We all know that herbs make great companions in the garden and kitchen. Herbs also have a long history as a natural remedy—and many other more unusual uses, too! Read on…
Anise
Romans paid taxes with anise, and it was used in cough drops.
Anise seed steeped in milk is said to be a sleep-producing drink, but it is also quite likely that the warm milk alone would do the trick.
Basil
Precious to lovers in Italy and considered sacred in India. Many years ago, Italian men wore a sprig of basil to indicate their intended marriage. A cup of basil tea after dinner helps digestion. Ease a headache by drinking tomato juice blended with fresh basil.
Borage
The Romans believed the herb to be an antidepressant, and ancient Celtic warriors took it for courage.
Caraway
Caraway was used to scent perfumes and soaps. The Greeks used it for upset stomachs.
Chervil
Eating a whole plant would cure hiccups; chervil was said to warm old and cold stomachs.
Chives
Bunches of chives hung in your home were used to drive away diseases and evil.
Dill
Romans made wreaths and garlands out of dill. Dill keeps witches away.
Fennel
Bunches of fennel were used to drive off witches. It was used in love potions and as an appetite suppressant.
Garlic
It was thought to give strength and courage. Aristotle noted garlic’s use as a guard against the fear of water. It’s also been widely used against evil powers.
Lovage
Chewing on a piece of the dried root will keep you awake. Lovage warms a cold stomach and help digestion. Added to bathwater, it was believed to relieve skin problems.
Marjoram
The Greeks believed it could revive the spirits of anyone who inhaled it. At weddings wreaths and garlands were made of marjoram.
Mint
It was believed to cure hiccups and counteract sea-serpent stings. The Romans wore peppermint wreaths on their heads. It was added to bathwater for its fragrance.
Oregano
Used for “sour humours” that plagued old farmers. Also used for scorpion and spider bites.
Parsley
Used for wreaths and in funeral ceremonies. Believed to repel head lice and attract rabbits.
Rosemary
Rosemary in your hair will improve your memory. It will protect you from evil spirits if you put a sprig under your pillow.
Sage
Thought to promote strength and longevity and believed to cure warts. American Indians used it as a toothbrush.
Summer Savory
It was believed to be an aphrodisiac. Some thought it was a cure for deafness.
Tarragon
Put in shoes before long walking trips to give strength. It has been used to relieve toothache and as an antifungal.
Thyme
Burning thyme gets rid of insects in your house. A bed of thyme was thought to be a home for fairies.
Anyone who has sage planted in the garden is reputed to do well in business.
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The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies
Cottonwood bud oil is very effective for relieving pain and inflammation in swollen joints, carpal tunnel and muscles. Massage the oil or salve into the affected area 3x/day.
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ring worm
When my younger brother developed ringworm, my Dad took a sheet of newspaper and shaped it into a cone. He tucked the end at the open part of the cone under and into the crossing layers, so that end would not unravel and that part was flat. Next he set it on a ceramic plate. He started the tip of the cone on fire and let the tar sweat accumulate on the plate. Then he used his index finger to scope up the tar and rubbed it on the ringworm area. It worked well. Ringworm was completely gone in a few days.
Cold Stomach
I see the term "cold stomach" mentioned several times in the Herb Folklore list. Could you tell me what the term means & where it originated?
Cold Stomach
A cold stomach was caused by a sluggish digestion (as opposed to a hot stomach, which had a lively appetite and digestion - think of teenagers who can eat tons of food and still be hungry). Food, especially hard to digest food like meat, was not digested quickly and was said to sit in the stomach, causing lack of appetite, indigestion, gas, and a feeling of heaviness. Pungent, bitter, and warming herbs and spices like fennel, dill, ginger, anise, etc., were needed to 'stimulate' the digestion to action, and also to help with the side effects of indigestion and gas.
Earliest I can find is Galen in the 2nd century AD, but he might have found it in Hippocrates five or six centuries earlier.
Is there a "natural" remedy
Is there a "natural" remedy for an under-active thyroid?
The only proven treatment is
The only proven treatment is to take a thyroxine supplement every day to replace your body’s natural hormones. Speak to your physician. There are some natural alternatives to stimulate the thyroid, however herbs can cause harm as well as good so it would be important to work with a herbalist. For example, herbalists often recommend increasing sea vegetables, such as bladderwrack capsules, which are rich in iodine, or you could sprinkle seagreens onto your meals. The minerals selenium and zinc are important; you could find them in a daily multi-vitamin or supplement. Some practitioners recommend avoiding foods in the brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts and cauliflower) and soya products.
Kelp is also an excellent
Kelp is also an excellent source of real iodine. Kelp can be found in tablet form and is usually inexpensive.
I am searching for a natural
I am searching for a natural cure for my lazy thyroid. Tests prove that it is not functioning as it should, but the hormone that the doctor prescribs is not a cure just a fix of sorts. Any help is appreciated.
MamaB
I'm searching for an old
I'm searching for an old folklore tale re: Wolf * Plants * Trees & Man and the agreement between plants and animals was that man was good as he cleared and culivated healing herbs to help the trees and animals heal and he cured diseases----- so the wolf did not eat him.
Can anyone help. I heard it as a child and that was 45 years ago.
Has aanyone been using master
Has aanyone been using master tonic...I have started giving it to my family and would like to know if I'm doing it in vain
I have been making and
I have been making and serving up master tonic for some time now..yes it works..The best it's worked so far is ..my husband gets a bad cold every year, almost walking pnemonia, I religiously gave him doses and he was better in three days apposed to usually a week or two with Otc meds..my 4 children drink it as well..including my 7 yr old..they don't like it but they can tell it works
Get the hottest peppers you
Get the hottest peppers you can find..The Capsaicin that makes peppers hot is a great pain reliever
Does anyone know the herbs to
Does anyone know the herbs to use for pain. I've been on narcotics for a decade for ms, osteoporosis, ra, and lastly was diagnosed with leukemia. I am miserable and severely depressed due to pain, weight loss and helplessness. Thank you for your input.
I would like to suggest
I would like to suggest drinking a good quality loose leaf tea. I'm not talking about flavored teas, but simple basic tea: White, Green, Oolong, Red, Black, and Pur 'eh. Tea enriches the body, clears the mind and uplifts the spirit. There are many documented health properties for tea. The key is drinking a good quality tea.
Do some research on
Do some research on capsaicin. .it is the ingredient in peppers that make it hot, it is also a pain reliever. ..research it first because it may have effects that will react badly with your illness...eg. High blood pressure. ..
one drop of marijuanna oil
one drop of marijuanna oil per day will cure many things including cancers. It will not get u high either.
Pain relieving herbs
You should give cannabis a try. It has helped many.
Pain
Kratom works Great! Got me off of 10+ years of opiate use
Pain treatment
There are so many ways to approach pain, but any remedy needs to be a complete holistic approach. This is the single biggest problem with western medicine where everything is isolated so that every treatment is target specific. So they always look at treatments of the current symptoms that a patient exhibits and or complains about. In your case Yes there is hope for you. Several years ago the ban on Kratom was lifted. Go for either a red borneo or Maeng Da Kratom, personally I prefer to take a concentrate form called a extract. Along with a Kava extract powder, to fight the depression with heavy narcotics you need a lemon Balm extract. Now your diet has suffered, as mentioned Brewers yest is needed this will invigorate your appetite plus its high in folic acid which helps to set one at easy your going to need alot of it. Now for a kick start in nutrition. Go with any common brand of beet and moranga extracts and drink several times a day. You all so mention a cancer you need essiacs tea and a bitter Mellon extract. I usually don't use extracts but due to the nature of the poppy it's required! All of these ingredients are cheaply and readily sourced. And stay away from the product called supper beets, for their price of 4 Oz I could purchase 2 kilos from my source and you would swear they were or are the same. In modern western medications over 5,000 are directly derived from plants and herbs and roots. The only difference is that there's is refine to a specific ingredient, where as we use the whole plant as all elements within made it complete and functioning with life. Exactly what we're try to restore. So it only make since to use it as it was intended in nature, complete.
Here is another 'remedy' I
Here is another 'remedy' I learned when my son was small, and, had just started school...
Campho-Phyic (spelling?) mixed with regular shampoo will kill any kind of lice and their eggs. Can also be put into the washing machine.
Need only 1 application of about 1 tablespoon.
Really works, and better than rubbing your child with chemicals.
Tea tree oil will do the same
Tea tree oil will do the same thing; killing lice and eggs.
Pineaple Sage is wonderful.
Pineaple Sage is wonderful. If you are able to grow Salvia elegans (Pineapple sage), the leaves can be used as a garnish for fruit drinks and iced teas and the flowers can be used to garnish cakes and other pastries
diet as a vaccination replacement?
good grief. Does it cure foolishness too?
The sap from Jewelweed
The sap from Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) will take the sting out of stinging nettle, bee stings and of course stop the itch of poison ivy.
I learned the hard way - the
I learned the hard way - the best way to deal with stinging nettles is a warm to hot compress. It 'cooks' the nettles rendering them "not Painful"
I use Olive Leaf Plus, an
I use Olive Leaf Plus, an herbal extract for Dishidrosis Eczema. It is anti fungal, antibiotic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and a bonus is that I haven't had a cold or flu in the last three years of using it .
FYI..Spider webs will stop
FYI..Spider webs will stop severe bleeding and fresh cow manure between two cloths and attached to blood poisoned area will cure..
Been there so I know its true. Thanks to Osage Indian culture
If we stepped on a nail,
If we stepped on a nail, Grandma would have us place our foot in a fresh cow pie. She said that the nitrogen in it would keep out the infection.. Curious as to what cow manure between two colths...stated in your blog would do.
When I was young and stepped
When I was young and stepped on a nail, my foot was soaked in kerosene. That's just what they did in the old days. I still use it for minor cuts.
I am seventy, and I do
I am seventy, and I do remember the older men would use kerosene for small cuts; they taught me how to use it too. Seemed to work well. Also a wad of chewing tobacco, but I never chewed. Men and women were more separate in those days (1950s), or seemed to be. Boys could learn a lot from men; good things. My father was wonderful and knew a lot and taught me well.
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