HOLLYHOCKS - QUINTESSENTIAL ENGLISH COTTAGE GARDEN PLANT: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF HOLLYHOCKS

HOLLYHOCKS, ALTHEA or ALCEA ROSEA

Hollyhocks are the flowers that spring into my mind when an “English country garden” is mentioned. My great aunt had them in her garden in Worcestershire along with other typical English garden flowers, meadowsweet, poppies and for some reason a huge passionflower crawled up her door frame. These tall flowers are wonderful for children to play amongst and make for excellent screens in a garden. They attract bees and butterflies too.

  Hollyhocks are members of the Malvaceae family so are related to the mallow and hibiscus. They possess some of the medicinal properties of the Marsh mallow, and have been used as herbs to add to soups and stews, in China, although they are not very palatable. The flowers are edible, or at least the pretty petals are, which come in a range of colours. The plant is in flower from July through to the end of September, and seeds appear from August onwards.

  It is best to harvest the flowers in July and August when they are in full bloom and dry them on trays in warm air, at temperatures of 35º Celsius. These can be made into a tisane and used for mouth problems and sore throats.

  It is said that these garden hollyhocks were introduced into Britain from China via Palestine in 1573, but they were clearly known to mediaeval herbalists and to John Gerard, who refers to them as Malva hortensis (garden mallows). The plants originated in south-west and central Asia, and it is thought by some that the ancient Greeks used them for mouth problems, although it is more likely that they used the Marsh mallow and not the hollyhock.

  Mediaeval herbalist used them in this remedy for fainting spells or epilepsy perhaps, although it is highly toxic so don’t try it at home! They took hollyhock, wax, fennel, salt and mercury and steeped this mixture in water. This must have been a kill or cure remedy!

  Culpeper, writing his Complete herbal in the 17^th century had this to say about them: -

“This species of mallows is of the nature of Common Marsh -mallows, but less mollifying; it is mostly used in gargles for the swelling of the tonsils, and the relaxation of the uvula. All the parts of the plant have a rough and austere taste, but more especially the root, which is of a very binding nature, and may be used to advantage both inwardly and outwardly, for incontinence of urine, immoderate menses, bleeding wounds, spitting of blood, the bloody-flux, and other fluxes of the belly. It is also of efficacy in a spongy state of the gums, attended with looseness of the teeth, and soreness in the mouth. Dried and reduced to powder, or boiled in wine, and partaken of freely, it prevents miscarriage,

helps ruptures, dissolves coagulated blood from falls, blows, &c., and kills worms in children. “

  In Tibetan folk medicine the roots and flowers are used for inflammation of the womb and the kidneys and to stop semen being discharged involuntarily as well as to stop vaginal discharge. The roots, which are starchy, are used to stimulate appetite.

  The flower petals can be used as a food colouring and the stems have been used in paper-making as they are quite fibrous. The root is edible and contains vitamin C and some B-complex vitamins, and some minerals such as iron, copper calcium and zinc along with traces of iodine which is unusual and puts it in the same league as laver bread (seaweed) and rock samphire, which grow close to the sea. You can eat the unopened buds too as you can those of the kachnar tree.

  The hollyhock has mainly been used in medicine for its ability to soothe the mucous membranes and used for bronchial and respiratory complaints. The roots are good for such problems.

  The seeds can also be used in a hot tisane and are said to help reduce the symptoms of fevers.

  The tisane below can be used as a wash for skin inflammation or to relieve mouth problems and sore throats. If you use the flowers alone, then steep them in cold water for a few hours so that they retain their potency. It can also be used to help in colds etc.

HOLLYHOCK TISANE

Ingredients

2 tbsps of freshly picked flowers

½ tbsps chopped dried root

½ tbsps seeds

2 tbsps chamomile or lemon balm, chopped

2 pints boiling water

honey to sweeten

Method

Put the ingredients into a large pan and pour over the boiling water.

Allow the mixture to steep for 20 mins to ½ an hour and then strain and drink in small cupfuls, twice or three times a day.

This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).

 

 

JET- ONE WAY OF FINDING A VIRGIN (PHYSICIANS OF MYDDFAI)

Jet in its natural state

JET USED IN JEWELERY AND FOR HEALING

Like amber, jet is not a stone although it is classed as a semi-precious stone in jewellery –making. It has a long history of use as a jet necklace has been found which dates back to 13,000 BC. It was used as an ornament for jewellery in the Bronze Age and the Assyrians thought it a favourite of their gods. The Romans like the stone, and during their occupation of Britain after 55 BC, jet was sent from there to Rome.

polished jet

  Jet is the remains of prehistoric plants and is a kind of carbonized wood, or a type of coal. It consists of around 85 % carbon, around 10% oxygen, 1 % nitrogen and 5 % hydrogen. It is mentioned in the Anglo-Norman Sloane Lapidary which was written in 1243 and in that manuscript it says that a woman in labour should drink water in which jet has been placed to ease the pains of childbirth.                                                      

  The physicians of Myddfai had other ideas for its uses such as this one:-

 “If you would distinguish between a wife and a virgin, scrape some jet into water, and give it her to drink. If she be a wife, she will without fail pass water, but if a virgin she will not have a more urgent call than usual.”

jet mourning brooch

  Stones have been used for divination and healing as well as for protection, and jet, worn around the neck or in a purse or pocket has been said to protect from evil and was used particularly to ward off the evil eye. To the ancients it was “gagates” and the Exorcism stone.  It is said to be especially effective for Capricorns.

  New Age healers say that jet absorbs negative energy and stabilizes moods, but has to be cleaned each night in sea salt to keep it clean and able to function. They also use it to relieve migraines and pain at the back of the eyes, and believe it protects a wearer from violence.

  Traditionally it was believed that jet could cure fainting spells and that the person who could wear jet could control the four elements of earth, air, fire and water, so it could have been Prospero’s stone in Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest”.

  Queen Victoria popularized this stone as she wore jet while mourning for her beloved husband, Prince Albert. It is now associated with mourning and said to help in the grieving process.

  Jet is found in isolated patches, rather than in one definite place, like coal and may be found in pockets in rock. Whitby, in northern England is famous for its jet and a jet-jewellery business still continues there.

WHEAT - FIRST CULTIVATED GRAIN CROP: HISTORY AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF WHEAT

WHEAT, GHANDAM in URDU, TRITICUM AESTIVUM

Wheat was the earliest cultivated crop which our hunter-gatherer ancestors grew when they began to settle. Archaeological evidence suggests that the earliest varieties were grown in the Near East (Syria, Iran, Iraq etc) between 12 and 17,000 years ago. These were Triticum monococcus (einkorn) and Triticum diococcum (emmer). There are around thirty thousand varieties of wheat grown today, and it is the most widely used grain. Women were the first agriculturists and cultivated chickpeas, rye and then einkorn and emmer, according to archaeological evidence from the Karacadag Mountains in Turkey. The ancient Egyptians believed that the goddess Isis brought them wheat and barley from Lebanon in the Fertile Crescent.

  Varieties of wheat include Hard Red Winter, Hard Red Spring, Soft Red Winter, and White wheat (which is actually yellow).

 It is a member of the Gramineae family so related to barley,oats and other members of the grass family. Bulgur wheat and couscous come from wheat, and have been processed a little, but still retain most of their nutrients as compared to refined white flour, which in the US is “enriched,”  although the iron and B-complex vitamins that are put back in to the flour are not as many as those extracted during the milling process.

  Durum wheat is used to make pasta, and wheat is the grain that is most used in the production of the foods we eat. It is the basis for breads, breakfast cereals, and is good when added to soups and stews in one of its forms.

  The part of the wheat plant that we eat is the kernel or seed or wheatberry, all different names for the same thing. It is made up of three distinct parts: - the endosperm, bran and germ. The endosperm comprises about 83% of the weight of the kernel and is the source of white flour. This contains protein, carbohydrates and iron, the four main B-complex vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid and fibre. Bran comprises 14.5% of the weight of the kernel and can be bought separately, and can be added to breakfast cereals and bread as well as soups and stews. This contains fibre and a little protein along with vitamins E and B-complex ones with trace minerals and phytochemicals which have antioxidant properties. Lastly the germ comprises 2.5 % of the weight of the kernel, and is usually extracted from flour because of its 10 % fat content which reduces the shelf-life of white flour. This is, however a very good source of B-complex vitamins and minerals and is included in whole wheat flour. The main minerals contained in wheat are calcium, copper, phosphorous, iron and zinc, manganese, magnesium and the amino acid, tryptophan is also one of the constituents.

  Whole grains are particularly good for our health and have been shown to have heart-protective properties as well as cancer protective ones as they contain good amounts of nutrients which have antioxidant properties. White flour, on the other hand is of little nutritional value compared with the whole grain flour.

GUELDER ROSE OR CRAMPBARK, FOR HEALTH: HISTORY AND USES OF GUELDER ROSES

GUELDER ROSE, VIBURNUM OPULUS 

The Guelder rose is native to Europe and North America and was introduced to Britain from The Netherlands, having been cultivated by the Dutch in the province of Gueldersland, hence its name. However, it was known to Geoffrey Chaucer, who called it the Gaitre-berie in his “Nun’s Priest’s Tale” in The Canterbury Tales. In this tale he suggests that it was a laxative along with ground ivy. It is a shrub which grows to between 5 and 10 feet high and is a member of the Adoxaceae family of plants. (Formerly they were in the Caprifoliaceae family.) This means it is related to the Himalayan Viburnums and the elder tree..

  It is commonly known as Cramp bark as the bark of the tree is used to alleviate spasms of various kinds in traditional systems of medicine across the world. It contains coumarins which affect the uterine muscles and help in menstrual cramps and childbirth. In centuries past the bark has been used in tisanes and decoctions for nervous spasms and asthma, convulsions, palpitations and for the heart.

  In Canada the berries have been used as a substitute for cranberries, as they have a bitter flavour which improves to a piquant one when used in jellies and preserves. It is known as the High Bush Cranberry, but it is not a relative of the true cranberry. The berries contain vitamins C and K but are not good to eat raw.

  The trees produce balls of white flowers, before the berries, and these give rise to the name, Snowball tree. Actually it resembles an elder, and the flowers from a distance can resemble those of the elder tree.

  It is the bark of the tree that is used in herbal preparations, and this is either collected in autumn, before the leaves turn yellow or purple, and then it is dried for later use, perhaps to be ground into a powder. Alternatively it is gathered in early spring before the leaf buds open. If you cannot take aspirin, you should avoid any medications made from the Guelder rose.

  The bright red berries provide winter food for birds, and a red dye can be prepared from them. A red ink can be made from the dried berries. The Russians used to make a brandy from the berries called nastoika which was used for peptic ulcers. In China the leaves re used as a purgative, while in Japan a vinegar extract from the berries is used to treat cirrhosis of the liver.

  In the Language of Flowers the Guelder rose symbolizes winter and old age, but in the Ukraine it is the symbol of the fight for independence (the blood-red berries) and a beautiful girl is compared to it, so it has particular significance, and is used as a motif in traditional embroidery.

  The decoction of the bark is potent and you only need to take a tablespoon in a cup of water 3 times a day for cramps. This is made from 1 ounce of dried bark to one pint of water boiled, then simmered for 15 minutes.

  Another remedy and tisane for stomach cramps is to take equal amounts (an ounce of each) of Guelder rose bark, angelica root, and ginger root and three ounces of fresh chamomile leaves and flowers. Pour a litre of boiling water over these and leaves to infuse for 30 minutes, then strain and drink a small cup three times a day.