Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) -Herb of Remembrance

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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) -Herb of Remembrance JoAnn Guest Mar 10,

2005 20:03 PST

 

Rosemary was known in antiquity as the herb of remembrance. I find that

quite fitting, since rosemary has antioxidants that help prevent aging

in cells, and the aging process is

certainly associated with memory loss. One Greek-American herb grower

tells how her fishing relatives set out to sea with fish dishes heavily

covered with rosemary. Even when it was unrefrigerated, this food lasted

 

for days, thanks in part to the antioxidant activity of the rosemary.

 

Can an herb that keeps fish from spoiling help preserve your youth?

 

The jury is still out on that one, but rosemary has preservative powers

comparable to the commercial preservatives BHA and BHT. And since we

know that antioxidants do help treat arthritis, it makes sense that this

 

antioxidant-rich herb would help thwart this disease.

 

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Post subject: Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis

 

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Rosemary- Rosmarinus officinalis (LINN.)

Medicinal Action and Uses - Rosmarinus coronarium.

---Parts Used---Herb, root.

http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/rosema17.html

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---History---The Ancients were well acquainted with the shrub, which had

a reputation for strengthening the memory.

 

On this account it became the emblem of fidelity for lovers.

It holds a special position among herbs from the symbolism attached to

it. Not only was it used at weddings, but also at funerals, for decking

churches and banqueting halls at festivals, as incense in religious

ceremonies, and in magical spells.

 

At weddings, it was entwined in the wreath worn by the bride, being

first dipped into scented water. Anne of Cleves, we are told, wore such

a wreath at her wedding.

A Rosemary branch, richly gilded and tied with silken ribands of all

colours, was also presented to wedding guests, as a symbol of love and

loyalty. Together with an orange stuck with cloves it was given as a New

Year's gift - allusions to this custom are to be found in Ben Jonson's

plays.

 

Miss Anne Pratt (Flowers and their Associations) says:

 

'But it was not among the herbalists and apothecaries merely that

Rosemary had its reputation for peculiar virtues. The celebrated Doctor

of Divinity, Roger Hacket, did not disdain to expatiate on its

excellencies in the pulpit. In a sermon which he entitles " A Marriage

Present, " which was published in 1607, he says:

 

" Speaking of the powers of rosemary, it overtoppeth all the flowers in

the garden, boasting man's rule.

 

It helpeth the brain, strengtheneth the memorie, and is very medicinable

for the head.

 

Another property of the rosemary is, it affects the heart. Let this

rosmarinus, this flower of men ensigne of your wisdom, love and

loyaltie, be carried not only in your hands, but in your hearts and

heads. " '

 

Sir Thomas More writes:

'As for Rosmarine, I lett it runne all over my garden walls, not onlie

because my bees love it, but because it is the herb sacred to

remembrance, and, therefore, to friendship; whence a sprig of it hath a

dumb language that maketh it the chosen emblem of our funeral wakes and

in our buriall grounds.'

 

In early times, Rosemary was freely cultivated in kitchen gardens and

came to represent the dominant influence of the house mistress 'Where

Rosemary flourished, the woman ruled.'

 

The Treasury of Botany says:

 

'There is a vulgar belief in Gloucestershire and other counties, that

Rosemary will not grow well unless where the mistress is " master " ;

 

and so touchy are some of the lords of creation upon this point, that we

have more than once had reason to suspect them of privately injuring a

growing rosemary in order to destroy this evidence of their want of

authority.'

 

Rosemary was one of the cordial herbs used to flavour ale and wine. It

was also used in Christmas decoration.

 

'Down with the rosemary and so,

Down with the baies and mistletoe,

Down with the holly, ivie all

Wherewith ye deck the Christmas Hall.'

---HERRICK.

 

In place of more costly incense, the ancients used Rosemary in their

religious ceremonies. An old French name for it was Incensier.

The Spaniards revere it as one of the bushes that gave shelter to the

Virgin Mary in the flight into Egypt and call it Romero, the Pilgrim's

Flower. Both in Spain and Italy, it has been considered a safeguard from

witches and evil influences generally. The Sicilians believe that young

fairies, taking the form of snakes, lie amongst the branches.

 

It was an old custom to burn Rosemary in sick chambers, and in French

hospitals it is customary to burn Rosemary with Juniper berries to

purify the air and prevent infection.

 

Like Rue, it was placed in the dock of courts of justice, as a

preventative from the contagion of gaol-fever. A sprig of Rosemary was

carried in the hand at funerals, being distributed to the mourners

before they left the house, to be cast on to the coffin when it had been

lowered into the grave. In many parts of Wales it is still a custom.

 

One old legend compares the growth of the plant with the height of the

Saviour and declares that after thirty-three years it increases in

breadth, but never in height.

 

There is a tradition that Queen Philippa's mother (Countess of Hainault)

sent the first plants of Rosemary to England, and in a copy of an old

manuscript in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge, the translator,

'danyel bain,' says that Rosemary was unknown in England until this

Countess sent some to her daughter.

 

Miss Rohde gives the following quotation from Banckes' Herbal:

'Take the flowers thereof and make powder thereof and binde it to thy

right arme in a linnen cloath and it shale make theee light and merrie.

 

'Take the flowers and put them in thy chest among thy clothes or among

thy Bookes and Mothes shall not destroy them.

 

'Boyle the leaves in white wine and washe thy face therewith and thy

browes, and thou shalt have a faire face.

 

'Also put the leaves under thy bedde and thou shalt be delivered of all

evill dreames.

 

'Take the leaves and put them into wine and it shall keep the wine from

all sourness and evill savours, and if thou wilt sell thy wine thou

shalt have goode speede.

 

'Also if thou be feeble boyle the leaves in cleane water and washe

thyself and thou shalt wax shiny.

 

'Also if thou have lost appetite of eating boyle well these leaves in

cleane water and when the water is colde put thereunto as much of white

wine and then make sops, eat them thereof wel and thou shalt restore thy

appetite againe.

 

'If thy legges be blowen with gowte, boyle the leaves in water and binde

them in a linnen cloath and winde it about thy legges and it shall do

thee much good.

 

'If thou have a cough drink the water of the leaves boyld in white wine

and ye shall be whole.

 

'Take the Timber thereof and burn it to coales and make powder thereof

and rubbe thy teeth thereof and it shall keep thy teeth from all evils.

Smell it oft and it shall keep thee youngly.

 

'Also if a man have lost his smellyng of the ayre that he may not draw

his breath, make a fire of the wood, and bake his bread therewith, eate

it and it shall keepe him well.

 

'Make thee a box of the wood of rosemary and smell to it and it shall

preserve thy youth.'

From the Grete Herbal:

 

'ROSEMARY. - For weyknesse of ye brayne (brain).

 

Against weyknesse of the brayne and coldenesse thereof, sethe rosemaria

in wyne and lete the pacyent receye the smoke at his nose and keep his

heed warme.'

 

 

---Parts Used---The oil of Rosemary, distilled from the flowering tops,

as directedin the British Pharmacopceia, is a superior oil to that

obtained from the stem and leaves, but nearly all the commercial oil is

distilled from the stem and leaves of the wild plant before it is in

flower.

 

(Rosemary is one of the plants like lavender which grows better in

England than anywhere, else, and English oil of Rosemary, though it is

infinitely superior to what of other countries, is hardly found in

commerce to-day. The bulk of the commercial oil comes from France,

Dalamatia, Spain and Japan. - EDITOR)

 

The upper portions of the shoots are taken, with the leaves on and the

leaves are stripped off the portions of the shoots that are very wooden.

 

 

---Constituents---The plant contains some tannic acid, together with a

resin and a bitter principle and a volatile oil. The chief constituents

of the oil are Borneol, bornyl acetate and other esters, a special

camphor similar to that possessed by the myrtle, cineol, pinene and

camphene. It is colourless, with the odour of Rosemary and a warm

camphoraceous taste. The chief adulterants of oil of Rosemary are oil of

turpentine and petroleum. Rosemary yields its virtues partly to water

and entirely to rectified spirits of wine.

 

From 100 lb. of the flowering tops, 8 OZ. of the oil are usually

obtained.

 

---Medicinal Action and Uses---Tonic, astringent, diaphoretic,

stimulant. Oil of Rosemary has the carminative properties of other

volatile oils and is an excellent stomachic and nervine, curing many

cases of headache.

 

It is employed principally, externally, as spiritus Rosmarini, in

hair-lotions, for its odour and effect in stimulating the hair-bulbs to

renewed activity and preventing premature baldness. An infusion of the

dried plant (both leaves and flowers) combined with borax and used when

cold, makes one of the best hairwashes known. It forms an effectual

remedy for the prevention of scurf and dandruff.

 

The oil is also used externally as a rubefacient and is added to

liniments as a fragrant stimulant. Hungary water, for outward

application to renovate the vitality of paralysed limbs, was first

invented for a Queen of Hungary, who was said to have been completely

cured by its continued use. It was prepared by putting 1 1/2 lb. of

fresh Rosemary tops in full flower into 1 gallon of spirits of wine,

this was allowed to stand for four days and then distilled.

 

Hungary water was also considered very efficacious against gout in the

hands and feet, being rubbed into them vigorously.

 

A formula dated 1235, said to be in the handwriting of Elizabeth, Queen

of Hungary, is said to be preserved in Vienna.

 

Rosemary Wine when taken in small quantities acts as a quieting cordial

to a weak heart subject to palpitation, and relieves accompanying dropsy

by stimulating the kidneys.

 

It is made by chopping up sprigs of green Rosemary and pouring on them

white wine, which is strained off after a few days and is then ready for

use.

 

By stimulating the brain and nervous system, it is a good remedy for

headaches caused by feeble circulation.

 

The young tops, leaves and flowers can be made into an infusion, called

Rosemary Tea, which, taken warm, is a good remedy for removing headache,

colic, colds and nervous diseases, care being taken to prevent the

escape of steam during its preparation.

It will relieve nervous depression.

 

A conserve, made by beating up the freshly gathered tops with three

times their weight of sugar, is said to have the same effect.

 

A spirit of Rosemary may be used, in doses of 30 drops in water or on

sugar, as an antispasmodic.

 

Rosemary and Coltsfoot leaves are considered good when rubbed together

and smoked for asthma and other affections of the throat and lungs.

 

Rosemary is also one of the ingredients used in the preparation of

Eau-de-Cologne.

 

---Preparations---Oil, 1/2 to 3 drops. Spirit, B.P., 5 to 20 drops.

 

Common Name Index

A MODERN HERBAL Home Page

 

 

Bear in mind " A Modern Herbal " was written with the conventional wisdom

of the early 1900's. This should be taken into account as some of the

information may now be considered inaccurate, or not in accordance with

modern medicine.

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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