Neal, I believe this is one of the wild Appalachican herbs.
Ethnobotanicals, Entheogens, Herbs of History
hiya PrairieGirl,
thanks for the comment on the bench. It was one of those wacky projects I get in my head every now and then and just have to build it.
I did know that particular use/ purported use of pennyroyal. There are a couple of Lamiaceae family members known for bringing on menses.
I grow Black and Blue. It's a really nice S. guaranitica indeed. Currently I'm enamoured of Costa Rican Blue, it's another S. guaranitica that gets a bit larger with huge flowers that the hummers go nuts for.
I prefer garlic for blood purification, less liver damage. I prefer to elect when I'm going to damage my liver ....lol.
best,
don
S.g. Costa Rican Blue with a visitor
Oh, now that is a testament to your skill as a photographer too, I would've fumbled with the camera too long! Did you just say you *made* that bench?! That's awesome, the many talents of DG'rs never cease to amaze me.
My husband swears by garlic, too strong for me, must really be a vampire, LOL.
lol@vampire
Yes I built that bench and did the tile as well. It is clad with handmade Talavera tiles from Puebla, Mexico.
If you browse around in the Garden Art forum you can see some of the other wacky things I've done or am doing....lol. All legal I assure you.
best,
don
That bench is fab! The the salvias are giving me such zone envy. I do love the hardy ones I've tried (must try more), but the size and impact of some of the larger, tender varieties is awsome. Neal.
hiya g_s,
thanks for the kind words. I too am smitten by Salvias of the new world. There are some truly great European and Asian hardy ones but for sheer show-off value, one cannot beat the ones native to the americas.
We've got over 40 species and a couple of dozen hybrids in the garden and the hummingbirds sure are grateful.
best to you,
don
gemini_sage, I have not heard of preserving herbs in a jar of honey, but I have heard of herbs being stir-fried with honey in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I have some licorice root like that. I have also eaten Russian fresh fruit preserves in honey (they were hard as rocks). But I would not preserve an herb in honey because it does have water in it and could provide a good place for botulism to grow, since it excludes air. That's why you aren't supposed to feed it to babies--it has a little botulism naturally, but adults are tolerant of that much. Maybe the eccentric old man boiled the honey first--you can reduce it quite a bit and get out a lot of the water.
Thanks paracelsus. I've always been curious of the water issue. Very interesting about the stir frying of herbs with honey.
Dr Don, HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!
As it's your birthday, my conscience is pricking me even more than usual about not posting the info. about Basque ethnobotanicals, so here goes with at least some of it:
The order of these plants is the order they appear in in a locally-produced booklet, (put together by Xabier, local expert ) , and I think he selected them more or less in order of importance and popularity.
Certainly the first plant is the most widely known and used around here, and everyone with a bit of land has it growing for use in creams and poultices:
1.Verbena officinalis; Iruntzi belarra; Verbena; Vervain.
(I will put all plant names in this order - Latin, Basque, Spanish, English).
The chopped up fresh leaves are cooked with egg white to make a flat omelette, then tied in place overnight with a cloth or bandage; on the forehead for headaches and sinusitis, round the throat for sore throats. I've tried this and it really works, but I have to be desperate as it's an uncomfortable, greasy thing to sleep with, and inevitably ends up slipping off during the night.....
It is also a major ingredient in many medicinal creams which are widely made and used here. (More later).
This message was edited Dec 4, 2005 1:22 PM
2. Anagalis arvensis; Pasmo belarra; Murajes; Scarlet pimpernel.
This is used for internal and external cleansing; Internally as an infusion or made into a wine, (it says to avoid the ripe seeds as these are poisonous),to cleanse liver, kidneys, blood and lungs; externally mashed to a paste and applied as a poultice for 12 to 24 hours to cuts, grazes, excema, varicose veins and gangrene(!)
3. Scrofularia nodosa; Belar beltza (Black wort); Escrofularia,Hierba de San Pedro; Figwort.
Strengthens the lymphatic system; the whole plant, including the roots should be taken as an infusion. Traditional remedy for scrofula.
4.Taraxacum officinale; Kardabera; Diente de leon; Dandelion.
Leaves eaten raw or cooked as a diuretic, as a general tonic and to lower blood-pressure.
5.Tusilago farfara; Eztul belarra,(cough wort); Pie de caballo,(horse foot); Coltsfoot.
Used to treat coughs, colds and bronchitis. Fresh leaves are mashed and applied as a poultice.
The fresh leaves topically applied are supposed to relieve haemorrhoids (must make for an interesting way of walking...).
Drops of warmed juice are used against earache.
6.Stellaria media; Sapelarra; ?? ; Chickweed.
Eaten raw or cooked or taken as an infusion to combat colds, arthritis and brochitis.
7. Plantago lanceolata; Ardimingaina,(lamb's tongue); llantén; Ribwort plantain.
Very popular ingredient, on it's own or with vervain and others, in medicinal creams made to treat minor wounds, blemishes, burns etc. Everyone has their own version it seems, but all are based on simmering the chosen herbs in virgin olive oil, leaving to infuse overnight, heating again and incorporating beeswax to make a pomade or unguent. I call these "green creams", and have been given many different ones for cuts, bruises, burns, muscle pains, piles etc. I'm sure the oil and wax do a lot of good as well as the herbs, but I use them quite a lot, and they're very soothing and seem to promote healing.
My son was taught how to make the plantain cream on a school excursion to a centre trying to preserve local lore and rural knowledge.
Have to go now and get lunch - aforementioned son and his elder sister are complaining of hunger.... I'll try to post more later. Have a great birthday.
Maggi xxxx
This message was edited Dec 4, 2005 2:35 PM
Hi Sorgina, and a big HAAAPPPPYYYY BIRTHDAY to drdon.
I was interested to read of the natural remedies, the poultice brings memories of when I was young. My brother had the mumps, and my mother if I remember rightly used a poultice of oats, mixed with I think honey. It was applied hot to the glands on the neck and under jaw, spread on a cloth. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?
I also remember visiting my grandmother, it was in sheep country and a long journey. I had a really bad earache, and I'm sure it was castor oil warmed and put in my ear. I was only a toddler, and I just remember these words of a teaspoon of warm castor oil, and feeling the hot sensation in my ear, but it seemed to do the trick!
I think we would all benefit if education gave us an insight into these remedies, more essential to life and living often than the things we are deemed to need to know. I am interested to hear more from you. I have a book bought many years ago, Culpeper's Colour Herbal, not just a facsimile of his original, of which the essentials have been preserved, but a comparison with modern practises as well. I have in the past read through it with great interest, you would be surprised how his remedies are similar to many today, this was 4 centuries ago. It was written to help the poorer people provide themselves with cheap and available medicines, in their struggle against the landowners and the new class of industrialists. People moving to cities then hadn't the access to herbs as they once would have, and herbal remedies had been traditionally handed down by word of mouth. He based much of his reasoning on ancient astrological connections with plants, i.e. plants growing in a certain season seemed to have a corresponding relationship with behaviour of animals. I suppose you must know about all this, but we do tend to forget, and a revival of such interests is surely a good thing.
Looking back through history man has made many wise decisions, only to forget about them and regress due to the pressures from commercialism. We all need to be more aware of the natural world around us, if we don't look after it, it won't look after us in the end.
Hello Wallaby! I try to use natural remedies when I can, and as that lore hasn't been lost here in the Basque Country, at least in the rural areas, I'm finding out as much as I can. Translating it all from the Basque language is rather daunting though, as my knowledge of this difficult language is shamefully rudimentary. These posts will take a long time as I have to keep consulting my husband and daughter for help with the Basque, my Field Guide to Wild Flowers of Britain and Europe for help with the Latin and English names, and my Guia de las Flores de España for the Spanish names. Please bear with me!
Hello again Dr Don. I trust you're still having a good birthday. Time for one or two more entries before going round to a friend's house for tea....
Basque ethnobotanicals according to Mad Xabi, number 8.
Parietaria officinalis; Gibel belarra,(liver wort); Parietaria; Pellitory- of- the- wall.
Infusions of this herb seem to be one of the most popular remedies for purifting the liver and the blood. There is lots of it growing at the base of and in the cracks of the walls in the village, and I often see people,(usually elderly women), collecting it. I've collected it myself to make detoxing infusions; I prefer to collect what grows more than 3 feet up from crevices in the old stone walls.....(lots of dogs, boys and men peeing on the walls around here....)
This message was edited Dec 4, 2005 4:38 PM
9.Asplenium trichomanes; Sorgin iratzea,(witches' fern); ??; ??.
A fern which also grows on old walls around here. This is boiled and then cooled. Drink the liquid to help combat colds, bronchitis and "dirty liver", or wash your hair in it to combat baldness. (My husband had obviously never heard of this one - he's from an urban background - he's as bald as a coot!)
Must go out to tea now. Hopefully back later.
Maggi xxxx
PS. There is a strong tradition of witchcraft here, and traditionally it is a matriarchal society, with a mother goddess,(Mari), who controlled the weather and was very capricious; men seem to have spent a lot of time and effort trying to appease her and stay on her good side. All very healthy, I think! Basque women tend to be very strong, Basque men respectful and obedient! LOL. The friends we're about to visit (late), are another "mestizo" family- English wife, Basque husband. Lots of English women seem to stay and marry Basque men. On the other hand, the few English husband, Basque wife mixes I've known have ended in divorce....Wonder why????
Sorgiña (means "witch" in Basque)
Is your name sorgina a warning in guise? I think a basque husband would have been right up my street, I for one won't tolerate being tied to the kitchen sink! been there done that when no choice, now it's MY life. Strangely enough in Culpeper's Herbal it does mention the different societies based on different ideologies, and the use of plants for medicinal purposes became related to superstitions and religious beliefs currently held in those societies. Of course as is ususal at any time in history, there were conflicts between different groups within the societies, nothing ever changes does it? That humanity for you!
Happy Birthday dr don! Another year bites the dust. Best wishes for many more years of happy gardening.
wallaby - my mom used sweet oil for earaches, I believe it's mineral oil, is that the same thing as castor oil? She would heat it in a spoon on the stove, and then press it against the back of her hand to make sure it wasn't too hot beforehand (barely warm). She also gave us chamomile tea for restlessness and peppermint tea for tummy aches.
Had a great teatime visit- my friend's husband did all the cooking!! Actually, I don't quite avoid the kitchen sink Wallaby - my husband isn't a good cook, except for fish. Seriously thinking of going on a fish-only diet....
Chamomile tea is probably the most common remedy here Prairie Girl - it's available in all bars and restaurants, as is peppermint. Tila (limeflower), is the 3rd infusion that is always available. I don't think these are particularly Basque remedies though; I think they are common throughout Spain.
Basque herbal remedy number 10:
Chelidonium majus; Karets belarra,(wart wort); Celidonia,Hierba verruguera; Greater celandine.
The juice from this is applied topically to warts - it worked on my daughter's warts when she was younger...
hi PrairieGirl,
I've done a search for castor oil, found this good site with over 800 herbs, not sure about sweet oil, it is used as a laxative and by the sounds isn't sweet. I do remember the teaspoon being held over the stove to warm, these good old stoves had their uses.
here's a bit about it's uses
Castor Oil is an excellent solvent of pure alkaloids and such solutions of Atropine, Cocaine, etc., as are used in ophthalmic surgery. It is also dropped into the eye to remove the after-irritation caused by the removal of foreign bodies.
'Castor Oil is finding increasing uses in the industrial world. It figures largely in the manufacture of the artificial leather used in upholstery; it furnishes a colouring for butter, and from it is produced the so-called 'Turkey-red' oil used in the dyeing of cotton textures. It is an essential component in some artificial rubbers, in various descriptions of celluloid, and in the making of certain waterproof preparations, and one of the largest uses is in the manufacture of transparent soaps. It also furnishes sebacic acid which is employed in the manufacture of candles, and caprylic acid, which enters into the composition of varnishes, especially suitable for the polishing of high-class furniture and carriage bodies. One of its minor uses is in the manufacture of fly-papers.' - 'West India Committee Circular.' (Quoted in The Chemist and Druggist.)
It sounds like it's good for flushing out anything, dissolving waxes in ears might be another use. The web site here for a long read
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/casoil32.html
funny thing it mentions being called kiki, and being a laxative this explains why we called the no. 2's kiki as a child, but my partner has never heard of it.
sorgina, good idea if you can stomach fish for breakfast, dinner and tea! When my partner is left to do the cooking it's always chips, the thought of either 3 times a day not a pleasant one.
11. Calendula officinalis; Mariloka; Caléndula,Maravilla; Pot marigold.
Calendula "green cream " is used for skin lesions, rashes etc.(Use all of plant). An oil made from simmering the petals in olive oil is said to be good for varicose veins and blood circulation.
An infusion of the flowers is used for period pain.
12. Achillea millefolium; Milorria, Emakume belarra,(woman's wort); milenrama; yarrow.
An infusion of this is supposed to control heavy periods and internal bleeding. Also good for high blood pressure, swollen internal organs, and healing internal and external wounds.
Have to finish for now. More later.
Maggi the witch.xxxx
hiya everyone!
Thanks so much for the birthday wishes! I had a super day with my wife. We laughed and turned over rocks and laughed and ate and just had a really good day together off the ranch.
I'm very gratified to know so many wonderful people here at DG. It is a true honor to know you guys.
thanks,
don
hiya drdon
found a good site on ethnomedicinals in Nigeria while looking for something else
ethnohttp://www.siu.edu/~ebl/leaflets/obute.htm
try that again
http://www.siu.edu/~ebl/leaflets/obute.htm
another you might find interesting
http://www.bulkbotanicals.com/
I'm late as usual getting involved with this thread.Going back to burning of the Witches and Witchcraft; I am a member of the group of women who were burned or otherwise dispossed of way before Salem.I am (or at least was before I retired) an out of hospital Midwife.We use many types of modalities to get the required results.Many of the Witches who were burned etc.were Midwives.Attitudes really haven't changed that much.Now instead of burning they just try to put you out of business and ruin your reputation.Talk about fear.
I am very interested in this topic and hope that this thread continues.
Neal
We also own property in the Appalachians and I have done some hiking with oldtimers to try to learn more about the native healing plants.
drdon
We were in Uxmal about 10 years ago and loved wandering around the area.Time to go back.
How far away are you from SanDiego?
Nancy
hiya downscale_babe,
We're about and hour northeast of San Diego. Uxmal is certainly going to be one of the stops we make on our Maya Road adventure through Kabah, Labna, Mayapan, Xlapak, Sayil, and Chacmultun. Last year we visited some great sites in Campeche and Chichen Itza. Since retirement, I've become fascinated by the medicines of the ancient american indians including the Mayas. Their advanced knowledge of mathematics and astronomy and architecture were just part of their intellectual pursuits. They were also incredibly knowledgeable about the medicinal qualities of the diverse flora of the Yucatan peninsula in what is now Mexico, Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. Pam and I hope to visit the newly discovered sites at Cancuen in Guatemala next year along with a return visit to Tikal, which is a truly magical place.
We'll revive this thread after everyone gets holiday-ed out...lol. One can only do so much full-contact shopping for the newest Cabbage Patch serial killer robot video game ipod cellphone camera with the kung fu grip before more peaceful endeavors like gardening are once again on the agenda...lol.
best to you, and I'm sure we'd love to read more about midwifing and it's relationship with "modern" medicine.
don
Nancy - Two SILs were doulas, they would've been burned at the stake too! They do not give medical advice, are more spiritual and emotional guides in the process of childbirth.
More later, as drdon says, happy holidays to all!
Just received an interesting book this afternoon. "Wind in the Blood, Mayan Healing and Chinese Medicine" ISBN 1-55643-304-2. These two cultures pre-date the AMA by a bit. Thanks for the references, somewhere out there is a replacement for my grossly overpriced pravachol.
A link for anyone interested on the benefits of Kunzea ambigua, I have a tray full of plants waiting to be potted up, and it's very pretty
http://www.bush-sense.com/profile3.html
found a good plant in Chilterns cat. may be useful as well as aromatic, smelling of roses, pelargonium capitatum, good for dry areas
http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Pelargonium+capitatum&CAN=COMIND
In response to this great compendium of knowledge that i will go back and read when i have some time (i'm headed to bed) i'd like to pose a question:can anyone pass along some information on the propagation of catha edulis? i've been taking cuttings of a specimen for a few months now and can't seem to root any. is there a secret? thanks.
hiya naien,
Catha edulis cuttings are best taken by air layering, yet can be successfully rooted if you take straight cuttings with lateral growth as opposed to tip cuttings. They root better from woodier stems than from soft tissue. As far as a medium goes fine perlite or coarse, sharp, washed sand would be my preference. A dip in a rooting solution or that powder stuff wouldn't hurt either. Heat is the key as this plant is only actively growing when ambient temperatures are at least 75F and warmer. Remember that this is a sub-Saharan plant and do your best to duplicate such conditions.
Hope this is useful, and if you're coming to the RU here this summer, please bring a few cuttings with you and I'll put them on my bench and root a few for you.
best,
don