Habitat: Uncultivated places, and close to old walls.
Features ? This straggling, well-branched plant, which belongs to the poppy family, is not related either medicinally or botanically to Pilewort, which latter is commonly known as the Small or Lesser Celandine. This apparent confusion probably arose from some imagined superficial resemblance. The hairy stem of our present subject reaches a height of two feet, and exudes a saffron-yellow juice when fresh. The pinnate leaves are also slightly hairy, green above and greyish underneath, and are six to twelve inches long by two to three inches wide. The root tapers, and the yellow- flowers appear in May and June singly at the end of three or four smaller stalks given off from the end of a main flower stalk. The taste is bitter and caustic, the smell disagreeable.Part used ? Herb.Action: Alterative, diuretic and cathartic.
The infusion of 1 ounce to 1 pint of boiling water is taken in wineglassful doses three times daily, as part of the treatment for jaundice, eczema, and scrofulous diseases. The infusion is also helpful when applied directly to abrasions and bruises, and the fresh juice makes a useful application for corns and warts.Culpeper knew of the virtues of Celandine in jaundice, and refers to it thus ? "The herb or roots boiled in white wine and drunk, a few Aniseeds being boiled therewith, openeth obstructions of the liver and gall, helpeth the yellow jaundice."... celandineHabitat: It prefers moist, clayey soil, and is usually found growing near streams and ditches.
Features ? Springing erect from the ground to a height of about eight inches, the stem is entirely covered with small brown scales and a loose cottony down. The angular, long-stalked, toothed leaves are about four inches, green above with long white hairs underneath. Large, daisy type, bright yellow flowers appear, one to eachstalk, from February to April, long before the leaf growth. The taste is mucilaginous and rather astringent, the odour scarcely noticeable.Part used ? Leaves.Action: Expectorant and demulcent.
Coltsfoot leaves are used in a decoction of 1 ounce to 1 1/2 pints of water, simmered down to 1 pint, which is taken in teacupful doses. Its expectorant and demulcent action is of great help in cough remedies when in conjunction with pectorals such as Horehound. The leaves also form a useful constituent of asthma and whooping-cough medicines, and are smoked as a relief against asthma, bronchitis and catarrh.These same uses were known centuries ago, as witness Culpeper ? "The dry leaves are best for those that have thin rheums, and distillations upon the lungs, causing a cough, for which also the dried leaves taken as tobacco, or the root, is very good."... coltsfootHabitat: Moist meadows and pasture land.
Features ? The stem. growing up to three feet, is branched, furrowed, and downy above; egg-shaped, serrate leaves embrace the stem. The calyx is also egg-shaped and leafy, and the flowers, blooming in July and August, are large, solitary and terminal, brilliantly yellow in colour. The root is light grey, hard, horny and cylindrical. The whole plant is similar in appearance to the horseradish, its taste is bitter and acrid, and the odour reminiscent of camphor.Part used ? Root.Action: Diaphoretic, expectorant and diuretic.
In combination with other remedies it is made up into cough medicines, and can be of service in pulmonary disorders generally. Skillfully compounded, slight alterative and tonic qualities are noticed. Wineglass doses are taken of a 1 ounce to 1 pint (reduced) decoction.These modest present-day claims for Elecampane are far exceeded by Culpeper's exuberance. In his view, the root "warms a cold and windy stomach or the pricking therein, and stitches in the side caused by the spleen; helps the cough, shortness of the breath, and wheezing of the lungs. . . . Profitable for those that have their urine stopped. . . . Resisteth poison, and stayeth the venom of serpents, as also of putrid and pestilential fevers, and the plague itself." When we are also told by the same author that it kills and expels worms, fastens loose teeth, arrests dental decay, cleanses the skin from morphew, spots and blemishes, we realize in what esteem Elecampane was held in the seventeenth century! But here again germs of truth are hidden among manifold exaggerations.... elecampaneHabitat: Cultivated fields.
Features ? Stem short, square, smooth, branched. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, crenate. Flowers in June, petals of differing sizes, usually wholly yellow but occasionally purple upper petals with dark stripes on lower; single, violet-like flower to each flower stalk. Three carpel fruit.Part used ? Herb.Action: Diaphoretic, diuretic.
The mildness of action makes it applicable in infantile skin eruptions, for which the ounce to pint infusion is given in doses according to age.It has been said that the medicine will ward off asthmatic and epileptic convulsions, but there would appear to be no reliable confirmation of this. The claim may have originated with Culpeper, who writes, concerning Heartsease ? "The spirit of it is excellently good for the convulsions in children, as also for falling sickness, and a gallant remedy for the inflammations of the lungs and breast, pleurisy, scabs, itch, etc."... heartseaseHabitat: Horehound flourishes in dry, and particularly chalky waste ground.
Features ? It grows to a height of one and a half to two feet. The bluntly four-cornered stem sends out spreading branches covered with white, woolly hair. The leaves, also spread with the soft hair, are egg-shaped and deeply toothed, the lower ones stalked, those above sessile. The small, white flowers appear during July in thick rings just above the upper leaves.Part used ? The whole plant.Action: Aromatic and bitter, having expectorant and slight diuretic action.
Horehound is probably the best known of all herbal pectoral remedies, and is undoubtedly effective in coughs, colds and pulmonary complaints. The whole herb is infused in 1 ounce quantities to 1 pint of water, and taken frequently in wineglass doses.The refreshing and healthy Horehound Beer or Ale is brewed from this herb, and a Horehound candy is made which, when properly prepared, is one of the best of "cough sweets."Coffin speaks highly of the tonic and expectorant qualities of Horehound, and its latter virtue has certainly been known for nearly three hundred years, as Culpeper tells us that "it helpeth to expectorate tough phlegm from the chest."... horehoundHabitat: Marshes near the sea.
Features ? This erect plant grows to a height of three feet, and is distinguishable from the Common Mallow by the velvety down covering the stem and leaves. Stems are round, the soft leaves being five-lobed below and three-lobed above. The pinkish- blue flowers appear in luxuriant axillar panicles between July and September. Roots are thick and fleshy, resembling those of the parsnip, and greyish-white outside, white and fibrous internally. The taste is mucilaginous and unpleasant, with only a very slight odour. The roots should be stored in a very dry place, or a yellowish matter of disagreeable smell will form.Part used ? Root and leaves.Action: The root is preferred, as the demulcent, emollient, diuretic and expectorant properties are present here in greater strength.
Marshmallow, usually in combination with other remedies, is takeninternally for coughs, colds and bronchitis. Its diuretic and emollient qualities adapt it to urinary complaints and, as there is no astringent action (indeed, there appears to be some relaxing effect) it is particularly suitable in the treatment of nephritis, cystitis and gravel.The powdered or crushed fresh roots make a first-rate poultice, and the leaves also are used as a fomentation in inflammation. The addition of Slippery Elm powder improves the poultice, and the two remedies are frequently made up into an ointment for skin diseases, boils and ulcers.The leaves are taken as an infusion of 1 ounce to 1 pint of boiling water frequently, in wineglass doses.Culpeper relates a personal story about this herb:"You may remember that not long since there was a raging disease called the bloody flux ; the College of Physicians not knowing what to make of it, called it The Plague in the Guts, for their wits were at ne plus ultra about it. My son was taken with the same disease ; myself being in the country, was sent for ; the only thing I gave him was Mallow bruised and boiled both in milk and drink ; in two days it cured him, and I have here to shew my thankfulness to God in communicating it to his creatures, leaving it to posterity."... marshmallowHabitat: Parasitic on the Oak, Hawthorn, Apple and many other trees.
Features ? This familiar evergreen is a true parasite, receiving no nourishment from the soil, nor even from the decaying bark. The leaves are obtuse lance-shaped, broader towards the end, sessile, and grow from a smooth-jointed stem about a foot high. The flower-heads are yellowish and the berries white. The plant is tasteless and without odour.Part used ? Leaves.Action: Highly valued as a nervine and antispasmodic.
Mistletoe leaves are given in hysteria, epilepsy, chorea and other diseases of the nervous system. As an anti-spasmodic and tonic it is used in cardiac dropsy.Culpeper is at his most "Culpeperish" in discussing this plant, as witness:"The birdlime doth mollify hard knots, tumours and imposthumes, ripeneth and discuteth them; and draweth thick as well as thin humours from remote parts of the body, digesting and separating them. And being mixed with equal parts of resin and wax, doth mollify the hardness of the spleen, and healeth old ulcers and sores. Being mixed with Sandarack and Orpiment, it helpeth to draw off foul nails; and if quicklime and wine lees be added thereunto it worketh the stronger. Both the leaves and berries of Mistletoe do heat and dry, and are of subtle parts."While some truth may be hidden behind all this quaint terminology, it is feared that the modern herbal consultant would encounter serious difficulties if he attempted to follow the Culpeperian procedure too literally—although certain people still believe, or affect to believe, that he does so!The birdlime mentioned in the quotation and also in the synonyms is the resin viscin, from the Latin viscum, birdlime.MOUNTAIN FLAX.Linum cartharticum. N.O. LinaceaeSynonym: Purging Flax.Habitat: Heaths, moorlands; occasionally meadows and pastures.
Features ? Stem simple, up to eight inches high. Leaves opposite, small, lower obovate, higher lanceolate, entire. Flowers small, white (June to September), five-parted with serrate sepals, pointed petals. Taste, bitter and acrid.Part used ? Herb.Action: Laxative, cathartic.
In constipation, action similar to Senna, and sometimes preferred to the latter; rarely gripes. Occasionally prescribed with diuretics, etc., for gravel and dropsy. Combined with tonics and stomachics such as Gentian and Calumba root, makes a first-rate family medicine. Dose, wineglass of the ounce to pint infusion.... mistletoeHabitat: Flourishes in sandy and gravelly waste ground, and is sometimes noticed under garden cultivation.
Features ? Reaching a height of four feet, the thick, erect, un-branched stem isheavily coated with hairs. The large, flannel-like leaves are lanceolate-oblong below, the upper ones becoming decurrent, smaller, and more ovate in shape. Characteristic of the plant, leaves narrow at the base into two wings which pass down the stem, this feature enabling the medicinal Mullein to be distinguished from Verbascum nigrum and various other Mulleins. The flowers, which bloom in July and August, are built of five golden-yellow, rounded petals, and are densely packed on a woolly spike some foot or more in length.Part used ? Leaves and flowers.Action: Demulcent, pectoral and astringent.
A medicine is made by infusing 1 ounce in 1 pint of boiling water, the usual dose being a wineglassful, taken frequently. This is recommended mainly for chest coughs and certain other pulmonary complaints. Mullein has been considered a pile cure for several hundred years, and is still used for this purpose both internally and as a fomentation.Culpeper preferred the root to the leaves and flowers, and advised it to be taken in wine. He tells us that this "is commended by Dioscorides against lasks and fluxes of the belly."... mulleinHabitat: Hedges and woods.
Features ? The upright, woody but slender stem, branching from the upper part only, attains a height of between one and two feet. The leaves are stalkless and elliptical in shape, about half an inch long, grow in pairs on opposite sides of the stem and branches and, in addition to the transparent dots noticed above, are sometimes marked with black spots on the under side. Numerous bright yellow flowers, dotted and streaked with dark purple, cluster, in June and July, at the ends of side branches and stem. A bitter, astringent taste is remarked.Action: Expectorant, diuretic and astringent.
Indicated in coughs, colds, and disorders of the urinary system. It was prescribed more often by the English herbal school of a hundred years ago than it is to-day, and was noticed as far back as Culpeper for "wounds, hurts and bruises." Indeed, an infusion of the fresh flowers in Olive oil, to make the "Oil of St. John's Wort," is still used as an application to wounds, swellings, and ulcers. Internally, the infusion of 1 ounce of the herb to 1 pint of boiling water is taken in wineglass doses.In America St. John's Wort grows freely in the cornfields, which proximity was held by Tilke to operate beneficially upon both herb and grain. Discussing American wheat which has grown among quantities of St. John's Wort he tells us ? "It is well known, by almost every baker who works in his business, that this flour improves the quality of the bread, byhaving a small quantity of it in every batch, particularly in seasons when the English flour is of inferior quality. A clever author informs us that it contains one-fourth more gluten than our famous wheats grown in Gloucestershire, known by the name of 'rivets.' " Tilke was himself a baker in his early days.... st. john's wortHabitat: Dry pasture and moorland.
Features ? The height of this freely-forked plant varies between six and twelve inches. The ternate, jagged-toothed leaves are rather long and narrow, the leaflets oblong in form. Upper leaves derive directly from the stem and seem to circle round it, the lower ones being frequently stalked. Flowering in June and July, the bright yellow petals are distinctly separate, and, seen from above, form an almost perfect Maltese cross. The root is brown, hard and cylindrical, with roundish swellings and tiny, thread-like rootlets. The fracture shows light brownish-red, with a large pith.Part used ? Root and herb.Action: Tonic and astringent.
The root is regarded as one of the best and most powerful of all the herbal astringents. The decoction of 1 ounce to 1 pint (reduced) of water in wineglass doses is consequently used in diarrhea and as a gargle for relaxed throats. It may also be used with benefit as a lotion for application to ulcers.Tormentil was appreciated as a medicine far back in the days of Culpeper, who made his usual picturesquely extravagant claims for the herb.... tormentilHabitat: Wastes, pastures and field borders.
Features ? The branched stems of one to three feet high are tough and bristly. The whole plant is hairy, and the leaves are oblong and bipinnate, with acute segments. Blossoming in June and July, the umbel of white flowers usually contains one crimson flower in the centre. The root tapers, is yellowish-white, sweetish, and faintly aromatic. Wren tells us that "in taste and odour it resembles the garden carrot, but the root is small and white, not large." Ferrier, however, says of this root, "no resemblance in taste or colour to the cultivated carrot." Our own opinion is that Wild Carrot tastes like a rather distant relative of the household carrot—which it probably is.Part used ? The whole plant.Action: Pronouncedly diuretic in action, as well as de-obstruent and stimulant.
Wild Carrot naturally, therefore, takes a prominent place in many formulae for the treatment of dropsy, gravel, retention of urine, and bladder trouble generally. Either an infusion or decoction may be prepared in the usual proportions, and doses of 2 fl. ounces taken three or four times daily.Culpeper comments ? "Wild Carrots belong to Mercury, and therefore breaketh wind, and removeth stitches in the sides, provoketh urine and women's courses, and helpeth to break and expel the stone."... wild carrotIn some instances a planet cures by acting in sympathy, each planet curing its own disease; i.e. Venus and diseases of the reproductive system.
It is an ancient herbal practise for herbs to be gathered when the ruling planet is in the ascendancy. Scientific inquiry fails to support this system of medical treatment. ... astrology
Herbalism confirms the Doctrine of Signatures but is not based on it. ... doctrine of signatures
Practical medical herbalism in Britain received an impetus under the work of Mrs Leyel until the 1968 Medicine’s Act which made this alternative therapy available to all. In 1974 the Society became a registered educational charity and its name changed to The Herb Society. The brand name “Culpeper” was franchised to a private company which continues to trade as the “Culpeper” retail chain of shops.
Today, The Herb Society promotes interest in and knowledge of all aspects of herbs, as well as herbal medicine. Information is available from: The Secretary, The Herb Society, PO Box 599, London SW11 4RW. ... herb society, the
FAMILY: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
SYNONYMS: L. spica, aspic, broad-leaved lavender, lesser lavender, spike.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: An aromatic evergreen sub-shrub up to 1 metre high with lance-shaped leaves, broader and rougher than true lavender. The flower is more compressed and of a dull grey-blue colour.
DISTRIBUTION: Native to the mountainous regions of France and Spain; also found in North Africa, Italy, Yugoslavia and the eastern Mediterranean countries. It is cultivated internationally; the oil is mainly produced in France and Spain.
OTHER SPECIES: There are many different chemotypes of lavender in general, and this also applies to spike lavender. The French spike oil is reputed to be a more delicate, aromatic scent than the Spanish variety. For other varieties, see entries on lavandin, true lavender and the Botanical Classification section.
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: Culpeper recommends spike lavender for a variety of ailments including ‘pains of the head and brain which proceed from cold, apoplexy, falling sickness, the dropsy, or sluggish malady, cramps, convulsions, palsies, and often faintings’. He also warns that ‘the oil of spike is of a fierce and piercing quality, and ought to be carefully used, a very few drops being sufficient for inward or outward maladies’.. The preparation ‘oleum spicae’ was made by mixing ¼ spike oil with ¾ turpentine, and used for paralysed limbs, old sprains and stiff joints (it was also said to encourage hair growth).
Spike lavender is current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, indicated for flatulent dyspepsia, colic, depressive headaches, and the oil (topically) for rheumatic pain.
ACTIONS: See true lavender.
EXTRACTION: Essential oil by water or steam distillation from the flowering tops.
CHARACTERISTICS: A water-white or pale yellow liquid with a penetrating, fresh herbaceous, camphoraceous odour. It blends well with rosemary, sage, lavandin, eucalyptus, rosewood, lavender, petitgrain, pine, cedarwood, oakmoss, patchouli and spice oils, particularly clove.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Mainly cineol and camphor (40–60 per cent), with linalol and linalyl acetate, among others.
SAFETY DATA: Non-toxic, non-irritant (except in concentration), non-sensitizing.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE See true lavender.
OTHER USES: It is used in some pharmaceutical preparations and especially in veterinary practice as a prophylactic, in incipient paralysis, for rheumatism and arthritis and to get rid of lice. It is extensively employed as a fragrance component especially in soaps and industrial perfumes such as deodorants, disinfectants and cleaning agents, as well as insecticides and room sprays, etc. It is also used in the food industry and in the production of fine varnishes and lacquers.... lavender, spike
FAMILY: Tiliaceae
SYNONYMS: T. europaea, lime tree, common lime, lyne, tillet, tilea.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A tall graceful tree up to 30 metres high with a smooth bark, spreading branches and bright green, heart-shaped leaves. It has yellowy-white flowers borne in clusters which have a very powerful scent.
DISTRIBUTION: Native to Europe and the northern hemisphere. Common in England, France, Holland, etc.
OTHER SPECIES: Several related types such as the broad-leaved lime (T. platyphylla) and the small-leaved lime (T. cordata).
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: Linden tea, known as ‘tilleul’, is drunk a great deal on the Continent, especially in France, as a general relaxant. The flowers are also used for indigestion, palpitations, nausea, hysteria and catarrhal symptoms following a cold. The honey from the flowers is highly regarded, and used in medicines and liqueurs. According to Culpeper the flowers are a ‘good cephalic and nervine, excellent for apoplexy, epilepsy, vertigo and palpitation of the heart’.. Lime flowers are current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, indicated for migraine, hysteria, arteriosclerotic hypertension and feverish colds.
ACTIONS: Astringent (mild), antispasmodic, bechic, carminative, cephalic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, 17-ervine, sedative, tonic.
EXTRACTION: A concrete and absolute by solvent extraction from the dried flowers.
CHARACTERISTICS: The concrete is a hard, brittle, dark green mass with a herbaceous, dry, haylike odour. The absolute is a yellow semi solid mass with a green-herbaceous, dry, characteristic odour.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Mainly farnesol – the concrete is very rich in waxes.
SAFETY DATA: Most products are adulterated or synthetic. No safety data available at present.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE
Digestive system: Cramps, indigestion, liver pains.
Nervous system: Headaches, insomnia, migraine, nervous tension and stress-related conditions.
OTHER USES: Occasionally used in high-class perfumery.... linden
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