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SCURVY-GRASS COCHLEARIA OFFICINALIS The juice helps all foul ulcers and sores in the mouth when gargled therewith. Also known as Spoonwort, it is a perennial with thick flat leaves and white or pink flowers. It grows between four and ten inches (to and 25 cm) high. Where to find it: Salt and brackish marshes and sea cliffs. Flowering time: Late spring to late summer. Astrology: A herb of Jupiter. Medicinal virtues: A specific remedy against scurvy, purifying the juices of the body against that distemper. It clears the skin of scabs, pimples and foul eruptions. The juice is taken every morning, fasting. The decoction opens the liver and the spleen, bringing the body to a more livelier colour. Modern uses: The plant contains vitamin C and the observation that it prevents scurvy was an accurate observation of the older herbalists. An infusion of the herb is taken in doses of 2 fl oz (56 ml). This is also used as a mouthwash. |