Page 145 - Lost Book Remedies
P. 145
The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies
White Mustard, Medicinal Use: White mustard is antibacterial and
antifungal, digestive, diuretic, emetic, expectorant, ru-
Sinapis alba befacient, and stimulant. It is used internally and ex-
ternally.
White mustard belongs to the Brassicaceae (Mus- Pneumonia, Bronchitis, Respiratory
tard) family. It is mostly grown for its seeds or as Diseases: The seeds of white mustard, pow-
fodder crop and is widespread. White mus- dered and made into a poultice, are
tard seeds are yellow in color and are also good for treating respiratory dis-
called yellow mustard. Brown and eases. They act as an irritant
black mustards are different but also to loosen phlegm and help
have medicinal uses. expel mucus from the body.
Identification: White The poultice is applied to the
mustard is an annual herb, chest and left in place until the
growing from 1 to 2 feet skin reddens, then
(0.3m to 0.6m) tall. It flowers promptly removed. The
from July to September. mustard is an irritant and can
The white mustard flower cause blistering if left in place
has a yellow corolla, just too long.
over 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) in diame- Poison Ingestion: Ground
ter with four petals that are 1/4 to 1/2 mustard seed, taken by mouth in
inch (0.75 cm to 1.25 cm) long. It con- quantity, can cause vomiting. You can
tains four spreading sepals and six sta- use it to bring up poisons and other un-
mens (4 long and two short). The alter- desirable substances that have been in-
nate leaves are stalked with a coarsely hairy gested.
leaflet. Its stems are branched and also hairy.
Each leaf is irregularly pinnately lobed, with irreg- Preventing Infection: To prevent infec-
ular sawtooth edges. The terminal leaflets are large and tion in a wound, or anywhere in the body, white mus-
clearly lobed. The fruit of white mustard has many tiny tard is a good ally. It has abundant sulfur compounds,
round pale-yellow seeds. which help prevent infection and fight any invading in-
fection. Often used in combination with garlic. For best
Edible Use: The seeds, flowers, leaves and extracted effects, use fresh mustard seeds, ground into a paste.
oil are edible. I like to eat the young leaves in salads, When using dried mustard seeds, soak them in water
and I sometimes cook the older leaves as a vegetable or before grinding them.
potherb. The seeds make a spicy condiment or flavor-
ing when finely ground. Prevents Cancer: Mustard seeds contain benefi-
cial substances that reduce the risk and the reoccur-
rence of cancer. It does not cure cancer, but seems to
prevent the spread or the return of it. One tablespoon
of crushed or ground white mustard seed daily is
enough to provide these powerful benefits.
Arthritis: White mustard applied to the skin is an ir-
ritant. The skin irritation brings an increased blood
supply to the area. The skin and joints are warmed, and
pain is reduced. You must be careful to wash the mus-
tard away once the skin reddens to prevent blisters and
other damage to the skin.
To treat arthritis and other joint pain, mix ground
white mustard seeds with enough vinegar to make a
SuperJew, own work, White Mustard near Abu Ghosh.CC 3.0
paste. Apply to the skin over the affected area. White
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