YELLOW RATTLE: NO LONGER USED IN MEDICINE: HISTORY OF YELLOW RATTLE

YELLOW RATTLE, CRIVELL MELYN IN WELSH, RHINANTHUS MINOR

Yellow rattle or yellow rattle grass, gets its name because the flowers are yellow and when ripe, the seeds rattle in their husky pod. In the past this was named Rhinanthus crista-galli which once again is evidence of the imagination of our ancestors. The Rhin part of the genus name means nose and anthus is flower, so it is the nose flower, because of the protruding top part of the flower. Crista-galli, means cock’s comb and Pliny tells us that it was thought that the hairs and leaves of the plant looked liked a cock’s crest. However now it is just the minor or lesser nose flower!

  It grows to heights of around two feet and is native to Europe, including Britain and the USA and Canada, although perhaps it has naturalized there. The stems of the plants are spotted with purple which makes it easy to identify.

  The seed pods are flattened, and round, which is probably why the 16^th century English herbalist John Gerard referred to it as “Pennygrass.”                             

  It is a hemiparasite and lives partially off grass, so if you want to give other plants more room to grow and to get rid of unwanted grass, this is the plant for you. Experiments are underway to discover just how this plant can help agriculturists and the soil.

  In Mediaeval times this yellow rattle was thought to have similar medicinal properties to Eyebright, and was thought to be very efficacious in eye problems. This is how Nicholas Culpeper, the 17^th century English herbalist describes its medicinal use in his Herball:-

“The yellow rattle, or cock's comb, is held to be good for those that are troubled with a cough, or dimness of sight, if the herb, being boiled with beans, and some honey put thereto, be drank or dropped into the eyes. The whole seed being put into the eyes, draws forth any skin, dimness or film, from the sight, without trouble, or pain.”

 It is currently in the Orobanchaceae family (so it is a relative of the parasitic Common broomrape) having being recently moved from that of the Scrophulariaceae which formerly made it a relative of mullein and figwort. 

  However it is another of the ancient herbs that are no longer used.

DAME'S ROCKET OR SWEET ROCKET - SYMBOL OF DECEIT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF DAME'S ROCKET

DAME’S ROCKET, SWEET ROCKET, HESPERIS MATRONALIS

Dame’s rocket has an interesting history in terms of its names. It was called the Vesper-flower, because it emits its perfume in the evening, and this is how the genus got its name “Hesperis” means evening; “matronalis” means of the mother and the mother in question is probably Eve, who was a symbol of deceit, having tempted Adam to eat the apple which lead to the Fall from grace and the Garden of Eden. Writing in the 17^th century, the English herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper calls this plant Eveweed, and says rather disparagingly that gardeners of his time called it double rocket.

  Dame’s rocket can grow to heights of more than 3 feet and is a native of Europe and Asia. It has naturalized in North America and is invasive in several states. In Britain it has been cultivated for centuries, and so has become naturalized in some places being a garden escapee.

   This plant is also called night-scented/dame’s/queen’s/rogues’ gillyflower and hardly surprisingly is a symbol of deceit in the Language of Flowers. It is also called damask violet, dame’s violet, summer lilac and the evening/ winter gillyflower.

  The young leaves are edible and best used raw in salads although you shouldn’t eat too many of them as they can cause vomiting. The flowers which may be lilac, pink, white or blue are also edible. The seeds of this plant contain 50 per cent essential oil which is used in the perfume industry. The flowers may be cut and will give the room in which they are placed a clove-like smell.

  The seeds were also once steeped in vinegar and then used to get rid of freckles. In Mediaeval times they were considered good antidotes for insect stings and snake bites.

   The plant is a member of the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family making it a relative of mustard, savoy cabbage, red cabbage, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, brussel sprouts, flixweed or fluxweed, collard or spring greens, swede, cauliflower, turnips, garden cress, watercress, lady's smocks, Shepherd's purse, and a whole host of others.

  Its leaves are rich in vitamin C so like scurvy-grass it was a useful antiscorbutic and cultivated partly for this purpose. It grows well as a companion plant to foxgloves and clary sage, and would have grown with them in Mediaeval monastery gardens.   

  This is what Culpeper has to say about the uses of this herb:-

“Government and virtues. It is a plant of Mars, yet it is accounted a good wound-herb. Some eat it with bread and butter on account of its taste, which resembles garlic: Its juice, taken a spoonful at a time, is excellent against obstructions of the viscera: it works by urine. In some places it is a constant ingredient in clysters.” (enemas)

THE TAMARISK TREE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF TWO TAMARISKS

Tamarix gallica

TAMARISK TREE, TAMARIX GALLICA AND TAMARIX APHYLLA 

There are around sixty tamarisk trees (farash in Urdu) in the world, and the two I have chosen to write about are the French tamarisk tree which is a native of the Mediterranean region and the one that is indigenous to the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. The latter is the tallest in the genus- Tamarix aphylla.

  Writing in the 17^th century the English herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper describes the T. gallica in this way:-

“The Tamarisk never grows to be a tree of any great bigness in England, though beyond the seas it will; having a rough dark brown bark. The younger branches are of a chestnut colour, cloathed with very fine tender green leaves, somewhat like those of cypress, but thinner and finer, and not at all hard or rough; the flowers grow in rough spikes at the ends of the younger shoots, an inch or more in length, several spikes growing together, each consisting of a great many small, five leaved, pale red flowers, which are succeeded by small seed, included in a downy substance.”        

T.gallica

 He also says “It is only planted in gardens in England, its native place being Spain, and the southern parts of France. The wood, bark, and leaves are used.”

  He believed that the tree was from Spain because it is generally thought that the word tamarisk comes from the name of a Spanish river, the Tamaris.

   The tamarisk trees are unusual in that they produce a substance called manna, although there is some debate as to whether this is produced by the tree in response to attacks by insects, or whether the sticky sweet substance is produced by the insects. Some say the tree is the source of the Biblical manna which the Israelites of the Bible (Exodus) were sent by God. However this is strongly refuted by many clerics.

T. gallica

  The manna, galls from the trees and the wood have all been used in medicine in a variety of countries.The Tuareg In Niger use the manna to sweeten water.

   The French tamarisk has been used for its astringent qualities, and notably the galls contain 40 per cent tannin, so it has been used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery, to staunch the flow of blood from wounds and speed up the healing process, and as a laxative. It also has antimicrobial properties, so is good for cleaning wounds.

  Extracts have been found to have a positive effect on the liver’s functioning and it seems that the tree possesses anti-inflammatory properties, as traditionally it has been used externally to bring relief from the pains and swellings of rheumatism.                                                                                                   

T. aphylla

  Used internally an infusion is said to boost the immune system so it can ward off colds and flu and other infections.

  This is what Nicholas Culpeper wrote about it in his 17^th century Herball:-

“Government and virtues. A gallant Saturnine herb it is. The root, leaves, young branches, or bark boiled in wine, and drank, stays the bleeding of the hæmorrhodical veins, the spitting of blood, the too abounding of women's courses, the jaundice, the cholic, and the biting of all venomous serpents, except the asp; and outwardly applied, is very powerful against the hardness of the spleen, and the tooth-ache, pains in the ears, red and watering eyes. The decoction, with some honey put thereto, is good to stay gangrenes and fretting ulcers, and to wash those that are subject to nits and lice. Alpinus and Veslingius affirm, that the Egyptians do with good success use the wood of it to cure the French disease, as others do with lignum vitæ or *guaiacum; and give it also to those who have the leprosy, scabs, ulcers, or the like. Its ashes doth quickly heal blisters raised by burnings or scaldings. It helps the dropsy, arising from the hardness of the spleen, and therefore to drink out of cups made of the wood is good for splenetic persons. It is also helpful for melancholy, and the black jaundice that arise thereof. The ancients believed that swine which fed out of a trough made of this wood, would have no milk. The bark is sometimes used for the rickets in children.”

* lignum vitae comes from Guaiacum officinale.

T. aphylla

  Extracts from the tree are used in traditional medicine in Italy to get rid of warts, and in other parts of Europe it was a remedy for ridding the gastro-intestinal tract of worms. Extracts in one study showed that they were a potent chemoprotective agent.

  The small branches and leaves have astringent and diuretic properties and externally a compress of the leaves and twiglets will staunch bleeding.

  As for Tamarisk aphylla, it possesses similar medicinal properties and the flower galls are used in traditional medicine for their astringent properties and as a gargle. A decoction of the bark is used for eczema and other skin complaints.

T. aphylla

  This tree is a good firebreak as it has such a high saline content, so much so that it kills all vegetation which might try to grow under it, and its leaf litter contains so much salt that it doesn’t burn.

  Both trees are used to help to prevent soil erosion because of their deep root systems. They do not take well to trimming however and so are not ideal for a garden hedge.

  Dyes can be made from the galls on the tree, and the wood may be used in general construction, but it is not very strong, and is knotty.

  These are interesting trees which I have found useful to sit under in the shade they provide on Greek island beaches.

MOTHER OF THYME OR WILD THYME, OFTEN CULTIVATED: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF MOTHER OF THYME

MOTHER OF THYME, WILD THYME, CREEPING THYME, THYMUS SERPYLLIUM 

Wild thyme or mother of thyme is less common than common thyme which also grows wild. It has been cultivated for century in gardens in Europe and is native also to North Africa, western Asia and Scandinavia. It is closely related to ajwain and thyme, and is a member of the mint or Labiatae or Lamiaceae family of plants. As such it is a relative of calamint, sage, Jupiter’s sage, peppermint, horehound, self-heal, the chaste tree and the small-flowered Chaste tree, ground ivy, the teak tree, yellow, purple and white dead nettles, motherwort, fragrant premna, common germander, Cretan dittany, bugle, Scarlet Bee Balm and marsh woundwort, oregano and other culinary herbs. In Urdu it is called Ban Ajwain.                                                                                  

  The leaves contain an essential oil which is used in perfumery, and you can make your own fragrant water by steeping the flower heads in salt and water for at least 24 hours. The leaves can be added to soups and stews, or to bouquet garni for flavouring and they also go well with vegetable dishes, and are used to good effect with courgettes and mushrooms.

  The essential oil distilled from its leaves is used as a disinfectant, as mouthwash, and it is also an insect repellant. It also has antiseptic and fungicidal properties. A Romanian study has found that the plant possesses antioxidant properties and other studies have shown that it has antimicrobial properties and can be used against candida.

  The Romans believed that it was a mood enhancer and gave it to those who suffered from melancholia. It was later believed to be a favourite flower of fairies in much the same way as bluebells were, and it was a fairy playground where the plants proliferated. Shakespeare used this idea in his play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Act 2 scene i: -

“I know a bank whereon the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses, and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania some time of the night,
Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight;
And there the snake throws her enamelled skin,
Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in.”

 In European traditional medicine it has been used to get rid of flatulence and intestinal worms, for its deodorizing properties, as an antispasmodic, expectorant, and general tonic. In India and Pakistan it is used in the treatment of whooping cough, asthma, and respiratory inflammation because of its antispasmodic properties. It is also used for back-ache.                                                                                                              

  In Wales it used to be planted on graves, and an old folk tale says that it was the fragrant herb which formed the Virgin Mary’s bed.

  A tisane made with the leaves and flowers (1 ounce of dried herb to 1 pint of boiling water left to steep for 15 minutes before straining and drinking in 1 tablespoon doses frequently) was given for chest complaints, weak digestion and flatulence. Mixed with rosemary and lemon balm with a little honey to sweeten it, the tisane was given for nervous complaints and headaches (especially, says Culpeper, those caused by a hangover).

  Writing in the 17^th century, the English herbalist, Nicholas Culpeper has this to say about Mother of Thyme: 

“Government and virtues. The whole plant is fragrant, and yields an essential oil that is very heating. An infusion of the leaves removes the head-ach, occasioned by the debauch of the preceding night.

Mother of Thyme is under Venus. It is excellent in nervous disorders. A strong infusion of it, drank in the manner of tea, is pleasant, and a very effectual remedy for head-achs, giddiness, and other disorders of that kind; and it is a certain remedy for that troublesome complaint, the night-mare. A gentleman afflicted for a long space of time with this complaint in a terrible manner, and having in vain sought for relief from the usual means employed for that purpose, was advised to make trial of the infusion of this plant, which soon removed it, and he continued free for several years, after which the disorder sometimes returned, but always gave way to the remedy.”

FROSTWORT OR ROCK ROSE, FOR RELIEF OF SCROFULA: HISTORY OF USES OF FROSTWORT OR FROSTWEED

FROSTWORT, FROSTWEED, ROCK ROSE, HELIANTHEMUM CANADENSIS

Frostwort is native to North America, and was regarded as a curiosity by early botanists. In the early morning, moisture from the soil is driven upwards through the roots and this causes cracks just where the base of the stem rises above the ground. The stem bursts and this moisture becomes particles of ice in the cold temperatures in winter. This is why it is called the Frostwort or Frostweed.

  Frostwort has other synonyms for its genus, these being, Cistus canadensis, Linné and Croeanthemum canadense. Helios is the Greek word for sun, and anthemum means flower so its genus names mean sunflower from Canada.

  Professor Amos Eaton (1776-1842) noted the phenomenon but did not know how it was caused. This is what he observed:                                                           

  “In November and December of 1816 I saw hundreds of these plants sending out broad, thin, curved ice crystals, about an inch in breadth, from near the roots. They were melted away by day, and renewed every morning for more than 25 days in succession.”

  Like figwort in Europe this plant was used to treat scrofula, although it is not in the Scrophulaceae family, but the Cistaceae one. The whole plant was used in traditional medicine, being bitter and astringent due to the presence of tannins. The stem and leaves of the plant are covered in soft white hairs, and it is a branching plant with the branches growing longer than the main stem. It produces yellow flowers between the months of May and July. It grows to between 8 inches and 2 feet.

  The plant is used in infusions and stronger decoctions to treat a number of illnesses. An infusion of it is used for diarrhoea and dysentery and an infusion of the leaves is used for kidney problems and a gargle for sore throats. This is the tisane. The stronger decoction of the leaves was used for scrofula and was also used as an eyewash for infections and for skin problems externally. A poultice of the leaves was also applied in cases of skin problems. It was thought to be very efficacious as a wash for scrofulous sores and ulcers on the skin.

  The plant produces an oil which was said to be a good treatment for cancer. Traditionally the plant was used for secondary syphilis and a number of other ailments. There is no or little scientific evidence as yet to support the traditional uses of Frostweed.

HARDY OR BABY KIWI FRUIT AND TARA VINE: HEALTH BENEFITS OF BABY KIWI AND BABY KIWI AND ORANGE SODA RECIPE

BABY OR HARDY KIWI, TARA VINE, ACTINIDIA ARGUTA

In comparison to the kiwi (Actinidia delicosa) we know, this one is tiny, with a smooth, rather than brown hairy, skin which can be eaten safely. It is about one third of the size of its hairy relative, and comes in a variety of colours, green, yellow and red. It can grow in very cold climates withstanding temperatures of -34° C or -30°F, hence its name the Hardy kiwi. This baby kiwi is native to Siberia,, China and Japan, but is now being cultivated in the West where growers are trying to increase the vine’s yields of fruit. It is currently being produced in South America, Britain, New Zealand, Australia, parts of the USA, Canada and Europe.

  This baby kiwi (which grows to lengths of 2 or 3 centimeteres) has five times the vitamin C of blackcurrants and is sweeter than the bigger kiwi fruit which is native to southerly climates. It flowers between June and July and the fruits ripen around October. The vine can grow to around 50 feet if it is well-supported.                                           

  This baby kiwi and its vine were first described by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini in 1843 on their Far Eastern travels. They gave it the genus name Trochostigma argutum.

  Interestingly, in parts of New England where it is being grown now, it has invaded woodland and may soon be a listed invasive species in some North American states.                                   

  The Chinese have traditionally used this fruit for digestive problems and eat it either fresh or dried. In Russia it is made into a paste with the red berries from the Magnolia vine to counteract their possible tartness.

  The vine is full of sap, which can be tapped in spring and drunk as a spring tonic. Scientists have found that this baby kiwi may have potential health benefits, as it has been used in China to treat oesophageal cancer, and stomach cancers. In the lab, in vitro, it has been found to have an inhibitory effect on human liver carcinoma cell lines (HEPG2) and on HT-29, human colonic cancer cell lines. However more research is needed before the activities can be confirmed.

  In China the fruit is also used traditionally to get rid of flatulence to promote blood circulation and to help in the treatment of jaundice and dysentery.

  You may like to try this recipe for a healthy drink if you find any of these sweet baby kiwis.

 

KIWI AND ORANGE SODA

Ingredients                                                                                                   

½ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice

1/3 cup pureed baby kiwi flesh

¾ cup of soda water

red kiwis

Garnish

Sprigs of fresh mint or lemon slices

Method

Combine the kiwi puree and orange juice in a blender.

Add about half a cup of this mixture to a tall glass, and top it up with soda water. Add ice and a garnish if you wish.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

MAGNOLIA VINE, WU WEI ZI - ANOTHER STRESS RELIEVER: HISTORY, HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF THE MAGNOLIA VINE

MAGNOLIA VINE, WU WEI ZI, PINYIN, SCHISANDRA CHINENSIS 

The Magnolia Vine is native to East Asia, China, Japan and Korea. It is known as Wu Wei Zi in China, which means “five-flavour berry”, or pinyin. It is a member of the Schisandraceae family and it is also known by other genus names including Schisandra japonica, Kadsura chinensis, Maximowiczin chinensis and Sphaerostema japonicum.

  In China it is one of the Fifty Fundamental Herbs as is Marlberry, (Ardisia japonica), cinnamon, the tea plant Camellia sinensis, milk vetch or Huang qi (Astragalus membranaceus) and jamalgota (Croton tiglium), among others.                         

  It is often used in China as a substitute for Asian ginseng, Panax ginseng, as a tonic for both male and female reproductive organs. In other words, it is considered to be an aphrodisiac. It has been used for thousands of years in China to improve the ageing memory, and for a multitude of illnesses. The parts used are the red berries which hang from the woody vine in bunches, rather like small red grapes or red currants. These are dried and used to improve stamina and lessen fatigue. In the dim and distant past they were used by travelers to combat weariness on long and difficult journeys.

  The fruit can be eaten straight off the vine or cooked, as well as dried. In Russia a paste is made of the berries along with those of Actinidia arguta, to balance the acidity. The berries contain sugars and are sour-sweet to taste.

  Some of the first scientific studies on the berries were carried out in the former USSR and it is now in the State Drug Register and the Pharmacopoeia of the Russian Federation. They first discovered its qualities as an adaptogen, a substance which helps to relieve stress, whether physical, mental or emotional, so it is used rather like rose root, milk vetch, American ginseng and Eleuthero. It can help to lower blood pressure and has potent antioxidant activities, making it heart- protective and of course a useful anti-cancer treatment. The seeds seem to have most potency against cancer according to some studies.                                                                                         

 The berries stimulate the immune, endocrine (glandular), central nervous, gastro-intestinal and cardiovascular systems, and the extracts from them increase physical endurance, mental performance, and lessen depression, and some of the symptoms of alcoholism such as delirium tremens. Extracts have shown to be liver-protective in studies on rats but these effects have not been studied in humans.

  It is believed that it produces mental clarity by detoxifying the body and it is thought that glutathione is the enzyme responsible for this action.

  It has been proven to help ward off colds and flu because of its action on the immune system, and it has been used to treat pneumonia, asthma, sinusitis, and many other diseases. A decoction of the branches and twigs has been used as a treatment for coughs, dysentery and gonorrhoea. Apparently the berries also have astringent properties making them good for wound healing.

  The branches have a gummy substance in them and this has been used to size paper and as a dressing for hair; while the dried wood is aromatic and can be used in pot pourri.

  Further studies are needed to discover if it really does help to lower blood sugar levels and to have an anti-cancer effect. The magnolia vine is a plant to watch out for in the future.