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| DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of INFORMATION and ENTERTAINMENT and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for the efficacy of any herb nor for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. Additionally, some of these plants are extremely toxic and should be used only by licensed professionals who have the means to process them properly into appropriate pharmaceuticals. One final note: many plants were used for a wide range of illnesses in the past, but be aware that many of the historical uses have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied. |
A familiar garden plant and vegetable, low-growing with a stout, short, stem bearing a dense terminal head of leaves. Native to the Mediterranean region and the British Isles where it can be found growing wild. Has been cultivated in the West since ca. 400 BC and long used as both a food and a medicine. In Germany sauerkraut has been a staple for many centuries, adding much needed vitamin C to the winter diet
PROPAGATION: By SEED in a cold frame 6 weeks before the last frost. Avoid rich potting soil or seedlings will be leggy. Move out and plant after 6 weeks placing early varieties 14 inches apart, late varieties 24 inches apart. Mulch with well-rotted compost and leaves.
MEDICINAL:
Nutritive, sweetish, salty, drying, cool, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antirheumatic, liver decongestant; encourages cell proliferation.Historically used in Folk Medicine as a digestive remedy and tonic for the joints; was used for fever, to prevent asthma attacks, lung problems, migraines, fluid retention, rheumatism, sciatica, to heal burns, and skin problems, including insect bites. Has also been used to expel intestinal worms.One method of treating rheumatism, gout, sciatica, and lumbago has been to iron the leaves with a warm iron until flexible, then applying to the affected area.The juice has been used for gastric or duodenal ulcers (a recipe for cabbage soup for ulcers appears in James A. Duke's The Green Pharmacy); for stomachache 1 tsp of juice was taken before meals; also to calm states of anxiety, agitation, or depression The ancient Greeks added a small amount of honey to the juice to relieve sore or inflamed eyes; for runny eyes in infants, the fresh leaves were bruised to a soft pulp and applied to the closed eyes while baby slept - although the condition appeared to get worse for a few days, it was said to have cleared the condition effectively. Both methods involved washing the eyes with warm water every half hour. The juice has also been used to clear up warts. The juice of SAUERKRAUT has been used to relieve morning sickness.The gently beaten leaves, bound to the affected area with a bandage, have been used on wounds, ulcers, varicose ulcers, inflammations, arthritic joints, bruises, abscesses, boils, and skin conditions (including acne); leaves have also been placed in bra cups for mastitis or engorged breasts; some sources report better results have been obtained by using the fresh central rib of the inner leaf closest to the core. Another method has been to dip the leaf in warm water, then apply by tying down with a loose bandage; when the leaf absorbs the heat from the inflammation and feels warm, then it needs to be replaced.The syrup has been used for moist, chesty coughs, asthma, and bronchitis; RED cabbage has also been made into a syrup for cough, or into a soup for any illness.A decoction has been used for colitis. The boron contained in Cabbage helps to raise estrogen levels, thus preserving bone, making it useful in cases of, or preventing osteoporosis.
DOSE: TRADITIONAL DOSAGES FOR PROFESSIONAL NOTE ONLYVETERINARY:CULINARY:OTHER:
A native plant of the southwestern United States which is rarely seen these days. It can be found in dry, sagebrush scrub environment or on pinyon-juniper woodlands at an altitude of 4,000 to 8,000 feet. The scientific name is derived from the Greek kaulos (stem) and anthos (flower) and crassicaulus (thick stem).
• Native Americans of Utah, Nevada, and California ate the young plants like cabbage after repeated boilings in water. The seeds were also pounded into flour and made into a mush.