Botanical & Medical
Herbs
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Basil ( Crushed or Fine Cut )
Basil (Ocimum Basilicum) is truly an incredible herb. It is enjoyed for its rich and spicy,
mildly peppery flavor with a trace of mint and clove. Basil is an annual herb
belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae (Labiatae) and like others in this
family,
basil can be identified by its square, hairy stems. There are over 40
known varieties of basil of which Ocimum basilicum or Sweet Basil is the
most commonly known and grown. Ocimum is from a Greek verb that means "to be
fragrant." The foliage is easily bruised; just brushing against its foliage
releases its wonderfully spicy fragrance. Varieties can grow to a height of 2
1/2 feet and are about as wide. Foliage colors range from pale to deep green,
vivid purple and even purple laced with goldish yellow foliage. Texture varies
from silky and shiny to dull and crinkly. Flowers appear in summer as whorls on
the ends of branches and are either white or lavender. Some of the unusual
fragrances and flavors include: cinnamon, lemon and anise. Basil is native to
India and Asia having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. It is
grown there as a perennial in those warm, tropical climates.
Uses
With so many attributes it isn't any wonder that basil has become
increasingly popular over the years. Being a member of the mint family, it is
not surprising to see it recommended for digestive complaints. So instead of an
after dinner mint, try sipping an after dinner cup of basil tea to aid digestion
and dispel flatulence. Herbalists have recommended basil for years for stomach
cramps, vomiting and constipation. Basil has been described as having a slight
sedative action, which would explain why it is sometimes recommended for
headaches and anxiety.
Dill (Top)
Dill, (Anthum Graveolens), is native to the Mediterranean area and southern
Russia. Dill is a hardy annual, and sometimes is grown as a biennial. Dill is
commonly used as a seasoning for soups, fish, and pickles. Its aromatic leaves,
seeds, flowers, and stems can also be used to flavor cabbage, vinegars, butter,
apple pie, cakes, and bread. Dill should be direct-seeded in spring about 10
inches apart. Since dill has long tap roots, it should not be transplanted.
Fresh leaves should be harvested before flowering begins. Harvest seeds as soon
as seed heads are brown and dry.
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![[Product Image]](Henna.jpg)
Henna (Leaves or Powder)
Henna (Lawsonia alba.,
Lythraceae) is native to a number of tropical regions in Asia, northern Africa,
and Australia. Henna is best known for the ground leaves (also called henna)
traditionally used to develop a orange, red, brown or black coloring to hands,
feet and hair. The leaves of henna have been used in Asia and the Middle East
since ancient times as a hair, nail, and skin dye. The use of henna by the
Egyptians to dye skin dates back to about 5000 years ago, who painted the nails
of the dead with henna.
Uses
Henna is traditionally used
in hair cleansing, conditioning, and occasionally as a temporary dye to color
fabrics and textiles. Henna is also used as a medicinal plant, because of its
attributed antibacterial, antifungal, astringent, antihemorrhagic, hypotensive,
and sedative effects. It has also been used as a folk remedy against headache,
jaundice, and leprosy in many world cultures. Scientific studies prove that
henna is a better hair conditioner than other commercial conditioners. Henna is
being investigated for its antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-fungal
properties. Crude alcoholic extracts of henna produced significant
anti-inflammatory, analgesic, sedative, and antipyretic effects in rats. The
henna fruits are antiviral, and the bark extracts are protective of the liver
preventing oxidative stress.
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Peppermint (Crushed or Whole Leaves)
(Mentha piperita), The plant is found throughout Europe, in moist
situations, along stream banks and in waste lands, and is not unfrequent
In damp places in England, but is not a common native plant, and probably is
often an escape from cultivation. In America it is probably even more common as
an escape than Spearmint, having long been known and grown in gardens. Of the
members of the mint family under cultivation the most important are the several
varieties of the Peppermint,
extensively cultivated for years as the source of the well-known volatile
oil of Peppermint, used as a flavouring and therapeutic agent.
Uses
Peppermint oil
is the most extensively used of all the volatile oils, both medicinally
and commercially. The characteristic anti-spasmodic action of the volatile
oil is more marked in this than in any other oil, and greatly adds to its
power of relieving pains arising in the alimentary canal.
From its stimulating, stomachic and carminative properties, it is
valuable in certain forms of dyspepsia, being mostly used for flatulence
and colic. It may also be employed for other sudden pains and for cramp in
the abdomen; wide use is made of Peppermint in cholera and diarrhoea. It is generally combined with other medicines when its stomachic
effects are required, being also employed with purgatives to prevent
griping. Oil of Peppermint allays sickness and nausea, and is much used to
disguise the taste of unpalatable drugs, as it imparts its aromatic
characteristics to whatever prescription it enters into. It is used as an
infants' cordial.
The oil itself is often given on sugar and added to pills, also a
spirit made from the oil, but the preparation in most general use is
Peppermint Water, which is the oil and water distilled together. Peppermint Water and spirit of Peppermint are official preparations of
the British Pharmacopoeia. In flatulent colic, spirit of Peppermint in hot water is a good
household remedy, also the oil given in doses of one or two drops on
sugar.
Peppermint is good to assist in raising internal heat and inducing
perspiration, although its strength is soon exhausted. In slight colds or
early indications of disease, a free use of Peppermint tea will, in most
cases, effect a cure, an infusion of 1 ounce of the dried herb to a pint
of boiling water being employed, taken in wineglassful doses; sugar and
milk may be added if desired. An infusion of equal quantities of Peppermint herb and Elder flowers
(to which either Yarrow or Boneset may be added) will banish a cold or
mild attack of influenza within thirty-six hours, and there is no danger
of an overdose or any harmful action on the heart. Peppermint tea is used
also for palpitation of the heart.
In cases of hysteria and nervous disorders, the usefulness of an
infusion of Peppermint has been found to be well augmented by the addition
of equal quantities of Wood Betony, its operation being hastened by the
addition to the infusion of a few drops of tincture of Caraway.
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Parsley (Crushed)
Parsley (Petroselinum Crispum), is grown exclusively for its green leaves, or tops. The
curled-leaf and Italian flat-leaf types are the most popular. Field seeding
begins in early April and ends in May.
Parsley is a bright green, biennial herb that is very common in
Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking. It is used for
its leaf in much the same way as coriander (which is also known
as
Chinese parsley or
cilantro), although it has a
milder flavor.
Two forms of parsley are used as herbs: curly leaf and Italian
or flat leaf. Curly leaf parsley is often used as a garnish.
Many people think flat leaf parsley has a stronger flavor, and
this opinion is backed by chemical analysis which finds much
higher levels of essential oil in the flat-leaved cultivars. One
of the compounds of the essential oil is apiol. Another type of
parsley is grown as a root vegetable.
In parts of Europe, and particularly in West
Asia, many foods are served with chopped parsley
sprinkled on top. The fresh flavor of parsley
goes extremely well with fish. Parsley is
essential to several West Asian salads, e.g.,
tabbouleh which is the national dish of Lebanon.
In Southern and Central Europe, parsley is part
of bouquet garni, a bundle of fresh herbs used
to flavor stocks, soups and sauces.
Additionally, parsley is often used as a
garnish.
Parsley is valued as a
breath-freshener, due to its high concentration
of chlorophyll. Adam Blackman, a nutritionist,
claims parsley enhances mental alertness, and
affects the immune system.
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Meloukhia (Crushed, Powder or Whole Leaves)
Meloukhia (Corchorus Oliotorus ) A tall leafy herb, whose leaves are used as a potherb, spinach or as a
salad. The leaves are lanceolate and serrate and are used fresh and dried.
In Egypt and the Middle East mostly used in soups, in India as a spinach
substitute and in the Caribbean as a salad. Sometimes used as a source of
jute, but c.capsularis is the more important source of fibre.
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![[Product Image]](marjoram.JPG)
Marjoram (Green Crushed, Grey Crushed or Fine Cut)
The name (Origanum) is derived from two Greek words, oros
(mountain) and ganos (joy), in allusion to the gay appearance these
plants give to the hillsides on which they grow. Similar to
tarragon (botanically not related), is a spice which on one hand needs a warm climate to
develop its specific aroma, but on the other hand loses some fragrance when
dried. Despite these deficiencies, is is a well-established culinary herb in
Central Europe.
Dried marjoram is extremely important in industrial food processing and is
much used, together with thyme, in
spice mixtures for the production of sausages; in Germany, where a great variety
of sausages is produced, it is thus called Wurstkraut sausage
herb
. Furthermore, application of marjoram to boiled or fried liver is
somewhat classical. Marjoram may be effectively combined with
bay leaves;
furthermore, it goes well with small amounts of black
pepper or juniper.
Combinations of the last type are well suited to ragouts, particularly venison.
Yet marjoram also has its place in vegetable dishes; it is mostly recommended
for rather heavy vegetables like legumes or cabbage. Fried potatoes spiced with
liberal amounts of marjoram are delicious.
Fresh marjoram, on the other side, is more popular in South European cooking
styles. Because of its lesser fragrance in cold climate, its usage in other
regions may end in serious disappointment. Fresh marjoram may add new accents to
the French fines herbes and
is frequently suggested for delicate fish dishes; it should be added shortly
before serving. Only in less subtly flavoured dishes (like Italian tomato sauces
spiced with garlic),
fresh marjoram may be substituted by fresh oregano.
Although this usage is not mentioned in cookbooks, fresh marjoram is well suited
for the French bouquet garni.
Uses
Marjoram yields
about 2 per cent of a volatile oil which is separated by distillation.
This must not be confused with oil of Origanum, which is extracted from
Thyme. Its properties are stimulant, carminative, diaphoretic and mildly
tonic; a useful emmenagogue. It is so acrid that it has been employed not
only as a rubefacient, and often as a liniment, but has also been used as
a caustic by farriers. A few drops, put on cotton-wool and placed in the
hollow of an aching tooth frequently relieves the pain. In the
commencement of measles, it is useful in producing a gentle perspiration
and bringing out the eruption, being given in the form of a warm infusion,
which is also valuable in spasms, colic, and to give relief from pain in
dyspeptic complaints.
Externally, the dried leaves and tops may be applied in bags as a hot
fomentation to painful swellings and rheumatism, as well as for colic. An
infusion made from the fresh plant will relieve nervous headache, by
virtue of the camphoraceous principle contained in the oil.
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![[Product Image]](Spear.JPG)
Spearmint (Crushed or Whole Leaves)
Spearmint (Mentha viridis) This common garden mint is not a native of
these islands, though growing freely in every garden, but is originally a native
of the Mediterranean region, and was introduced into Britain by the Romans,
being largely cultivated not only by them, but also by the other Mediterranean
nations. It has, in fact, been so
universally esteemed, that it is to be found wild in nearly all the
countries to which civilization has extended, and in America for 200 years
it has been known as an escape from gardens, growing in moist soils and
proving sometimes troublesome as a weed.
Uses
Spearmint is
chiefly used for culinary purposes. The properties of Spearmint oil
resemble those of Peppermint, being stimulant, carminative and
antispasmodic, but its effects are less powerful, and it is less used than
Peppermint, though it is better adapted for children's maladies. From 2 to
5 drops may be given on sugar, or from 1/2 to 1 teaspoonful of spirit of
Spearmint, with 2 tablespoonsful of water. Spearmint oil is added to many
compounds on account of its carminative properties, and because its taste
is pleasanter and less strong than Peppermint. A distilled water of
Spearmint will relieve hiccough and flatulence as well as the giddiness of
indigestion. For infantile trouble generally, the sweetened infusion is an
excellent remedy, and is also a pleasant beverage in fevers, inflammatory
diseases, etc. Make the infusion by pouring a pint of boiling water on an
ounce of the dried herb; the strained-off liquid is taken in doses of a
wineglassful or less. It is considered a specific in allaying nausea and
vomiting and will relieve the pain of colic. A homoeopathic tincture
prepared from the fresh plant in flower has been found serviceable in
strangury, gravel, and as a local application in painful haemorrhoids. Its
principal employment is for its febrifuge and diuretic virtues.
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