 Blackthorn |
SLOE BUSH PRUNUS SPINOSA The juice expressed from the unripe fruit is a very good remedy for fluxes of the bowels. This is a bush, also known as Blackthorn, whose tough branches are thorny and form a thick impenetrable barrier. Small white flowers appear before the leaves and these are followed by the fruit, which is the size of a small Damson. Where to find it: Hedges and woodland. Flowering time: Early spring. Astrology: A saturnine plant. Medicinal virtues: The fruit, or sloe, is chiefly used. It is astringent and binding and therefore good for all kinds of fluxes and haemorrhages. It is serviceable in washes for sore mouth and gums to fasten loose teeth. A handful of the flowers infused makes an easy purge and excellent to dispel windy colic. The bark reduced to powder and taken in doses of two drams (3.5 g) has cured agues. The juice may be reduced by gentle boiling to a solid consistence, in which state it will keep the year round. This is used for fluxes of the bowels. Modern uses: Prunus spinosa provides the complete bowel medicine. The flowers are gently laxative and the fruits are binding. The fruits contain vitamin C and are used to make Sloe Gin. The flowers are also diuretic and an infusion - i oz (28 g) to 1 Pt (568 ml) of boiling water - helps urinary tract disease such as cystitis and stones, and also rheumatism and gout. For diarrhoea, the fruits are picked just before they are ripe; they are dried and boiled for five to ten minutes and the liquid drunk. Take up to one cupful a day, regulating the dose as necessary. |