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SAXIFRAGE, (Great Burnet) PIMPINELLA MAJOR It has the properties of the Parsleys, but eases pains and provokes urine more effectually. A perennial growing to about three feet (90 cm) with umbels of white flowers. Where to find it: Edges of woods and hedgebanks. Flowering time.. Early summer. Astrology: It is under the Moon. Medicinal virtues: The root is good for the colic and expels wind. It is diuretic and useful against the stone, gravel and the scurvy. The roots or the seed are used in powder or in decoction to help the mother, procure the courses, remove phlegm and cure venom. The juice of the herb dropped into bad wounds in the head, dries up their moisture and heals them. Modern uses: The root is a powerful diuretic and useful to remove urinary tract stones. It is taken by decoction - 1 oz (28 g) of the root being boiled in 1.5 Pt (852 ml) of water until it measures 1 Pt (568 ml) and taken in doses of 2 fl OZ (56 ml). The seeds are anti-flatulent and are powdered and given in water for colicky wind. Burnet Saxifrage, or Lesser Burnet, is more popular with herbalists. |