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HENRY (Good) CHENOPODIUM BONUS-HENRICUS It is preferred to Spinach and is much superior in firmness and flavour. A perennial, known as Good King Henry, Mercury or All-good. The root is thick and yellowish, and the leaves grow on long stalks like Spinach. The flowers are very small and grow in a spike. Where to find it: Roadsides, waste places, pastures and arable farmland. Flowering time. Spring. Astrology: It is under the dominion of Mercury. Medicinal virtues: Detersive and diuretic, the herb ought to have a place in vulnerary decoctions and fomentations. The young shoots, the succeeding leaves and the flowery tops are fit for kitchen purposes. It is good for scurvy and provokes urine. Outwardly it is much used in clysters, and a cataplasm of the leaves helps the pain of the gout. Modern uses: The leaves can be used externally in compresses to soothe aching and painful joints, but it is not considered to be of much value internally. Its main use has always been as a vegetable to be used as an alternative to Spinach. |