Wild Strawberries
In the past, it was the berries, leaves, and root of the wild strawberry that has proved a great asset in medicinal treatments. At one time, the root was marketed as an impressive home remedy for diarrhea. The stalks were used to treat skin wounds. Since the berries possess a cooling effect, they too proved useful in ancient medicine. Some people were treated with wild strawberries when an inflammation developed in the lungs. Today, it is the leaves and fruit that modern herbalists are more interested in.
The leaves are known as a great astringent and can be used when fresh or dry. The fruit has gained a reputation in the world of cosmetics, as they have been proven to whiten the skin and eliminate freckles. If you crush a berry during the summertime, you can gain quick relief from sunburn. You can also eat a berry to relieve gastritis, which also makes a good tonic for the liver. After a bout of hepatitis, the berries help facilitate a speedy recovery. When battling a fever, the berries also come in handy.
As a poultice, the berries are sometimes crushed to use as a remedy for skin inflammations, especially in sunburned victims as stated above. A tonic wine made of wild strawberries is made when steeping the berries in wine. The leaves are used to create an infusion that battles the irritating symptoms of diarrhea. Gastric inflammations, infections in the stomach, and jaundice all respond to the leaves of wild strawberries. When one is running low on their appetite, the leaves will also help. If you combine the leaves with St Johns wort , mild arthritic pains are treated. Combine with celery seed to treat gout symptoms.
Juniper
In the past, ritual cleansing used juniper, as it was burned in temples when people took part in purification ceremonies. Many recipes found in Egyptian temples revealed that junipers were used during 1550 BC. As a member of the central European folk medicine family, juniper berries produces oil that is used to combat typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and tapeworm. In other treatments, the essential oil is of importance.
Juniper berries create an infusion that is sipped to cure an upset stomach or lessen the discomfort of menstrual pains. You can create a weak infusion by blending 15 grams of berries to two cups of water. A tincture should be taken in 2-milliliter dose for three times per day when a urinary infection has emerged. In cystitis patients, it is also used to stimulate digestion.
The essential oil of the juniper berries can create a lotion when adding five drops of the oil to 50 milliliters of both rosewater and witch hazel. This can be used to treat acne or oily skin. A chest rub comes from the essential oil of juniper berries when 10 drops of the oil is diluted with 10 drops of thyme oil and 20 milliliters of almond oil. The rub is then placed on the chest to rid a cumbersome chest cough.