Ravenloft: Prisoners of the Mist

Within the swirling Mist (IC) => Biographies => Topic started by: Onkel Bob on August 08, 2020, 07:40:54 AM

Title: Sister Amelia's Medicinal Herbal
Post by: Onkel Bob on August 08, 2020, 07:40:54 AM
Introduction

Traditionally a herbal is a book meant for those with prior knowledge and understanding of the contents of the book. The usefulness of a herbal is directly proportional with the herbalist’s experience and ability to use the herbs listed within. Many plants can be used to cure the same condition, and no amount of text could explain which cases need which treatments. This book is meant to shed light on the complexity and variety of herbal medicine, a stepping stone for those who aspire to learn the craft into becoming experts themselves, or a window of insight and understanding for those who only want to know the legitimacy of the path rather than travelling it themselves. The plants which are listed in this book will be common and familiar to all people around the Core. Many of them are popular for their culinary purposes, but there are many ways to benefit from these flora.

Most commonly the medicinal properties of plants are harvested and used in decoctions, tinctures, poultices, powders, and ointments.

Decoctions are made by crushing and boiling the plant material in water until it dissolves. This can then be used to extract oils or to produce a liquid extract that can be taken orally or applied topically.

Tinctures are made using mostly the same procedure which are used for decoctions. Instead of water, alcohol is used for the extraction to make a tincture. Cold wine or distilled spirit are the most common beverages.

Poultices are made by boiling the plants, wrapping them in a cloth, and placing the resulting parcel over the skin to treat an inflamed or aching part of the body, primarily wounds such as cuts.

Powdering involves drying the plant material and then crushing it to yield a powder that can be compressed into tablets.

Ointments and unguents are thick, greasy preparations made out of four parts oil and one part water. An ointment can be blended with an extract or be used on its own to moisturize dry skin. The base of an ointment can be made out of beeswax, almond oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, wool fat, and sometimes tallow.

All these methods can be used together to make more complex medicines. Two of the most important tools for mixing are (1) infusion, the process of suspending the material in a solvent over time, and (2) percolation, the process of filtering a liquid through a porous material such as cloth. Herbs can be extracted and mixed differently in nearly endless combinations and not all results are beneficial or useful. Some plants are only good for completely different methods, such as incense burning or smelling salts. This herbal will only briefly mention the most common uses of the herbs listed within.

Title: Table of Contents
Post by: Onkel Bob on August 08, 2020, 07:41:52 AM
Table of Contents:

1. Bay (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg658385#msg658385)
2. Caraway (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg658386#msg658386)
3. Chamomile (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg658387#msg658387)
4. Chervil (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg658388#msg658388)
5. Chickweed (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg658389#msg658389)
6. Chrysanthemum (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg658390#msg658390)
7. Cinnamon (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg665153#msg665153)
8. Clove (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg665154#msg665154)
9. Dandelion (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg665155#msg665155)
10. Edelweiss (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg665741#msg665741)
11. Fenberries (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg665742#msg665742)
12. Fennel (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg665743#msg665743)
13. Garlic (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg672565#msg672565)
14. Ginger (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg672566#msg672566)
15. Ginseng (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg672568#msg672568)
16. Ground Ivy (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg672569#msg672569)
17. Mandrake (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg672574#msg672574)
18. Mint (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg672575#msg672575)
19. Mistletoe (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg672576#msg672576)
20. Myrrh (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg672577#msg672577)
21. Nettle (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg672578#msg672578)
22. Sage (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg673901#msg673901)
23. Tarragon (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg673907#msg673907)
24. Thyme (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg673908#msg673908)
25. Wintergreen (https://www.nwnravenloft.com/forum/index.php?topic=55160.msg673909#msg673909)

Title: Bay
Post by: Onkel Bob on August 08, 2020, 07:43:28 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/7lYYDDf.jpg)

Bay

Bay is a multibranched, deciduous shrub. The trunks are smooth and thin, with dark brown bark. Leaves have a lanceolate shape and grow in bipinnate clusters. Flowers are small, ebracteate, four-lobed, white and scented. The ovoid fruits are as wide as shirt buttons, growing in small clusters, thin pericarps enclosing spinach-green seeds which turn black as they ripen.

Bay is renowned for its added taste in many forms of cooking. Stews and soups are the most common dishes in the Core which contain Bay Leaves, but it can also be used to make sauces and marinades for meat and seafood. The leaves are often used whole in cooking and are removed before serving.

Using bay leaves in cooking helps against a number of diseases such as rheumatism, sprains, indigestion, earaches, and to enhance perspiration. It can also be used to treat migraine, in which case a leaf of bay is kept in a nostril or under a headband to relieve the pain. Healers use different parts of the plant as concoctions of warm water for drinking to treat internal ailments. In some cases it can also be used as an emetic to induce vomiting. Fresh, mature leaves can be made into a poultice or powdered to treat blood dysentery, inflammation, and kidney stones.

Title: Caraway
Post by: Onkel Bob on August 08, 2020, 07:46:07 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/6ssrdPt.jpg)

Caraway

Caraway is a biennial, aromatic herb that in many ways resembles a carrot plant. The leaves are thin and neatly divided, giving them a feather-like look. Its flowers are small, white or pink and grow in umbels. The fruits which are controversially called seeds are small, crescent shaped achenes, distinguished by their pale ridges.

The seeds are commonly used whole in baking of rye bread. Some desserts and casseroles contain caraway to add taste, and the leaves are sometimes added to salads, stews or soups raw or dried. Extracted caraway oil can be used to make liqueurs and spirits.

Both the seeds and the oil of caraway have a carminative property which can be used to alleviate dyspepsia, some forms of hysteria and other disorders. A tincture or decoction can be used to promote appetite and assist digestion (a stomachic). Most uses of caraway in medicine revolve around mixing it with other herbs to enhance their effects, because Caraway on its own is often too mild to be sufficiently potent. However, when distilled with water and given on a lump of sugar or a teaspoon of water, can be an efficient remedy for flatulent colic of infants.
Title: Chamomile
Post by: Onkel Bob on August 08, 2020, 07:47:49 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/zL7LYY4.jpg)

Chamomile

Chamomile is a common plant easily recognized as a daisy flower. The hollow, bright gold cones of the flowers are packed with disc or tubular florets inside rings of around fifteen white ray or ligulate florets. Blossoms grow singly on long stalks attached to the erect, branching, hairy stems. The leaves are divided and thin, looking somewhat shiny in sunlight.

Chamomile is an herb with a long history and wide variety of uses in medicine. Depending on preparation and application, chamomile can be used to treat inflammation, common colds, eczemes, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, mouth ulcers, seizures, hoarseness, osteoporosis. The flowers are commonly used to make a tea which induces sedation and treats insomnia. Chamomile is also a beneficial poultice when used in healing wounds.
Title: Chervil
Post by: Onkel Bob on August 08, 2020, 07:49:19 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/64R0a8y.jpg)

Chervil

Chervil is widely recognized as the cousin of parsley because of its appearance and culinary use. It is a tender, leafy, light green herb with thin, hollow stems. The leaves grow opposite to each other in triads of five small, deeply serrated and sometimes curly leaflets. When blooming the plant produces a tall stalk topped with small conical clusters of white flowers.

In cooking, chervil is used to season poultry, seafood, soups and sauces. In Dementlieu chervil is one of the four traditional ‘fines herbes’, along with tarragon, chives, and parsley which are considered essential for their cuisine.

In medicine, the leaf, root, and dried flowers of chervil can be used with varying methods to make many different forms of medicine. Tinctures and concoctions can be used to treat gout or digestion problems while poultices have a healing effect on many unhealthy skin conditions such as acne and sunburns as well as some skin diseases that cause swelling and itching. When ingested as an herbal tea chervil can improve blood circulation and help fight against anemia.

Title: Chickweed
Post by: Onkel Bob on August 08, 2020, 07:51:35 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/z2dM1Su.jpg)

Chickweed

Chickweed has succulent, floppy stems with a single line of white hairs growing up the stalk.  The leaves are shaped like arrows and grow opposite to one another. The star-like flowers have five split petals that grow into capsules.

Chickweed is edible and nutritious, but rarely used in cooking aside from raw in salads.

A poultice of chickweed can be especially useful topically for inflammation, abscesses, and anything itchy. It is often recommended as a remedy for mange. Internally, it’s a gentle laxative and is soothing to the digestive tract. Herbalists commonly use this herb to treat eye infections, obesity, bronchitis, and arthritis.

Title: Chrysanthemum
Post by: Onkel Bob on August 08, 2020, 07:53:11 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/D6m78rX.jpg)

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum, which is sometimes called ‘mums’, is a perennial subshrub. The leaves are alternately arranged, divided into toothed or smooth edged leaflets. The flowers grow in arrays of compounded inflorescence, or sometimes in solitary heads. The flower heads are covered in several layers of phyllaries; long ray florets of colors from yellow to white to red.

This herb is rarely used in cooking aside from putting the young sprouts and petals in salads. In some foreign cultures, it is used in making a special chrysanthemum tea.

The plant can be made into a concoction to treat colds, headache, throat pain, vertigo, tinnitus, and sores. It can be used as a substitute for the purposes one would use chamomile in many treatments.
Title: Cinnamon
Post by: Onkel Bob on October 24, 2020, 06:49:51 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/wPBNhxY.jpg)

Cinnamon

Cinnamon’s namesake is derived from its deep mid-brown color. Cinnamon is an evergreen tree characterized by oval-shaped leaves, thick bark, and a berry fruit. When harvesting the spice, the bark and leaves are the primary parts of the plant used.

Cinnamon is particularly popular in Hazlani and Pharazian cuisine for both sweet and savory dishes. It can be used in recipes for chicken, lamb, cinnamon buns, apple pie, coffee, chocolate, tea, liqueurs and pickling. 

In medicine, the barks, twigs and leaves can be used to make a potent oil extract. It can stimulate digestion, clean up foul or turbid phlegm. Made into tea, it is a warming anodyne and mild antirheumatic that relieves aches and pains in the muscles and joints. Cinnamon is a warming pectoral and expectorant to loosen up and dissolve phlegm congestion in the lungs and chest, a good treatment for pneumonia. Charring the bark black and powdering and mixing it with castor oil makes a kohl or collyrium eyeliner to dissolve thick phlegmatic fluids from the eye. Due to its strong heating and stimulating nature, Cinnamon should be used only with caution and in small doses by those who have a lot of heat, choler and inflammation in their bodies, either latent or manifest.
Title: Clove
Post by: Onkel Bob on October 24, 2020, 06:51:10 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/cKH5rZs.jpg)

Clove

Clove is a small evergreen tree with ascending branches and shiny, leathery, aromatic, ovate-lanceolate leaves, which are salmon-pink when young. In summer fragrant pink flowers bloom, followed by aromatic, purple berries.

Clove is a well known spice used to add flavor to meats and marinades. Clove is also often used to add flavor to hot beverages in combination with other ingredients such as lemon and sugar.

Clove can also be turned into a gentle analgesic unguent to be applied topically, particularly for dental emergencies and toothache. Clove can also be made into a diluted extract to be taken orally to cure hiccups or suppress coughing. The flower buds can be stuck into an orange or other fruit to create a pleasantly fragrant pomander.
Title: Dandelion
Post by: Onkel Bob on October 24, 2020, 06:53:32 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/DLkXR7m.jpg)

Dandelion

Dandelion is a small perennial herb that grows well in soils of all types, a quality that makes this plant so resilient, adaptable and widespread. The leaves are cut into great jagged teeth with even margin that become smaller towards the base of the stalk.  It is the leaves’ somewhat fanciful resemblance to the canine teeth of a lion that gives the plant its familiar name of Dandelion, a corruption of the mordentish name “Dent de Lion”. The stalks are smooth, leafless, and hollow, and exude a bitter, milky juice when damaged. The flowers are thickly covered in many small strap-shaped florets of golden color that turn into white gossamer balls from which their plumed seeds may be blown off by the slightest breeze when ripe.

An herb which is widely recognized as a common weed, but contains much medicinal potential.

Dandelion has an opening and cleansing quality and is therefore very effective for removing obstructions of the liver, gall-bladder, kidney, and spleen and diseases rising from them. An experienced herbalist could argue that there are few herbs as vital or as accessible as dandelion in maintaining everyday wellness. A tea made out of the roots or flowers is recommended for nearly any diet, for every age. Its mild and beneficial nature makes it harmless to ingest in very large doses.
Title: Edelweiss
Post by: Onkel Bob on October 29, 2020, 05:38:45 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/BhznUBD.jpg)

Edelweiss

The white wooly flowers of the Edelweiss are symbolic of the simple and wholesome mountain lifestyle. It grows near rocky limestone at high altitudes. Each bloom consists of five or six small yellow clustered spikelet florets, surrounded by tomentose white bracts in a double star formation.

Edelweiss is good for bronchitis and sore throats. It strengthens the physical resolve against diseases and soothes internal organs. As a remedy it can treat some abdominal and respiratory diseases.
Title: Fenberries
Post by: Onkel Bob on October 29, 2020, 05:40:13 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/lztukan.jpg)

Fenberries

Originally named "crane berries" in reference to the large birds that regularly eat them, the cranberry/fenberry shrub grows in watery bogs and has been a celebrated part of medical and culinary history. The plant is a low, creeping shrub with thin woody stems decorated by small evergreen leaves. The small flowers are recognized by their dark pink color and backwards bending petals. The berries initially green before turning red as they ripen, growing larger than the leaves of the plant.

Because of the strong sour taste of fenberries they are not commonly used in cooking, although with proper preparation they can make some flavorful and nutritious dishes. The berries can be made into juice, jam, or sauce on their own or baked into cakes, breads, or sweets. Fenberries can also add tartness to savory dishes such as stews and soups.

In medicine the berries are most commonly used as a vulnerary poultice, but their decoction is also valuable in treating diarrhea, diabetes, stomach ailments, and liver problems. Fenberries are particularly useful to help prevent recurrent urinary tract infections and other related disorders.
Title: Fennel
Post by: Onkel Bob on October 29, 2020, 05:42:03 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/HKjIvK6.jpg)

Fennel

Fennel has a thick, perennial root-stock, stout stems, erect and cylindrical, bright green and so smooth as to seem polished. The many branches bearing leaves cut into the very finest of segments. The bright golden flowers, produced in large, flat terminal umbels, with thirteen to twenty rays. In the original wild condition the leaf-stalks form a curved sheath around the stem, often even as far as the base of the leaf above. The seeds of the wild grown plant are half the size of the seeds of a cultivated fennel plant.

Fennel seeds are a prized spice in cooking. The bulb is a crisp vegetable that can be eaten raw, sautéed, braised or grilled. The fresh leaves of fennel are used in salads and garnishes, or used to add flavor to sauces and soups. Fennel is also a primary flavor component in Borcan sausage.

The oil extraction of fennel seed has a carminative, smooth muscle antispasmodic, and stomachic properties. Used as a carminative it is highly beneficial to reduce digestive cramping, gas, and bloating. The seed tincture or tea is effective for treating conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, leaky gut syndrome, and intestinal candidiasis. Fennel also has an anti-nauseant property, aiding recovery from stomach flu, food poisoning, digestive infections, and hangovers. It anesthetizes pain resulting from a hiatal hernia and indigestion. Fennel decongests the liver and is a useful adjunct for conditions arising from liver stagnation, enhancing the effects of other herbs such as dandelion. Fennel seed oil complements cathartic laxative and purgative compounds, as well as digestive bitter and cholagogue formulas.
Title: Garlic
Post by: Onkel Bob on December 27, 2020, 05:54:39 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/vHvNxa9.jpg)

Garlic

Garlic is commonly recognized by its white, odoriferous, layered bulb which contains the cloves that are used for cooking. The cloves and bulb are covered by a papery, protective white “skin” which is discarded by most chefs when they use garlic in their work. From this bulb a tall, erect flowering stem grows. The leaves of the plant grow along the stem in a flat, slim, solid, and acute apex shape. In the late summer garlic grows small, pink or purple flowers at the height of the stem.

The flavour and aroma of garlic makes it a popular culinary ingredient all around the Core, often coupled with onions and tomatoes for many purposes. On its own garlic is perhaps most commonly used to make olive oil or garlic bread. It also has a well-known deterring effect on vampires most likely because of its strong smell.

In herbalism, garlic has a number of uses. It reduces the clotting of blood caused by cardiovascular diseases. A remarkably effective and simple antiseptic can be made from the raw juice of the bulb, diluted with water, and applied to a wound before bandaging. Syrup of garlic, enhanced with honey and vinegar, is an invaluable medicine for asthma, hoarseness, coughs, difficulty of breathing, and chronic bronchitis. An infusion of the bruised bulbs, given before and after every meal, has a stabilizing effect in epilepsy.
Title: Ginger
Post by: Onkel Bob on December 27, 2020, 05:57:19 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/UsSQEQE.jpg)

Ginger

Ginger is an erect, herbaceous perennial plant. The distinguished, edible rhizome is widely used as a spice. The rhizome is brown, with a corky outer layer and pale-yellow scented center. The above ground shoot is erect and reed-like with linear leaves that are arranged alternately on the stem. The shoots originate from multiple bases and wrap around one another. Flowering heads are borne on shorter stems and the plant produces cone shaped, pale yellow flowers .

On its own it is known as an ingredient for gingerbread and other kinds of candy, as well as ale and beer. Alternatively it can be used as a spice in many kinds of savory dishes. Because ginger is known to be nutritious it is often in high demand and can sometimes be expensive to buy.

A tincture of ginger can be a potent cure for nausea on its own. It can also reduce platelet aggregation and thus thin the blood, which increases circulation and cools the body. The rhizome is used to reduce heat and stiffness in arthritis. A poultice of fresh ginger activates respiration and loosens the mucus out of the lungs, thus used to treat pneumonia. Ginger oil is excellent as an external liniment on stiff, cold, spasmed muscles. Additionally, ginger has a soothing effect on the bowels, making it a potential cure for dyspepsia, constipation, colic or other digestion impairing symptoms.
Title: Ginseng
Post by: Onkel Bob on December 27, 2020, 06:02:17 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/j8UkAdn.jpg)

Ginseng

Ginseng is a slow-growing plant that produces red berries. Only the root is used for medicinal purposes. Ginseng is difficult to cultivate, having to grow for four to six years before the roots can be harvested, which can make the herb difficult to come by. Ginseng roots are tangled, forked and twisted, somewhat resembling a miniature human body. They are occasionally used fresh but more often are dried and ground or powdered. The root can be soaked to make an extract or tincture, while ground ginseng can be added to tea.

It is not often used as a spice in food unless sought as a complement for its medicinal properties. It is bitter and very fibrous when raw, which makes it an unlikely spice. It also potentially has some rare side effects such as damage to the liver, anxiety, nausea, insomnia, or diarrhea. It should be taken in moderation by all, and avoided entirely by those who react strongly to its smell or have particularly thin blood.

Ginseng has a long history of traditional medicinal use, primarily in the form of tea. Ginseng is believed to improve mental and physical stamina and performance as well as promote longevity, offsetting the decline of aging. It restores strength when people have sustained a severe loss of physical energy, through illness or injury. An extraction of ginseng improves well-being under stress, alertness, relaxation, appetite, fatigue levels, and sleep quality.
Title: Ground Ivy
Post by: Onkel Bob on December 27, 2020, 06:05:40 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/1QvfcOW.jpg)

Ground Ivy

Its name is attributed to the resemblance borne by its foliage and resemblance to that of the true ivy. Ground Ivy can be identified by its round to reniform, crenate opposed leaves, on petioles attached to square stems which root at the nodes. When damaged, it emits a distinctive odor much like mint. The flowers are bilaterally symmetrical, funnel shaped, blue or bluish-violet to lavender, and grow in opposed clusters of two or three flowers in the leaf axils on the upper part of the stem or near the tip, usually blooming in the spring. The plant will form dense mats when allowed to grow freely. Aside from being used as a salad green, it is rarely touched in cooking.

It has many unique uses in medicine. As a collyrium it can treat inflammation in the eyes and dissolve phlegmatic fluids. Drops of a ground ivy decoction can treat tinnitus and alleviate impaired hearing. A potent tincture can treat various kidney diseases and bronchitis. Used as a salad green or made into an herbal tea it can relieve congestion and accelerate recovery from colds and coughs.
Title: Mandrake
Post by: Onkel Bob on December 27, 2020, 08:52:05 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/D9U2ek4.jpg)

Mandrake

Also known as mandragora root, Mandrake is a perennial herbaceous plant with ovate leaves arranged in a rosette. A thick, upright root, often branched, and elliptical- or obovate-shaped leaves on a short stem, topped by bell-shaped flowers and yellow or orange berries. The root is quite potent, and may cause hallucinations if taken in access, which in combination with its almost humanoid shape has made the plant somewhat infamous. It is not used in cooking, and although its uses are rare they are important, and deserve to be mentioned in this herbal.

The leaves are mild and cooling, and can be boiled in milk and used as a poultice as an application to indolent ulcers. Made into a tonic, Mandrake can be prepared into an anaesthetic in preparation for chirurgery. The fresh root is a very powerful emetic and purgative, and must not be given in large doses or it could induce a temporary mania, which is harmless but has given the herb a cursed reputation. Although the herb has many properties similar to Belladonna, it is harmless and has some limited medical applications.
Title: Mint
Post by: Onkel Bob on December 27, 2020, 08:53:43 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/BzPm9RN.jpg) 

Mint

There are many kinds of Mints. Peppermint, Spearmint, Chocolate mint, Apple mint, and Orange mint are just a few of them. Mint plants are mainly aromatic perennials (although rarely annual) and they possess erect, branching stems and oblong to ovate or lanceolate leaves arranged in opposing pairs on the stems. The leaves are often covered in tiny hairs and have a serrated margin. Mint plants produce a terminal flower spike and the flowers can be white or purple in color depending on variety. Different kinds of Mint leaves have similar, smooth looking characteristics but their smells are different enough to distinguish them from one another.

The leaves of Mint are widely used as a flavoring in cooking. Commonly used for teas, jams and desserts because of its widely known rich, sweet, and cool aroma.

Mint (specifically Peppermint) is used to treat dyspepsia, flatulence and colic, making it a common treatment for cholera and diarrhoea. Oil of mint allays sickness and nausea, and is much used to disguise the taste of unpalatable medicines. Mint tea is used also for alleviating palpitation of the heart.
Title: Mistletoe
Post by: Onkel Bob on December 27, 2020, 08:55:16 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/ECicdTV.jpg) 

Mistletoe

Best known for its unusual appearance in the middle of winter. Mistletoe is a parasitic evergreen plant that lives on trees such as oaks, elms, firs, pines, apples, and elms. The plant has yellowish flowers; small, mustard-green leaves; and waxy, white berries. Mistletoe berries are poisonous to cats and other small animals, and an herbalist must be careful when applying it for its medicinal uses.

Mistletoe has a notable effect on the cardiovascular system, slowing the heart-beat and relaxing pressure from the blood vessels. A potent and carefully prepared tincture of Mistletoe can cure even deadly poisons because of this effect. It is one of the most effective treatments for hypertension and a powerful relaxant of the heart.
Title: Myrrh
Post by: Onkel Bob on December 27, 2020, 08:57:40 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/JbpfNeH.jpg) 

Myrrh

Myrrh is a yellowish-brown to reddish-brown aromatic gum resin with a bitter slightly pungent taste, extracted from an exotic, thorny tree of the same name. The extract is a common ingredient in perfumes and incense.

In medicine, the resin of Myrrh is used, mostly through direct digestion, to treat ailments. It is a blood moving herb with particular benefits to people with arthritis and rheumatism. Myrrh is considered one of the best agents for helping rheumatism and benefiting the circulatory system. Myrrh is an effective local application for spongy and bleeding gums. It may also be used with benefit when the throat is sore and exhibits sloughing ulcers, and in chronic pharyngitis with tumid pallid membranes and elongated uvula. Against spongy, enlarged tonsils it is an ideal topical medicine.
Title: Nettle
Post by: Onkel Bob on December 27, 2020, 08:59:44 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/sIWqkac.jpg)

Nettle

The Nettle is an erect, herbaceous perennial that is widely recognized by its unpleasant stinging hairs on the stems and lower leaf surface. It reproduces by wind-dispersed seeds and creeping rhizomes, allowing it to grow in dense clumps, often forming large colonies. The plants bear small, greenish flowers in the spring, grow  tall in the summer and wilts back down to the ground in the winter.

Most widely recognized for its stinging leaves, nettles are commonly disregarded as weeds. However, it makes a nutritious and tasteful tea when properly prepared. The plants must be boiled and never eaten raw. Nettle tea has a significant cleansing property and can be used as a detoxifying remedy which effectively treats rheumatism, gout, kidney stones and chronic skin diseases, especially eczema.

Stinging nettle leaves can be used directly for severe joint pain by rubbing the fresh herb over the affected areas. This is called urtication, and is momentarily unpleasant but very effective in alleviating pain and potentially even curing paralyzation.
Title: Sage
Post by: Onkel Bob on January 05, 2021, 08:30:53 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/IgLTfMb.jpg)

Sage

Sage is a small perennial bush that exists in many varieties, common sage, garden sage, golden sage, kitchen sage and true sage being a few. The stems of the plant are woody and sprout small oval-shaped leaves of variegated gray and whitish green. The bottom of the leaves are covered in short soft hairs which make it look nearly completely white. Flowers like that of lavender in the colors of white or purple bloom in the late spring or summer.

Sage is regarded as an essential spice in Mordentish cuisine because of its fitting application to nearly all forms of savory cooking. Sage can be used as a starring herb in a recipe or take a backseat to other spices and herbs. For this reason it is no less popular in any other country.

Aside from its undeniably impressive culinary potential, sage is a widely regarded medical herb. It is believed its regular use would increase life-span, and in Dementlieu sage can be referred to as ‘toute bonne’ meaning ‘all is well'. Sage is a powerful treatment to paralysis and restores shaky trembling of the limbs. Sage can be used as a rinse, wash or gargle for inflammation or ulcers of the mouth, gums or throat. A sage tonic restores poor memory, headaches, anxiety, depression and confusion. The tonic can also be used to assist with excess hot flushing in the menopause or to reduce breast milk production. It can aid excess gas, weak appetite or an over-sensitive stomach. Finally, taken as a cold tea it may help with excess sweating or night sweats.
Title: Tarragon
Post by: Onkel Bob on January 05, 2021, 09:06:10 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/TjuoRoI.jpg)

Tarragon

The tarragon plant has slender, erect, branching stems and green, needle-like leaves which are very aromatic and a bit sticky to the touch.The odour of the leaves is warm and pleasant, and tastes somewhat like anise. The plant seldom blooms and its seeds are often sterile. It instead spreads through its rhizomatous roots.

Tarragon is known as one of the four fines herbes in Dementileuse cooking. It is the main ingredient in Bérnaise sauce which is used for many dishes involving red meat. Tarragon is also used for flavoring when preparing chicken, fish or other savory dishes.

Tarragon leaves can be chewed raw to treat toothaches, numbing the pain, and preventing sore gums. Distilled into a digestive tonic, tarragon helps the production of liver bile and alleviates an upset stomach, irritable bowels and dyspepsia. Brewed into a tea, tarragon is a mild sedative that helps relieve anxiety and stress, good for promoting sleep at night. Can be made into vinegar for amplified medical effects in culinary consumption, benefiting the overall health of the heart, brain and liver.
Title: Thyme
Post by: Onkel Bob on January 05, 2021, 09:07:30 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/wOtV48c.jpg)

Thyme

Thyme is a small, prostate perennial (or annual) subshrub. It grows in a thick cluster of  hard and woody stems from the base of the plant. The leaves are small, oval, gray-green in color and grow alternately directly on the stems.  During summer flowers of white or lilac grow in small clusters at the top of the stems.

Popular seasoning for stews and soups, thyme is particularly prized in Borcan and Dementileuse cuisine. Honeybees that collect nectar from thyme flowers produce a richer and more flavourful honey.

A thyme tincture makes a mouthwash and gargle for ulcers or infections in the mouth and throat. Thyme can be taken internally for painful menstruation, irritable bowel and colic, or as a compress for a chronic grumbling appendix. Thyme can also work particularly well in a bath. A handful of dried thyme wrapped cloth and placed in the bath will make a potent, aromatic and therapeutic bath that opens the lungs and eases aches in the muscles.
Title: Wintergreen
Post by: Onkel Bob on January 05, 2021, 09:08:50 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/T0rvy5E.jpg)

Wintergreen

Wintergreen is a less common herb that has important practical uses for an experienced herbalist. The wintergreen plant can mostly be found in coniferous forests. It is a creeping shrub, with stiff branches that carry tufts of petiolate, oval, shiny, leathery leaves at their summit. White, drooping flowers sprout from the base of the leaves in the middle of the summer and are followed by fleshy, bright red berries closer to autumn.

Wintergreen is perhaps best known for its oil which can be used for many medicinal purposes. However, the leaves and berries are edible and can be used to make tea or alcoholic beverages. The common tea is an easy and effective treatment for a headache, fever, sore throat, and various other aches and pains. Wintergreen is curiously also a particularly effective agent for breaking through sea water corrosion.

The oil extract is made by steam processing of warmed, water-soaked wintergreen leaves. The leaves can be used to make poultices to treat muscle and joint discomfort, arthritis, cellulite, rheumatism, cramps, psoriasis and broken or bruised bones. A tincture of wintergreen can be taken internally to alleviate headache, fever, flatulence. It can be a remedy for edema, poor circulation, heart disease, hypertension, inflammation, and gout.