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| (of both bees and wasps) and can be used chopped in poultices for chilblains and to draw boils. Onion juice (made by pulping onions in a food processor) can be used to draw boils or to dab onto warts twice a day. It also makes a cleansing internal supplement to help maintain a healthy gut flora (important for those prone to candidiasis) and prevent fermentation. Take a tablespoon of the juice three times daily. |
| The heart of a cooled, boiled onion was once inserted into the ear to relieve earache, while a bowl of hot boiled onions with plenty of pepper was once standard fare for any threatening chill. Onion soup is ideal for colds and catarrh; drink one to two servings daily whenever you have a cold. The herb's cleansing action makes it a valuable addition to the diet for arthritics, gout sufferers or where fluid retention is a problem. Today, we also know that the onion will reduce both blood pressure and cholesterol levels, thus helping to combat any tendency for heart disease. Try to eat a serving of onions every day in soups, vegetable dishes, casseroles, or salads. |
| Peppermint (Mentha X Piperita) |
| There are thought to be around 30 different species of mint, but because the plants readily cross-pollinate and hybridize no one is really certain. Peppermint is the variety most widely used in herbal medicine and is believed to be a cross between spearmint (M. spicata) and water mint (M. aquatica); it has a high menthol content, hence the characteristic smell. Spearmint is most often grown in gardens and makes an adequate substitute. It does not have the high menthol content of peppermint so is far less an irritant and therefore more suitable for children. |
| Description: A creeping perennial that can easily become invasive, with smooth lanceolate leaves and purple-tinged stems. Purple flowers are borne in long terminal spikes in the summer. |
| Parts used: Leaves. |
| Actions: Analgesic, anti-emetic, antispasmodic, carminative, |
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