VERVAIN ( VERBENA OFFICINALIS): HEALING HERB OF THE CELTS: VERVAIN TISANE REPUTED APHRODISIAC

VERVAIN, VERBENA OFFICINALIS

There are different types of vervain that grow around the world. Verbena officinalis is indigenous to the British Isles and Europe, while Blue vervain also known as Traveller’s Joy and Wild Hyssop, or Verbena hastate is native to the US. Vervain also grows in the Caribbean, two species being Burry vervain and Verbena jamaicensis. Verbena officinalis is the herb under discussion here.

   Vervain or Verbena officinalis is also known by the following names, Herb of Grace, Herba Sacra, Herba Veneris, and devil’s bane, formerly as it was believed that it would banish evil spirits. It was held sacred to the goddesses Diana and Venus by the Romans and could be burned like incense in temples and was used in them and in homes to make the air sweeter and more hygienic. The Egyptians dedicated vervain to their goddess Isis. It was given the name the venal herb because it has aphrodisiac qualities and stimulates the libido.  It is known as Herba Sacra because of the use made of it by the Romans in sacred rituals. It was believed in Mediaeval times that it had flourished on Mount Calvary where Christ was crucified and had helped to staunch the blood from his wounds as he hung on the cross.

   In Britain it was used by the Druids to connect them to the spirit world, and was used as a healing herb and almost had has much influence for them as mistletoe. The word vervain comes from the Celtic words, fer meaning to drive away and faen a stone. An amulet of the bruised herb was worn around the neck to protect from venomous bites and evil as well as just for good luck. It was passed over the Beltane fires and used to protect animals in the winter. At Midsummer it was strewn in fields to ensure the soil was fertile so that the crops would grow. It is said that it is best to gather the herb at Midsummer and dry it immediately for later use.

   The Druids on the other hand, believed that it was at its most effective when gathered during the waning period of the moon when Sirius the Dog Star was rising. They used it in and infusion and sprinkled their homes with the water to banish any evil lurking in them. In the old language of flowers, vervain symbolized enchantment and was used in love potions and to protect from the witches who made the potions.

   The Romans and Greeks used it for diarrhoea, and as it contains tannin it was probably effective, and would chew the root to strengthen the teeth and gums. The infusion of the herb actually makes a good mouth wash for ulcers and gingivitis.

    It has also been used for nervous disorders and is still used by herbalists for soothing nervous disorders, such as anxiety and stress and to promote relaxation and sleep. It has sedative properties, as well as astringent ones, and can be used as a diuretic, or to promote sweating in cases of fever. It has been used as an antispasmodic for stomach cramps and is used for symptoms of PMT (PMS) and the menopause. It is also used for promoting good eyesight and poultice made with a tincture of vervain have been used for headaches, rheumatism and neuralgia among other ailments. It leaves the skin a slightly red colour when used in this way and people thought that it brought the blood to the surface of the skin.

   For a decoction you need 2 ounces of the dried herb or 4 of fresh to 2 pints of water and boil until the liquid has reduced by half.  This can be used for piles and as a purgative. It can also be used for skin irritations. The tisane is good to stave off colds and flu, and it is a healthy drink as it contains bioflavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol etc.

   Modern medical research has shown that it can inhibit the Hepatitis B virus, which agrees with one of the ancient usages of this herb as a liver tonic. It is also effective as a calming nerve tonic and helps as much as St John’sjohn's Wort does in soothing stress and anxiety. It is an antidepressant which is as useful as rosemary, lavender, mugwort and St. John’s Wort.

   It enhances lactation in breast feeding mothers and helps in childbirth as it induces contraction of the uterine muscles, making childbirth easier. It should not be used during pregnancy for this reason. 

    Vervain can also be used as a diuretic, and sachets of the dried herb can be kept in clothes to make them smell good and to repel insects. You can put it in your bath to help you relax and to help get rid of any skin problems.

   The tisane will help pep up a jaded appetite and promotes digestion. It can also be used to dress wounds and sores. Mostly it is used to calm the nerves and has a reputation for being an aphrodisiac, presumably because of the actions of the bioflavonoids and its sedative properties which will lower inhibitions.

 

VERVAIN TISANE

Ingredients

1 tbsp dried herb or 2 tbsp chopped fresh herb, flowers and leaves.

1 cup boiling water

Method

Pour the boiling water over the herb and leave to steep for 15 mins. Strain and drink.

Three cups a day can be taken but remember that it is a diuretic.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).

SORREL: SORREL VEGETABLE: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF SORREL: NEW POTATOES AND SORREL RECIPE

SORREL, RUMEX ACETOSA, CHOKA OR TURUSHA SAAG IN URDU

There are around a hundred species of sorrel around the world, but this article centres on Common, or Garden Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), which has arrow-shaped leaves and in June and July has pink-red bell-shaper flowers. It is native to Britain and most of Europe and other varieties may be found in the US and the Indian Subcontinent as well as red sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) in Jamaica and the West Indies, which is also called roselle. This is not a close relation to European sorrel. As its name suggests it is more closely related to hibiscus.

   Sorrel has been known as “cuckoo’s meate”, and it is thought that it got this name because people believed that the cuckoo used it to make its voice clear. It is also known as spinach dock. It grows wild as well as in gardens, and its leaves may turn to crimson, or the veins may become a purplish colour. It looks a lot like spinach and can be used in much the same way, although it complements eggs, chicken and other poultry as well as lamb, veal and goat’s cheese.

   Wood sorrel is another wild sorrel, but this is Oxalis acetosella which is to be written about in another post. There is also Mountain sorrel, (Oxyria reniformis) which can be found in parts of Wales and northern England, as well as close to the Arctic Circle, and in the Alps.

    Rumex scrutatus is known as French sorrel and this is usually preferred to common Sorrel. This took over from the Common Sorrel when it was introduced into Britain in the late 16^th century. Until then, Common or garden Sorrel was used for numerous dishes and in medicines. It has diuretic properties and is a coolant, and this is also true of the other sorrels including the Jamaican one which is made into a refreshing drink as are the others. Writing in 1720, John Evelyn says that sorrel “sharpens the appetite, assuages heat, cools the liver and strengthens the heart.” Culpeper agrees and states “Sorrel is prevalent in all hot diseases” and recommends it as a coolant for fevers, and all types of inflammation. He goes on to say that the roots, seeds and herb are good to treat scorpion bites, and the leaves, when heated and applied to boils caused by the plague, will burst them and so help to heal the body.

   Gerard also has a few things to say about the properties of sorrel and says “The seed of sorrel drunk in wine stoppeth the bloody flow” and continues “It cooleth a hot stomach.” He also says that the leaves were of use for “agues” or fevers.

   Sorrel contains Vitamin B9, Vitamin C, provitamin A, potassium, iron, calcium and magnesium, as well as fibre and carbohydrates and quercetin and lutein. It has antioxidant properties and so helps prevent the risk of heart disease and some cancers. However it is not recommended for people who have kidney or gall bladder stones or for pregnant and breast-feeding women. Children should also only be given small amounts of it- just two or three leaves, while an adult can eat 10-12 safely. The oxalic acid it contains is also not good for those who suffer from rheumatism and stones. It is a mild laxative as well as diuretic.

  In the past the roots and seeds of sorrel were drunk in wine to stop haemorrhages, and the plant was used to treat scurvy, caused by vitamin C deficiency, s sorrel was used in winter months when fresh fruit and vegetables were in short supply. A decoction of the flowers in wine was used for jaundice and kidney stones.

  Now sorrel is used for upper respiratory ailments and inflamed nasal passages and sinuses, and as a diuretic. The leaves and flowers can be combines in a tisane by taking a handful of them and pouring a pint of boiling water on the and leaving to steep for 10 minutes, then straining and drinking  The juice of the plant may be diluted and taken orally too.

  If you visit Shiraz in Iran, sorrel soup, kardeh in Farsi, is sold by street vendors in winter, to ward off colds and flu. It is widely used in Russian cuisine and there it is believed that sorrel lowers blood pressure. In France it is also widely used in omelettes, soups and green sauce to accompany fish. The young leaves can be used in salads just as spinach and dandelion leaves can. These can be substituted for sorrel and vice versa. In Ireland they use sorrel in a dish that requires fish to be poached in milk.

One of sorrel’s other names is Greensauce, and this is because it was used to make one, by pounding fresh sorrel leaves and mixing them with vinegar and sugar to serve with cold meat. The green sauce is good with turnips and spinach and also to cut the fatty flavour of roast goose and pork; this also goes well with veal and poultry, particularly chicken. You can wash sorrel leaves and shake them and simmer the leaves in their own water, then when they are ready (after 10 minutes or so) toss them in 50gr of butter. If you don’t like the acidity of the leaves you can blanch them in boiling water for a couple of minutes. The juice of the leaves can be used instead of rennet to curdle milk in the cheese-making process.

   In India Indian sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) is used, boiled in buttermilk for dysentery and jaundice, and an infusion of the fresh leaves, or the fresh juice mixed with honey or sugar is given to fever sufferers. This sorrel is particularly rich in iron. The juice from the leaves is mixed with equal amounts of castor oil and given as a cure for insomnia. Water is removed by heating the mixture which is massaged into the scalp before going to bed to promote sleep and cool burning eyes.

 

NEW POTATOES AND SORREL

Ingredients

500 gr small new potatoes, scrubbed

100 gr sorrel leaves

50 gr butter (unsalted if possible)

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Boil the potatoes whole for 10-12 mins so that they are just tender.

Strip the central veins of the sorrel leaves and the shred into strips 1 cm wide.

Remove the potatoes from the heat, drain and cut in half.

Put them in a bowl with the butter and oil, and add the sorrel leaves and allow them to wilt in the heat of the potatoes.

Toss well in the butter and allow to stand for 1 or 2 minutes, and then toss well. Leave them to stand for a further minute, toss again and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

 

ELDER FLOWERS( SAMBUCUS NIGRA): MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND THE USES OF ELDER FLOWERS: DEEP FRIED ELDER FLOWERS RECIPE

ELDER FLOWERS, SAMBUCUS NIGRA

Elder flowers are not well liked for their fragrance as they have a musty odour which assails t hose and hits the back of the throat; this has been described as being slightly narcotic. However country people in Britain have collected the flower heads for thousands of years to make cordials, medicines and syrups. There is a particularly refreshing country recipe for elder flower “champagne” which sparkles, and has a low alcoholic content although this will increase if kept for some time, but you have to secure the bottles or else they will explode. It cools the body in hot weather and is tastier than the smell of the flowers might lead you to expect. The wine made from the flowers of the elder is white, in contrast to Elderberry wine which looks more like port.

   The flowers are a sign that summer has come in Britain, and the elderberries are a sign that it is over. The trees in full bloom are very attractive and can grow up to 50 feet, although they don’t usually get to be so big. There is a superstition that you should never sleep in the shade of the elder tree because your soul may be stolen by the malignant spirits that dwell in it. A similar belief is held in the Indian subcontinent about sleeping under the bohar or banyan tree.  This may have come about as no plants can thrive under an elder tree.

   The tree is one of those like the neem tree (Indian lilac) that was seen as a boon for people as it reputedly helped cure many illnesses. In Shakespeare’s play “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, Act II scene 3 there is the line,

       “What says my Aesculpius? My Galen? My heart of Elder?”

 (Aesculpius and Galen being the top physicians of the ancients.)

 Many of the old herbal remedies made from this tree are being investigated by modern clinical researchers and this is ongoing.

  The flower heads can be picked and the flowers dipped in batter and deep fried. The flowers can be made into conserves, and the buds may be pickled and used as a substitute for capers. The tisane from the flowers can be prepared with 1 tbsp of flowers stripped from the stalks and placed in a pot, then pour a cup of boiling water over them. Cover the pot for 5 minutes, strain and drink. This is good for hay fever and respiratory problems as it is an expectorant and gets rid of mucus. It is also good for colds and flu, and is especially useful against flu if mixed with an equal amount of yarrow flowers. This is a diaphoretic and promotes sweat, so is good for fevers too. The cold elder flower tisane can be used for inflamed eyes or as a douche for candida. A strong decoction can be made by boiling 50 gr flowers in 1 pint of water for 3 minutes, then allowing it to steep and using when cool for skin problems. If you drink the tisane it will help to purify the blood and get rid of toxins, thus helping arthritis sufferers, and those who suffer from other inflammatory ailments.

   The flowers contain Vitamin C and rutin, both of which have strong antioxidant properties, so the flowers can help prevent cancer and prevent atherogenesis. Rutin has anti-inflammatory properties and strengthens the capillaries, so helping those who bruise and bleed easily.

   The flowers have a regulating effect on the digestive system so will help if you have either constipation or diarrhoea. They can also help boost the immune system, and I the flowers are placed in bath water, they will whiten and soften the skin. The tisane may be used as a facial cleanser of skin tonic. A salad of the buds can be made by macerating the flowers in a little hot water for a few hours, then drying them thoroughly and dressing them in oil, wine vinegar and salt. This is supposed to be good for skin problems such as acne. Elder flower vinegar is good for sore throats; you need 2 lbs of dried flowers to 2 pints of vinegar and leave to steep for a few weeks before straining and bottling. If you take the green flowers and put them in a stone jar, or at least a heat proof non-corrosive one, and cover them with boiling vinegar, you will have made the caper substitute.

DEEP FRIED ELDER FLOWERS

Ingredients

10-12 heads of elder flowers with stalks

oil for frying

fine sugar

For the batter

1 egg white whisked to stiff peaks

50 gr flour

30 gr cornflour

1 tsp cinnamon powder

½ tsp ground cloves

pinch salt

Method

Wash the flower heads and dry carefully.

Make the batter by mixing the dry ingredients together and then folding into the egg white with a metal spoon.

Dip the flower heads into the batter and then shallow fry for 1 min.

Dredge the flowers with sugar and serve with cream.

You can deep fry the flower heads too but if they are shallow fried you can hold the stems so that only the flower heads are fried, which is what you need. The flowers only are to be eaten.

These have Taste and are a Treat.

ELDERBERRIES: ELDER TREE: MEDICINAL BENEFITS, HISTORY AND SUPERSTITIONS: ELDERBERRY SYRUP FOR COUGHS AND COLDS

ELDERBERRIES, ELDER TREE, SAMBUCUS NIGRA

The European elder tree, Sambucus nigra is native to the British Isles, Africa and parts of Asia, and has been naturalized in the US which also has the Sambucus canadenisis elder, and the red-berried Sambucus racemosus variety of elder. In fact there are quite a few different types of elder around the world, but here we concentrate on the European variety which has a long history, because of this, the elder flowers are a separate post.

  The Elder was a sacred tree to the Druids who would not take any part of the tree without first asking humbly for permission to do so. It is a tree in the Celtic calendar, and represents similar qualities to that of the astrological sign Sagittarius, the archer. The person born under this sign is a seeker, who is blunt, honest, deeply thoughtful and a philosopher, seeking truth with a passion and fire. This is the sign for late November to late December. The elder is symbolic of Transition, Evolution and Continuation. It was used as a healing herb, and the later Physicians of Myddfai used the juice from the berries to cure the bite of a viper or adder, the only venomous snake found in Britain. They believed that if bitten by a viper the juice when drunk would “disperse all poison”. In Welsh superstition if you stand under an elder tree (Ysgawen in Welsh) on Midsummer’s Eve you can see the “little people” and have visions of other worldly creatures. If you have wands from the elder, they will keep away evil spirits, witches and witchcraft, and banish negative thoughts, such as those which might lead to suicide. This may be because it was believed that Judas hanged himself on the elder tree when he was overcome with remorse for having betrayed Judas. The tree, in legend, used to grow much taller than it does today, now it grows to about 30 feet and is more of a shrub than a tree. There is an old rhyme which says: -

   “Bour tree-Bour tree; crooked rong

    Never straight and strong;

    Ever bush and never tree

    Since our Lord was nailed on thee.”

This is a reference to an old tradition that Jesus’ cross was made from an elder tree. In the 14^th century it was called a bour tree. In Shakespeare’s play “Cymbeline” the elder tree is a symbol of grief and referred to as “the stinking elder” because of the smell of the bruised leaves and the flowers. Despite the smell people admire its beauty when in blossom and make wine from both the flowers and the berries. In “Love’s Labour Lost” Shakespeare writes “Judas was hanged on an Elder” and in the 14^th century Langland writes in “Piers Plowman”

   “Judas he japed with Jewen silver

     And sithen an eller hanged hymselve”

which means that Judas played with the Jews’ silver and therefore hanged himself on an elder tree. Sir John Mandeville writing about his travels states that he was shown an elder tree identical to the one Judas hanged himself on close to the Pool of Shiloam, so the elder has strong associations with the Bible, and particularly beliefs prevalent in Mediaeval times. Flouting traditional thought of his time though, Gerard, the herbalist, states that “the tree whereon Judas did hange himselfe” was the Judas Tree, or Cercis siliqustrum.

   Whatever the case even as late as the early 20^th century, hedge cutters in rural Britain would not cut the elder and gypsies are forbidden to use its wood as firewood. That may be wise, as the branches spit bits of flaming bark as it burns.

 Folkard, in “Plant-Lore, Legends and Lyrics,” tells us:

'The pith of the branches when cut in round, flat shapes, is dipped in oil, lighted, and then put to float in a glass of water; its light on Christmas Eve is thought to reveal to the owner all the witches and sorcerers in the neighbourhood';

and he continues,

'On Bertha Night (6th January), the devil goes about with special virulence. As a safeguard, persons are recommended to make a magic circle, in the centre of which they should stand, with Elderberries gathered on St. John's night. By doing this, the mystic Fern-seed may be obtained, which possesses the strength of thirty or forty men.'

   The twigs are flexible and the pith inside them can be removed and superstitious country people tie three or four knots in them to protect themselves from bad luck and evil influences. Little boys use the hollowed stems as whistles and in Culpeper’s day they were used as pop-guns. In ancient Greece and Rome they were made into wind instruments, pan-pipes and flutes, for example. The music from these could, it was believed, get rid of evil spirits and protect from witchcraft, just as the leaves gathered on the last day of April and fixed to doors and windows could. Farmers used to make a cross from the twigs of the elder and place them in stables and cow byres to protect their animals.

   The leaves and juice from them can be used to repel insects, and the bruised leaves can be rubbed on the skin to protect from insect bites. In the 17^th century it was believed that if other crops were whipped with bunches of elder laves no blight would attack them. If you take a handful of fresh bruised leaves and pour a pint of boiling water on them and leave this to cool, you can strain then bottle it and use on the skin as an insect repellent.

   In the late 17^th and 18^th century, elderberry juice was used to adulterate port, until this practice was outlawed in Portugal in 1747. They believed that drinking the juice with port was cure for the pain of sciatica and neuralgia.

  Hippocrates recommended the bark for a purgative, and it is an emetic. You can make this with 1 ounce of dried bark (dried in the sun and taken in at night until it turns a grey colour) to 1 pint of water and boil it, then take small doses of it. It was also used as a diuretic. A tisane of dried berries was given in cases of colic and diarrhoea. The leaves have been applied to swellings and gout to relieve the pain, as well as on wounds when boiled with a little linseed oil. This liquid was also used for piles. The Romans used the juice from the berries for black hair dye, and Culpeper also mentions that they can be used for this purpose. Elderberry syrup is good for coughs, colds and flu, as is hot elderberry wine with honey or sugar. Elderberries can be made into jam, preserves and conserves. To take the berries from the stalks you can use an “afro” comb, taking care no to bruise the fruit.

  A tisane can be made from the fresh of dried berries by taking a fresh head of berries and boiling them in two cups of water, then leaving to stand for 10 mins, before straining, reheating and drinking with honey if desired.

  Medical trials are still underway on the elderberry, but as the berries contain flavonoids they have antioxidant properties, so may be good for prevention of heart diseases and cancer. They may, scientists say, have anti-inflammatory properties, and reduce the swellings of the mucus membranes for example the sinuses. They may also have antiviral properties as they have been effective against swine flu, or the H1N1 virus, as they were in lab tests, but they have not been tested on humans for these properties. Scientists can sat without any doubt that they boost the immune system, so a glass of hot elderberry wine every night as taken by country folk for centuries, may well ward off colds and flu and help with sore throats and mouths.

  The Italian liqueur, Sambuca is made form elderberries and anise traditionally.

  Pregnant and breast-feeding women should avoid elderberries say the scientists.

The syrup recipe below is for coughs and colds and should be diluted, with water to taste.

ELDERBERRY SYRUP

Ingredients

1 pint of berries

2 pints water

1 inch piece root ginger, peeled and sliced

10 cloves

Method

Boil all the ingredients together until the liquid is reduced by half.

Allow to cool and bottle.

Take a wineglass full of syrup and dilute with hot water and drink every night to ward off clods and flu. If you have a cold then take this dose three times a day until the symptoms have gone.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).