ABCESS ROOT - ALMONDS
ABSCESS ROOT / Sweatroot / Polemonium reptans. Wild / America / Scandinavia. Actions: Strongly Astringent.
Cultivation: Small semi-prostrate plant 8 -9" (20.5 - 23cm) high, feathery Leaves, Blue Flowers.
Product: the Rhizomes. Used to Treat - Bronchial Tubes: to clear Phlegm. Perspiration: to promote.
ACACIA BARK / Wattlebark / Acacia arabica. Wild / North Africa. Actions: Originally used for its Astringent properties.
Cultivation: Small sturdy tree. Product: the Tree - Bark is used that is hard and gnarled with black outer surface, red - liner inner surface.
ACACIA GUM / Gum Arabic / Acacia senegal. Wild / North Africa. Main Use: As a Demulcent to relieve Catarrh and Chest Conditions. Cultivation: Round tears obtained from Spring shrub with descending cuts made in the Bark of the tree. Product: the Gum exudes and coagulates and is dried.
Used to Treat: Catarrh: to relieve. Chest Conditions: to relieve.
ACONITE / Blue Rocket / Monkshood / Wolfbane / Aconitum napellus. Wild / China, Europe and Persia. N.B: Poisonous - No known Antidote. Cultivation: A bold, dark, blue violet flowered herb of distinctive appearance up to 3' / 93cm high with dark green glossy leaves. Product: the Roots. Used to Treat: Nervous Conditions: to allay. Pain: to ease.
ADDER’S TONGUE (American) Dog's Tooth Violet / Snake's Tongue / Erythronium americanum. Wild / North America. Cultivation: Small bulbous plant with only two leaves and bright yellow flowers. Product: the Leaf.
Used to Treat: Skin Conditions: as a Poultice. Ulcers: as a Poultice.
ADDER’S TONGUE (English) Christ's Spear / Ophioglossum vulgatum. Wild / Briton grows in watery meadows and swamps. Cultivation: Small single curling - leaf fern. Product: the Leaves.
Used to Treat: Internal - Bleeding: as an Emollient. Ulcers: the fresh Leaves are used as a Poultice. Tumours: the fresh Leaves are used as a Poultice.
AGRIMONY / Church Steeples / Sticklewort / Agrimonia eupatoria. Wild / Northern Europe. Actions: Alterative, Diuretic and Tonic.
Cultivation: Strong growing herb that is easy to grow with greenish - grey Leaves covered with soft hairs with small yellow flowers in long slender spikes. Product: the whole herb above the ground / Leaves. *N.B: Use on Professional advice only
Used to Treat: Kidney, Liver, Spleen and the Blood supply to these Organs. Bleeding: to staunch and encourage clot formation. Constipation: Diarrhoea: The Dried Leaves are Infused to make a mild and satisfying Astringent.
Digestion: as a gentle Tonic for Scouring and other Bowel Conditions. Gastrointestinal Conditions: as a Tea from the powdered herb. Kidneys: for a good Blood supply.
Liver: if affected by Poisons or Toxins, including ingestion of poisons from feeding, and maintains a good Blood supply to it. Muscles: as a Bath herb. Poultice: soften the Leaves in a sieve held over boiling water, pulp and apply.
Rheumatism: as a Bath herb. Scouring: as an Astringent as it has mild Bitter properties. Skin - Disorders: Throat - Sore: Splinters: soften the Leaves in a sieve held over boiling water, pulp and apply.
Spleen: for a good Blood supply. Sprain: bruise the Leaves and bind on. Wounds: soften the Leaves in a sieve held over boiling water, pulp and apply.
ALDER (American) Feverbush / Winterberry / Prinos verticillatus. Wild / North America. Cultivation: A small tree / 6 - 10' / 2 - 3.5m in height with white flowers and has red berries similar to holly. Product: the Bark.
ALDER (English) Alnus glutinosa. Wild / England, Europe / North Africa usually in high water table. Main Use: Bark is used as a Carthartic. Cultivation: Attractive small tree of distinctive appearance with small catkins / berries after the seeds have ripened. Product: the Bark and Leaves.
Used to Treat: Dyspepsia: as a Tea from the dried herb. Fleas: Leaves steeped in Vinegar are used as a spray. Indigestion - Chronic: as a Tea from the dried herb. Lice: Leaves steeped in Vinegar can be diluted to deter.
Scabies: Leaves steeped in Vinegar can be diluted to deter. Skin - Inflamed: with the Fresh Leaves as a soothing Poultice.
ALFALFA / Lucerne / Medicago sativa. Wild. NB: If you have Lupus, steer clear of the Sprouts. A Hormone herb, which along with natural Iodine affects the Parathyroids the small superficial Glands situated on the back of the Thyroid Gland that secrete the Hormones, Calcitonin and Parathoromone that stabilize Calcium in Serum Blood levels. It also contains Fat splitting Enzymes and can be utilized for Weight control. 10 - 20% added to the herbal combination increases the Nutritive qualities. Actions: it is an Alternative Nutritive Tonic and anti - Pyretic. Constituents: Rich in Vitamins A, B2, B6, C, D and K and picks up T Elements from the soil and contains 8 Amino Acids and 8 Digestive Enzymes.
Product: Use the whole herb above the ground, Leaves, Flowers and Seeds and Sprouts are easily grown in the garden or in a jar. *Can be steamed or eaten in Salads or Soups. Infusion: 2 x teaspoons of the dried herb per cup of water. *Seeds can be sprouted and used in a Salad or on Sandwiches.
Used to Treat: Arthritis: add Peppermint to an Alfalfa Infusion. Breast Feeding: Oestrogenic, add Sprouts to Salads to produce more Milk. Endometriosis: contains Phytoestrogens that lower Cancer risk.
Intestines: has an effect. Liver: has an effect. Menopause: Oestrogenic activity. Stomach: has an effect.
ALLSPICE / Pepper Tree / Jamaican Pimento - Pimenta officinalis / dioica.
Actions: Aromatic, Carminative and Digestive Stimulant. Tastes like several other Spices, including Cinnamon, Cloves and Nutmeg. *Used in Pickles and Chutney. *Good to cook with Red Cabbage.
Product: Powdered Dried Berries used as a flavouring. *Berries also contain an Oil used as an Anaesthetic, Digestive and Pain reliever.
Used to Treat: Bloating: relieves. Diarrhoea: Digestive System: to Tone. Flatulence: relieves. Head - Ache: as a Plaster. Indigestion: relieves. Neuralgia: as a Plaster, as Eugenol is the active chemical in it.
Rheumatism: as Eugenol is the active chemical in it. Tooth - Ache: as a local Anaesthetic.
ALMONDS / Bitter Almond, Sweet Almonds / Turkey Almonds / Prunus Communis. Wild / Asia Minor and Middle East.
Cultivation: A beautiful familiar tree of medium size with alternate toothed leaves. Product: the Nuts.
Almond Butter: obtainable in health stores and supermarkets is a rich protein substitute for Peanut Butter and usually well tolerated by Diabetics.
Almonds - Blanched: are made into a meal used as a Confectionary and Sauce thickener or as a base for soothing Skin - Bleaching Pastes and cleansing masks and is also added to Soap.
Almond Cream: 1/4 cup of fine Almond Oil, 1/4 cup of Rose Petals, 3 x teaspoons Beeswax and 1/2 cup of boiling water and steep the Rose Petals in boiling water for 30 minutes. Melt the Oil and Beeswax together in a double boiler and strain the Rosewater and add the melted Wax and Oil, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture into a glass jar and refrigerate and after it has set, whip the cream till it is smooth and light or a few drops of Rose Oil could be used instead of Rosewater.
Almond Meal: to blanch cover the Nuts with boiling water and leave for 2 minutes and rub off the brown skin and dry the Nuts and chop them up coarsely and pulverize by putting in a blender at top speed. Add only 1/ 4 cup at a time to the blender.
Almond Milk: blend the Almond Meal with water, Sugar and Acacia Gum to make a smooth thick liquid and strain, if desired, and use as a substitute for Milk in cooking or as a soothing, nourishing Skin Lotion. Almond Milk Cleanser: Blanch 225gr of Almonds and pulverize in a blender and add 1 Egg white, 1/4 cup of Milk, 1/2 cup water and 2 x Tablespoons Vodka to the Almond Meal and blend together at medium speed. Pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate, covered for 2 hours and strain through cheesecloth then bottle the liquid and refrigerate. Use the Milk as a morning cleanser or after using a regular cleanser.
Used to Treat: Biliary Duct Conditions: Blanched Nuts are used. Bladder: Blanched Nuts are used. Cancer: A daily intake of 6 Almonds in the Diet may prevent.
Chilblains: Massage each finger from tip to base then the Palm and back of the Hand with warmed Almond Oil then clench the Hands and open them and spread the Fingers wide and rotate them slowly.
Constipation: to prevent as part of a natural high Fibre diet. Cosmetic: Usually processed to extract Almond Oil for this purpose due to their Emollient properties.
Diabetes: Almond Flour is used as a sustaining food for Diabetics. Drunkenness: may prevent, especially Wine.
Elbows and Heels - Dry: melt 1/2 x cup of Petroleum Jelly with 3 x teaspoons Almond Oil and 1 x teaspoon Beeswax in a double boiler then add 3 x teaspoons of Lanolin and carefully stir in 1/4 cup of purified water and cool. Add 1/2 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract and whip until creamy and smooth and store in the refrigerator in a clean, tightly lidded jar.
Hair: Almond Oil penetrates the Hair Shaft to moisturize and condition without clogging up the Scalp Pores. Bruise a bunch of herbs, grated Burdock, Chamomile and Rosemary and cover with Almond Oil, strain, warm, rub thoroughly into the Scalp and Hair and wrap tightly in a warm, damp towel. Or add the contents of a Vitamin E Capsule or a few drops of Rosemary or Chamomile Essence to the Almond Oil.
Heart - Burn: Blanched Nuts are used. Kidney Conditions: with Blanched Nuts.
Nails / Dry / Split: 2 x teaspoons of beaten Egg Yolk, 2 x teaspoons Almond Oil and 2 teaspoons Raw Honey and mix and massage a thin film into the Nails and leave overnight and to soften the Cuticles use the same mixture but substitute Pineapple Juice for the Honey.
Scalp - Itchy: Massage Almond Oil gently into the Scalp to soften.
Skin: by combining 1/ 4 cup of Almond, Sesame or Olive Oil with 1 x teaspoon of Salt and massage lightly in as the Salt acts as an abrasive and the Oil smoothes to soften. Skin - Dry: Distilled they yield an Essential Oil with 5 % Prussic Acid that is fine and penetrating used for this Condition internally and externally.
Wrinkles: gently pat Almond Oil into the areas usually affected around the Eyes, Mouth and Nose.
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