 |
BUTCHER'S BROOM RUSCUS ACULEATUS It works no ill effects, yet 1 hope you have wit enough to give the strongest decoction to the strongest bodies. Its other names are Ruseus, Bruseus, Kneeholm, Knechulver and Pettigree. It is also known as Knee-holly because it has prickly leaves and grows to about the height of a man's knee. The first shoots to sprout from the roots resemble Asparagus, but then they spread and form many branches. The shrub produces a small whitish-green flower and a small, round, green berry which turns red when ripe. Where to find it: It grows in copses, on heathland and waste land and often under or near holly bushes. Flowering time: Early spring. The berries are ripe in early autumn. Astrology: It is a plant of Mars, being of a gallant cleansing and opening quality. Medicinal virtues: The decoction of the root made with wine removes obstructions, provokes urine, expels gravel and stone, relieves the strangury and helps women's courses. It is also useful for the yellow jaundice and headache. With honey or sugar added, it cleanseth the breast of phlegm and the chest of clammy humours gathered therein. A poultice made of the berries and leaves is effectual in knitting and consolidating broken bones or parts out of joint. A common way of using it is to boil the root with Parsley, Fennel and Smallage in white wine and drink the decoction, adding a similar quantity of Grass root. The more of the root that is used, the stronger will the decoction be. Modern uses: A decoction of the dried root is still recommended in the treatment of jaundice, urinary stones and suppression of menstruation - 1 oz (28 g) of the root to 1& 1/2 Pt (852 ml) of water is used. The water is boiled down to 1 Pt (568 ml) and strained. The dose is two teaspoonfuls three times a day. A tea can be made from 1/2 Oz (14 g) of the fresh root or 1 oz (28 g) of the twigs to 1 pt (568 ml) of boiling water. Dose 2 fl oz (56 ml). This acts as a diuretic and diaphoretic. |