CRETAN DITTANY - APHRODITE'S HERB: HISTORY,USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF CRETAN DITTANY

DITTANY OF CRETE, ORIGANUM DICTAMNUS

As the name of this herb suggests, it grows wild only in Crete, and there it grows in gorges and mountainsides. It has a reputation as being an aphrodisiac and throughout the centuries young men have risked life and limb to collect this herb. Many have reportedly died in their attempts to collect the plant as it grows in inaccessible places. In Greek mythology it is said to have been given to the island of Crete by the father of the gods, Zeus, particularly to grow on his birthplace, Mount Dikti where even today it grows abundantly. Thamnus is the Greek word for bush so we have the name diktamnus. It was used by the goddess of love and beauty Aphrodite (Venus in Roman mythology) both for beauty and as an aphrodisiac. However dittany has been known as a miracle herb since the times of Hippocrates, and Theophrastus, in ancient times and was also known to the earlier Minoans on Crete. Hippocrates used it for stomach problems, prescribing a poultice of it to be put over the painful area.

  Virgil wrote this of its healing powers in his Aeneid (book 12: lines 411-431): -

  “A branch of healing dittany she brought,

   Which in the Cretan fields with care she sought: 
   Rough is the stem, which woolly leafs surround; 
   The leafs with flow'rs, the flow'rs with purple crown'd, 

  Well known to wounded goats; a sure relief 
  To draw the pointed steel, and ease the grief. 
  This Venus brings, in clouds involv'd, and brews 
  Th' extracted liquor with ambrosian dews, 

  And od'rous panacee. Unseen she stands, 
  Temp'ring the mixture with her heav'nly hands, 
  And pours it in a bowl, already crown'd 
  With juice of med'c'nal herbs prepar'd to bathe the wound. 

Mt.Ida Crete

   The leech, unknowing of superior art 
   Which aids the cure, with this foments the part; 
   And in a moment ceas'd the raging smart. 
   Staunch'd is the blood, and in the bottom stands: 

   The steel, but scarcely touch'd with tender hands, 
   Moves up, and follows of its own accord, 
   And health and vigor are at once restor'd.” 

   The Roman author Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC) in his work De Natura (2.126) states:

        "In Crete, the wild goats, when they are wounded with poisoned arrows, seek

         for an herb called dittany, which, when they have tasted, the arrows (they say)

        drop from their bodies."

  While Pliny the Elder (c.23-79 AD), the naturalist in his Natural History wrote that stags, like the Cretan mountain goats chewed on dittany to remove arrows and sure their wounds.

   In Greek mythology Artemis, the huntress hunted with poisoned arrows, and the Cretan mountain goats (according to Aristotle) would seek out dittany, chew it and place it on their wounds. The poisoned arrow would fall to the ground and the wounds would heal.

   Previously this herb had the botanical name Amaracus dictamnus Benth and Amaracus tomentosus Moerch.

  It grows to a height of 0.3 metres, and has pink to purple flowers in summer and velvety grey –green leaves, a little like those of sage. It is a relative of oregano and marjoram as its botanical name suggests. It is a member of the Lamiaceae family of plants which include mint, thyme, basil, rosemary, lemon balm and lavender among many others. Its essential oil consists mainly of carvacrol and thymol along with p-cymene and γ-terpinene. Carvacrol is known to have antibacterial properties, and smells of oregano. Thymol is a fungicide and has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

   A tisane can be made from the flowers and leaves and this is said to relieve period pains, headaches and neuralgia. It is also thought to relieve the pains of childbirth and is said to have been used for this reason by Aphrodite when she was in labour on Mount Ida on Crete. No doubt it is still used on Crete as an aphrodisiac, and today it can be cultivated in gardens and pots.

  

WESTERN HEMLOCK TREE - WELL-USED BY NATIVE AMERICANS: BENEFITS AND USES OF WESTERN HEMLOCK TREE

WESTERN HEMLOCK TREE, TSUGA HETEROPHYLLA

The Western Hemlock tree is no relation of the poisonous plant hemlock which caused the demise of Socrates. This tree is native to the North American continent and is grown as an ornamental in Europe and other parts of the world. In the late 19^th century, Queen Victoria was impressed with the timber from the tree and asked for its botanical name to be changed to Tsuga albertiana in honour of her husband, Albert, the Prince Consort. No one could ignore her request, but it later reverted to its original botanical name by which it is still known.

   Tsu-ga comes from the Japanese words for tree and mother, and heterophylla is the Greek for having different leaves. It is a member of the Pinaceae family of trees and is related to the pines which bear pine nuts and chilgoza pine nuts. It can grow to heights of 229 feet or 70 metres with a spread of 49 feet or 15 metres. It is an evergreen coniferous tree whose wood is used in construction, for cabinets and ladders among other items. It is easily carved and Native Americans used it to make spoons and other items. In Britain it is grown in hemlock forests, but as it creates dense shade, not much can grow underneath it. In its native habitat it is not so destructive because it grows to greater heights and grows naturally alongside other trees.

  In the UK it is used for wood pulp and timber as well as being used as a hedge, while in the US one of its principle uses in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries was for its tannin, used in the American leather industry.

  Native Americans used its inner bark raw or cooked and dried and ground into powder to be mixed with cereal flour for bread, or to thicken soups and stews. The inner bark was harvested in spring and dried for winter use when food was scarce. The leaves and twigs of the Western Hemlock yield an oil known as “spruce oil” which is used commercially to flavour chewing gum, ice-cream and soft drinks.

  Pitch is obtained from crevices in the bark which is a resinous substance which can be chewed like gum. A tisane can be made from the young leaves and tips which are an ingredient of “spruce beer”. These can be eaten to survive if one is lost in the woods.

  The bark has astringent qualities as well being used in a decoction to promote sweat during fevers and as a diuretic. A decoction of the pounded bark was once used for haemorrhages, syphilis and T.B. The boiled bark and liquorice root was also used to stop haemorrhaging. An infusion of the inner bark or twigs was used for kidney and bladder problems and as a gargle and mouthwash for throat and mouth problems, as well as being applied to sores and ulcers on the skin. The powdered bark can be put inside shoes to eliminate foot odour and to help sweating feet. The gum or resin from the truck obtained by cutting it was used to prevent chapping and sunburn in severe weather conditions.

  Native Americans chewed the leaves and then used them as a poultice for burns. They obtained a red dye from the bark and used this for colouring goat wool and basket weaving materials as well as for facial decoration. The pitch obtained by distilling the young branches was rubbed onto the scalp and hair to get rid of head lice. The pitch mixed with deer tallow was also rubbed into the chest to alleviate the symptoms of colds and flu, and this was also used as an ointment to prevent sunburn.

  This tree has a number of very useful purposes, unlike the poisonous hemlock which shares its name.

  

  

PAPAYA, PAPITA HERBAL REMEDY FOR DENGUE FEVER

PAPAYA, PAPITA, CARICA PAPAYA TREATMENT FOR DENGUE FEVER

There is a dengue epidemic in Pakistan at the moment, so we thought we should publish this post which gives a herbal cure for dengue. You need 5 leaves from the papaya tree each day. They are being sold in markets in cities across Pakistan, if you don’t have access to a papaya tree.

  Take the central vein from each leaf and put them in a pan with a glass full of water. Boil this until there is only half a glass left then pound the leaves into the water and take 2 tablespoons in the morning and evening until the fever has gone.

  People we know have recovered after using this remedy, so if you have dengue fever, try this remedy. You can also blend the 5 leaves after de-veining them and eat the pulp, 2 tablespoons as directed above.

  Get well soon! 

HEMLOCK - SOCRATES' NEMESIS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF HEMLOCK

HEMLOCK, CONIUM MACULATUM

Hemlock is also correctly termed Poison Hemlock. It is native to Europe, parts of North Africa, Iran and temperate regions of Asia. It is famous because it was the main constituent of the potion given to Socrates as it was to other criminals in ancient Greece.

   Plato gives us this description of the death of Socrates which aptly describes how Socrates died.

 ”Socrates walked about, and presently, saying that his legs were heavy, lay down on his back – that was what the man recommended. The man – he was the same one who had administered the poison – kept his hand upon Socrates, and after a little while examined his feet and legs, then pinched his foot hard and asked if he felt it. Socrates said no. Then he did the same to his legs, and moving gradually upward in this way let us see that he was getting cold and numb. Presently he felt him again and said that when it reached the heart, Socrates would be gone.”

  Hemlock is widespread but few deaths seem to occur, perhaps because of the foetid smell of the crushed leaves, which has been likened to that of a mouse. It is similar to Sweet Cicely and Cow parsley to which it is related. It is a member of the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family of plants which also includes carrots, parsnips, parsley and fennel. It is easy to distinguish from other wild plants because of the purple patches on its stems and by the smell of the bruised leaves. Its seeds resemble caraway seeds, but are not ridged in quite the same pattern.

  The toxic principle components of this plant are g-coniceine and coniine, the latter being the most toxic. It has been used in medicine as a sedative and an antispasmodic among uses.

  Although the whole plant is poisonous it has been employed in medicine by knowledgeable physicians. The lethal dose, is only 1 per cent of body weight, so don’t be tempted to investigate its poisonous properties. It was used as medicine both by the ancient Greeks and the Arabs who clearly understood its nature and used it cautiously for the treatment of a number of diseases including pains in the joints.

  Some of the symptoms of poisoning by hemlock are: - a burning sensation in the mouth; excessive salivation; diarrhoea; muscle tremors; muscular weakness; dim vision and frequent urination.

    In Mediaeval times it was used mixed with betony and fennel seeds for treatment against the bite of rabid dogs.

     The name hemlock comes from the Anglo-Saxon, hem meaning border or shore, and leac meaning plant or leek. In Anglo-Saxon healm also means straw and the name could also have come from this.

  It is highly poisonous and should not be touched.