LADY'S THUMB- CULPEPER'S MILD ARSSMART: HISTORY OF USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF LADY'S THUMB

LADY’S THUMB, REDSHANKS, ARS-SMART POLYGONUM PERSICARIA

This plant was known by different names in Culpeper’s time (17^th century) and he has this to say of it:-

“Names. The hot Arssmart is called also water-peper, or culrage. The mild Arssmart is called dead Arssmart percicaria, or peach-wort, because the leaves are so like the leaves of a peach-tree; it is also called plumbago.”

Culpeper’s “water peper” is Polygonum hydropiper, Lady’s Thumb is the “mild arssmart”.

  It is a native of Europe and the British Isles, and was introduced to North America where it has become an invasive weed. It is a member of the Polygonaceae family and as such is related to water smartweed, buckwheat, sorrel, rhubarb, arrowleaf dock, common dock, red dock and yellow dock to name but a few of its relatives. It can grow to heights of three and a half feet but is more normally about two and a half feet tall. The Polygonum family gets their name from the Greek words, poly, meaning many and gonus meaning knee or joint, referring to the nodes on the stem of the plants.

  Despite their weed status and their introduction to the North American continent the Native Americans found uses for these plants and soaked legs and feet that were rheumatic in a strong decoction of the arssmart for pain relief. They also used the leaves crushed, on poison ivy rashes. A decoction of the whole plant mixed with flour to a thick paste was also used for rheumatic pains. The leaves and flowering tops were used in an infusion or tisane for stomach problems and to get rid of gravel in the organs. However, this is no longer advised as the plant contains oxalic acid, although this can usually be removed from the plant by boiling.

  Culpeper has this to say of arssmart’s medicinal properties:-

“It is of a cooling and drying quality and very effectual for putrified ulcers in man or beast, to kill worms and cleanse the putrified places. The juice thereof dropped in, or otherwise applied, consumeth all cold swellings, and dissolveth the congealed blood of bruises by strokes, falls, &c. A piece of the root, or some of the seeds bruised, and held to an aching-tooth, taketh away the pain. The leaves bruised and laid to the joint that hath a felon thereon taketh it away. The juice destroyeth worms in the ears, being dropped into them; if the hot Arssmart be strewed in a chamber, it will soon kill all the fleas; and the herb or juice of the cold Arssmart, put to a horse or other cattle's sores, will drive away the fly in the hottest time of summer; a good handful of the hot biting Arssmart put under a horse's saddle, will make him travel the better, although he were half tired before. The mild Arssmart is good against all imposthumes and inflammations at the beginning, and to heal green wounds.”

  This is of course the wisdom of a 17^th century herbalist.

The leaves and seeds are edible, but should not be eaten in large quantities. The leaves are said to taste similar to lettuce. The whole plant makes a yellow dye when used with an alum mordant.

  The plant has been found to have anti-fungal properties, bearing out its traditional use in Argentina for vaginal diseases and skin ailments. “Validation of the ethnopharmacological use of Polygonum persicaria for its antifungal properties”, Derita, M. and Zacchino S., July 2011, Pubmed.

 However not many studies have been carried out on this plant. It could be that other traditional uses will be validated in the future.

LEAD TREE, IPIL-IPIL,HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF THE LEAD TREE

IPIL-IPIL, LEAD TREE, LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA 

This mimosa tree has other botanical names, among them, Mimosa glauca or Leucaena glauca, which makes it a member of the same family as Albizia lebbeck or the siris tree, Acacia nilotica, babul, Mimosa pudica Tickle Me and the MonkeyPod tree. They are members of the broader Fabaceae or Leguminoseae family as they are pod bearing, which makes them relatives of dhak, the pongam tree, ashoka (Saraca indica), jhand, lentils, indigo, the butterfly pea, chickpeas, carob, soya beans, lupins  and the Indian Coral tree to name but a few.  It is used sometime as a shade tree in coffee and cacao plantations and as a support for bananas, vanilla, yams, Cinchona or quinine-bearing trees, the betel nut vine and black pepper vines as well as for other climbing plants.

  The gum which exudes from the trunk when it is cut is similar to Gum Arabic, while red, brown and black dyes are obtained from its pods, leaves and bark. Its seeds are strung together to make necklaces, and it is a valuable nitrogen fixer, enriching the quality of the soil. It can also be used to form a living hedge and is so hardy that it can produce new growth from a charred stump after a fire. The tree grows to around 20 metres and is fast-growing, and it has a slender trunk with a crown of tufty branches, making it a good nurse tree for other saplings. It is evergreen and has white flowers, followed by seed pods.

  The lead tree (called Ipil-Ipli in the Philippines), is native to Mexico and Belize and Guatemala in Central America, and it is believed to have been introduced into the Philippines sometime in the 15^th century. From there it spread throughout the tropics until today it is a pan-tropical tree which grows in the Pacific islands, Australia and south-east Asia.

  In Thailand people eat the very young shoots although this is not recommended as they contain mimosine which is toxic to all mammals other than ruminants, so cattle can feed on this tree. It causes hair loss in donkeys, horses and other animals which eat its leaves unwittingly. It is also used in tempe lamtoro in Indonesia, a food made from the fermented seeds of the (white) lead tree. The seeds are also roasted and ground to use as a coffee substitute. However it should be noted that in its countries of origin, the pods and seeds have been used in medicine and for food since ancient times.

  In Belize, Mexico and Guatemala the bark has been eaten to subdue internal pain and a decoction of the root and bark has been used as a contraceptive, although experiments on cattle have shown no reduction in fertility. It is also used as an emmenagogue, for menstrual problems, and as a hair remover.

  The leaves are useful for cattle fodder as it is comparable with alfalfa in protein and food value. However it is prized in the Philippines for its medicinal value, as the roasted seeds are emollient and soothe and soften skin, and the mucous membranes. The seeds are also used for psoriasis.

  The wood burns without giving off much smoke and does not spark as does the eucalyptus, and produces very good charcoal. It is also a source of paper and used in the production of rayon. Timber from this tree is also used for mine props and for parquet flooring and furniture, so the whole tree has value.

 

PURPLE DEAD NETTLES - RED NETTLES: HEALTH BENEFITS AND HISTORY OF USES OF PURPLE DEAD NETTLES

PURPLE DEAD NETTLE, LAMIUM PURPUREUM 

Like the white deadnettle, this purple one is not related to the common stinging nettle and the Uriotica family of nettles. The two dead nettles are closely related however and were once known as Archangels along with the yellow deadnettle. The purple dead nettle is a member of the Lamiaceae or Labiatae or mint family making it a relative of marjoram, basil, Holy basil, oregano, savory, thyme, marsh woundwort, lavender, lemon balm, as well as bugle, motherwort, self-heal, catnip, the chaste tree, ground ivy, Jupiter’s sage, wall germander, Fragrant premna and hyssop, among many others.

  The plant has edible leaves and flowers and these may be picked when the plant is blooming and dried for later use. The leaves are, more or less, available all year round, which is good if you happen to cut yourself near a plant, as the leaves, bruised and placed on wounds will help to staunch the bleeding.  The leaves mat be used in salads and used to flavour soups, stews and sauces, providing vitamin C, iron and fibre, among other minerals and flavonoids.

  A tisane can be made with the flowering tops of the herb, with 2 tablespoons of them, chopped, and a pint of boiling water poured over them. Leaves this to steep for about ten minutes and then strain and drink a half a cup at a time. This remedy was traditionally used for kidneys and as a laxative- be warned! You may want to flavour it with a little honey.

   A decoction of the whole plant, or at least the aerial parts was once given for haemorrhages of all kinds, although Nicholas Culpeper writing in the 17^th century species that the red dead nettle was especially good for women with menstrual problems.

  Because this plant is a kind of red colour, the ancient herbalists believed it was good for the blood as they thought that like cured like. The plant is quite common now in Britain and other parts of Europe where it is believed to have originated, although it has now spread throughout the temperate regions of the world.

  The purple dead nettle is also called the red nettle, the red dead nettle and the red Archangel, as these dead nettles were thought to bloom on the Archangel Michaels day which was May 8^th in the Julian calendar. In our calendar that would be 28^th April. This particular one has diuretic, and sweat promoting properties, is a styptic, so helps wounds heal, is astringent and a tonic. It has been found to have antioxidant properties as well as antifungal and antimicrobial ones. It is also anti-allergen and can help protect allergy sufferers from secondary infections of the throat and bronchi.

  The flavonoids quercetin and the vitamin C contained in the herb also mean that it boosts the immune system and helps fight infection. It has been shown to be effective against the E. coli bacteria and others “Antimicrobial and Free Radical Scavenging of Some Lamium Species from Turkey” Funda Nuraly Yalçin et al. 2007 and its anti-inflammatory properties were documented in “In vivo Anti-inflammatory and Atinociceptive Actions of Some Lamium Species” Akkol E.K. et al, Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2008.

Nicholas Culpeper writing in his 17^th century herbal, grouped the dead nettles together and had this to say of them:-

“Virtues and use. The archangels are somewhat hot and drier than the stinging nettles, and used with better success for the stopping and hardness of the spleen than they, by using the decoction of the herb in wine, and afterwards applying the herb hot into the region of the spleen as a plaister, or the decoction with spunges. Flowers of the white archangel are preserved or conserved to be used to stay the whites, and the flowers of the red to stay the reds in women. It makes the head merry, drives away melancholy, quickens the spirits, is good against quartan agues, stancheth bleeding at mouth and nose, if it be stamped and applied to the nape of the neck; the herb also bruised, and with some salt and vinegar, and hog-grease, laid upon an hard tumour or swelling, or that vulgarly called the king's evil, do help to dissolve or discuss them; and being in like manner applied, doth much allay the pains, and give ease to the gout, sciatica, and other pains of the joints and sinews. It is also very effectual to heal green wounds, and old ulcers; also to stay their fretting, gnawing and spreading. It draweth forth splinters, and such like things gotten into the flesh, and is very good against bruises and burnings. But the yellow archangel is most commended for old, filthy, corrupt sores and ulcers, yea, although they grow to be hollow, and to dissolve tumours.”

  He implies that generally all the dead nettles have the same properties, although this is not actually the case we now know.

SCURVY-GRASS-WITH VITAMIN C: HISTORY, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF SCURVY-GRASS

SCURVY-GRASS, SPOONWORT, COCHLEARIA OFFICINALIS

Scurvy-grass, was as its name suggest used to combat a lack of vitamin C or scurvy and sailors needed this on their long sea voyages in the past just as the peasants of Europe needed vitamin C after long winters. This particular member of the Cochlearia genus grows close to the sea on cliffs and rocky ledges, and is a member of the Brassicaceae family of plants along with the cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi,mustard, watercress, rocket, kale, mooli, radish, horseradish, and turnips.

  This scurvy-grass is an Arctic native and lives in the colder parts of Europe, in particular Scandinavia, Denmark, Scotland and North America, where there is some concern about its status, as it is becoming rare. At one time it was an ingredient of “spring juice” a tonic made with this, the juice of Seville or bitter oranges, and the sap of brooklime or water pimpernel. This was especially effective at healing spongy and bleeding gums which are symptoms of scurvy.

  It is best harvested in late spring or early summer and dried for later use, although in areas where it is rare, it should be left alone. These days we don’t suffer from scurvy in the Northern hemisphere.

  The name of the genus, Cochlearia comes from the Greek kokhliaron meaning spoon, hence the other English name for this plant, spoonwort, or spoon plant; koklos also means seashell, perhaps related to the fact that this particular scurvy-grass lives close to the sea.

  Writing in the 17^th century, Nicholas Culpeper acknowledges that there are several types of scurvy-grass but has this to say about Cochlearia officinalis:

“Government and virtues. The sea scurvy-grass is frequently used in scorbutic remedies along with the other, but wanting its fine volatile parts, it seems not so prevalent, but abounding more in saline, it may be used to good purpose as a diuretic.”

  It used also to be an ingredient of scurvy-grass ale which was a popular tonic. It is said that the plant can be used as disinfectant. The infusion or tisane for scurvy was 2 ounces of the fresh herb, chopped, to one pint of boiling water, steeped for 10 to 15 minutes, strained and then drunk in small cupfuls a few times a day. However it is one of those plants that have fallen into disuse in modern times as scurvy is no longer as prevalent as it once was.

BROOKLIME OR WATER PIMPERNEL - EDIBLE WOUND-HEALER: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF BROOKLIME

BROOKLIME, WATER PIMPERNEL, VERONICA BECCABUNGA 

This plant is semi-aquatic as it can grow in ponds and along river banks and in streams, where it grows with watercress. It is a relative of the common speedwell (Veronica officinalis), and as a member of the Scrophulariacea family, it is related to great mullein, (Verbascum thapsus), foxgloves, snapdragons or antirrhinum, buddleia the butterfly bush and  toadflax. As the family name suggests it was once used for skin diseases and scurvy (lack of vitamin C).

  This plant is native to Europe including the whole of the British Isles, from Scandinavia down through to North Africa and across temperate Asia to Japan and the Himalayas. It is thought that the genus name beccabunga (wonderful isn’t it?) came from the Flemish words, bech and punge, which mean mouth-smart an allusion to the fact that the edible leaves can do that. They may be eaten with other pungent green leaves such as watercress in salads and can be cooked (steamed) with other leafy green vegetables such as spinach.

  In Britain the plant flowers between May and September and is sometimes cultivated in garden ponds. At one time its sap was an ingredient of “spring juice” a tonic made with this, the juice of Seville or bitter oranges and scurvy-grass  to combat scurvy after the winter months when there was little in the way of vitamin C to be had.

 Apart from using the plant for scurvy, the leaves were bruised and placed on burns, sores and ulcers and used to heal wounds, although Self-heal and All-heal have a much better wound-healing action. They have diuretic activity too and were used for urinary tract infections, as well as to promote sweating in fevers and to stimulate the menstrual flow.

  Nicholas Culpeper has this to say about the herb:-

“Government and virtues. It is a hot and biting martial plant: brooklime and water-cresses are generally used together in diet-drinks, with other things serving to purge the blood and body from ill-humours that would destroy health, and are helpful for the scurvy: they do also provoke urine, and help to break the stone, and pass it away; they provoke women's courses, and expel the dead child. Being fried with butter and vinegar, and applied warm, it helpeth all manner of tumours, swellings, and inflammations.

Such drinks ought to be made of sundry herbs according to the malady offending.”

  It is not recommended to eat this plant’s leaves as a vegetable as they are said to have purgative effect, and they should not be used by pregnant or breast-feeding women.

BORNEO OR PACIFIC TEAK TREE- FALSE TEAK TREE WITH MEDICINAL USES: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF BORNEO TEAK

BORNEO OR PACIFIC TEAK TREE, INTSIA BIJUGA 

This false teak tree is a member of the Fabaceae or Leguminoseae family, making it a relative of dhak, the pongam tree, ashoka (Saraca indica),the monkey pod tree, jhand, lentils, indigo, the butterfly pea, chickpeas, soya beans, the Indian Coral tree and lupins (to name but a few of its relatives). It has a native range which spreads from Tanzania and Madagascar through south-east Asia and the Pacific islands, where it is much prized for its valuable timber.

  This tree is known by a number of names including Afzelia bijuga, Albizia bijuga, Eperua decandro, Intsia amboilensis and Intsia retusa. It has a number of English names too, which includes that of Moluccan Ironwood, and it is known as Ipil in the Philippines.

  This tree is not widely cultivated and is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It naturally grows in coastal areas and lowland rainforests. It is used for coastal protection as it grows, typically to heights of between 23 and 82 feet, (although it can grow much higher) providing shade and protecting the soil from erosion; it is also a nitrogen fixer so can help make poor soil more fertile. It is a good living fence, and its timber has many uses as railway sleepers, house post beams, and it is used in boat building and bridge building, as well as to make smaller items such as walking sticks, carved items and canoes.

  In Fiji it was once held to be a sacred tree, and traditionally the drinking bowl for yagona (a traditional drink) is made from the wood of the Moluccan Ironwood tree.  A decoction of the leaves of the tree is used to remove evil spirits which take over someone’s body.

  In traditional medicine systems a decoction of the bark, which contains tannin, is used as a remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery, and the fruit of the tree is a remedy for constipation. A decoction of the bark is used to cure dark urine which is caused by evil spells or spirits. It is also employed for rheumatism, chills and stiff, aching muscles and an infusion of it is given to a new mother after childbirth, perhaps to keep evil spirits away, this is a little unclear.

  The seeds are edible but only after careful preparation which entails them being steeped in water for three to four days and then thoroughly boiled. Oil from the seeds repels pests rather as does neem (Azadirachta indica) so it can be used in linen to stop moths and insects eating the cloth. The seed pod is pear-shaped and leathery, containing from 1 to 9 seeds.

  Sap from the inner bark of this false teak is squeezed into coconut water for asthma, and this sap or the juice from the fresh leaves is squeezed into salt water, for diabetes.

  Few studies have been carried out on this tree’s medicinal properties as yet.

FINGERROOT OR CHINESE GINGER - USED FOR MEDICINAL AND CULINARY PURPOSES: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF FINGERROOT

FINGERROOT, KRA CHAI, BOESENBERGIA ROTUNDA

Fingerroot is used in China only for its medicinal properties, whereas in Thailand it is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes. It is a member of the Zingiberaceae family so is related to ginger, zedoary (kachur) or white turmeric (Curcuma zedoaria), turmeric, and kulanjan (Alpinia galangal). It is also known as Chinese ginger, or Chinese keys, as the rhizome resembles keys on a key ring, with a globe at the top of the key-like roots or fingers which extrude from it.

  It is also known as Curcuma rotunda, Gastrochilus rotundus and Boesenbergia pandurata. It has a spicy flavour and is eaten in Thailand as a vegetable and used as a spice. The plant can grow to 60 centimetres high and is located in its wild state in dense forests. However it is cultivated throughout south-east Asia and has naturalized in many countries. The leaves are edible as is the root and rhizome, and medicinally it has been employed for many purposes in traditional medicine systems in India, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries. Its leaves are used with those of the teak tree (Tectona grandis) to wrap tempeh in. (Tempeh is the traditional fermented soya bean cake which is eaten in Indonesia.)

  In the West this plant is grown as an ornamental as it has attractive pink flowers and is aromatic. The finger-like roots are bright yellow and their aroma comes from the camphor, methyl cinnamate, d-borneol and 1-8 cineol mainly although there are also other aromatic substances in them.

  The crushed roots and rhizomes are applied to painful parts of the body to ease rheumatic pains, and they are used internally to dispel flatulence, improve the appetite and digestion, as a remedy for dry mouths, coughs and ulcers. After giving birth a post-partum tonic is prepared from them and a paste may also be made from the roots and applied externally to the body after childbirth. The paste is also applied to piles and a lotion made from them is used for rheumatism, and muscle pains. They are also used for diarrhoea and dysentery.

  In Thailand they are used to increase male libido and are touted as being able to increase sperm and improve its quality. Tests carried out in vivo on male rats did not bear out these uses, but the rats’ testicles did increase in weight and size.

  Scientific evidence suggests that the roots may have anticancer properties, and research is still underway on these properties. They are also believed to have analgesic (mild pain relieving) properties, as well as antibacterial, antifungal, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and insecticidal properties.

  There have been investigations which suggest that the flavonoids in the roots can prevent an occurrence of dengue fever (Biorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters Vol. 16 (12) June 2006 pp.3337-40).

  Its anti-ulcerogenic properties have also been tested and found to be supported (“The methanolic extract of Boesenbergia rotunda (L) Mansf. and its major compound pinostrobin induces anti-ulcerogenic property in vivo: Possible involvement of indirect antioxidant action”, Siddiq I. Abdelwahab et al. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, July 2011).

  Its anti-cancer properties were documented in a study by Chandra Kirana et al in the Journal of Natural Medicine Vol. 61 (2007) pp. 131-137 “Anticancer properties of panduratin A isolated from Boesenbergia pandurata (Zingiberaceae)” which concluded with the statement that this “may have a protective effect against colon cancer” but it needed further investigation for this claim and to ascertain if it was effective against other types of cancer cells particularly those of breast cancer.

  In 2011 Shiau-Chuen Cheah et al showed that the tests were valid in an article “Panduratin A Inhibits the Growth of A 549 Cells through Induction of Apoptosis and Inhibition of NF-KappaB Translocation” published in Molecules, 2011 Vol.16 pp.2583-2598.

  Research is still continuing into this Chinese medicinal herb.