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CROSSWORT CRUCIATA LAEVIPES (= GALIUM CRUCIATA) The decoction of the herb in wine helpeth a decayed appetite. Common Crosswort grows with square, hairy stalks up to about a foot (30 cm) high and has four small and pointed, hairy leaves at every joint. The flowers are small and pale yellow. Where to find it: Moist meadows and uncultivated ground. Flowering time: It flowers from late spring and all through the summer. Astrology. It is under the dominion of Saturn. Medicinal virtues: A good herb for wounds, used inwardly to stay the bleeding and outwardly to consolidate them. The decoction of the herb in wine helpeth to expectorate phlegm from the chest and remove obstructions in the chest, stomach or bowels. It is also good to wash wounds and sores with, to cleanse and heal them. The herb bruised, boiled and applied outwardly and renewed often for a few days, while the decoction is taken inwardly, doth certainly cure the rupture. Modern uses: Its main use is as an ointment to apply to cuts and abrasions. An ointment can be made by boiling the herb in oil or wax, straining and pouring into jars before it cools. The amounts of oil or wax depend on the consistency of the ointment required. The amount of herb used will also dictate its strength. The process of boiling in oil and straining can he repeated several times before the ointment is allowed to cool, if a particularly strong ointment is required. |