SENNA AND INDIAN SENNA - HOW TO USE SAFELY

SENNA, EGYPTIAN SENNA, CASSIA AUGUSTIFOLIA, INDIAN SENNA, CASSIA ACUTIFOLIA-DELL

There are many different species of senna, which has been used for centuries as a purgative, but the best are Egyptian or Alexandrian senna Cassia augustifolia which comes for Sudan and Egypt and the variety which grows in the Indian subcontinent, Cassia acutifolia, also called Tinnevelly senna.

  It was first described in the 9^th century by Arab physicians, and the name, senna has Arabic roots. It is believed that the first Greek to notice the uses of this herb was Achicinus, and it must have been he who popularized its use for constipation in the West. In its action it is rather like the castor bean but more effective and less potent than jamalgota.

  The leaves are the most potent part of the plant, although they can cause stomach cramps, so the pods are preferred for use as they do not. They taste slightly less noxious than the leaves too which can make one nauseous. Basically senna should be taken with aromatic spices or herbs to disguise its taste whether the leaves or pods are used. Ginger, chamomile, cardamom seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon or cassia bark, cloves, peppermint or anise can be mixed with it and a little honey or sugar if desired. 1-2 tsps of the leaves can be put in a cup along with any of the above and 1 cup of boiling water should be poured over it and then left to steep for 10 minutes, before straining. Only 1 cup should be taken per day, so it’s best not to drink it all at once. Pregnant and lactating women should not take senna.

  Senna pods act on the whole intestine, while the leaves stimulate the colon. The WHO (World Health Organization) has approved senna’s use as a short term treatment for constipation, but the treatment should be discontinued after 1-2 weeks.

  Senna is a member of the Leguminaceae family as are the green bean, Astragalus species or the carob tree, and one of the Caesalpiniaceae species, whose leaves and pods are prescribed for sufferers of piles, anal fissures and for those awaiting surgery on the abdomen, rectum or anus. It is also used to clean the bowel before some ultrasound procedures to improve visibility in the bowel. The anthraquinone glycosides stimulate the colon and work in 3 to 9 hours, softening stools and so alleviating constipation. The leaves can cause cramping so many people prefer to use the pods for treatment.

WHAT IS MANJEETH? INDIAN MADDER: DYE FROM DYER'S MADDER , MEDICINE FROM INDIAN MADDER

DYER’S MADDER, RUBIA TINCTORUM AND INDIAN MADDER, MANJEETH, RUBIA CORDIFOLIA

Dyer’s madder, Rubia tinctorum is native to Southern Europe, southern Britain and the Mediterranean and is one of the ancient dyes used in Britain along with woad in prehistoric times. Madder dyes cloth red and various other shades including purple, pink, orange and brown. It was used to dye the coats of the Grenadier Guards, who were known as the Redcoats, in the American War of Independence and earlier. Rose madder is an artist’s pigment, which is a burgundy pink, and Indian Madder or Rubia cordifolia is native to hilly districts of the Indian sub-continent and Java. Dyer’s madder flowers in June and its seeds ripen in September in Europe. It has small yellow flowers that look like little stars, similar to those of creamy elderflowers.

Indian Madder

  Madders belong to the Rubiaceae family which includes coffee. The European variety has weak stalks so rarely grows to the heights it can attain (of 8 feet) as it tends to trail along the ground. It has prickly stalks and spiny veins on the underside of the leaf. The French used to use these leaves to polish metal work. The Indian one is a climbing plant which can grow to great heights.

  Madder has been used for all kinds of purposes throughout the centuries; the ancient Etruscans used it for religious purposes, and cloth dyed with madder was found in the tombs of the pharaohs. It is thought that it was also used as a cosmetic, probably as lip colour or blusher in ancient Egypt. Herodotus the ancient Greek historian tells us that Libyan women wore red cloaks dyed with madder in the 5^th century BC.

In 1868 the alizarin found in madder was made synthetically by two Germans, Graebe and Liebermann and then pupurin was also made synthetically so madder gradually ceased to be useful as a crop for the textile and dying industry.

  It seems that by that time it was not being utilized in traditional medicine, so madder became a forgotten plant in most of Europe. It had been used to bring on irregular periods in women and as a remedy for jaundice in Pliny’s time, while Rubia sylvestris, another European species was used for complaints of the liver and spleen as well as to remove stones and gravel from the internal organs.

  In the Indian sub-continent Indian Madder has been used as dye, but was considered inferior to the “Turkey Red” of the R. tinctorum species which as its name suggests generally came from Turkey. Indian madder dye was called Munjeet.

  Indian Madder (Rubia cordifolia) or Manjeeth as it is called in Urdu, was and is used in traditional medicine for a variety of ailments. This plant has different constituents to R. tinctorum according to modern medical research. It has been used for gouty arthritis and to get rid of the build up of calculus around joints. It is used especially for skin complaints and irritations and for the complexion, to get rid of freckles, pimples and acne, for these purposes it can be taken internally or applied externally. A face pack is made from 100 grams of crushed dried orange peel, and 50 grams each of powdered sandalwood, turmeric powder and powdered madder root.

  The roots are astringent and are used for dysentery, expelling worms, killing pain, to rid the intestines of parasites, to improve the voice and for inflammation of the uterus, vagina eyes, ears, urinary tract and to purify the blood. It is also said to be a rejuvenator of the skin and anti-diabetic, as well as helping with eczema, and skin allergies.

  The flavonoids, phenolic glycosides and other constituents seem to vary from species to species, and there are around sixty of these, but it has been shown that Indian madder does have anti-inflammatory properties and may be an anti-cancer agent.

 

THE BAEL FRUIT TREE - SACRED TO SHIVA: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF BAEL FRUIT

BAEL FRUIT TREE, AEGLE MARMELOS-CORREA

The Bael fruit tree is native to the Indian subcontinent and was mentioned in early Sanskrit writings in 800 BC. It is sacred to the Hindus and so is cultivated in many temple gardens. It is thought to be the dwelling place of Lord Shiva and the leaves are inhabited by the goddess Lakshmi. The leaves are offered to Shiva in religious ceremonies, and in the Bael Kama ceremony young pre-pubescent girls are ‘married’ to a bael fruit which symbolizes Shiva so that she will become and remain fertile. Such a ceremony is carried out in Bhutan.

   The Bael tree is also known as the Indian Quince, to which it bears some outward resemblance, though it is a member of the Rutaceae family so related to the lemon and citron trees, it contains limonene so its oil is used as a dressing for hair and to scent wood, especially carved items. The wood from the bael tree is not durable so is usually used for decorative and small items such as knife handles. It goes under two other Latin names, Crataeva marmelos and Foronia pellucida-Roth, but is mostly recognized as Aegle marmelos. It can grow to heights of between 40 and 50 feet, and has yellow flowers which are used to make perfume and cologne. The fruit start by being green and on maturity has a pale yellow rind, containing woolly seeds wrapped in mucilage. When the young leaves are bruised they have a pleasant aroma but on maturity they are not very pleasant. The young shoots are eaten as a vegetable in Thailand, where the tree is cultivated. There mangosteen is used as a substitute for the bael fruit in medicine, but it appears not to be as effective. The branches, when cut, exude a gummy sap which hangs down and solidifies, giving the tree an unusual appearance. In India the tree has a reputation of being able to thrive in places where other fruit trees can’t.

  It seems that all parts of the tree have their uses, with the gummy sap being used as an adhesive by jewellers and as glue for household purposes. The ripe fruit can be scooped from the pod and eaten but I can’t do this as the smell is off-putting like the ber fruit. The pulp is often soaked in water and then mixed with palm sugar and ice which makes a refreshing drink in summer. The ripe fruit can also be mixed with milk and honey or palm sugar to make it more palatable. Jams and jellies are made from it and given to people who are recovering from bouts of diarrhoea and dysentery. The ripe fruit is also considered a laxative while the unripe bael fruit is given for diarrhoea as it contains tannins. The pulp can be mixed with guava and made into a jelly too and this is quite pleasant. Another pleasant drink that cools the body is made by mixing the pulp with tamarind pulp and an infusion of the flowers is a very good, cooling drink.

  It contains some B-complex vitamins, as well as carotene, vitamin C and tartaric acid among other things. There are tannins in the leaves and fruit, but there are more in the wild fruit than the cultivated variety.

  The leaves are said to cause a foetus to abort and to cause sterility in a woman. It has other notable qualities to as in some parts of the world the bark of the tree is used to poison fish. The fruit pulp can be used as detergent and some poor families use it instead of soap. Sometimes the gum is added to lime plaster and cement, and some artists use it to coat paintings to preserve their water colours.

  The young fruit is often sliced and sun dried to be sold in local markets or exported to Europe and Malaysia. In Malaysia it is used for its medicinal properties. There are many remedies for treatment with the bael tree, and here are some of them, for information only as any herbal remedy should only be taken with the approval of your health care practitioner.

  The leaf juice from the mature leaves can be mixed with honey and used for catarrh and fevers, and with black pepper added for jaundice and constipation when this is accompanied by edema (swollen legs). Asthma is treated with a decoction of the leaves and hot poultices can be made with them to reduce swellings, acute bronchitis and inflammation. A decoction of the flowers is used for itching eyes and to get rid of internal parasites. A decoction of the bark is said to be effective in cases of malaria, while one made from the root is given for heart palpitations, arrhythmia, indigestion, bowel problems and to stop vomiting.

  It is believed that the fruit, leaves and bark have antibiotic properties and the root, leaves and bark of the tree are good antidotes for snake bites. These properties appear to have been proved to the satisfaction of researchers.

  In some communities ear problems are treated by dipping a stiff piece of the root of the bael tree in neem oil and then lighting one end and catching the oil which drips from the lighted end. This is stored for use and a drop is put in ears which have problems. It is believed that if you make an oil by heating oil from bael tree leaves with an equal amount of sesame oil, and adding a few black peppercorns and ½ a teaspoon of caraway seeds, then removing this from the heat and allowing to cool, you can massage this mixture into your scalp before washing your hair in order to stop recurring colds and respiratory problems.

  These home remedies are added for interest rather than any other purpose!

   

 

ORPINE - ONE OF THE PHYSICIAN OF MYDDFAI'S HERBAL INGREDIENTS

ORPINE, LIVE-LONG, SEDUM TELEPHIUM

Orpine is one of the Sedum or Stonecrop family of plants of the group Crassulaceae. It is called Telephium after Telephus the son of Hercules who is said to have discovered its wound-healing properties after a battle, as he used it to cure a serious leg wound. It is native to Europe and to temperate parts of Asia, and has been used for centuries to heal. 

It may not be a native to Britain although it grows in wasteland and in woods and hedgerows, but it was probably introduced very early on. It was known to the Physicians of Myddfai and to the 16^th century herbalist John Gerard. It was first named Crassula montana by an early Italian botanist who believed that it grew in mountainous regions. However, this proved to be an error and its name was changed. It grows to a height of 1 to 2 feet in the wild and in gardens may reach 3 feet in height. It is the stonecrop with the largest, broad leaves in Britain, where it is generally crimson, although orpine can be white-pink too. The plant flowers in July and produces seeds in August. The whole herb can be used in medicine.

  The name orpine is thought to have come from the Latin, auripigmentum, which is a gold coloured pigment, a sulpheret of the metal arsenic, and from there to the Old French, orpiment and Middle English orpin. It is also known as Long Life and Everlasting because it can live for a long time if uprooted and hung in a room. There is a superstition which says that if orpine is hung in a home and suddenly dies there will be a death in the family. On the other hand, while it lives it will protect all members of the household. It is able to live without soil or water because of the nutrients it stores in its leaves and swollen roots.

  Its leaves have been used in salads especially during the Middle Ages, and sheep and goats will eat them, although horses avoid them. An infusion of the leaves has been a popular remedy for diarrhoea in various countries for centuries, as the plant has astringent properties.

  The 16^th century German herbalist, Hieronymus Tragus, believed that distilled water of the plant was good for the stomach and bowels, and “ulcers in the lungs, liver and other inward parts.”

  The root has been used to relieve burns and inflammation of wounds and skin, with the juice of the leaves being used effectively for burns, scalds and other skin problems.

The plant’s juice has been made into a syrup with honey and given for sore throats, and poultices of the leaves have been applied to boils and carbuncles to stop pain. The roots can be added to soups and stews and were used for them in the Middle Ages.

  Modern medicinal research has shown that the plant does indeed have wound healing properties, perhaps because of the presence of polysaccharides, and concurs with the Mediaeval physicians that it has anti-inflammatory properties too. It is believed that it can be helpful in cases of uterine haemorrhage as well as those of the bowel and rectum. It is being researched currently for its possible use in cancer treatments.

  The Physicians of Myddfai used it with other herbs to treat a number of complaints and this is one of their cures for fevers.

  “The mugwort, madder, meadow sweet, milfoil, hemp, red cabbage, and the tutsan, all these seven herbs enter into the composition of the medicine required. Whosoever obtains them all, will not languish long from a wounded lung, or need fear for his life. Any of the following herbs may be added thereto, butcher's broom, agrimony, tutsan, dwarf elder, amphibious persicaria, centaury, round birth wort, field scabious, pepper mint, daisy, knap weed, roots of the red nettle, crake berry, St. John's wort, privet, wood betony, the roots of the yellow goat's beard, heath, water avens, woodruff, leaves of the earth nut, agrimony, wormwood, the bastard balm, small burdock, and the orpine.”

  For curiosity’s sake only, here are other remedies from these Welsh physicians which used orpine (which has been underlined).

“A sterile woman may have a potion prepared for her by means of the following herbs, viz:—St. John's wort, yew, agrimony, amphibious persicaria, creeping cinque foil, mountain club moss, orpine and pimpernel, taking an emetic in addition.”

 Finally here is one of my favourite remedies which show that these old physicians didn’t really understand the workings of the female body.

“A woman who is subject to profuse menstruation, should take the reddish bastard balm, small burdock, orpine, stinking goose foot, pimpernel, water avens, with the ashes of a hart's horns, that has been killed with his antlers on, boiling them, as well as possible in red wine, straining the liquor carefully, and drinking it daily, till it is finished, abstaining (the while) from stimulating food. Being restrained by the above means, the blood will be habitually diverted to the thighs and ankles.”