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.

  

THE GREATER CELANDINE - A USEFUL MEDICINAL HERB

GREATER CELANDINE, CHELIDONIUM MAJUS

The Greater celandine despite its name is not a relative of the lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) which is a member of the buttercup family. The Greater celandine is a relative of the Papaveraceae or poppy family. The flowers form a cross and are a lighter shade of yellow than the Lesser celandine which also has more petals than the Greater one. The Greater celandine likes boggy places and is often found in woods. This plant can grow to more than a metre high and spreads too.

  In the ancient world, the Greater celandine’s sap was used for eye problems, especially with milk, to remove specks and film from the cornea, but this is not recommended. Dioscorides boiled the juice with honey to remove “slimy things” from eyes. Pliny tells us that the plant flowers when swallows arrive in early summer and withers when they depart for warmer climes just before autumn sets in. This fact gives rise to another name for this plant, Swallow wort. Chelidon is Greek for swallow (the bird) and it is thought that the English word celandine is a corruption of this.

  The sap from the plant is orange, and if ingested in quantities will turn your urine yellow, just as when you eat asparagus you have green urine. In the 14^th century it was used with other herbs as a blood purifier and to detox the system and the sap was put on fresh wounds to stop them getting infected. Preliminary clinical trials on extracts of the plant have shown that it may have antimicrobial properties.

  Ancient herbalists believed that because of the orange-yellow sap it would be good to cure jaundice, but there have been some reports, although not many, that the plant can cause severe, if no fatal liver damage.

  The whole plant can irritate sensitive skin and is allergenic, so be careful if you touch it. The sap can stain your hand yellow, just as turmeric does. Large doses of it can cause sleepiness and for this reason it is sometimes used today as a mild sedative. The plant contains the alkaloid chelidonine which is similar to the papaverine found in poppies and which has an antispasmodic and sedative effect on the bile duct and bronchi. It may also have some cancer preventative properties according to some clinical studies, but this has yet to be proven.

  The German Commission E has approved the use of the Greater celandine for dyspepsia, but other countries such as the US have not approved its use because of the dangers associated with it. It has antispasmodic properties and is a detoxifying herb which relaxes the muscles of the internal organs, and is a constituent of a stomach ulcer drug. The plant also contains sparteine which restores normal rhythm to the heart when someone suffers from arrhythmia.

  The sap from the plant has been used in the past to get rid of ringworm and warts and the seeds contain a fatty oil which seems not to have been employed in remedies on its own.

  A tisane can be made from the whole dried plant, which is best gathered when in flower, between May and July, when the plant can also be used fresh. The tisane promotes sweating in fevers and is made from one ounce of the whole dried herb to 1 pint of boiling water. Pour the water over the plant and leave it to steep for 15 to 20 minutes, then strain and drink in small wineglass doses three times a day. You can make a decoction by boiling the whole herb in water until the water has reduced by half and use for stones and gravel in the internal organs.

  However you should remember that this plant is not recommended for use.

SPINY NIGHTSHADE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF SPINY NIGHTSHADE

YELLOW-BERRIED NIGHTSHADE, SOLANUM SURRATENSE, KAANDERI IN URDU

Yellow-berried or Spiny nightshade is a native of the Indian subcontinent, parts of North Africa, tropical Australia, Polynesia and South-East Asia. As its names suggest it has yellow berries and spiny stems and hairy leaves. It grows prostrate along the ground and has either white or blue-purple flowers. It has been employed in traditional medicine for centuries and is used for a number of ailments. Its other Latin name was Solanum xanthocarpum, but it is now known as S. surratense, with there being a new variant discovered in Pakistan, known as S. surratense var. awanicum.

  It is a member of the Belladonna, or nightshade family so is related to the Nipple fruit, aubergine, tomato, potato, Cape gooseberry, tomatillo and the Chinese lantern, to name but a few in this family. It is highly valued in folk and Ayurvedic medicine and used in combination with other herbs and alone to cure various ailments. For example, a decoction of the root is combined with asafoetida (heng) and rock salt for spasmodic coughs, and the same decoction can be combined with long pepper (Piperi longum) and honey for coughs and asthma. The leaf juice with black pepper is used for rheumatism, and this is used with other herbs in cases of dengue fever, acute bronchitis and fevers which are accompanied by chest infections.

  A paste made from the root is applied to hernias by tribal people in Rajasthan, India, and it is believed that smoke from the seeds kills insects and gets rid of the pain of toothache.

  The stem, fruit and flowers are used in medicine as well as the root, although the upper parts of the plant are usually dried and administered in powder form. The seeds and roots make good expectorants for coughs and bronchial problems. The bruised leaves can be applied to feet if there is a burning sensation in them and for this people also used water in which turnips have been boiled as well as a paste of henna being plastered on the soles of the feet. The juice from the berry is supposed to be good for sore throats. The whole plant is said to have diuretic properties and is used for the manufacture of cortisone.

  Research has shown that extracts of the plant have antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant and antiviral properties, and in rats an extract has been shown to combat ulcers. It may also help to lower blood pressure and inhibit some forms of cancer, although much more research is needed before this can be established. The plant does contain the bioflavonoid, quercetin which seems to have anticancer properties, and is also found in the outermost layers of onions, red grapes, parsley and apples. It contains diosgenin, and apeginin, as well as caffeic acid, various tannins, alkaloids, other flavonoids, glycosides and phenolic compounds.

  More research is still to be done on this plant but meanwhile it will still be used in traditional medicine in the Indian subcontinent.

THE INTELLECT TREE - MAY HELP ALZHEIMER'S SUFFERERS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF THE INTELLECT TREE

INTELLECT TREE, BLACK-OIL PLANT, CLIMBING STAFF VINE, CELASTRUS PANICULATUS

This plant is a climbing vine, with white flowers which give way to seeds surrounded by red or orange yellow arils, (succulent seed coats) and it is the seeds which are used in Unani (Greek) medicine and Ayurvedic medicine on the Indian subcontinent. The seed coats are wrinkled, and the seeds have an unpleasant smell, but are used for most ailments, as well as being thought of as an aphrodisiac.

  Externally the seeds are used for putrid ulcers, leprosy and scabies. They are also used to treat beriberi which is a vitamin B1 deficiency, caused by a lack of the B-complex vitamin, thiamin.

  This plant has been associated with helping memory loss and sharpening the intellect for thousands of years and has been given to many generations of lawyers and students throughout the ages. It grows extensively in the Indian subcontinent and the Andaman Islands.

  The oil from its seeds is also used in medicine, sometimes as a stimulant. However, it also has sedative properties and these have been shown in a study on rats. The seeds contain what are at the moment unique constituents and have been the object of scientific studies. In 2004 in the August edition of the “Journal of Ethnopharmacology” the researchers comment that the seeds ability to improve memory loss may be due to their “neuroprotective” actions.

  A later study published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology Vol. 2 (2) 2010 by George Lekha et al found that “…the plant seed oil may be more effective in individuals who are cognitively impaired as a result of chemical or organic brain damage as compared with normal subjects.” In other words it could help Alzheimer’s sufferers more than the vast majority. This study also seemed to show that the seed oil can relieve stress, but more research is necessary before any of the finding can be translated into positive help for people who are suffering from the memory loss associated with the aging process.

  In other studies it has been found that the seed oil can halt convulsions and can reduce the heart rate. However there have been no studies on human subjects.

  The leaves from this plant are boiled and eaten as a vegetable to relieve the painful symptoms of menstruation, but the parts of the plant most widely used in traditional medicines are the seeds and the seed oil.

  Clearly this is another plant which could help us in the fight against the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other diseases which diminish our cognitive powers. It is a wonderful thought that we have an “Intellect” tree.