DWARF ELDER: USED FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES AROUND THE GLOBE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF DWARF ELDER

DWARF ELDER, (EUROPEAN), SAMBUCUS EBULUS 

The dwarf elder is in the same genus as the elder or common elder tree and in the Adoxaceae family of plants, although formerly it was in the Caprifoliaceae family. The Himalayan viburnums belong in the same family as does the Guelder rose (Viburnum opulis), making them relations of the European dwarf elder, which is different altogether from the plant called by the same name in the US; Aralia hispida of the Araliaceae family. This dwarf elder is native to Britain and mainland Europe as well as to the Mediterranean and eastwards to the Himalayas. Its cooked fruit is edible, and so are the leaves as they can be made into a tisane or infusion and have been used as a tea substitute.

  The Dwarf elder is also known as Danewort, Danesblood, and Walwort and there are legends surrounding these names. “Wal” means slaughter, and it was thought (or perhaps hoped) that the plant grew where the blood of invading Danes had been spilled in Britain. There are places called the Slaughters (Upper and Lower) in the Cotswolds and there are quite a lot of dwarf elders there still. It is also called Blood Elder or Blood Hilder and it was thought to have been brought to Britain by the Danes to lay on their graves.

  The berries and leaves closely resemble those of the elder tree, but this is a plant which only grows to around three feet high and it dies back in winter. The stem of this plant is not woody and the white flowers are sometimes splashed with red and they have red anthers. They bloom in July and August, and like their relatives, the Himalayan viburnums, they don’t smell pleasant. In fact the whole plant when bruised, smells obnoxious, and does not have the musky smell of the elder. It is said that the plant repels moles and mice, so perhaps the leaves repel mice too.

  The plant has been found to have some anti-cancer properties, anti-inflammatory ones and have antioxidant properties; it is an anti-rheumatism plant and can be used as a remedy for piles according to some modern research. The flowers and berried contain essential oil. And the rest of the plant contains tannins, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides including sambunigrin and ebuloside and ebulin, along with caffeic acid derivatives and other substances. However, much more research needs to be done to find how this plant can be used effectively for human health.

  In Iranian traditional medicine the plant is used to treat sore throats, and bee and nettle stings as well as arthritis. Juice from the root is used to dye hair black, in some parts of the world, and a blue dye and ink may be obtained from the berries.

  In traditional medicine the root is used as a very effective and drastic purgative and this is not recommended! The leaves also can be used as a milder purgative. These have anti-inflammatory properties, can help to increase the flow of bile in the body and help remove it, act as an expectorant, and in fevers can promote sweat. They also have diuretic activities. The leaves can be placed on burns and scalds to help heal them and can also be made into a hot or warm poultice for sprains and swellings. It was thought that placing a bunch of dwarf elder leaves on the chest of someone who had just begun to get T.B. would help, and if a person had a fever, he or she might be laid on a sheet which had the leaves on it and then wrapped in a blanket to get rid of a fever. The physicians of Myddfai used it for fevers, as you can see from these ancient remedies of theirs: -

  “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”

This was a treatment for an intermittent fever such as malaria is: -

  “Take the mugwort, dwarf elder, tutsan, amphibious persicaria, pimpernel, butcher's broom, elder bark, and the mallow, and boiling them together as well as possible in a pot, or cauldron. Then take the water and herbs, and add them to the bath.”

  Nicholas Culpeper writing his herbal in the 17^th century, much later than the old Welsh physicians, has this to say of the dwarf elder: -

  “The dwarf elder is more powerful than the common elder in opening and purging choler, phlegm, and water; in helping the gout, piles, and women's diseases, coloureth the hair black, helpeth the inflammations of the eyes, and pains in the ears, the biting of serpents, or mad dogs, burnings and scaldings, the wind cholic, cholic and stone, the difficulty of urine, the cure of old sores and fistulous ulcers. Either leaves or bark of elder, stripped upwards as you gather it, causeth vomiting. Also Dr. Butler, in a manuscript of his, commends dwarf elder to the sky for dropsies, viz to drink it, being boiled in white wine; to drink the decoction I mean, not the elder.”

  This plant has been used for centuries for various ailments, and it seems that it has far more benefits for our health than even the old herbalists gave it credit for.

  

FRENCH MERCURY NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE BY CULPEPER: HISTORY AND MEDICINAL USES OF FRENCH MERCURY

FRENCH, GARDEN OR ANNUAL MERCURY, MERCURIALIS ANNUA

This Mercury, like dog’smercury is a member of the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family of plants along with Ricinis communis or the castor oil plant, cassava or manioc, and Croton tiglium or jamalgota among others. It is sometimes confused with Good-King-Henry, which is often called English Mercury to distinguish it from this plant which is poisonous. Garden mercury or French mercury has been used dried as a decoction in injections by the French, possibly for STDs, this is unclear, but it is best to take the advice of Nicholas Culpeper, the 17^th century English herbalist and stay away from Mercuries. He had this to say of them: -

“This species of mercury has been confounded with others of the same name, with which it has been thought to agree in nature. But there is not a more fatal plant, native of our country, than this. The common herbals, as Gerard's and Parkinson's, instead of cautioning their readers against the use of this plant, after some trifling, idle observations upon the qualities of mercuries in general, dismiss the article without noticing its baneful effects. Other writers, more accurate, have done this; but they have written in Latin, a language not likely to inform those who stand most in need of this caution. This is one of the reasons for compiling of this work.”

  It is said that the young leaves can be used as a spinach substitute, as it would appear that they lose their poisonous principle if heat is applied to them. However to be on the safe side, don’t use this herb or dog’s mercury either. Raw leaves are poisonous. It is said that this herb was once used as a pot herb but I find this very hard to believe.

  The leaves have been chopped and boiled or fried in lard to make a moisturizing cream for dry skin, and the herb has been used for a number of purposes in ancient medicine. However it doesn’t smell at all pleasant, so why would anyone want to use it when sweeter smelling herbs can be employed for all the purposes it was used for. I guess it wasn’t terribly popular unless one was desperately in need of a purge, in which case it was less noxious to use than dog’s mercury.

  Best advice? Take that of Culpeper and stay away from the mercuries!

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POINSETTIA - THE CHRISTMAS FLOWER: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF POINSETTIA

POINSETTA, EUPHORBIA PULCHERRIMA

December 12^th is National Poinsettia Day in the USA, and this seems a fitting time to write a post on this flower which has come to be associated with Christmas. It originated in Central America, and was introduced into the US in 1825 by Joel R. Poinsett for whom it was named in English.

  The red leaves attract pollinators to the insignificant flowers which reside in the centre of them. These upper leaves may be pink, white, pink and cream or white, and orange. There may be other colours too. The plant is not actually extremely toxic although if you eat enough of the foul-tasting leaves you might vomit. The sap from the plant has been used as a hair remover, and to stimulate lactation in nursing mothers. It is said that it was once used as an abortifacient too. It has antibacterial properties and has some reputation as a pain reliever particularly for toothache. The sap is also used to get rid of warts, pimples and other skin problems. As a member of the Euphorbiceae family it is related to Dog’s and French Mercury, as well as jamalgota, the castor oil plant, and cassava or manioc to name but a few of the plants in this spurge family.

  It is associated with Christmas due in part to a 16^th century Mexican legend which tells of a young girl, too poor to give a gift to Jesus on his birthday (Christmas Day). An angel told her to gather weeds from the roadside and place them on the church altar. She did this and the poinsettia flowered from them. In 17^th century Mexico the Franciscan friars also incorporated them into their Christmas decoration, claiming that the star-shape of the coloured leaves symbolized the Star of Bethlehem and the red leaves symbolized the blood of Christ, sacrificed for the human race.

  In the wild this shrub can grow to heights of 4 metres or 16 feet, but the kind we get in pots is rarely more than 2 feet high. In Spain it is called the Easter flower and it can be grown at this time as well as near Christmas. In Mexico it is “Noche Buenos” (Good Night) referring to Christmas Eve. In Greek it is papagallo or the parrot flower, while in Turkey it is the Ataturk flower.
  The Poinsettia cocktail is not made with the plant but with Prosecco a sparkling Italian wine (also used to make the peach cocktail, the Bellini), vodka and cranberries and sometimes an orange-flavour liqueuer such as Tripe Sec or cointreau.

DOG'S MERCURY - POISONOUS, BUT OK FOR CANINES! HISTORY, AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF DOG'S MERCURY

DOG’S MERCURY, MERCURIALIS PERENNIS

Dog’s Mercury is a common woodland plant in England and Wales as well as in mainland Europe and can also be found in South West Asia. It is poisonous and really should be avoided, although dogs seek it out their owners say and then vomit, so it is used by them as they use other grasses such as couch grass. Dog’s Mercury is a member of the spurge or Euphorbiaceae family of plants which includes Ricinis communis or the castor oil plant, cassava or manioc, and Croton tiglium or jamalgota among others.

  Nicholas Culpeper, writing in the 17^th century has this to say of it and certainly cautions against its use, chastising earlier herbalists for not doing the same: -

 “This species of mercury has been confounded with others of the same name, with which it has been thought to agree in nature. But there is not a more fatal plant, native of our country, than this. The common herbals, as Gerard's and Parkinson's, instead of cautioning their readers against the use of this plant, after some trifling, idle observations upon the qualities of mercuries in general, dismiss the article without noticing its baneful effects. Other writers, more accurate, have done this; but they have written in Latin, a language not likely to inform those who stand most in need of this caution. This is one of the reasons for compiling of this work.”                                                                         

  The Mercuries as Culpeper calls them got their name, so Pliny says because the Roman god Mercury discovered their medicinal virtues. This is a reference to the fact that Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine as he is known, used the plants for “female” complaints. The plant is also employed in homeopathy for rheumatism and gall bladder and liver complaints, but should not be administered without a physician’s approval.

  Traditionally Dog’s mercury has been used in an ointment applied to external dressings for wounds, and it is said to soften and moisturize the skin. It has also been used to get rid of sores in the ears and around the eyes, but that was in the dim and distant past when other forms of medication were unavailable. It was used in ancient Greece as an antiseptic and to get rid of warts.

  It smells rank and if you follow your nose, you will not be able to eat it, even if your body needs to be purged. This was its main use in the past, as it induces vomiting and diarrhoea.   

  It is even more noxious than French, annual or garden mercury, all names of the same plant, Mercurialis annua. For once it would be advisable to keep Culpeper’s advice in mind and stay clear of this plant.