SUCCORY (Wild) |
CICHORIUM INTYBUS Effectual for sore eyes that are inflamed, or for nurses' breasts that are pained by the abundance of milk. ' A perennial, also known as Chicory, of which there are garden varieties. It is a member of the Dandelion family and has leaves which are much indented. The flowers are sky blue and are produced in groups of two or three. Where to find it: A common plant on waste ground and roadsides. Flowering time: Midsummer to early autumn. Astrology: It is under Jupiter. Medicinal virtues: A handful of the leaves or roots, boiled in wine or water, and drank, drives forth choleric and phlegmatic humours, opens obstructions of the liver, gall and spleen, helps the jaundice, the heat of the reins and of the urine. A decoction made of the wine, and drank, is effectual against lingering agues. A dram (1. 7 g) of the seed, powdered, and drank in wine before the fit of the ague, helps to drive it away. The distilled water of the herb and flowers has similar properties and is good for hot stomachs and in pestilential agues. It is also good for swooning and passions of the heart, for heat and headache in children, and for the blood and liver. The juice, or the bruised leaves applied outwardly, allays swellings, inflammations, St Anthony's fire, wheals and pimples, especially if used with a little vinegar. Modern uses: The swollen roots of the plant, which contain Chicory, are dried and ground and added to coffee. The root is laxative and diuretic. One ounce (28 g) is boiled in one pint (568 ml) of boiling water and taken as required. It is an effective remedy for liver complaints, especially jaundice, and for rheumatic conditions. Like Dandelion root, it stimulates the flow of bile. This helps digestion. The young leaves can be eaten, although the Chicory most used as a salad vegetable is actually Garden Endive. |