Myddfai Herbs

 

A Welsh Herbal contains information on 40 herbs listed below in the table. There are 3 herbs shown at the foot of the page, to give an idea of what can be found on the rest of the CD-Rom. On the CD-Rom these herbs can additionally be accessed by an interactive A-Z of common ailments.

Agrimony	Y Tryw	Agrimonia eupatoria
Barberry	Y Pren Melyn	Berberis vulgaris
Betony	Cribau San Ffraid	Stachys betonica
Blessed Thistle	Ysgall Bendigaid	Carduus benedictus
Bogbean	Ffa’r Gors	Menyanthes trifoliata
Burdock	Y Cyngaw	Arctium minus
Chamomile	Camri	Matricaria chamomilla
Chickweed	A Gwlydd y Dom	Stellaria media
Cleavers	Gwylydd y Perthi	Galium aparine
Coltsfoot	Troed yr Ebol	Tussilago farfara
Comfrey	Cwmffri	Symphytum officinalis
Dandelion	Dant y Llew	Taraxacum officinalis
Elder	Blodau yr Ysgawen	Sambuchus nigra
Elecampane	Marchlan y Llwyglas	Inula helenium
Eyebright	Golwg Crist	Euphrasia officinalis
Fennel	Ffunel	Foeniculum vulgare
Garlic	Garlec	Allium sativum
Golden Rod	Rhydderch	Solidago virgaurea
Hawthorn	Draenen Wen	Crataegus monogyna
Black Horehound	Llwyd y Cwn Ddi	Ballota nigra
White Horehound	Llwyd y Cwn	Marrubium vulgare
Hyssop	Isop	Hyssopus officinalis
Lovage		Levisticum officinalis
Marigold	Swyn-ystres	Calendula officinalis
Marshmallow	Malws Bendigaid	Althaea officinalis
Meadowsweet	Erwain	Filipendula ulmaria
Common Nettle	Ddynhaden	Urtica dioica
Greater Plantain	Llydan y Ffordd	Plantago major
Red Clover	Meillion Coch	Trifolium pratense
Rosemary	Rhosmari	Rosmarinus officinalis
Sage	Saets	Salvia officinalis
Sea Holly	Morgelyn	Eryngium maritimum
St John's Wort	Eurinllys	Hypericum perforatum
Wild Thyme	Grywlys	Thymus serpyllum
Valerian	Llysiau Cadwgan	Valeriana officinalis
Vervain	Cas Gangythraul	Verbena officinalis
Water Mint	Mintys y dwr	Mentha aquatica
Wormwood	Wermwd lwyd	Artemisia absinthium
Yarrow	Milddail	Achillea millefolium

 

Agrimony, Y Tryw, Agrimonia eupatoria,

 

IDENTIFICATION
It is an erect, perennial herb, native to Wales, most of Europe and Iran. It grows wild in meadows, waste ground, roadsides, hedgerows and wood edges. It is tall and erect with a furrowed stem, slightly downy with serrated leaves. It has small, five-petalled flowers growing in an upright spike at the end of the stem flowering from the bottom upwards. They flower from June to August the seeds forming burrs hence its common names of cockleburr and stickleburr.

THE HISTORICAL USE OF AGRIMONY
The generic name for agrimony comes from the Greek agrenome meaning a plant that can heal the eyes. Dioscorides valued it as a general purgative. Galen recommended it for jaundice and as an astringent of the bowels. The physicians of Myddfai used it also for mastitis, see below.

CULTIVATION
Agrimonia is difficult to cultivate because of the poor germination of the seed. It is best to buy the plants from an authorised herb grower. The flowering tops should be gathered before the seed has set as usual. Sadly the aroma is lost in the drying process but not the medicinal qualities.

COSMETIC USES
A weak tea can be made as a skin wash and also used a gargle to freshen the mouth.

PRESENT DAY MEDICINAL USES
Parts used: Leaves and flowers. Actions: Astringent, tonic, anti-diarrhoeic, astringent diuretic and vulnerary. Indications: It tastes quite pleasant so can be used in cases of children’s diarrhoea. It also has been used in mucous colitis, gastro-enteritis, and grumbling appendicitis. As a mild astringent diuretic, it has been used in cases of incontinence and cystitis. As a vulnerary it can be used in all cases of bleeding.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE VIRTUES OF THE AGRIMONIA, FOR INFLAMMATION OF THE MAMMAE § 54.
Take agrimony, betony and vervain, and pound well, then mix with strong old ale, strain well, and set some milk on the f?; when this boils add the liquor thereto and make a posset thereof, giving it to the woman to drink warm. Let her do this frequently and she will be cured. From Pughe. The Physicians of Myddfai

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Barberry, Y Pren Melyn, Berberis vulgaris, 

 

IDENTIFICATION
It is a perennial shrub generally distributed over most parts of Europe. It grows wild in copses, wood edges, hedgerows and waysides. It is also cultivated in gardens as an attractive shrub. It has grey, woody stems that can grow up to ten feet tall, with fine toothed margins and tiny spikes at the base of the leaves. The branches are grooved thin and spiny with characteristic yellow tissue inside and elliptical shiny, leathery leaves with fine toothed margins and tiny spikes at the base of the leaves. It bears small yellow flowers that hang in clusters from April to June and wine red oblong berries from August to October.

THE HISTORICAL USE OF BARBERRY
The generic name may derive from the Phoenician word ‘barbar’, which means glossy, referring to the sheen on the leaves. In Italy, it is known as Holy Thorn it is believed to be one of the plants used in Jesus’ Crown of Thorns. Farmers have often destroyed the shrub as it harbours the wheat rust fungus which can contaminate wheat crops. This has caused the shrub to be much less common than it was.

CULTIVATION
It is best grown from root suckers which are put out in plenty from the roots. Bushes can be propagated from the berries or from cuttings in the spring, or even better in the autumn in a sheltered border where they can germinate the following spring. Berberis shrub can easily be purchased in garden centres, as it is an attractive garden addition which will encourage birds and forma protective fence! Barberry berries can be collected from the wild or from your own bush grown in the garden. Bark and roots are best harvested from your own stock in case you damage the wild shrub. Collect the stem bark by shaving off small bits and drying in a well ventilated place. Store these bits of bark in an airtight container in a dry place. Berries are best stored as a syrup .

CULINARY
The berries have been principally used to make jams, jellies and syrups, as the berries contain citric, malic and tartaric acids they possess medicinal properties as astringents and anti-scorbutics. The jelly is refreshing for a sore throat and the syrup makes an excellent gargle. Mrs Beeton gives an excellent recipe and recommends using a lot a lot of sugar to counteract the tartness also recommending that the jelly be used with rich meats. In Wales through the ages, honey would have been used to make a medicinal syrup, rich in Vitamin C.

DOMESTIC USES
The roots yield a marvellous yellow dye used for dyeing wool, cotton and linen and for dyeing wood and polishing leather to a tawny sheen. The leaves give a black dye and the twigs and young leaves give a red-yellow dye. The inner bark of the stems will also dye linen a fine yellow colour with the assistance of alum.

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Betony, Cribau San Ffraid, Stachys betonica

 

IDENTIFICATION
It is a hairy perennial, native to Wales and the rest of Europe. It has a small woody rhizome from which arise stems up to 60 cms in height. The leaves are aromatic, coarsely toothed, opposite pairs of leaves are oblong to ovate and those near the base are hairy on long stalks whilst those near the apex are stalk less. The small purplish flowers of Betony appear in July and August.

THE HISTORICAL USE OF BETONICA
Since ancient times Betonica has been considered as a panacea for all ills. The Greeks extolled its’ virtues no doubt sharing knowledge of its’ use with the physicians of Myddfai. An old Italian proverb says “Sell your coat and buy Betony,” also “He has as many virtues as Betony.”

The physician to emperor Augustus wrote that it could cure forty-seven diseases, no less. It was grown in monasteries, physic gardens and around churches, where it was thought to give protection against evil spirits. It was also hung as an amulet around the neck for similar reasons.

Ancient knowledge says that wild beasts recognised its’ efficacy and that stags, if wounded, would search out betony and be cured. The common name of this plant is said to come from the Celtic form of bew (head) and ton (good) - the herb being good for complaints of the head. The name of the genus Stachys is from a Greek word signifying spike, which reflects the structure of the flower.

CULTIVATION
Grow from wild seed collections purchased from good gardening shops or from reputable herbal seed outlets, sow the seed in the springtime. It grows well in ordinary soil in sun or shade preferring a little humus. It can also be propagated from divided roots in the Autumn or Spring.

COSMETIC USES
The fresh plant yields a yellow dye and hair rinse which is particularly good for highlighting golden tones in greying hair.

CULINARY
Collect from your herb garden on a fine dry day. Hang it up out of the sunshine and dry as quickly as possible. Store in an airtight jar, in a dark place, for future use. It is not used generally as a food but a few fresh leaves or petals in a mixed salad would be a health giving tonic. It does however have a reputation for being used as a smoking mixture and snuff.

PRESENT DAY MEDICINAL USES
Parts used: Leaves stems and flowers.
Actions: Sedative, carminative, astringent, diuretic, vulnerary and expectorant.

Indications:
It is used for headaches, neuralgia, hysteria, vertigo, anxiety and also for asthma bronchitis and heartburn. It can be made into a healing salve for cuts, wounds, ulcers and sores. It also can be used for head cold, rheumatism and gout.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE VIRTUES OF BETONY
§ 788. He who will habituate himself to drink the juice, will escape the strangury. If it is boiled in white wine, and drank, it will cure the colic, and swelling of the stomach. Pounding it small, expressing the juice and apply it with a feather to the eye of a man, will clear and strengthen his sight, and remove specks from his eye. The juice is a good thing to drop into the ears of those who are deaf.
The powder mixed with honey is useful for those who cough; it will remove the cough and benefit many diseases of the lungs. If boiled with leek seed, it will cure the eye, and brighten as well as strengthen the sight.

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