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STRAWBERRIES FRAGARIA
VESCA The juice or water is singularly good for hot or in,flamed eyes, if dropped into them, or bathed therewith. Strawberries are the well-known fruits produced by cultivated and wild low-growing perennial creeping plants. Where to find it: Outside of gardens, they are found in woods and shady places, hedgerows and roadsides. Flowering time: Late spring to midsummer. Astrology: Venus owns the herb. Medicinal virtues: The berries cool the liver, blood and spleen, or a hot choleric stomach. They refresh and comfort fainting spirits and quench the thirst. They are good for inflammations, but it is best to refrain from them in a fever, lest they putrefy in the stomach and increase the fits.The roots and leaves boiled in wine and water, and drank, cool the liver and blood and assuage inflammation in the reins and bladder, provoke urine and allay heat and sharpness. This drink also stays the bloody flux and women's courses and helps the swelling of the spleen. The water of the berries, distilled, is a remedy and cordial in the panting and beating of the heart, and good for the jaundice. The juice can he dropped into foul ulcers or used as a wash, or the decoction of the herb and root, cleanses and helps to cure them. Lotions and gargles for sore mouths, or ulcers in the mouth, or privy parts are made with the leaves and roots. Modern uses: The leaves are astringent and may be used in the form of an infusion - i oz (28 g) to 1 Pt (563 mi) of boiling water - to check simple diarrhoea. This infusion is also diuretic and is useful in the treatment of urinary tract inflammation. A decoction of the roots has similar properties. An ounce (28 g) of root is boiled for about ten minutes in a pint of water and strained. This also makes a useful gargle for a sore throat and a vaginal douche to check simple discharges.The fruits are rich in vitamin C and iron and make a pleasant supplement for the anaemic. |