I led my fourth herb walk of the summer today. We met at the castle gate in the middle of Lewes, and ambled around the lanes, and alleyways of the medieval town. It was so good to be in the centre of Town, yet to be away from cars, and taking the slow route around town. We first came across Pellitory of the Wall, growing out of the Castle wall. This herb in the same family as Nettle is used for conditions relating to gravel and stone in the urinary tracts. It action is cooling, diuretic (increasing flow of urine), and demulcent (soothing to the tissues of urinary tract. For such complaints it it used more often than any other herb.
Next we came across a cultivated wonderful scented Damask Rose growing above the wall of the bowling green. The bowling green was the old jousting area of the castle grounds and the archery practise area. The bowling club is still a male bastion, only the sport is now a sedate one, though i believe the mortality rate of the sport is as high as jousting. The rose, fragrant and a symbol of summers joy, lifts the heart and raises our spirits. Rose is considered cooling in fevers, and an action in common with all its relatives in the rose family is that it is astringent, drawing in tissues.Its essential oils lift the spirits and it is used as a nervine, to soothe the furrowed brow. Rose hips are used as a soothing syrup for chest infections , also being high in vitamin C and the flavonoids that make vit. C easily absorbed by the body.
Fifty yards on we came across four Lime trees Tilia cordata shading the view north over the Sussex Weald. One tree was still in blossom, past its full fragrance when its perfume fills the neighbourhood. The flowers are revered in France as a tea 'Tilleul', a relaxing digestive remedy, it is wonderfully relaxing to drink,and was used as a relaxing diaphoretic, to promote sweating in a fever and therefore reduce the body's temperature. This century experiements have found the plant able to reduce blood cholesterol, lower blood pressure through relaxing the blood vessel walls. Its wood is the finest for carving, and the inner bark can be woven into a coarse rope or binding.
Walking down the alleyway down to the Paddock we found Elderflowers Sambucus nigra mixing their scent with that of the mock orange. The children in our party tasted a petal of the mock orange, and they were quite delicious.
Elderflowers as well as all parts of the Elder tree are widely used in Herbal medicine. A classic combination for the common cold or early stages of flu being Yarrow , elderflower and peppermint. Drunk as an infusion regularly and often . Elderflower is astringent to the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, reducing the inflammation that occurs in a cold and drying the overproduction of cattargh. For this same reason i use it in hayfever. They have a history of use in bronchial disease, and in eruptive fevers such as measles and scarlet fever. Externally an ointment was used for wounds, burns and scalds, chill blains and used for horses wounds in WW1. Distilled elderflower water was a common cosmetic for sunburn and freckles and generally toning the skin.
On the summer solstice up on Firle beacon a came was passed around at dawn which had elder flower stalks lining the base of the sponge, really fragrant as the essential oils released by the baking get trapped within the cake.
We saw Greater Celandine, in the poppy family, its bitter alkaloids are strongly acting on the liver, stimulating this organ to break down chemicals , its used only by practising herbalists, and used in many gall bladder and hepatic conditions.
On the left of the Paddocks entrance gate we found Lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis These tiny flowers are heady scenters , and were traditionally carried by brides and set upon the wedding table. To be collected and given to your true love every spring. In Sussex we have the best wild spread in the country. Medicinally they are also restricted to use by Medical herbalists only. They contain cardiac glycosides with a direct action on heart , and a diuretic with an action sililar to Digoxin, the commonly prescribed drug synthesized from Foxglove Digitalis . It slows the heart beat whilst making the beat more effective , thus pumping more blood. It is also easier to prescribe than Digitalis which is liable to accumulate in the body with poisonous effects.
Calendula officinalis pot marigold is used for as a healing herb topically for cuts , scrapes etc, in creams and ointments, and also for spots and swellings when the 90 % alc tincture applied neat is really effective. Its the resins used within the petals that require an oil base or such a high % of alcohol.
We saw the oriental opium poppy still the most effective pain reliever in the world In Victorian England it was used to power the industrial revolution as 'mothers little helper', sold in corner shops to soothe small children whose parents were out working for long hours.
We also and talked about nettle, yellow dock, Plaintain, Artichoke, Borage and bitter chickory,
but i've run out of time to talk about these now. Try making tea out if them and see what happens.
