Oregano

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Oregano has not only flavored foods for thousands of years,but has served as a useful disinfectant (containing up to 15 percent of thymol, an antiseptic)and physic herb as well.So valued were its benefits centuries ago, people thought that simply smelling the plant would ensure good health. Abscesses,toothaches,and painful neuralgia: In the old days, folks cleaned abscesses and mouth wounds with a remedy made from a tablespoon of dried oregano flowers boiled in a glass of full-bodied red wine for ten minutes.The strained flowers made an effective poultice. Today,oregano oil poked into a cavity with a wad of cotton will still relieve a toothache.Purchase this potent,volatile oil at the pharmacy. Asthma,slow digestion,and rheumatism: Prepare a decoction by slowly bringing to boil three tablespoons dried oregano leaves and flowers in four cups of water for ten

minutes.Strain,sweeten with hon- ey,and sip hot as needed during the day. Menstrual pains,seasickness,and nasal inflammation: Make oregano tea by pouring boiling water into a cup with two teaspoons of dried oregano flowers.Sweeten with honey and drink slowly,two or three times a day,while hot. Stuffy colds: To lighten your head,crush a pinch of dried oregano leaves into a very fine powder.Sniff the powder as you would tobacco snuff to provoke sneezing.This will relieve your stuffy head. Insomnia: Add a small pouch of fresh,bruised oregano leaves to your bath water to help you relax before bedtime.Fill another small pouch and tuck it under your pillow.The aro- ma will calm your mind. General aches and pains: For a medicinal tonic liquor that stimulates dull appetites (as an aperitif),helps digestion (as an after-dinner liquor),and relieves menstru- al pains,asthma,and stuffy colds (taken as

needed):Place six stems of oregano,flowers and all, together with one-half-cup of granulated sugar in a quart- sized glass canning jar.Cover tightly and set in the sun for four days,shaking occasion- ally.Then fill the jar with grappa or vodka;cover it again.Set it in a dark,cool place for a month. Strain the liquid through a cheese cloth to remove all the oregano pieces, then pour it into attractive bottles.After two weeks,the oregano liquor will be ready.Store it in the freezer and enjoy it icy cold. Suzi What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been

discovered. health/ http://suziesgoats.wholefoodfarmacy.com/

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