| ELDER (Dwarf) SAMBUCUS EBULUS The berries are of admirable use in recent colds, and beginning of feverish heats, in which cases nothing is so proper as the juice, without any addition, boiled over a very gentle fire to the consistence of an extract; this is commonly called the Rob of elder, but is rarely made by apothecaries, though vastly superior to the syrup which is constantly kept in the shops. The Dwarf Elder is a pretty looking plant which produces umbels of white flowers followed by round black berries. Where to find it: Waste places and roadsides. Not so frequently found in hedges as the Elder. Flowering time: Mid to late summer. The berry ripens in the autumn. Astrology: Under the dominion of Venus. Medicinal virtues: A more powerful remedy than the Common Elder in opening and purging choler, phlegm and water. It helps the gout, piles and women's diseases, colours the hair black, helps inflammation of the eyes and pain in the scars, bites, burns and scaldings, wind, colic and stone and difficulty in producing urine, and cures old sores and fistulous ulcers. The bark and seeds are in most repute for jaundice and dropsy. A decoction of the root and seeds is commanded, but proper correctors should he added as otherwise it will he very violent in its operation. The expressed oil of the seed is used outwardly to assuage the pain of gout. The flowers are sudorific and anodyne. Infused in sharp vinegar, with the addition of some spices, they make a more reviving liquor to smell and to rub the temples with in faintings of women in labour and after delivery, than all the volatile salts put together. Take half a pound (227 g) of Elderflowers, four ounces (1 13 g) each of red Roses, Rosemary and Lavender, three drams (5 g) of Cinnamon and two drams (3.5 g) each of Nutmeg and Cloves. Pour on five pints (2.8 1) of the sharpest white wine vinegar and infuse a month or six weeks. Press it out well, let the liquor settle and put it into well-stoppered bottles for use. The juice of the berries mixed with a third by weight of genuine liquorice powder, with a few drops of Oil of Aniseeds, and boiled to a proper consistence, is a far better remedy on account of its acidity, for cutting the phlegm, and taking off the irritation to cough, than the juice of our liquorice, or the Spanish juice alone. Modern uses: Because of its drastic action only the leaves are used. The berries are toxic and should not be confused by amateur collectors with those of the Common Elder. The root is also a drastic purgative. A decoction of the leaves induces sweating, steps up urine production, clears mucus from the respiratory tract, but is also purgative. Herbalists have used it with success in cardiac oedema, but it is not recommended for domestic use. The Common Elder is far more suitable. Note: The plant known as Dwarf Elder in the United States is an entirely different plant, Aralia hispida. |