Goldenseal

            The medicinal properties of this wild North American plant (Hydrastis Canadensis) lie in its bright yellow roots. It is considered to be one of our most valuable and versatile herbs. The Cherokee Indians brought it to the attention of the invading Europeans; Native Americans had long valued it as a golden dye and as a veritable cure-all. Goldenseal is antiseptic and can be applied externally to wounds, eczema, the healing belly button of a newborn infant, and poison oak and ivy. It can also be used as an eye bath, a douche, or a gargle. Its laxative properties make it a good bowel conditioner. It is also soothing to ulcers of the stomach and intestines. Applied to the gums, it will ease inflammation – but your mouth will turn bright yellow, so beware!

            There is no concealing the fact that goldenseal (it is in powder form or tincture) is extremely bitter in taste. Mix 1 to 3 teaspoons in water or orange juice, take a brave breath, and gulp it down. Best consult an herbalist for the dosage appropriate to your specific needs, for goldenseal is a true medicine and not to be toyed with. Do not take goldenseal when pregnant, and do not take for more than two weeks at a time, as goldenseal has been shown to have antibiotic properties that can diminish healthy intestinal flora after prolonged use. Goldenseal is a very potent healing herb, and small doses are recommended.

Elderberry Tea

            Although elderberry tea is the most generally used, the common elder (Sambucus Canadensis and S. nigra) also offers up as tea its bark, roots, leaves, and flowers, all of which have curative powers. Indeed, so many different remedies have been ascribed to the elder that in England, for example, it was called “the medicine chest of the country people”. An infusion of the bruised leaves is said to repel mosquitoes, gnats, and even mice. A brew made from the bark is a purgative and emetic. The berries, however, yield the most pleasing tea. They are high in vitamin C and can be used for the treatment of colds and influenza. They increase perspiration, are diuretic, and are therefore useful as a blood cleanser. Cooled elderberry tea is very soothing when applied to the eyes. The elder tree itself is steeped in legend. Old homes in England often have an elder planted nearby, for it was supposed to protect the inhabitants from witches. Judas is said to have hanged himself from an elder – the elder grows larger in Europe and the Middle East than in America – and the wood of the tree  (there are several other sylvan candidates for the role) is reputed to have been used for the cross of Christ. Think on these things as you sip your cup of elderberry late at night by the fire.