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| Parts used: Aerial parts. |
| Actions: Antibacterial, antispasmodic, cooling, digestive stimulant, hypotensive, lowers cholesterol levels, relaxing and restorative nervine, styptic. |
| Uses: Drink a cup of skullcap tea (1 heaped teaspoon to a cup of water) to encourage relaxation and combat anxiety and nervous tension. Skullcap tea can also be useful to soothe premenstrual tension and is helpful for nervous digestive problems. Drink up to 4 cups a day. |
| Slippery Elm (Ulmus Rubra) |
| The bark of the slippery or red elm was one of the most widely used of Native American medicines. The Ozark Indians took it for colds and bowel complaints while the Houmas used it for dysentery and the Missouri valley tribes used a decoction as a laxative. The bark is highly mucilaginous and provides a protective coating for the stomach. Thus it is ideal to soothe the mucous membranes in gastritis, ulceration, and heartburn. |
| Parts used: Bark. |
| Actions: Antitussive, cleansing, demulcent, expectorant, healing, nutrient; topically emollient. |
| Uses: As well as being extremely soothing and demulcent, slippery elm is also highly nutritious and is a useful dietary supplement in debility and convalescence. It is always sold powdered and can be made into a gruel by mixing 1/2 teaspoon with a little water to form a paste and then adding enough boiling water or milk to make up 1 cup. The gruel can be flavored with honey and a little cinnamon. The powder can also be added to hot cereal or muesli. |
| Slippery elm tables are worth keeping in the household medicine chest as a useful remedy for indigestion and they can be taken before a journey to combat travel sickness. A couple of tablets taken before a party can also reduce the likelihood of a hangover |
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