Page 108 - Lost Book Remedies
P. 108
The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies
Soothes Irritated Mucous Membranes: Mal- for UTIs and
low Tea is helpful for cases of irritated mucous mem- other infections.
branes. It soothes the lining of the respiratory tract and Mallow relieves
other mucus membranes for symptom relief of colds, the swelling and
coughs, bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. It is also irritation of the
anti-inflammatory. urinary tract and
helps promote
Burns, Bruising, Swelling and Other Topi- healing.
cal Use: Mallow soothes inflamed tissue and works
well for burns, Teething:
dermatitis, and Mallow Root Tea
any type of swell- is safe for use Nutlets or seeds, Qniemiec, CC by SA 3.0
ing. It can be with children and
added to a bath or is a good antidote for teething pain and inflammation.
used on the skin. Rub the tea onto the gums as often as needed.
Anti-bacterial Nausea, Stomach and Digestive Upsets:
and Urinary Mallow Leaf or Root Tea relieves nausea. It works well
Tract Infec- for stomach flu, ulcers, and other stomach upsets,
tions: Leaf and soothing inflammation and promoting normal bowel
flower tincture is function.
antibacterial Recipes: Mallow Root Tea. 1 tablespoon of
against Staphylo- shredded or powdered mallow root, 1-pint (500 ml) of
coccus, Strepto- water. Bring the root and water to a boil and simmer
coccus, and Enter- for 5 to 10 minutes. Allow it to cool to drinking temper-
High Mallow, KENPEI, CC by SA 3.0
ococcus. Best ature and strain out the root. Drink 1 cup, warm or
used in conjunction with stronger antibacterial herbs cold.
Marshmallow, on both sides. The plant has many branchless stems
covered in soft white hairs. The stems have saw-
Althaea officinalis toothed projections. The flowers are somewhat trum-
pet-shaped, about 2 to 3 inches (5 cm to 7.5 cm) across
The common marshmallow plant is grown commer- and roughly 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep. The flowers pro-
cially for medicinal use, but it can be found in many duce seedpods that ripen in August to October, pop-
places in the US growing wild. The roots were used to ping open to release small, flat black seeds.
make the original marshmallow candy, unlike today’s
supermarket version, which are pure sugar. The plant
grows in cool, moist places such as the grassy banks of
lakes and streams and on the edges of marshes. I have
seen it growing wild in many eastern and mid-western
states. I grow it in my garden. It is in the Malvaceae
(Mallow) Family.
Identification: Marshmallow is a green perennial
with large white flowers that bloom from July to Sep-
tember. The plants grow to be from 4 to 6 feet (1.2m to
1.8m) tall and form clumps about 2 1/2 feet (0.8m) in
diameter. The leaves vary in shape. Some are spear-
head-shaped while others have three or five lobes or
may be toothed. They are covered in a fine, velvety fuzz
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