We found Sanicle (Sanicula europea) in the woods of Colinton Dell this evening. A member of the carrot family, the leaves are edible. In the Middle Ages it was a… Read More
Category: Wild Medicine Info
Rose riddle
On a summer’s day, in sultry weather, Five brothers were born together. Two had beards and two had none, And the other had but half of one. Who am I?… Read More
Get pickled! A Ploughman’s Lunch is good for you.
Are you a lover of all things pickled? Pickled onions, peppers, gherkins, capers (or of course, nasturtium seeds)? Well you can easily justify your indulgence. You probably already know that… Read More
Horsetail – an ancient plant with healing properties
This weekend I noticed horsetail Equisetum arvensis poking up, making its first appearance of the year. It’s a natural source of silica and very good for strengthening hair, bone and… Read More
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale is high in vitamins A, B complex, C, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, and zinc. For comparison, spinach contains around 9,000 –… Read More
Why do dogs eat grass…
… and other animal medicine stories! Just today a man phoned me from Canada. He wanted to let me know how good he thought Napiers Joint Ability Herbal Remedy was.… Read More
Willow bark medicine ~ natural Aspirin
All the willow that wasn’t coppiced back in February is now covered with pretty furry buds. Cut long stems and put them in a tall base for a dramatic Spring… Read More
In Praise of Coltsfoot
Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) can be an elusive plant. It raises its flowers before its leaves in the Spring (hence the country nickname “Son before Father”). The flowers quickly pass as… Read More
How I poisoned my wife
Trouble was brewing when our writer decided to experiment with a new herbal tea Article written by John-Paul Flintoff A few weeks ago, I almost killed my wife with herbal… Read More
Endangered Herbs
Endangered in the UK Chamomile, Wild (Chamaemelum nobile) Chickweed, Scottish (Cerastium fontanum subsp. scoticum) Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) Eyebrights Euphrasia sp. (endemic) – Euphrasia officinalis seems to be OK still. Juniper,… Read More
Fresh is not always best!
The medicinal plants we use in our pharmacopaeia all contain distinct biochemical components that can be analysed and measured. Herbalism has a proper scientific biochemical basis. The difficulty is that… Read More
Food Poisoning – Herbal Home Treatment
One Friday night in June, I was traveling back from Wales and, at the airport, with a very narrow selection of mainly high calorie foods to choose from, I went… Read More
Herbal Power Juices – Your Food is your Medicine.
Our bodies digest raw, enzyme active juice far more quickly and efficiently than solid food. Juices are nutrient-dense and supercharge the body in the same way that herbal tinctures work.… Read More
Herbal Power Juices – The Recipies
A “herb shot” for me is 20 ml in a 200ml glass of juice. Or around 30 ml in a 300 ml glass. All approximate as Paleolithic people did not… Read More
A Self Help Approach to Glaucoma
Glaucoma is the name give to a condition where the pressure increases within the eye. This pressure, if untreated, can lead to cataracts and loss of sight. The following research,… Read More
A Self Help Approach to Migraines
Migraine headaches can be caused by a variety of reasons. Food allergies, nutritional deficiencies, low blood sugar, overwork, stress, poor sleep, diet and exercise. Some of the usual suspects include… Read More
Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata
Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)
Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
Lady’s mantle has a long history of tightening skin. Nowadays you sometimes find it in anti wrinkle face creams, but it really comes into its own on all the droopy,… Read More
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Find out more about horsetail Equisetum arvensis here.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Cowslip (Primula veris)
Roses are good for you!
I knew my love of the humble dog rose is not misplaced. It is a joy to find, threading its way through a green hedge, often accompanied by woodbine or… Read More
A Self Help Approach to Melasma
Melasma (also called Chloasma) is the name given to a patchy darkening of the skin on the face. This occurs particularly in some groups of north Asian women. It often… Read More
Changing Times for Herbal Medicine
It is unlikely that any pharmacy today doesn’t stock a few herbal remedies. If only Echinacea, one of the most popular selling herbs of the last decade, used to treat… Read More
80,000 evidence of herbal medicine at Shanidar, Iraq?
Since hearing about the meadowsweet flowers discovered in Perth I have been researching to find out what other pollens and flowers have been found in ancient burial sites. Shanidar Cave,… Read More
Hawthorn Berry Gin ready for Christmas
Around October I wrote about making Hawthorn Berry Gin. Well, I’m pleased to say it is DELICIOUS. And I can keep a clear conscience by knowing it’s also good for… Read More
4000 year old “aspirin” flowers found in Bronze Age grave, Forteviot, Perthshire?
Meadowsweet flowers found in a Bronze Age grave were reported as proof of a “floral tribute”. Monica Wilde suggests the reason was not sentimental but practical – the person buried may have suffered from joint aches and pains – possibly arthritis. Meadowsweet and birch bark contain salicylates on which modern aspirin was modelled. Both plants are still used in British herbal medicine to this day.
Getting Older, Staying Healthy
Just back from the magical island of Bequia. As in the UK, many of my friends there over 60 and some into their 80s. I find it really interesting to… Read More
Elderberry: Making a Syrup
Elderberry syrup can be made purely for its great taste or for its vitamin content and medicinal properties in helping the whole family to fight off colds and flu. Pick… Read More