestions about how it got the name Aconitum. His first suggestion is that it comes from the “port of Aconae, of evil repute for the poison called aconite” but the he says the word might be a reference to the rocky crags on which it grew which were barren. He further says that perhaps it came from the word akone which means whetstone, so-called because it has the same power to cause rapid death as whetstone had to “give an edge to an iron blade.”

  The plant is extremely toxic and its poison can be absorbed through the skin, so it is best avoided. This cautionary tale is told by Nikander, circa 130 BC: he refers to it as the “woman-killer” saying that Calpurnius Bestia was accused of killing women while they slept, by inserting his finger which was smeared with wolfsbane poison into their vagina or onto their vulva while they slept (?). The poison causes respiratory or heart failure resulting in death.

  Dioscorides writing his De Materia Medica in the first century AD describes two different plants, the first used in eye lotions to relieve pain, and to kill wolves, and this is believed to be wolfsbane. The second plant he describes is now called Monkshood, another member of the aconite family, which was also used to kill wolves. Perhaps these plants were the poison used in the “wolf peach” which was used as bait for wolves. Europeans believed that the tomato was the ancient wolf peach when it first arrived in Europe.

  These ancient writings are clearly the reason for the plant’s modern name, wolfsbane. (The bane, death or heavy burden of wolves.)

  This plant has yellow flowers whereas Monkshood, also called wolfsbane, has blue-purple ones. Yellow wolfsbane flowers between July and August, and can grow to over a metre tall. Reportedly the root has been eaten after boiling in Lapland, but even touching this plant is not recommended.

  The root has been used in traditional medicine systems after careful preparation, for a variety of illnesses, including for obstructions of the body’s organs, coughs, as a diuretic, and to promote sweating in fevers, as a sedative and stimulant.

  The key toxins in this plant are the alkaloids aconite and aconitine. You can become unwell simply by smelling the flowers, so don’t be tempted! Because of its distinctive, unpleasant taste there have been few reports of accidental death from ingesting wolfsbane. Richard C. Dart in his book “Medical Toxicology” has this to say of it: “Most poisonings occur when these plants are used in herbal remedies, or mistaken for parsley or the roots of horseradish or celery.” This is a reference to deaths caused by poisoning in Asia where the plant is used in herbal medicine.

ALPINE LADY'S MANTLE WITH SIMILAR PROPERTIES TO LADY'S MANTLE: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALPINE LADY'S MANTLE

ALPINE OR MOUNTAIN LADY’S MANTLE, ALCEMILLA ALPINA 

Alpine lady’s mantle is smaller than Achemilla mollis or common Lady’s Mantle, and is around a third of its size, although its medicinal properties are said to be more potent than the more common plant. Its leaves are edged with silver, making it an attractive rockery plant.

It grows near small streams in Scotland and is hardy in more northerly climes. It is a member of the Rosaceae or rose family of plants and as such is related to almonds, loquats, quinces, plums, peaches, apricots, strawberries, apples, blackberries, raspberries and pears.

  The roots have astringent properties as do the leaves as the plant is rich in tannin, making it good externally for cuts and wounds and internally for diarrhoea, among other problems. Both of the Lady’s Mantles were considered to be among the best of the vulnerary (wound-healing) herbs. As the common Lady’s Mantle it is a good herb to use when you have menstrual problems. It ranks with self-heal, marsh woundwort and bugle.

  Nicholas Culpeper writing in the 17^th century has this to say about it:-

“Government and virtues. Venus claims the herb as her own. Ladies' Mantle is very proper for those wounds that have inflammations, and is very effectual to stay bleeding, vomitings, fluxes of all sorts, bruises by falls or otherwise, and helps ruptures; and such women as have large breasts, causing them to grow less and hard, being both drank and outwardly applied; the distilled water drank for 20 days together helps conception, and to retain the birth; if the women do sometimes also sit in a bath made of the decoction of the herb. It is one of the most singular wound herbs that is, and therefore highly prized and praised by the Germans, who use it in all wounds inward and outward, to drink a decoction thereof, and wash the wounds therewith, or dip tents therein, and put them into the wounds, which wonderfully dries up all humidity of the sores, and abates inflammations therein. It quickly heals all green wounds, not suffering any corruption to remain behind, and cures all old sores, though fistulous and hollow.”

  The expressed juice form the plant can be applied directly to wounds and cuts and the herb is good for menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes. If you make a decoction of the whole herb, this will help with excessive vaginal discharge. Presumably this is what Culpeper meant when he mentioned that some women used it in their baths.