Boil the water. Pour the water over the herbs in a tea pot and cover. Allow to stand for 20 minutes. Strain off the herbs. Drink the tea 3 times daily.

definitions:

Red Clover:

Latin Name: Trifolium pratense

Alternate Names: Meadow Trefoil, Sweet Clover, Cow Clover, Purple Clover, Vana-methika (Sanskrit)

Family: FABACEAE

Parts Used: Flowers, young leaves.

Properties: Alterative, Anti-inflammatory, Antispasmodic, Antitumor, Antitussive, Diuretic, Expectorant, Nutritive, Phytoestrogenic, Vulnerary.

Internal Uses: Acne, Arthritis, Blood Clots, Bronchitis, Cancer, Cough, Eczema, Gout, Menopause, Phlebitis, Psoriasis, Tuberculosis, Tumors, Whooping Cough

Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules, Syrup.

Red Clover helps to calm coughs, reduce skin inflammations and improve general health.

Topical Uses: Arthritis, Burns, Conjunctivitis, Gout, Insect Bites, Lymphatic Congestion, Tumors, Vaginitis, Wounds

Topical Applications: Poultice for burns, wounds, sores, tumors and insect bites. Compress for pain from arthritis and gout. Salve for lymphatic swelling. Eyewash for conjunctivitis. Douche for vaginitis.

Culinary uses: Young flowers and leaves are edible in salads and sandwiches in small amounts. Older flowers and leaves can be served cooked. Flowers and seeds are added to bread. Roots are also edible as a cooked vegetable. When cooked, Red Clover is better digested and less likely to cause bloating. Used in wine.

Energetics: Sweet, Salty, Cool.

Chemical Constituents: Phenolic glycosides (salicylic acid), essential oil (methyl salicylate), sitosterol, genistiene, flavonoids, salicylates, coumarins, cyanogenic glycosides, silica, choline, lecithin.

Comments: Ancients called it triphyllon, meaning 'three leaves'. This term also relates to the common name, Clover, which stems from clava, meaning 'three-leaved'. The three leaves were said to correspond to the triad goddesses of Mythology and later, the Trinity in Christianity.

Burdock Root:

Latin Name: Arctium lappa

Alternate Names: Bardane, Clotburr, Beggars Buttons, Gypsy Rhubarb, Gobo, Wu Shih And Niu Bang (Seeds), Burr

Family: ASTERACEAE

Parts Used: Root, seeds.

Properties: Alterative, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Anti-inflammatory, Antitumor, Aperient, Aphrodisiac, Choleretic, Demulcent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Febrifuge, Galactagogue, Hypoglycemic, Laxative, Mucilaginous, Nutritive, Rejuvenative .

Internal Uses: Abscess, Acne, Anger, Cancer, Candida, Chickenpox, Colds, Cough, Cystitis, Dandruff, Eczema, Edema, Fasting, Fever, Flu, Gout, Hives, Hypoglycemia, Indigestion, Irritability, Jaundice, Keratosis, Lymphatic Congestion, Measles, Mumps, Obesity, Pain, Pneumonia, Psoriasis, Rheumatism, Scabies, Sore Throat, Sprains, Staphylococcus, Urinary Infections, Uterine Prolapse

Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules. Juice is drunk to rid the body of scabies and mites.

It is a mild laxative. Burdock aids in the elimination of uric acid. The herb contains polyacetylenes that have antibacterial and antifungal properties. By improving the function of many organs of elimination (liver, kidneys, bowels) many health conditions can be improved.

Topical Uses: Bruises, Dandruff, Glandular Swelling, Gout, Joint Pain, Knee Swelling, Oily Skin, Ringworm, Sprains

Topical Applications: Bath for sore joints and gout. Compress for glandular swellings, knee swellings, sprains and bruises. Hair rinse for dandruff. Facial toner for oily skin. Bruised leaves are applied to ringworm.

Culinary uses: Young leaves can be cooked in several changes of water and eaten as a potherb. Stalks (before flowering) may be peeled and eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable. Root is added to soup, stew, stir fry and sukiyaki. Roots can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute.

Energetics: Bitter, Cool, Dry.

Chemical Constituents: Polyacetylenes, chlorogenic acid, taraxosterol, arctigen, inulin, lactone, essential oil, flavonoids, tannin, mucilage, resin, potassium, iron, calcium. Seeds contain essential fatty acids.

Contraindications: Avoid seeds during first trimester of pregnancy.

Comments: The genus name Arctium is from the Greek, arktos, meaning 'bear' in reference to the shaggy burrs. Beurre is French for 'butter' as French women would wrap their cakes of butter in leaves of Burdock to transport it to the marketplace. During the Industrial Revolution, Burdock was used as a medicine to help people cope with the pollution or as John Kelton said in 1870, 'the constant deterioration of the blood from impure air and exhaustion by day, bad ventilation at night and want of attention to ordinary requirements of life'.

The Swiss inventor, George de Mestral who invented Velcro (tm) was inspired by the Burdock burrs that covered his dog; when he observed the burrs under a magnifying glass, he saw the tiny curved hooks.

In Hawaii, the roots are sometimes given as a 'gag' wedding gift because of the herb's aphrodisiac powers.

YELLOW DOCK

Latin Name: Rumex crispus

Alternate Names: Curly Dock, Chin-chiao-mai (Chinese), Sour Dock, Narrow Dock, Amla Vetasa (Sanskrit)

Family: POLYGONACEAE

Parts Used: Root.

Properties: Alterative, Antibacterial, Aperient, Astringent, Blood Tonic, Cholagogue, Diuretic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Purgative, Tonic.

Internal Uses: Acne, Anemia, Boils, Cancer, Constipation, Convalescence, Eczema, Emphysema, Heavy Metals, Jaundice, Psoriasis, Staphylococcus, Swollen Glands, Venereal Disease

Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules. Syrup for emphysema.

Yellow Dock improves the function of the kidneys, liver, lymph glands and intestines, thus aiding the body's natural cleansing process. It has been used to help the body eliminate pollutants, including heavy metals such as lead and arsenic. Cook and eat as a potherb to improve vision. Yellow Dock helps to free up iron stored in the liver, thus making it more available to the rest of the body.

Topical Uses: Eczema, Hives, Itchy Skin, Laryngitis, Ringworm, Scabies, Spongy Gums

Topical Applications: Use crushed leaf to soothe stings from Nettle plants. Tooth powder for spongy gums. Gargle for laryngitis. Salves, poultice or compress for eczema, hives, itchy skin, scabies and ringworm.

Culinary uses: Eat greens picked spring or late fall (following the first hard frost) after cooking them as a potherb, in order to improve vision. Best to cook leaves in two changes of water.

Energetics: Bitter, Cool, Dry.

Chemical Constituents: Anthraquinone glycosides (nepodin, emodin, chrysophanol), tannins, resins, oxalates, iron.

Contraindications: The leaves are high in oxalate, which can impair calcium absorption and potentially aggravate kidney stones if overused.

Comments: Rumex is an old Latin word for 'lance', referring to the shape of the leaves. Crispus means 'curly' also in reference to the leaf shape.

The common name Yellow Dock includes the species Rumex occidentalis, Rumex venosus, Rumex obtusifolius and Rumex sangineus, which are used interchangeably with Rumex crispus.

OAT

Latin Name: Avena sativa

Alternate Names: Yen-mai (Chinese)

Family: POACEAE

Parts Used: Seeds, stems.

Properties: Antidepressant, Antispasmodic, Aphrodisiac, Cerebral Tonic, Diaphoretic, Endocrine Tonic, Nervine, Nerve Tonic, Nutritive, Rejuvenative, Uterine Tonic.

Internal Uses: Anxiety, Attention Deficit, Bone Cancer, Colds, Convalescence, Convulsions, Crohn's Disease, Debility, Depression, Drug Addiction, Dyspepsia, Estrogen Deficiency, Exhaustion, Fractures, Gout, Hemorrhoids, Insomnia, Lupus, Menopause, Paralysis, Post-traumatic Stress, Rheumatism, Rickets, Schizophrenia, Shingles, Stress, Varicose Veins

Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules.

It is used in India to help opium, morphine and cigarette addicts kick their habits. Highly nutritive and supportive of the nervous system, Oatstraw helps build healthy bones, skin, hair and nails. It helps relieve exhaustion, depression, spasms, lumbago and paralysis. Oatstraw is not a bona fide aphrodisiac, but it does nourish the nerves, making tactile sensations more pleasurable.

Topical Uses: Eczema, Neuralgia, Rheumatism

Topical Applications: Bath herb (Oatstraw or Oatmeal) to soften skin and to help eczema and neuralgia. Husks have been used to stuff pillows and bedding. This is said to have a sedative effect and help those with rheumatism.

Culinary uses: The oat grain from the ripened seed is high in protein and helps to increase stamina. Oat bran (fiber) eaten as food has been shown to lower cholesterol levels.

Energetics: Sweet, Cool, Moist.

Chemical Constituents: Saponins, flavonoids, starch, alkaloids (trigonelline, avenine), steroids, calcium, iron, B vitamins, lysine, methionine.

Contraindications: Generally regarded as safe.

Comments: The genus name, Avena is derived from Latin and means 'nourishing'. Sativa means 'cultivated' and the fatua variety is wild. Growing Oatstraw helps prevent soil erosion.

Flower Essence is helpful for one needing to find his/her life's direction or one who has much uncertainty and dissatisfaction.

The common name Oat also includes the species Avena fatua, which is used interchangeably with Avena sativa.

ANISE

Latin Name: Pimpinella anisum

Alternate Names: Huei-hsiang (Chinese)

Family: APIACEAE

Parts Used: Seeds.

Properties: Antispasmodic, Aperient, Aphrodisiac, Aromatic, Carminative, Digestive Tonic, Expectorant, Galactagogue, Parturient, Stimulant, Stomach Tonic, Tonic.

Internal Uses: Asthma, Bloating, Bronchitis, Catarrh, Colic, Cough, Diarrhea, Dysmenorrhea, Flatulence, Halitosis, Hiccups, Indigestion, Nausea, Whooping Cough

Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules, Cough syrups, Lozenges

Topical Uses: Lice, Nightmares, Scabies

Topical Applications: Use as cologne. Anise is added to cattle feed as it increases milk production. It is also used as mouse bait and fish lure. Stuff seeds in a sachet or add to sleep pillows to prevent nightmares. In India, Anise water is used as cologne. Used to flavor unpleasant medicines. Also for toothpastes, mouthwashes and soaps. Essential oil is used to prevent and treat lice and scabies.

Culinary uses: Fresh leaf can be used in salads. Improves the taste of other medicines, breads, cakes, cookies, fruit, tomato sauce, and pickles. Eat seeds after a meal to aid digestion. Mustaceum is an after dinner digestive cake flavored with Anise. Alcoholic beverages (Pernod, Raki, Aguardiente, Uzo, Anisette, Kummel, Ojen). It is often the herb used to flavor licorice candy.

Energetics: Sweet, Pungent, Warm.

Chemical Constituents: Essential oil (anethole, estragol, methyl chavicol), furano- coumarins, flavonoid glycosides, fatty acids, phytoestrogens, starch, protein, choline, mucilage.

Comments: The genus name Pimpinella is thought to be derived from the Latin bipinnula, or bipinnate, as the leaves are arranged symmetrically on both sides. It was first cultivated in ancient Egypt and later by the Greeks. The Shakers grew Anise as an important cash crop.