Medicine Survival

[jakunen]

Secondly, on public plant hikes I've done, I have people calling Cattails (Typha spp.), Bulrushes (Scirpus spp.). In fact, I think more people called them Bulrushes even though Cattails is the commonly accepted term.

Doc that is a common problem due to a Victorian danish painter who's name I can't remember just now who painted Moses in his basket (hence reed baskets being called 'Moses baskets'), amongst a stand of reedmace (or cat-tails) and called it 'Moses in the (bul)rushes). The public at the time took up the name and it drives me crazy trying to re-educate people to use the right name...

Ok found his details in my notes...

Laurens Alma Tadema, later Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, who painted the picture ‘Finding Moses’ or as it is more commonly known, ‘Moses in the Rushes’, which features the young Moses, in his raft, amongst a stand of Reedmace. In 1904 he gave the painting away for nothing as no one wanted it and the person who commissioned it failed to pay the £5,023 originally agreed, but it was sold at auction in New York for £1.75M in 1995

Here is a picture of Moses in the rushes...

rian

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Moonraker and jakunen;
I appreciate your comments, and jakunen, thank you for the Cattail/Bulrush information. I have never heard that explanation before. It does explain things.

Doc (no smilies on 'quick reply')

 

[jakunen]

No problem Doc.

Its just one of those bugbears I have about stuff like that.

Sorry about the corny picture-joke. Couldn't resist it...

 

[Not Bob]

Surely if more people call Typha sp bulrushes than don't then that is their common name

 

[jakunen]

Surely if more people call Typha sp bulrushes than don't then that is their common name

But what about the books, scientific papers and all the rest? If something has a proper name then people should be encouraged to use the proper name.

We have enough problems with language as it is and enough problems with some American plants having been given UK English names because they looked similar to the Mayflower lot and yet several of the species that have those names over there are not edible over here.

I know I'm being somewhat pedantic, but herbalism, plantlore, etc., is enough of a minefield without peopel popularising incorrect names for things...

 

[Not Bob]

Jakunen - the wink emoticon at the end of what I wrote was meant to indicate you shouldn't take my message too seriously - more of a riff on the meaning of the word 'common' as in most numerous or most used. I was probably being the pedantic one rather than you.
'Proper ' name - now that's a very different kettle of fish.

 

[jakunen]

Sorry mate, like I said its just a bugbear of mine. I wasn't having a go at you.

As for proper name, I know all plants have regional variants and it can quite acceptably be called Reedmace or several others, but Bulrush is a completely different genus.

 

[MarkG]

Yet another use for Birch.

http://mediresource.sympatico.ca/ch...asp?channel_id=79&menu_item_id=0&news_id=2586

 

[Tony]

Good link Mark :biggthump

 

[Fenlander]

Medicine Survival

Hi Guys
I would like to start a thread about medicine survival. The thought is not to share theoretical knowledge; such stuff is easy to find in different books, but to share house cures that we have found out to be helpful through our own experience.

My experience: Running nose and pain in the throat.
How I fix it:
I mix about one teaspoon table salt into one cup (200-250 ml) of luke warm water. Wait until the salt is well dissolved. I snort the salt water through my nose slowly and carefully and spit it out my mouth. Keep doing it until the cup is empty.

Important: Don’t take too much salt. The water should taste a bit salty but feel comfortable in the nose. Burning sensation means that your water is too salty. Too hot or cold water isn’t good either.

Review:
This cure has worked well for me since 20 years now and I hardly ever have a flue and I never have sinus infection any more. It even works as prevention when folks around you are sick. A lot of germs are hanging in the nose and the sal****er washes them out. If you have already the flue do it 3 times a day. It feels strange in the beginning but I am so used to it now that I don’t mind it at all.


cheers
Abbe

I had a cold while in Lapland and under Abbes instruction, I tested this method. It certainly helped to clear my nasel passages, aiding a reasonable nights sleep, but unfortunately my cold had progressed too far for this to prevent ti progressing.