Melissa officinalis LABIATAE

Lemon, or “bee” balm, known and used by the Arabians and Greeks in ancient times, is a cheerful, sunny herb. Its name comes from the Greek for bee, melissa, and it was planted by apiarists around the hives to enable the bees to navigate their way back home. Its scent appears to be one of the most powerful and pleasant to any bee-”nose”, and it was also rubbed around inside new hives to persuade the bees to stay.

Any plant bringing bees to a garden was very valuable in former times to the home gardener, as honey was the main sweetener used for foodstuffs, and its health-giving properties were well understood by the ancients. Gardeners and orchard-ists today who use cumulative and long-lasting toxic chemical sprays are killing not only predatory insects but bees as well. It is asking a bit much to expect bumper crops from their undoubtedly insect-free vegetables and fruit if there are no bees around to pollinate the flowers. One of the organic “safe by morning” sprays (see p. 36) applied at dusk after the bees have gone home will kill only the troublesome insects and leave the bees unharmed the next day.

So if you want heavy harvesting from your orchard or farm, plant lemon balm around the rows of vegetables and fruit trees, and bring all the bees for miles around to gather pollen from its flowers and fertilize your own crops as well.

Arabian physicians credited the herb with great healing, soothing and calming powers. It was known also as the “scholar’s herb”, and a tea brewed from the leaves was given each day to students studying for examinations, to clear the head and sharpen memory and understanding. To make the tea, pour one pint boiling water over 1 ounce of fresh leaves, infuse for five minutes, cool, strain, and drink several cups each day. Balm leaves can also be crushed and added to your can-nister of China tea if you are still a confirmed addict.

The learned scholars of ancient times placed balm astro-logically under the power of Jupiter, as a strong blood and heart restorative. The leaves of the herb, crushed, boiled, then mixed with oil, were used as a poultice for boils.

Balm is a member of the mint family, and can be propagated by root division in the autumn or spring, or from the tiny seed in the spring only. Soak the seed in warm water for 24 hours before planting, as the outside covering is hard and this will help it to germinate. The seeds keep their germinating power for years.

The plant can grow some three feet high in a wide-spreading clump, and likes room around it to ensure full sunshine and freedom from a virus that can sometimes discolour the leaves. In cooler districts, lemon balm may die down altogether in the winter, but will come again in the spring. Cut the dead stems off several inches above the ground. The new growth will come from the base of these old stems.

Balm leaves dried keep their fragrance for a long period, and dry very successfully hung in bunches of stems about 12 inches long, about 5 or 6 stems to the bunch. Use only the older woody stems for drying, not the tender new growth.

Give it full sunshine, good soil and enough water, and an honoured place in your garden, and be rewarded by its many uses.

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THE WHEEL. In the nineteenth century herbs were often grown decoratively inside the spokes of an old cartwheel laid flat on the ground. The hub of the wheel raised the rim slightly above ground level, providing a low supporting “fence” as well as a border to the garden. Old cartwheels cannot now be picked up on the side of any busy road as they could be then, and you can’t -really grow herbs decoratively surrounded by a defunct inner tube. So, to compromise, try the next category.

THE CIRCLE. This is my favourite shape for growing herbs. The ancients (and Carl Jung), attributed a protective value to the perfect circle, and I have always found my herbs grow most happily in a circular bed. In the centre section, place tall-growing plants such as lemongrass, French lavender or bush rosemary. Then plant another circle outside the inner row of stepping stones, with the medium growers — English lavender, lemon balm, lemon or rose-scented geraniums, marjoram, prostrate rosemary. Around the outside edge of the bed, plant the ground-covers, all the thyme varieties, a few camomile roots, several clumps of garlic and onion chives, and some pennyroyal on the shadiest side, where it will have some shelter from the taller plants.

Now you will have after one season a garden centrepiece that will surprise you with its decorative potential. It has always amazed me that more herbs are not grown for their good looks as well as their usefulness and their perfume and flavour. Some are very showy indeed, and deserve a place in the herbaceous border as well as the utility garden. Chicory (if allowed to flower), the brilliant pink yarrow, santolina with its ferny, feathery, grey foliage and yellow-orange flower heads, and my old friend, tansy, with its 3-foot-high bright green fronds and yellow button flowers, are all worth while. Be a bit wary of putting tansy in the flower garden, though, otherwise you will have a border full of this vigorously growing herb before many seasons have passed. But for that corner where “nothing will grow”, plant tansy and stand back.

If possible, avoid planting herbs near the roots of trees. They do not like competing with the voracious roots for the available food, and will grow tall, thin and straggly. Save them a spot in the open garden instead.

Many herbs will grow in the warmth of a rockery or rock garden. But make sure there is sufficient depth of soil in each pocket to give their strong root systems room to forage. One friend who had difficulty with insufficient soil in the pockets complained to me, “I have a lovely rock garden, but it grows nothing but lovely rocks!” I would not advise planting in a rockery any of the herbs required for their roots: you may have to dismantle the whole shebang to harvest the crop. When setting out the plants in a rockery, it is advisable to give them a great deal of water for the first few weeks to minimize the baking effect of the hot sun on the rocks.

So the choice of “where to grow” is really up to you. Be inventive; design a herb garden best suited to your own herb needs; and you will have the satisfaction of being architect as well as engineer and chief labourer.

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Sorrel Soup

To three pints of water add about 1 lb. of sorrel leaves, chopped coarsely, bring to the boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, and add a beaten egg, thinning it first with some of the liquid. Chill well. At serving time, put 1 tablespoon of sour cream, thinned with some of the soup, into each serving. You can garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg, or a twist of sour cream. If you cannot raise 1 lb. of sorrel from your garden, try making a third of the quantity. This should be enough for 4 people.

An unusual sauce for fish, poultry or white meat can be made with French sorrel and other greens.

Green Sauce

Cook the leaves of sorrel, watercress and lettuce with a small whole onion (remove this after cooking) in just a very little water, stirring till tender. Then add a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of vinegar, and pepper and salt to taste, stirring with a wooden spoon until it is like green cream. Delicious with pork.

The oxalic acid, which was formerly called “salts of sorrel” is a blood cleanser. Taken in moderation in the diet it helps the action of kidneys and liver, and is said by many writers to “dissolve” kidney stones. The pulped leaves, heated in a little water, make a good poultice for boils and skin eruptions.

Vegetable Cocktail

Sorrel is a great blood-purifier. Use it with any vegetable juices, as in this green drink.

4 large sorrel leaves 8 sprigs parsley

1 apple cucumber

2 comfrey leaves

3 stalks celery

Wash the leaves thoroughly, chop them coarsely and put through the juicer. A pinch of vegetable salt may be added to bring out the flavour.

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Put equal quantities of bruised fresh lavender flowers and sugar in a glass jar. Seal, and shake well every few days. After about one month, sift the sugar to remove the lavender flowers, and you have a delicately perfumed topping for a cake or biscuits. Ice-cream made with lavender sugar is unusual and refreshing. Serve it decorated with one or two lavender flowers. Remember, before making your lavender sugar, the flowers must always be bruised first to release their perfumed oils. A small glass mortar and pestle, obtainable from chemical suppliers, is ideal for use with herbs. Small quantities may be crushed to make herbal oils or vinegars, and the glass will not retain individual odours and flavours as wood or stoneware may do.

Lavender oil is a powerful insect repellent. A few drops rubbed on the skin before bushwalking or barbecuing will repel troublesome midges, flies and mosquitoes. It can also be used for rubbing rheumatic joints and aches and pains due to over-exertion.

Italian Lavender is a delicate little member of the family, with small silvery leaves and the typical flower-head, of deep-purple colour in this case, and of a square regular shape. This variety is a native of the Mediterranean, and loves warmth but not excessive heat. It will flower best in the spring.

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Symphytum officinale BORAGINACEAE

Russian comfrey and garlic could together, according to natural health usage, almost halve the present ills of western civilization. Here I am throwing down the gauntlet; but when I read of the amazing healing powers of comfrey in chest and bronchial troubles, its use in natural T.B. sanatoriums in Europe and Scandinavia, its success in the treatment of gastric and varicose ulcers, its external use in ointments for healing skin ulceration and tissue damage resulting from severe burns, acne, and other skin conditions, its value in many female disorders, and its bone and teeth-building powers in children, I am amazed that it is not growing in a position of honour in every garden. Its benefits are not confined to aiding the health of mankind and raising improved livestock; for its value is enormous to the home gardener in maintaining and increasing soil fertility, in breaking down the compost heap more quickly, and in adding its own rich stores of minerals to his garden.

The “miracle worker” in comfrey, for the rapid healing of damaged tissue both internally and externally, is a substance called allantoin. Allantoin has been found to be a cell-prolifer-ant, a substance that speeds up the rate of natural replacement of body cells. This is important when body tissue has been damaged or injured in any way; but it is also important in a healthy body, to maintain the cell growth and replacement rate and to keep illnesses at bay. Comfrey taken internally acts through the bloodstream, where its natural calcium and B12 vitamins also get to work through the system. Then it’s a case of “new cells for old”, with comfrey waving the magic wand.

Comfrey has had the name “knit-bone” since the wise ancient physicians first learnt of its properties. The leaves were pulped, mixed with oil or wine (water tended to be suspect, even in those days), and applied externally to fractures as a healing poultice; the juice of leaves and roots was taken internally. There is an ever-growing list of reports of amazing recoveries in cases in which tissue damage has been prolonged and severe, as in tuberculosis. Comfrey is extensively used today in natural medicine, and I have proved its efficacy in my own family. We prefer to put one or two of the leaves through the juicer when making a vegetable cocktail (perhaps carrot and celery juice), so that it is used immediately in its fresh state. It can be cooked, the older leaves steamed like spinach and served with a drop or two of lemon juice. The young leaves can be eaten in a salad; but, like borage leaves, they are slightly hairy, and not to everyone’s taste. I have found them quite palatable chopped into tiny pieces and sprinkled through a salad bowl (one or two leaves should be sufficient). Have some every day!

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Acne

4 parts Burdock root

4 parts Dandelion root

1 part Red Clover flowers

1 part Yellow Dock root

1 part Liquorice root

1 part Lemon Balm leaves

Combined decoction and infusion: 3 cups per day – may be continued for extended periods of time with suitable breaks in treatment

Burdock is one of the principal herbs used by professional herbalists for treating chronic skin problems. It can be used alone or in combination with any of the above herbs.

For external use:

Burdock root or leaves

Ointment or infusion applied as wash or compress: apply to affected areas

2 parts Elder flowers

1 part Marigold flowers

1 part Eucalyptus leaves

Infusion prepared in bowl or open vessel: cover the head with a cloth or towel and lean over the bowl for 5-10 minutes, allowing the skin to obtain full benefit from the aromatic steam and volatile oils.

Boils and Abscesses

For abscesses, boils, styes and carbuncles:

Burdock root or leaves

Chickweed herb

Comfrey root or leaves

Marshmallow leaves

Mullein leaves

Plantain leaves

Poultice, compress or ointment of any of the above, alone or in combination: apply directly to affected area, renewing 2-4 times daily

Bruises

Marigold flowers

Mullein leaves

Comfrey leaves

St John’s Wort herb

Poultice, compress or ointment of any of the above, alone or in combination: for optimum effect apply a hot poultice, renewing at least 4 times per day

Aloe Vera leaves

Fresh gel expressed from leaves: apply to affected area, renewing 2-4 times daily

For a black eye – to soothe the pain and help remove discoloration from cuts and bruises around the eyes, apply a hot poultice of Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) leaves, fresh or dried. Renew frequently.

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Cystitis

2 parts Couchgrass rhizomes

2 parts Plantain leaves

1 part Meadowsweet herb

1 part Cleavers herb

2 parts Burdock root

2 parts Marshmallow root

Infusion: 1/2-1 ñuð every 2-3 hours for acute conditions, otherwise 3 cups per day

1 part Cleavers herb

4 parts Marshmallow herb

Infusion: 3 cups per day

1 part Blackberry leaves

2 parts Burdock root or leaves

Infusion: 3 cups per day

Essentially herbs with diuretic, antiseptic and demulcent properties are used to treat urinary tract problems, and other herbs with these properties may be combined to treat the problem if the above herbs are not on hand.

Female Corrective Tonics

An excellent female corrective tonic, useful for irregular, painful or excessive menstruation, and for uterine and ovarian pain or dysfunction:

4 parts Cramp Bark

4 parts Motherwort herb

2 parts Raspberry leaves

2 parts Shepherd’s Purse herb

2 parts Angelica root

1 part Ginger root

Combined decoction and infusion: 3 cups per day

For general use from time to time:

2 parts Motherwort herb

2 parts Raspberry leaves

1 part Lemon Balm leaves

Infusion: 3 cups per day

Menopause

During menopause, for tension, hot flushes and fluid retention:

4 parts Motherwort herb

2 parts Raspberry leaves

1 part Cleavers herb

1 part Parsley root or leaves

2 parts Marshmallow root

1 part Vervain herb

1 part Lemon Balm leaves

3 parts St John’s Wort herb

Infusion: 3 cups per day

As a general tonic during menopause:

2 parts Motherwort herb

1 part Vervain herb

1 part Lemon Balm leaves

1 part Yarrow herb

Infusion: 3 cups per day

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Thymus vulgaris

Action: Antiseptic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, carminative, vermifuge, rubefacient, fungicide.

Systems Affected: Lungs, stomach, intestines, general effects on the whole body.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Dried flowering plant, dose 1-5 grams by infusion.

Thyme has a long history of culinary, medicinal and other uses. Native to the Mediterranean region, it was used by the ancient Egyptians as part of their embalming process for the dead. The Greeks burnt it on their altars and used it in cooking. The Romans did the same and also used it as a cosmetic. The Arabs still use it daily as a condiment: Za’atar, made from powdered Thyme mixed with roasted sesame and coriander seeds and salt, is eaten with bread.

Thyme has a powerful antiseptic action. The volatile oil contains thymol, widely used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic preparations, mouthwashes and toothpastes (it is the chief ingredient of Listerine). It disinfects wounds, fights bacteria in the urinary tract and destroys intestinal worms (including hookworms and ascaridis).

Thyme controls nervous and spasmodic cough, clears out phlegm and is healing to respiratory passages irritated by inflammation and infection. An infusion (sweetened with honey) is frequently used for throat and bronchial problems such as acute bronchitis, whooping cough, sore throat and laryngitis. For coughs and spasmodic complaints the fresh herb is preferred. Thyme is also of benefit in stimulating appetite and for diarrhoea and chronic gastritis.

Externally its antiseptic action is useful as a mouth wash and as a cleansing lotion for the skin. It is often employed in baths to relieve respiratory distress and skin diseases, and to stimulate circulation in rheumatic subjects. A strong infusion (100 grams of the dried herb to a liter of water) is added to the bath water: the volatile oil is absorbed through the skin and by inhalation as it vaporizes from the water.

Thyme will destroy fungal infections of the skin such as athlete’s foot and skin parasites such as scabies and pubic or head lice. For these purposes the tincture (prepared from 100 grams of the dried herb to 500 ml of brandy) or essential oil is used.

The dried leaves, powdered and applied as a snuff, are useful for treating nose-bleeds. The infusion is used daily as a tonic to the scalp to prevent or arrest falling hair.

Thyme can be used for a wide range of conditions where its antiseptic action is required. It is particularly beneficial in gastro-intestinal, respiratory and skin complaints.

Cautionary Notes: Thyme may be used freely externally but should not be taken in excessive doses internally, 15 or so grams of the dried herb being an adequate daily intake when prepared as an infusion. Very large doses taken for extended periods of time may produce toxic symptoms and possibly over-stimulation of the thyroid gland.

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Althaea officinalis

Action: Demulcent, emollient, vulnerary, diuretic, galactagogue.

Systems Affected: Lungs, stomach, intestines, kidneys, bladder, mucous membranes, general effects on the whole body.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Dried root, dose 2-5 grams by cold extraction or decoction. Dried leaf, dose 2-5 grams by cold extraction or infusion.

Marshmallow, which is grown in some parts of the world as a decorative Marshmallow, which is grown in some parts of the world as a decorative garden shrub, has a long medicinal and culinary history. It was regarded by the Greeks as a panacea (its botanical name derives from the Greek altho, meaning ‘to heal’) and the Romans considered it a delicious vegetable. An erect hardy perennial growing to 5 meters in height, it is native to Europe and the temperate zones of western Asia. It occurs wild and is also commercially cultivated, being widely used in both folk medicine and modern medicine.

Marshmallow is the best source of easily-digested mucilage. Renowned for its demulcent properties, it is a first class remedy for any irritation or inflammation of the respiratory system, alimentary tract or urinary organs. _ ,

Internally it is used to soothe and heal irritation and inflammation of the mucosa in bronchitis, colds, irritating cough, laryngitis, gastritis, enteritis, gastric and duodenal ulcer, constipation, cystitis, urethritis and bladder stones or gravel.

It is specifically indicated for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcer, and for respiratory catarrh with irritating cough.

Marshmallow combines well with Coltsfoot, Horehound and/or Liquorice for the treatment of pulmonary complaints. It can be used with laxative herbs for chronic constipation associated with dryness and lack of fibre. It is protective and healing in the irritations associated with diarrhoea and dysentery. Used in combination with other diuretic herbs such as Celery seed or Parsley root, it relieves irritations of the kidneys and urinary tract, its demulcent action aiding the smooth expulsion of stone and gravel.

Marshmallow is high in minerals, especially calcium. The powdered root is excellent for enriching milk in nursing mothers and will increase the milk flow. Heat the powdered root in milk and drink freely.

Externally the decoction of the root is used as a mouthwash for abscesses and gingivitis, and as a gargle for sore throats and tonsillitis.

Applied as a poultice on a daily basis, Marshmallow root is highly effective in treating blood poisoning, septic wounds, suppurating ulcers, abscesses, boils, burns, bruises and eczema. The powdered root applied to moist surfaces draws out and absorbs all moisture.

Concerning harvesting preparation of the plant:

All parts of the plant (roots, leaves and flowers) contain mucilage, but the roots (which are strongest in effect) and leaves are generally preferred. The root is gathered in autumn, the leaf in midsummer when the plant is in flower. The root is normally peeled before drying but this is not essential.

Since the infusion and decoction tend to be gelatinous, the cold extract method can be used to prepare the herb: to make one dose place 1 or 2 tablespoons of the dried root or leaf in a cup of cold water. Let stand for eight hours, then strain. It may be taken cold or slightly warmed up.

Marshmallow is completely safe to use and is in fact consumed both as a medicine and as a vegetable. The roots are boiled and then fried with butter or oil. The young tops are eaten in spring salads.

Mucilage is used as a botanical, herbal and pharmacological term to describe substances which swell when water is added to form a viscous fluid. Mucilaginous plants are fairly widespread throughout the world, but only a few, such as Marshmallow, Mullein, Comfrey, Flax (Linum usitatissimum) seed and Iceland Moss (Cetraria islandica), contain sufficient quantities to be medicinally useful.

Mucilage forms a fine layer on the surface of the mucous membranes, thus protecting them from irritants and soothing inflammation. But because mucilage is not absorbed, its effects remain purely local. It is, however, highly effective in treating many inflamed and irritated conditions of the mucous membranes: for example, irritating cough, laryngitis and bronchitis in the respiratory system; heartburn, gastritis, colitis, enteritis and ulcers in the digestive tract; cystitis, vaginitis, urethritis and stones and gravel in the urogenital organs.

Mucilage also has a slightly laxative action, as it tends to loosen the contents of the bowels, absorbing water from them in the process. For this reason seeds with a high mucilage content such as Plantain and Flax are widely used as laxatives.

As Mannfried Pahlow points out in Living Medicine, one other effect of mucilage is to weaken the sense of taste, especially in relation to sour or acidic food. Thus, ‘although raspberries contain less sugar and more acid than redcurrants, they are richer in mucilage and therefore taste sweeter’.

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Galium aparine

Action: Diuretic, antipyretic, alterative, astringent, vulnerary.

Systems Affected: Kidneys, bladder, blood, lymphatic system, skin.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Dried flowering plant, dose 2-5 grams by infusion.

An annual herb native to Europe, Cleavers is now widespread as a weed in many parts of the world. Of straggling habit, the plant is noted for the clinging nature of its stalks and seed capsules. Covered with fine bristles, they freely attach themselves to any animals or humans brushing past.

Cleavers is an excellent herb for all kidney and bladder complaints. It is recommended for painful urination associated with cystitis or urethritis, suppression of urine, and especially for obstructions of the urinary organs, such as stones and gravel.

A powerful diuretic and mildly laxative, it is useful in reducing weight and treating fluid retention.

Cleavers is also used internally for its alterative effects to treat skin diseases and eruptions (including psoriasis), and for its beneficial effects on the lymphatic system (being specifically indicated for enlarged lymph nodes).

The herb reduces body temperature and blood pressure slightly, antipyretic qualities which are useful in treating fevers.

Externally, Cleavers is used as a soothing and healing ointment tor wounds, ulcers, scalds and burns.

The roasted seeds provide an excellent coffee substitute and a permanent red dye is obtained from the roots.

Cautionary Notes: Cleavers is a powerful diuretic and therefore should not be used where there is any tendency to diabetes.

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