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| Actions: Anticatarrhal, anti-inflammatory, astringent, tonic. |
| Uses: Eyebright is useful for both hay fever and common colds. It can be taken in teas (2 teaspoons to 1 cup of water) or powdered in capsules (three 200-mg capsules up to three times a day). It is also a good soothing remedy for many eye infections and irritations. It is best to use decoctions rather than infusions for eyewashes to ensure that the mixture is quite sterile. Use 3 heaped teaspoons of the herb to 2 cups of boiling water and simmer gently until the mixture has been reduced by about one-third. Strain the mix well and allow to cool thoroughly before using. Alternatively soak a small clean linen cloth in the infusion and use as a compress applied to the affected eye while still warm. Because of its astringent qualities, eyebright infusion can also be used as a gargle for sore throats and hoarseness. |
| Fennel (Foeniculum Officinalis) |
| Fennel has been cultivated since Roman times for its thick bulbous stems which are eaten as a vegetable, as well as its feathery leaves, which are used for flavoring, and its seeds, which have medicinal benefits. |
| Parts used: Seeds; the stem base is eaten as a vegetable. |
| Actions: Anti-inflammatory, carminative, circulatory stimulant, diuretic, mild expectorant, galactogogue. |
| Uses: Fennel seed tea is ideal for indigestion, gas, or colic and can be added to laxative mixtures to ease the griping pains that strong purgatives can cause. Fennel tea bags are readily available and make a good after-dinner drink to ease the digestion. Fennel tea also makes a good mouthwash for gum disease and sore throats and is sometimes included in herbal toothpastes. Fennel is used in commercial remedies to ease baby's colic, although an alternative for breastfeeding mothers is simply to drink fennel infusion a couple of hours before feeding so that the baby receives its |
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