Herb Lore - Page 14
Herb 265: Sumac
Common Name: Sumac (also known as Rhus)
Latin Name: Rhus coriaria (or native Rhus glabra)
Medicinal Parts: Berries (Fruit), Bark, Leaves
Habitat: Hennigan's Stead, New Austin. Found on dry, rocky, and open ground.
Medical Use:
Berries are highly astringent and cooling. Used to stop bleeding and fluxes (diarrhea).
Berries mixed with water create a cooling drink for fevers and extreme thirst.
Bark/leaves used as a wash/gargle for sore throats and mouth ulcers.
Preparation Methods:
Infusion: Berries steeped in cold water.
Decoction: Bark or leaves boiled.
Herb 266: Sundew
Common Name: Sundew (also known as Drosera)
Latin Name: Drosera rotundifolia
Medicinal Parts: Whole Herb
Habitat: Bluewater Marsh, Lemoyne. Found in wet bogs, swamps, and mossy, acidic ground.
Medical Use:
Specific remedy for dry, spasmodic coughs, whooping cough, and consumption.
Used to treat fevers and induce sweating (diaphoretic).
Used externally to remove warts and corns (caustic).
Preparation Methods:
Tincture: Herb infused in spirits.
Juice: Pressed and applied externally (cautiously).
Herb 267: Sweet Cicely
Common Name: Sweet Cicely (also known as Myrrhis, Sweet Chervil)
Latin Name: Myrrhis odorata
Medicinal Parts: Root, Seeds, Leaves
Habitat: Big Valley, West Elizabeth. Found in cool, moist, shaded woods and hedgerows.
Medical Use:
Highly warming and carminative. Used to aid digestion and move wind (colic).
Used to warm a cold stomach and clear phlegm from the lungs.
Root decoction used for snake bites.
Preparation Methods:
Eaten: Leaves/roots consumed raw or cooked.
Decoction: Root boiled in wine.
Herb 268: Sweet Marjoram
Common Name: Sweet Marjoram (also known as Majorana, Knotted Marjoram)
Latin Name: Origanum majorana
Medicinal Parts: Leaves, Flowering Tops
Habitat: Scarlett Meadows, Lemoyne. Cultivated in gardens, requiring a mild, sunny climate.
Medical Use:
Highly warming and nervine. Used to comfort the brain and strengthen the memory.
Used for headaches, nervous anxiety, and colic.
Oil used externally to relieve rheumatic pain and stiff joints.
Preparation Methods:
Infusion/Tea: Herb steeped in water or wine.
Oil: Essential oil applied externally.
Herb 269: Tamarisk
Common Name: Tamarisk (also known as Tamarix)
Latin Name: Tamarix gallica
Medicinal Parts: Bark, Leaves
Habitat: Along the saltwater coastlines and brackish marshes of Lemoyne.
Medical Use:
Used to clear obstructions of the spleen and liver and treat jaundice.
The bark is strongly astringent and used to stop bleeding and fluxes (diarrhea).
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Bark boiled in water or wine.
Herb 270: Tansy
Common Name: Tansy (also known as Tanacetum)
Latin Name: Tanacetum vulgare
Medicinal Parts: Leaves, Flowers (use with extreme caution)
Habitat: Almost all regions, found on roadsides, riverbanks, and waste ground.
Medical Use:
Powerful vermifuge (expels worms).
Used to provoke delayed menstruation and cleanse the womb.
Used externally in poultice for bruises, sprains, and swellings.
Note: Toxic in large doses.
Preparation Methods:
Infusion: Herb steeped in water (used cautiously).
Poultice: Bruised leaves applied externally.
Herb 271: Teasel
Common Name: Teasel (also known as Dipsacus)
Latin Name: Dipsacus fullonum (or Dipsacus sylvestris)
Medicinal Parts: Root, Leaves
Habitat: The Heartlands, New Hanover. Found on roadsides, waste ground, and hedges.
Medical Use:
Used to clear skin diseases (scabs, tetters) and jaundice.
The water collected in the cup of the leaves is used to clear sore eyes.
Used as a diuretic to clear water (dropsy).
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Root boiled in water.
Wash: Leaf water applied externally.
Herb 272: Thyme
Common Name: Thyme (also known as Thymus, Garden Thyme)
Latin Name: Thymus vulgaris
Medicinal Parts: Leaves, Flowering Tops, Oil
Habitat: Hennigan's Stead, New Austin. Cultivated in dry, sunny, rocky gardens.
Medical Use:
Powerful antiseptic and expectorant. Used for coughs, asthma, and short breath.
Used for nervous disorders, headaches, and to aid sleep.
Used to destroy worms (vermifuge).
Preparation Methods:
Infusion/Tea: Herb steeped in water.
Oil: Essential oil applied externally (diluted).
Herb 273: Thyme, Wild
Common Name: Thyme, Wild (also known as Mother of Thyme, Serpyllum)
Latin Name: Thymus serpyllum
Medicinal Parts: Whole Herb
Habitat: Grizzlies East, Ambarino. Found on dry, open banks, heaths, and rocky ground.
Medical Use:
Similar to Thyme, but a stronger nervine. Used to relieve headache, vertigo, and nervous disorders.
Used in baths to relieve rheumatic pain and joint stiffness.
Used to break up wind (carminative) and aid digestion.
Preparation Methods:
Infusion/Tea: Herb steeped in water.
Bath: Herb placed in bathwater.
Herb 274: Toadflax
Common Name: Toadflax (also known as Linaria, Calf's Snout)
Latin Name: Linaria vulgaris
Medicinal Parts: Whole Herb, Flowers
Habitat: Almost all regions, found on roadsides and banks, favoring dry, waste ground.
Medical Use:
Specific remedy for piles (hemorrhoids) and skin ulcers. Used externally in an ointment.
Used for jaundice and other liver obstructions (diuretic).
Used to destroy worms (vermifuge).
Preparation Methods:
Ointment: Herb boiled in lard for external application.
Decoction: Herb boiled.
Herb 275: Tobacco
Common Name: Tobacco (also known as Nicotiana)
Latin Name: Nicotiana tabacum (or related native species)
Medicinal Parts: Leaves, Gum
Habitat: Scarlett Meadows, Lemoyne. Cultivated crop in warm, moist, fertile soil.
Medical Use:
Powerful emetic (causes vomiting) and narcotic (sedative). Used internally with extreme caution to relax spasms.
Poultice used externally to relieve pain, bruises, and swellings (nicotine content).
Note: Highly poisonous in large doses; used primarily as a fumigant or external rub.
Preparation Methods:
Poultice: Leaves chewed or bruised and applied externally.
Smoke: Leaves burned and inhaled (use with caution).
Herb 276: Tormentil
Common Name: Tormentil (also known as Septfoil, Potentilla erecta)
Latin Name: Potentilla erecta
Medicinal Parts: Root (Rhizome)
Habitat: Big Valley, West Elizabeth. Found on heaths, moors, and dry, open ground.
Medical Use:
One of the most powerful astringents. Used to stop all forms of bleeding (internal and external) and severe diarrhea or bloody flux.
Used as a gargle for sore throats and mouth ulcers.
Used externally to heal wounds.
Preparation Methods:
Decoction: Root boiled in water or wine.
Powder: Dried root powdered and applied to bleeding wounds.
Herb 277: Turmeric
Common Name: Turmeric (also known as Curcuma)
Latin Name: Curcuma longa
Medicinal Parts: Root (Rhizome)
Habitat: Imported spice, sold in Saint Denis. Tropical plant.
Medical Use:
Specific remedy for the liver and jaundice (clears obstructions).
Highly warming and antiseptic. Used for colds, coughs, and to strengthen the stomach.
Used externally to heal wounds and clear skin diseases.
Preparation Methods:
Powder: Ground and added to food.
Decoction: Root boiled in water or milk.
Herb 278: Turnsole, or Heliotropium
Common Name: Turnsole, or Heliotropium (also known as Sun-Turn)
Latin Name: Heliotropium europaeum
Medicinal Parts: Whole Herb
Habitat: Hennigan's Stead, New Austin. Found on waste and cultivated land.
Medical Use:
Used to remove warts and clear skin diseases.
Used externally to soothe stings and relieve pain.
Note: Contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (toxic to the liver).
Preparation Methods:
Juice: Pressed and applied externally.
Herb 279: Tustan
Common Name: Tustan (also known as Hypericum androsaemum, Sweet Amber)
Latin Name: Hypericum androsaemum
Medicinal Parts: Leaves, Flowers, Oil
Habitat: Tall Trees, West Elizabeth. Found in cool, damp, shaded woods and hedgerows.
Medical Use:
Astringent and vulnerary. Used to stop bleeding and heal wounds and ulcers.
Oil from the flowers used externally to soothe bruises and joint pain.
Used to relieve melancholy and nervous issues.
Preparation Methods:
Oil: Flowers infused in olive oil.
Decoction: Leaves boiled.
Herb 280: Usnea
Common Name: Usnea (also known as Old Man's Beard, Tree Moss)
Latin Name: Usnea barbata (a lichen)
Medicinal Parts: Thallus (Whole Lichen)
Habitat: Grizzlies West, Ambarino. Found hanging from trees in old-growth, high-altitude forests.
Medical Use:
Powerful antimicrobial and mild expectorant. Used for respiratory infections, coughs, and consumption.
Used externally as a powder to staunch bleeding from wounds.
Used for sore throats and mouth issues (antiseptic gargle).
Preparation Methods:
Tincture: Infused in alcohol.
Decoction: Boiled in water.
Powder: Dried and ground lichen applied externally.
Herb 281: Valerian
Common Name: Valerian (also known as All-Heal, Phue)
Latin Name: Valeriana officinalis
Medicinal Parts: Root (Rhizome)
Habitat: Big Valley, West Elizabeth. Found in moist meadows, stream banks, and open woods.
Medical Use:
Premier nervine sedative. Used to treat insomnia, nervous tension, anxiety, and nervous headaches.
Used for convulsions, epilepsy, and to calm the heart.
Used to clear coughs and short breath.
Preparation Methods:
Tincture: Root infused in spirits (strong effect).
Infusion: Root steeped in cold water.
Herb 282: Vervain
Common Name: Vervain (also known as Herb of Grace, Verbena)
Latin Name: Verbena officinalis
Medicinal Parts: Whole Herb, Root
Habitat: Almost all regions, found on roadsides, waste ground, and dry banks.
Medical Use:
Highly used in folklore for magical protection and healing.
Used to treat headaches and strengthen the nervous system.
Used for fevers, jaundice, and snake bites.
Promotes delayed menstruation.
Preparation Methods:
Infusion/Tea: Herb steeped in water.
Poultice: Herb bruised and applied externally.