ALKANETS: HEALTH BENEFITS AND OTHER USES OF ALKANETS


ALKANETS, ALKANNA TINCTORIA, ANCHUSA OFFICINALIS, PLUS OTHERS
Alkanets have been grown for the dye their roots produce which has been used as a substitute for henna. The name Alkanet is believed to have come from the Arabic Al-hinna, which refers to the dying properties of the plant. The true Alkanet is said to be Anchusa officinalis (anchousa comes from the Greek meaning to paint). Alkanets are members of the Boraginaceae family of plants to which borage (goazban) belongs.
    Tisanes of the leaves and roots are thought to relieve persistent coughs and promote sweating during fevers. They are also supposed to be able to lift depression and banish melancholia. The expressed juice from this alkanet was good they say for pleurisy. The tisane can be used on the skin for any irritation or rash and soothes and softens it. It can also be used as an astringent for wounds. In traditional medicine it is used as a blood purifier to expel toxins from the body with its diuretic action.
Alkanet roots for dye
  The leaves and young tops of this true alkanet are used like spinach both cooked and in salads although it is advisable to blanch them for a minute before draining and rinsing in cold water.
  Alkanet leaves and flowers can be dried and used in pot pourris and the fresh leaves smell a little like wild strawberries. Alkanets typically have blue or violet flowers which are a little like the more common Forget-Me-Nots (in the UK). There are about 50 plants in this species, most of which are indigenous to the Mediterranean region.
  There’s an evergreen Alkanet called green alkanet, Pentaglottis sempervirens, (roughly translated meaning five tongued, living for ever). This is one’s flowers are used for decorating cocktails and salads.
  Alkanna tinctoria has anti-bacterial and astringent qualities and can help to staunch the blood flow from fresh cuts. Externally it is used for varicose veins, ulcers, itchiness and other skin irritation.
  The roots of tinctoria produce a red dye and it has been used for lipsticks, lip balms and soap.
Asian alkanet
  Dioscorides believed (1st century AD) that the plant was useful for snake bites, while Culpeper (17th century) believed that a decoction in wine would strengthen the back and stop back pains. He also said that it was good to get rid of internal worms. He also recommended it for chicken pox, measles, bruises and wounds. He says that it was good for leprosy too, and “yellow jaundice, spleen and gravel in the kidneys”, so the plant used to be something of a cure all in Britain, where it is also known as Bugloss, Anchusa and Orchanet.
  Alkanna orientalis has yellow flowers and grows in the Indian subcontinent including in Pakistan. It has much the same properties and has been used for similar illnesses as those already described.
Asian alkanet
  The root of this alkanet may be what gives Indian food its red colour, as it seems that the root is ground is grown in Kashmir and used to colour food such as Rogan Josh.
  At one time in Europe it was used as a dye to make wood look as though it was the more expensive rosewood or mahogany.
  Clearly it had a lot of uses, and it is still cultivated for the dye it produces.

AIR POTATOES ( DIOSCOREA BULBIFERA) - INFORMATION: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF AIR POTATOES


AIR POTATO, DIOSCOREA BULBIFERA
The air potato is a member of the yam (Dioscorea batatas) family which includes Dioscorea deltoidea, much used by body-builders and men who need testosterone boosts. Along with others in the species, this plant is a source of diosgenin which is needed for birth control pills. It is native to the Indian sub-continent and possibly also to tropical Africa.
  It is called the air potato because it grows potato – like bulbs between the bases of the leaves, along its aerial roots. The plant is a vine which can grow up to 20 metres long, and on summer days can grow up to 20 cms, in a day. In southern US states where it is invasive, having been introduced some time during the slave trade years, it can choke plants in the forest canopy and prevents light reaching those on the forest floor.
  Where it is a native it is used in traditional medicine for a number of ailments, including diarrhoea, dysentery, jaundice, stomach pains, and even bone fractures. In Indian and Chinese medicine it is used for sore throats, stomach cancers, and goiters. It is also used to treat anorexia and is said to have diuretic properties. Reportedly it can lower cholesterol levels, relieve pain and lower blood pressure. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
  In the Cameroon Islands the plant is used for pain relief and to stop inflammation. It is used similarly in the Philippines.
  The aerial ‘potatoes’ are eaten as a vegetable, after chopping and then soaking for some hours. The tuber is also used like a yam. (It has no relationship to a sweet potato however.)
  The plant contains a number of flavonoids and isoflavonoids, which have oestrogenic, heart protective, antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Those contained in the air potato are particularly potent free radical scavengers, at least in rats. (Javachandran K.S. et al. December 2010).
  New research to be published at the beginning of 2012 suggests that the plant has “profound therapeutic potential” –and has anti-diabetic properties, (Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine Journal Volume 2012).
  Research published in 2002 carried out on mice, showed the plant to have an anti-fungal compound, dihydrorodioscorine which had anti-tumor effects it was reported.
  Clearly there are potential health benefits that we could utilize from this plant, if more research were done into its properties.

BELLADONNA - THE POISONER'S HERB: HISTORY, USES AND SOME BENEFITS OF BELLADONNA


BELLADONNA, DEADLY NIGHTSHADE, ATROPA BELLADONNA
Belladonna, “Beautiful Lady” may have got its name from the fact that women have used it for centuries to dilate the pupils and give them more lustrous eyes. It can be used on the skin without ill effects but is deadly poisonous and should not be ingested. It belongs to the Solanaceae family of plants which include potatoes, aubergines, tomatoes (the wolf peach), Nipple fruit, red and green chilli peppers and the Physalis family of plants which includes the tomatillo and Cape gooseberry and Chinese lantern.
  It has been associated with magic for millennia and as it has psychotropic actions, may have been responsible for tales of witches flying, during the Spanish Inquisition and earlier in Europe.  It was believed that the Devil tended this herb carefully except on Walpurgis Night (30th April) which was supposed to be the night of the Witches Sabbath. It was called Devil’s Cherries and Devil’s Herb because of this belief. Walpurgisnachten or Walpurgis Night is still celebrated in Northern Europe and Scandinavia. It was once, in the Middle Ages, the end of the fiscal year, and celebrated by farmers and artisans. Now it is still a holiday and joined with 1st May and the modern Mayday celebrations, which of course have their origins in the Celtic festival of Beltane. On Walpurgisnachten there is a lot of noise made to frighten away witches and evil spirits, and there is trick or treating, so it is like a spring Halloween. Sprigs of ash, hawthorn, elder and juniper are made into three crosses and placed on barn and stable doors to protect livestock from witches. (These trees were sacred to the European pagans.)
  There are three main constituent alkaloids that are found in Deadly Nightshade, atropine, scopolamine and hyoscamine which are used in modern medicine. Atropine is named after the Latin name Linnaeus gave to the plant, Atropha, which was the name of one of the ancient Greek Fates, who was believed to hold the shears which cut the fragile thread of a human’s life. It is used to relax the smooth muscles in the gut, urinary tract and biliary tree prior to surgery. Scopolamine is used to prevent motion sickness, while hyoscamine is used to treat stomach and bladder problems as well as some heart conditions, Parkinson’s disease symptoms and rhinitis (runny nose).
  Atropine is now used in toxicology, ophthalmology, as well as a painkiller in gastroenterology. Hyoscamine is used in kidnapping and date rape, as it is a sedative and can cause amnesia in certain cases.
  The old Gaelic tribes used belladonna to stimulate them into a rage and give them courage for battle. It was known as the “herb of courage.”  In 68 AD Locusta was imprisoned and sentenced to death in ancient Rome for using her tincture of Belladonna to poison the Emperor Claudius, and it is said that it was the poison of choice of the infamous Renaissance poisoner, Lucrezia Borgia.
  Galen, the physician (129-201AD) thought belladonna was an effective cure for “terrible, unhealing ulcers” (on the skin).Now it is used to help in the treatment of asthma and hay fever, as is the Thornapple and other members of the Datura family which are also poisonous.
  In the time of Chaucer the herb was called Dwale from the French deuil meaning grief. Gerard called it ‘the sleeping nightshade’ saying that the leaves after being soaked in vinegar were laid on the forehead to stop a headache.
  Used topically it can soothe irritated skin, and relieve the pain of neuralgia, gout, and rheumatism. It was once thought to cure cancer if used externally. Hahnemann, often called the Father of Homoeopathy believed and seemed to have proved that it could protect against scarlet fever.
  It has recently undergone tests to ascertain its effectiveness against viral infections and one study in Kolkata’s School of Tropical Medicine and the Central Council for Research into Homoeopathy found that it protected chick embryos from infection by Japanese Encephalitis.
  There are many stories about the poisonous nature of Belladonna and as a child I remember being fascinated by the flowers, and my father and grandfather warning me not to touch the plant at all. This was sound advice as the whole plant can cause skin irritation. The best thing to do is admire its beauty at a safe distance.

DURIAN - KING OF FRUITS SE ASIA: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF DURIAN

DURIAN, DURIO ZIBETHINUS
There are many different Durio cultivars, but the one that is most commercially produced is the Durio zibethinus. It is a curious, fruit when you first see it as it looks a little like a small jackfruit, but that is where the resemblance ends; they are not related. The fruit inside its thorny case is unusual to say the least. The husk has to be split open by the fruit seller on roadsides in Thailand, with a machete, or something that looks very like one, and inside there are slimy looking banana-type fruits, which contain large seeds. People complain about the smell and the fruit has been banned in some hotels and on public transport in parts of south east Asia, but I don’t remember the smell, perhaps because we bought the fruit in the open air and the atmosphere was quite polluted, so one more smell was not noticeable.

I only remember that it tasted a bit like custard, so had hints of vanilla, laced with banana and perhaps almonds. The English novelist Anthony Burgess famous for the book “Clockwork Orange” said that eating this fruit was “like eating sweet raspberry blancmange in the lavatory.” I have to agree with the definition of the texture, but maybe he was talking about the red durian when he thought of raspberries.

In south-east Asia the durian is called “The King of Fruits” I have to say that the fruit pod is a pretty big one, so could agree if that’s what was meant, but I’d have to agree with the Pakistanis that the mango is the King of Fruits, I’m afraid.
People rave about the durian and say you either love it or hate it; personally I don’t care either way about it. If someone gave me one I’d eat it happily, but I wouldn’t mind if I never ate another.

In Malaysia there is a saying “to receive a falling durian” which means that the person has had some good luck. When fruits, vegetables and other foods come into a language as expressions, it shows how important they are in the culture. There is also a superstition that the fruit has eyes, which is why it only falls from the tree at night. It could do a lot of damage with its spines and weight if it hit you on the head, even more damage than the fruit of the sausage tree and the cannonball tree.

Durian are native to Brunei, Borneo, Sumatra, Malaysia and possibly also to the Philippines. They are members of the Malvaceae family of plants which includes the common mallow, hibiscus and hollyhock among others. It is pollinated by bats which feed on the nectar and pollen in the whitish to golden-brown flowers. It is extensively cultivated in Thailand, and is also cultivated in India where it is referred to as the “civet cat tree” due to its not-so-fragrant smell. It can grow to heights of 40 metres in tropical forests, and is evergreen. The trees start to bear fruit when they are 3½ to 4½ years old and one tree can produce between 40 and 50 fruit. They can have two fruiting seasons a year, depending on the climate. There have been some efforts to introduce them to other parts of the world, but in both North and South America they are confined to Botanical Gardens, and they have so far failed to thrive in Sri Lanka, although they have been introduced and then re-introduced several times.

The fruit are used in sambals (side dishes) as accompaniments to hotter, spicy main dishes, and in ice creams, other desserts, and confectionary. I have only eaten raw, and have to say that I prefer rambutan and mangosteen.

In both South and South-East Asia, hot and cold properties are attributed to foodstuffs, and durian is deemed to be a hot item. As it comes into season in summer, this means that the body needs to be cooled after eating it, so people either drink water out of the hollowed pods, or eat durian with mangosteens which have cooling properties.

The young shoots and leaves of the durian tree may be boiled and eaten as a green vegetable, and most parts of the tree are used in traditional medicine. The fruit contains the minerals, calcium, iron and phosphorous and vitamin A, carotene, some of the B-complex vitamins and is rich in vitamin E.

The seeds are eaten after boiling, drying and frying them and in Java they are thinly sliced and cooked with sugar then dried and fried in coconut oil  with spices and used as a sambal.

In traditional medicine the rind of the pod is burnt and the ashes given to women to eat after child birth. A decoction of the leaves and roots is given during fevers, and the leaf juice is expressed onto the forehead to cool the body in fevers too. The leaves are infused in bath water for jaundice patients, and a decoction of the leaves and fruits is used for swellings and skin problems. The flesh which surrounds the fruit is given to get rid of intestinal worms.

It is believed that the seeds contain toxins which can cause shortness of breath, so they should not be eaten raw. People with high blood pressure and pregnant women should avoid eating durian.

If you buy durian paste in markets in Thailand, it might have been adulterated with pumpkin, which is cheaper. However this may make it more palatable to some.

Don’t worry if you’ve never tried it, personally I think it’s another over-hyped fruit like the mangosteen.









GRASSPEAS ( LATHYRUS SATIVUS) - INFORMATION: HISTORY AND USES OF GRASSPEAS

GRASSPEA, LATHYRUS SATIVUS
The grasspea closely resembles the sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus) which is grown as an ornamental in many British gardens, and in others around the world, including in Pakistan. It is also known as the Chickling pea or Chickling vetch (not a chickpea!!) and Indian Vetch. It is now believed to have originated in the Balkan Peninsula, although it may have originated in South-West and Central Asia. It is a member of the Leguminosae family of plants and is related to peas, green beans, and kudzu or pueraria root, among other plants. There are around 187 species and subspecies of Lathyrus growing around the world. Grasspeas have blue, pink or red flowers, usually.
  It is believed to have been domesticated about 8,000 years ago as remains of the plant’s grains have been found in Jarmo, Iraqi Kurdistan, from the Neolithic period. Remains have been found in India dating back to 2,000-1,500 BC and from the Bronze Age in Portugal.
   This plant is an important fodder plant although it is consumed as dhal in India, Bangladesh, and in Pakistan’s Sindh province. However it is ground and used to adulterate chickpea flour (besan) and is somewhat problematic if people consume it over a three month period. In times of famine people use it in their daily diets, particularly in the not so distant past in Ethiopia, where outbreaks of lathyrism have occurred (1995-6 was the last outbreak). This is a paralysis of the lower body which is caused by a neurotoxin in the grain which has been recognized since ancient times, having been mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts and by Hippocrates. Cultivars with low neurotoxin levels are being produced around the world in an attempt to prevent future outbreaks of the disease.
  The plant is useful in that it is a nitrogen fixer and provides natural fertilizer for farmers. It is resistant to a number of pests, and the seeds have an oil which is extracted and used in traditional medicine. However it is dangerous if you are not a skilled homoeopathist. The seeds contain the vitamins A, and C and some of the B-complex ones, as well as amino acids, minerals such as copper and phosphorous and  phenols, so are nutritious in times of food scarcity. The seeds should be soaked in water for at least 24 hours before cooking.
  Traditionally the seeds are either split and made into dhal or ground and made into bread. They can also be made into a paste and shaped into balls which are added to curries, or they can be simply boiled and eaten as a pulse. The leaves may be put into soups and stews and eaten as a green vegetable after boiling. The seeds are hulled and dried before using.
  In some parts of the Indian sub-continent, the pods are boiled, salted and sold by street vendors, as tasty snacks.
  They have been used in different parts of the world as a “vaccine” against poliomyelitis; in 1850 there was a polio epidemic in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a Doctor Taylor Smith protected 85 people with extracts of the grasspea. Of those people, twelve were known to have come into close contact with the disease, but none of the 85 caught the disease. Once again in 1975, there was a polio epidemic, this time in Buenos Aires, and 40,000 people were protected by Lathyrus sativus, and none of them, reportedly contracted the disease. This is of course anecdotal evidence and research is needed to see how this might have worked.

LAVER BREAD - WELSHMAN'S CAVIAR: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF LAVER BREAD: HOW TO COOK LAVER BREAD


LAVER BREAD, BARA LAWR, PORPHYRA UMBILICATIS
Laver or lava bread is a Welsh delicacy made from seaweed. It grows on the rocks along the Gower Coast and the West coast of Wales and Southern island. It grows flat on rocks with long trailing fronds in the sea water. The Japanese love it and it is used in sushi, but they have it dried and flattened into sheets, and in this form it is called nori.
  In Wales it is sold already boiled in Swansea market, along with cockles and elvers (baby eels) which tend to crawl all over the fish and the laver bread. I used to get it either there or in a small fish mongers in Oystermouth (also known as Mumbles).
  It is first mentioned as food in 1607 in Camden’s Britannica, and it says that it (lhawvan) came from Pembrokeshire and Pembroke. Later the author and traveler, George Borrow- famous for “The Romany Rye” and “Lavengro”, wrote about it in his book “Wild Wales” published in 1862. He ate “moor mutton and piping hot laver sauce.” A famous Welshman called it “The Welshman’s caviar” which is certainly stretching a point, and although elsewhere on the Net this is attributed to the Welsh actor, Richard Burton, it sounds more like the kind of quip the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas would have made. After all, Dylan Thomas was born and grew up in Swansea, and in later life lived at Laugharne, also on the Gower Coast. Some people tend to confuse the poet and the actor because Richard Burton famously did a recording of Dylan Thomas’ play “Under Milk Wood”.
  Laverbread or bara lawr as it is named in Welsh, is exceptionally good for health as it contains iron and iodine along with around 50 known other minerals. It also has vitamins A, C and D as well as some of the B-complex ones.
  To cook it from scratch having collected it from the rocks, it has to be plunged in boiling water and boiled for about 40 minutes, or until it starts to break down. Traditionally it was served with cockles (chocos in Welsh- interestingly that is cuttlefish in Portuguese) and sausages, bacon and eggs as a hearty breakfast for Welsh miners. Mushrooms and black pudding may also have been served with it. It is traditional to cook it mixed with oatmeal in bacon fat, but olive oil is a good substitute, and much healthier.
  Laverbread could help in the aftermath of a nuclear explosion, as it contains a compound which binds with heavy metals in the gastro-intestinal tract to form a gel-like salt which is believed to remove radio-active particles from the gut. It can help keep joints supple, and gives those that eat it a glowing healthy complexion.
  It contains a chemical that has been named M26 which could be useful in the future, when more research has been done into it, to help combat AIDS. A Japanese study has shown that it successful in fighting flu as it boosts the immune system.
  It can be healthy as long as it isn’t cooked in fat. Use olive oil instead. You can add the boiled laver bread to soups and sauces, risotto, stuffings and you can find it in a few Welsh cheeses. You can eat it as it comes from a fish stall served with toast and lemon wedges and a little poached shredded leek.
 
LAVER BREAD SIDE DISH
Ingredients
400 gr laver
60 gr butter or olive oil
60 ml orange juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method
Plunge the seaweed into boiling water and cook for about 40 minutes until it starts to break up.
Drain and wrap in an absorbent tea towel to get rid of the excess water.
Heat the butter in a pan and add the seaweed and fry for 8-10 minutes.
Add the orange juice and allow this to heat through.
Add seasoning and serve with roast lamb.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS PERIWINKLE? RATANJOT - HISTORY: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF PERIWINKLES : HOW TO MAKE PERIWINKLE TISANE

PERIWINKLES, RATANJOT, VINCA MINOR, VINCA MAJOR AND OTHERS
The most common periwinkles in Europe are the wild blue ones, either Vinca minor or major, the Lesser and Greater periwinkle, distinguished by the size of the flowers. Despite all other claims as to their names in Urdu or Punjabi, my spouse is certain that they are ratanjot, as they were his late mother’s favourite flower, I guess he should know.
  In different parts of Britain, the plant is known by other names, such as Blue Buttons and Cut-finger in Devon (it staunches the blood from a cut), ‘cockles’ in Gloucestershire, and ‘pennywinkle’ in Hampshire.
  The Greater and Lesser ones that we have in Britain (which may or may not be native) are blue, and give their name to the colour, periwinkle blue. It should be noted also that periwinkles are a type of sea-snail. (My grandfather used to relish “cockles and winkles” with lashings of malt vinegar and eat them from a paper bag when we went for walks along the cliffs on the Gower Coast.) The periwinkle here is a member of the Apocynacea family of plants which includes oleander.
  The periwinkle flower has been used as protection against evil and in the Middle Ages it was thought to be one of the best protectors against all evil. In 1480 Apuleius’ Herbarium was printed, and he wrote that you had to ask the blessing of the periwinkle before picking it so that it would work to its full potency:
   ‘“I pray thee, vinca pervinca, thee that art to be had for thy many useful qualities, that thou come to me glad blossoming with thy mainfulness, that thou outfit me so that I be shielded and ever prosperous and undamaged by poisons and by water"; when thou shalt pluck this wort (plant), thou shalt be clean of every uncleanness, and thou shalt pick it when the moon is nine nights old and eleven nights and thirteen nights and thirty nights and when it is one night old.’
  Apuleius was writing in the second century but his writings could not be printed before the invention of the printing press. He was a Berber from Algeria, North Africa parts of which were colonized by the Roman Empire.
   In Latin, vinca means to bind, and this was the name given to the trailing periwinkle as it is a creeper, which makes it good ground cover for lazy gardeners. The name ‘periwinkle’ comes from the Latin name for it, Vinca pervinca which became perwincke in Old English and then perwince in Middle English. Interestingly though peri is Urdu for fairy but means around in Greek.. We have the colour named after this flower, periwinkle blue, as used in “Aaron’s Rod” by D.H. Lawrence at the beginning of the 20th century:-
  “ She sat down opposite him, and her beautifully shapen legs, in frail, goldish stockings,  
     seemed to glisten metallic naked, thrust from out of the wonderful, wonderful skin,
     like periwinkle-blue velvet.”
Chaucer mentions the periwinkle too, calling it the ‘Parwynke’ and in an early 16th century Herball written by Macer, we find this-
   “Parwynke is an erbe grene of colour
In Tyme of May he beryth blo flour,
His stalkys ain (are) so feynt and feye
Yet never more growyth he hey (high).”
In other words the stems aren’t very strong but it can grow tall, with blue flowers which appear in May. He also says “men calle it ye Juy of Grownde.” (Joy of the ground)
  In 1798 William Wordsworth, in his poem, “Lines Written in Early Spring” also mentions this flower,
   “Though primrose tufts in that sweet bower
     The fair periwinkle trailed its wreaths.”
The flower and snail appear in various works of literature in fact, so don’t be confused by them.
  The Vinca major and minor periwinkles are native to Southern Europe and were probably introduced to Britain very early on. They may have come from France where they were called Sorcerer’s violets in ancient times, Violettes des sorciers, and they were known in Italian as Centocchio, a hundred eyes. They were also called the Flowers of Death as in Italy they were placed on the coffins of dead children. They are the Flowers of Immortality in German, while in France they symbolize friendship.
  Culpeper writing in the 17th century said that they were good to stop nosebleeds if “the leaves be chewed” and thought they were good incases of hysterics “and othere fits.” He advocated that the young flowering tops be made into a conserve and given to children to protect them from nightmares and though the periwinkle was a cure for anxiety and nervousness.
  Others believed that wrapping a trailing vine of periwinkles around the legs could get rid of cramps, while an ointment made with them and lard was useful for piles. The herb should be gathered in spring and dried for later use.
  Dioscorides (1st century AD) and others seemed to think that periwinkles were good for poisonous bites, and those from any wild beasts. It was also believed by the Romans that if you carried the plant around with you it would make you well-liked wherever you went and help you become prosperous.
   All the above ground parts of the plant can be used, and it has been found to contain indole alkaloids, tannins, bioflavonoids including quercetin and kaempferol, and is used in Europe mainly for its astringent properties. It has been used for problems in the digestive tract including colitis and gastro-enteritis, and the tisane made from it can be used on the skin on problems such as weeping eczema, and any other irritation. As a gargle it can be used for mouth ulcers, bleeding gums and sore throats, while the tisane can stop excessive menstruation and bleeding between periods.
    Ratanjot is the Madagascar periwinkle with Latin names Vinca rosea, Catharanthus roseus or pusillus or Lochnera pusilla which apart from presumably being native to Madagascar is also said to be a native of the Indian sub-continent. This one can have red, pink or white flowers and can have pink and white flowers on the same plant. The trailing stems are used for basket weaving, while the plant has many traditional medical uses, apart from the ones already mentioned for the European periwinkles. This one can grow to heights of 3 feet and is used to help in cases of diabetes as an insulin substitute. Vinca major, the Greater periwinkle, has also been used in this way for centuries. The flowers are used as an eyewash for eye irritations and infections, and the plant is used to lower high blood pressure. However it does this quickly so should only be taken on a doctor’s advice. In India and Pakistan it is also used as a treatment for cancer, especially for leukaemia, and it is said to relieve muscle pain and depresses the central nervous system. Apparently it is also used for wasp stings. In the Philippines it is also used for diabetes.
  The tisane below can be used for excessive menstruation, although advice should be sought from a doctor before taking any herbal medication.
 
PERIWINKLE TISANE
Ingredients
1 tsp dried periwinkle plant, crumbled
1 cup boiling water
honey to taste

Method
Pour the boiling water over the herb and leave to steep for 10-15 minutes before straining and drinking. Three cups a day seem to be the maximum dosage, but two might be safer.
This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).