Category — Herbs for health

Matthias Grünewald’s famous painting depicting St Anthony’s agony

The ultimate cure-all of all time must be Galen’s Theriac — a true witches’ brew concocted by Roman herbalist Galen (130-200ad). Besides its opium base, it contained more than 70 ingredients, including dozens of herbs, minerals, bits of animal flesh, honey and wine.

The blender first had to compound sub-recipes, then mix them together. Even then, the mixture was expected to mature for at least 40 days—or longer!

The curious mixture survived for many centuries and the Elizabethan herbalist John Evelyn reported a ceremonial compounding of Theriac he saw in Venice in 1645.

Not all brews were as dramatic, and some of the most effective herbal medicines are known as “simples”, so-called because they feature a single herb.

Simple cause of epidemic

A fungal “simple” was the infamous cause of 600 years of epidemics of St Anthony’s Fire. In its most common form of the “fire”, the victim suffered sharp, firelike pain in the joints, which would eventually turn gangrenous.

Delirium, hallucinations and death, were common. It was named after St Anthony, the saint who protects against fire, epilepsy and infection. A religious hermit, he lived in Egypt, where he died in 356ad.

During the Crusades his remains were moved from Egypt to Dauphiné, France, the site of the first epidemic in 1039 of what was to become known as St Anthony’s Fire.

It was finally isolated in 1676 when millers discovered it was a fungus called ergot often infecting rye grain. Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a synthetic derivative of ergot.

Photography by Dan Zen

Perennial
Achillea millefolium
Family: Compositae

History

Yarrow has always been considered a plant of great power—and was used by the Chinese as a herb of divination.

In fact, the I Ching (The Book of Changes) is also know as The Yarrow Stalk Oracle.

Its name is said to derive from Achilles who was reputed to have used it to staunch the bleeding wounds of his soldiers.

Uses

Medicinal: Yarrow is a wound herb, astringent and healing, and rich in vitamins and minerals. Bruised, fresh leaves bound to cuts help speed up healing. It is anti-spasmodic, anti-imflammatory, anti-flatulent and a tonic. It is also effective in lowering blood pressure, relaxing spasms, and arresting haemorrhage. A tea restores lost appetite and promotes perspiration during colds and fevers.
Culinary: Finely-chopped leaves added to a salad or sandwiches add a pleasantly sharp taste.
Garden: In the garden, yarrow is said to increase the health of nearby plants. It is also a good compost activator, and its flowers attract many beneficial insects, including ladybirds and parasitic wasps that prey on garden pests, in particular aphids.

Cultivation

A tough adaptable plant that survives in most climates as a perennial weed, it is easy to grow from seed or root.
Divide the roots of mature plants in early spring or autumn.
It can be invasive. Modern cultivars produce fine-coloured flowers on the end of stems.
Harvesting & storage: Harvest leafy stems and flowers on a dry morning when the plants are in the early stages of bloom. Hang upside down in a dark, dry and airy space. To store for teas, wait until the s tems are dry and crumble stem, leaves and flowers and store in airtight jars.

Photograph by Louise Docker

Perennial
Taraxacum officinale
Family: Compositae

History

The dandelion is a hardy perennial herb, native throughout the northern hemisphere — and spreading fast almost everywhere else, including Australia.

It is a highly effective diuretic which contains high levels of potassium salts, particularly important in a strong diuretic, because large amounts are lost in the urine.

Recognising this, the French often call it pissenlit —‘wet-the-bed’. The common name, however, comes from the French dent de lion, tooth of the lion, referring to the jagged edges of the leaves.

It has a long history as a medicinal herb in China.

Uses

Medicinal: Eating or drinking dandelion in any form has a beneficial effect on the body.

Besides it diuretic effects, it is a mild laxative, a tonic, a blood purifier and a digestive aid. It is recommended for liver complaints, jaundice, gall bladder and kidney problems, loss of appetite, eczema and dropsy, and it can relieve the symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis.

It is also rich in protein, sugar, vitamins, minerals and bitter principles.

Modern research by herbalists has shown dandelion to be effective in treating chronic degenerative joint diseases, by increasing mobility, reducing stiffness and decreasing the tendency to develop further lesions.
Culinary: The root can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. The greens are more nutritious than spinach, and are a delicious addition to soups and salads. The leaves and flowers are made into the traditional dandelion wine, and the young buds make an acceptable substitute for capers when pickled.
Dye: Flowers used to make yellow dye for wool.

Cultivation

Sow seeds in spring in well-drained, nitrogen-rich soil in a sunny position. Drought and frost resistant. Readily self-seeds.
Harvesting & storage: Pick leaves in spring and use as a salad green or as a vegetable juice, or use dried in infusions, liquid extracts and tinctures. Roots are lifted in autumn from two-year-old plants and pressed for juice, or roasted for coffee.

Photograph by William Ng

Travel can be stressful — crowds of harassed people in confined spaces, whizzing round the world in airconditioned aluminium cigars with wings, exposure to bugs from exotic climes, jetlag, rude desk clerks, and no garden to wind down in.

Never mind, take some of your herb garden with you and it will do you good. Spend some time planning your herbal travel kit and you’ll soon find travelling a lot less strssful.

Building resistance

For a number of reasons, travel can lower your resistance to the ubiquitous and annoying viruses that can wreak havoc with your health.

Consider building up your resistance several days before a trip with echinacea and astragalus.

A bottle of echinacea tincture and some slices of astragalus root [Botanical.com has more information] are a frontline against virus attacks.

These are immune system stimulants for increasisng your general nonspecific resistance.

More to the point for the average traveller, astragalus can decrease the incidence and duration of the common cold.

Another plant to include is some form of adaptogen, such as ginseng.

Adaptogens are thought to increase endurance and resistance and to ‘normalize’ body functions.

In China, ginseng is considered neither a panacea nor a tonic. Rather it is thought to normalize various body functions, like blood pressure, blood sugarand energy levels, and to increase strength and stamina (increasing Yang).

Settling the stomach

Ginger, in powdered form, is a must in the travel kit, especially if you are prone to motion sickness.

Ginger is also useful for other stomach complaints, from indigestion to nausea to ulcers.

Peppermint tea is another good digestive, which reduces gastric secretion (acidity) and increases stomach emptying speed by over 40%. These effects are ideal for simple overindulgence.

For international travel, food- and water-borne gastrointestinal problems can be a real concern.

Management of the diarrhea has been accomplished historically through the use of astringents, using plants high in tannins.

These are antibacterial, and form a protective coating on the intestines.

Potent astringents in their dried form include blackberry root (Rubus fruticosus), bistort root (Polygonum bistorta), white oak bark, and blackberry or raspberry leaves.

Green or black teas are also high in astringency, but their caffeine makes them a poor choice, since it stimulates gastric secretion and intestinal muscles.

If you are crossing more than two time zones, the effects on your biological clock can range from minor restlessness to total disruption.

They can include drowsy days and sleepless nights and digestive distress, and can take days to readjust.

Judicious use of stimulants (tea, ginseng, Ephedra) and sedatives (valerian, chamomile, hops or kava-kava) for the first few days can help to readjust sleep cycles.

First Aid

Minor accidents can happen anywhere.

Aloe vera is essential for minor burns, including sunburn, and for wind chapping or the ravages of arid climates.

Aloe is especially effective for moisturizing when mixed with glycerine.

Witch hazel is equally useful; for scratches, scrapes (including shaving irritation), burns and insect bites. It is, in fact, the only natural astringent approved by FDA as safe and effective.

It is a good idea to include a potent antiseptic, such as Australia’s tea-tree oil. It also treats athlete’s foot and other fungal skin conditions.

Arnica tincture, or one of the cramsor rubs, is handy for bruises, strains and sprains.

For ore muscles and joints, use Tiger balm or a similar blend of warming and stimulating essential oils.

Enjoy the journey

On the road, as much as at home, it is important to eat well, exercise often and maintain a healthy and positive outlook.

Culpeper says …

Basil is the herb by which all authors are together by the ears about, and rail at one another, like lawyers. Galen and Dioscorides hold it not fitting to be taken inwardly, and Chrysippus rails at it with downright Billingsgate rhetoric: Pliny and the Arabian physicians defend it.

A herb of Mars and under the Scorpion, and therefore called Basilicon.

It is no marvel if it carry a kind of virulent quality with it. Applied to the place bitten by venomous beasts, or stung by a wasp or hornet, it speedily draws the poison to it. This herb and Rue will never grow together.

The Complete Herbal, 1649

Perennial
Monarda didyma
Family: Labiatae/Lamiaceae

History

A highly scented perennial herb, native to North America, bergamot is found there growing wild in woods, along roadsides and streams.

Also known as bee balm because of its attractiveness to bees. The name bergamot comes from the fact that it has a similar scent to the bergamot orange, a Mediterranean plant.

Native Americans brewed the leaves for Oswego tea.

Uses

Medicinal: Leaves contain antiseptic thymol. Infusion recomended for coughs, sore throats, nausea, flatulence, and menstrual cramps.
Culinary: Young leaves flavour wine, drinks, salad and stuffing. Add fresh flowers and some leaves to salads.
Aromatic: Citrusy fragrance brightens scent of potpourris and sachets.
Cosmetic: Used in baths or lotions, infusions of bergamot stimulate the skin.
Ornamental: Very attractive garden plant. Flower colours range from pink, white, violet, salmon and several shades of red.
Craft: Dried flowers retain their colour well.
Companion planting: Stimulates the growth of tomatoes.

Cultivation

Grows from creeping rootstock; needs plenty of water during hot periods. Prefers light, moist, well-drained position. Morning sun only.
Harvesting & storage: Cut down to 2cm above ground level immediately after flowering.
Strip leaves from stems and dry in a warm, shady place for 2-3 days. A drying period of more than three days may discolour the leaves and produce a less flavoursome tea.

Photograph by Jos

Our modern monoculture farming traditions have created great swathes of pasture dominated by a mere two or three species.

Animals need as much variety in their diet as humans, and they instinctively know what to nibble or browse to correct dietary deficiencies.

While it may be an impossible task in the short term to convert existing pastures. it is easy enough to create smaller areas devoted to short-term grazing by planting fenced-off areas with suitable perennials and self-seeding annuals.

On smaller homesteads, it would be of value to grow herbs in quantity especially for your livestock and pets.

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