Cookstown Herbal Clinic

11/08/2023

I don’t think that I’ve ever seen the lime tree (Tilia europea ) flowering so abundantly as it did this year.
Lime flower commonly referred to as Linden flower, is one of the most popular herbal teas in Europe.
It strongly supports the nervous system having a calming effect with especial benefit to the heart, hence its use in the management of high blood pressure and palpitations resulting from nervous anxiety. Interestingly the small leafed lime has the Latin name Tilia cordata due to its heart shaped leaves.
Lime flower is harvested May to July depending on the weather and region.
In Ireland if you want to experience Limes in full splendour visit Castletown House in Celbridge, outside Dublin.
The avenue leading up to the 18th century Palladian mansion is bordered on both sides by magnificent mature lime trees which are a wonder to behold.
Locally Antrim castle grounds has many lime trees, their sweet fragrance on a warm morning in late June was delightful, really lifting the spirit.
Honey bees go nuts in the lime blossom, their work ensures the pollinated flowers are transformed into triple seeds.
Occasionally observation of many dead bees under the trees led to the conclusion that lime flower was toxic. More recent research hints that the bees in their foraging frenzy simply die of exhaustion.
For humans the linden flower is perfectly safe and provides a gentle but effective means of supporting and soothing the nervous system.

20/07/2023

The Fairy Thorn.
Old herbalists believed that what grew in abundance in a season gave a clue to the illnesses that would be common the following year.
Given the profuse flowering of hawthorn(Crataegus), this May and June they would be anticipating an upsurge in heart problems.
It’s hard to recall now in the heat of May and June that the whole countryside was decked out bride like in brilliant white, an ocean of flowering hawthorn bustling through all the hedgerows in a haze of fragrance.
Those pollinated flowers are now ripening unnoticed, until the scarlet red flush of haws, called pixies pears by some, will again brighten the hedgerows.
Hawthorn contains an abundance of chemicals which are so cardio protective that in the German pharmacopeia it is often combined with regular heart drugs to improve their efficacy.
The European tradition is to use extracts of the flowering tops and young leaves to help in managing high blood pressure and other afflictions of the heart.
Other traditions favour the use of the berry.
Modern herbalists commonly combine both in a single extract to maximise benefits.
Hawthorn increases coronary blood flow, increases the force of heart contractions whilst decreasing heart rate and is generally cardio protective.
The action is gentle and supportive, acting as a tonic where there is declining cardiac function and helping in the management of nervous heart complaints.
Based on traditional use and science Hawthorn can be confidently described as the protector of the heart.
In these very stressful times anything that protects the heart is definitely worthy of serious attention.

26/10/2021

26/10/2021

Recently walking through a Beechwood on an Autumn day full of colour and light I happened upon two young ladies fully focused on the forest floor.
I asked what they were doing (I’m sort of forward in that respect) and learned that they were collecting acorns, leaves and other delightful natural treasures.
They were primary school teachers collecting for a nature table.
One of the advantages of the pandemic they pointed out, was that they are now encouraged to take children outside as much as possible in classes to teach the curriculum, a forest school model.
I am of an age when this sort of activity was standard stuff at school.
We were regularly cold, wet, dirty and exposed to all sorts of what are now regarded as dangerous situations.
My belief is that we were happier and healthier as a result.
I had just finished gathering a significant number of conkers with my two grandsons and mischievously enquired whether playing conkers was allowed in school these days.
They replied wryly that such an activity could only be carried out after a serious risk assessment!
I was left wondering how we ever survived our childhood peppered as it was with so many ‘dangerous’ pastimes.

Conkers are the fruit of the Horse Chestnut Aesculus Hippocastanum
They are rich in a complex of chemical constituents collectively referred to as Escin, which benefit the venous circulation and are used both internally and externally for the management of varicose veins, fluid retention of the lower limbs and interestingly to help prevent the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis following surgery.
Externally gels and creams are used,internal use is often in capsule form.
The tree is a relative newcomer to our shores. It was brought over from its native lands of the Balkans in the late 16th century.
The Escin chemical complex has most recently proved to be very effective for the treatment of bruises and sprains. The Turkish have used it for treating similar ailments in horses for centuries. Hence we think the name ‘Horse Chestnut’.

19/10/2021

Yesterday was world menopause day. Menopause is a natural body process which has a beginning a middle and an end.
Unfortunately for many women the end Point proves elusive.
Recent statistics estimate that 900,000 women in the UK have left jobs as a result of menopausal symptoms.
This gives a sobering perspective on how impactful menopause can be.
In very severe cases the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can give welcome relief.
However it only postpones the process fooling the body into thinking that everything is as normal.
Eventually when women reach the point of deciding to stop or are told they cannot continue to take the HRT they can be thrown into a menopausal crisis.
Herbal protocols have a very robust and well researched supportive role to play for women going through the menopause.
Herbal prescriptions can help alleviate the symptoms and can address the underlying imbalances in the body that are often the precursors of a difficult transition through this time of change.
Sage (Salvia officinalis) is just one example of an easily accessible herbal remedy that can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of the dreaded hot flush.
If symptoms are troublesome consulting a medical herbalist can provide valuable support and needed help at a difficult time.
A list of registered herbalists can be easily found on the website of the National Institute of medical herbalist (NIMH)
Search under ‘find a herbalist’.

01/04/2020

Many of us during this lockdown period are walking more regularly than ever.
On your journeying you may find wild garlic, Allium ursinum, commonly called Ransoms, growing in woodlands or river banks, jostling side by side with lesser celandine, arum lily and young nettles.
It’s either there or it isn’t, you’ll know by the distinctive sweet garlic smell of the crushed leaves and the lovely white flower heads. It is completely safe to eat and health promoting.
The flowers can be used in salads to really perk them up and the leaves can be used in soups to great effect.
So take a bag and gather enough to try the recipe below.
Unfortunately it doesn’t preserve well so is an exclusively spring treat which is available from mid march to late April.
So happy gathering and bon appetite.
Here is a really easy recipe which can be adapted to incorporate any soft greens.

Wild Garlic Soup.
1 Onion finely chopped
a k**b of butter
600ml of vegetable or chicken stock, home made ideally.
100g wild garlic leaves. (A good double handful.)
100g of spinach leaves or alternatively young nettle leaves.
50 ml of double cream.

Sweat the onions in the butter until soft, then add the stock, bring to a simmer then add the greens, cover and cook until they wilt down, which doesn’t take long.
Then blitz the whole mix in a blender, add the cream and then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Delicious and really healthy.

29/03/2020

Herbalists offer their support to the NHS during the pandemic
The chief executive of the National Institute of Medical
Herbalists has said its members will offer any support necessary during the coronavirus pandemic.
James Wiltshire said Institute members were highly qualified healthcare practitioners who have studied orthodox medicine as well as plant medicine and are trained in the same diagnostic skills as a GP.
In response to the call from Health Secretary Matt Hancock for 250,000 volunteers to help the NHS Mr Wiltshire said ‘We have hundreds of members who have offered to assist our colleagues in the NHS however they can, be it offering support to non-coronavirus patients, helping NHS staff cope with the pressures they are facing, or anything else that helps, we will play our part. Thousands of patients every year recognise the benefit that herbal medicine gives them, and with early studies from China indicating that integrating herbal and pharmaceutical treatment has had a positive impact on coronavirus patients we hope that the government will use our skills in the fight against this pandemic.’
He has joined a number of other integrative healthcare bodies in writing to Mr Hancock urging the government to bring forward measures to support self- employed workers in the UK, given that the majority of the Institute’s members are sole traders and are experiencing high levels of financial anxiety. He has also asked the Health Secretary to open discussions around the status of integrative medicine to ensure herbalists are able to offer optimal support to patients and the NHS during the outbreak.
--ENDS—

Notes to editors
For further information on herbalism or the Institute please contact us:
info@nimh.org.uk
About the Institute
The National Institute of Medical Herbalists is the UK's largest professional body
for western herbal practitioners in the UK, and has operated a voluntary register for professional medical herbalists since 1864. Institute members are all qualified to degree level or above in herbal medicine, and to apply for membership practitioners must undertake extensive training(minimum three years full-time or part-time equivalent) including anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, nutrition and over 500 hours of clinical training.
Herbal medicine
Herbal medicines are plant-based medicines made from differing combinations of plant parts e.g. leaves, flowers or roots. Each part can have different medicinal uses and the many types of chemical constituents require different extraction methods. Both fresh and dried plant matter are used, depending on the herb.
Herbal Medicine is suitable for people of any age, including children, who respond especially well to the gentle actions of herbs. Each patient is treated as an individual – a Medical Herbalist recognises that no two patients are the same.
Why choose a National Institute of Medical Herbalists member?
Look for the letters MNIMH or FNIMH after the name of your herbalist to ensure:
• extensive training – minimum three years degree level – with relevant western medicine including anatomy and physiology
• adherence to our codes of safe practice and professional conduct
• compliance with current health and safety legislation
• full insurance cover for medical malpractice and public/products liability
• mandatory continuing professional development to keep knowledge and skills up to date
Find a herbalist near you

29/03/2020

Covid 19 update.
firstly we hope that all our patients are well and not too stressed and anxious at this very difficult time.
Fortunately we can continue working from the clinic.
While presently unable to do face-to-face consultations we can conduct telephone consultations and dispatch or deliver medicine to existing patients. We are hopeful that this situation continues despite the increasing but necessary limitations of lockdown.
We would advise that the best method of contact is by telephone on (02886762661) or mobile (07587 248971)
Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this testing time.

I am posting a recent press release from the National Institute of Medical Herbalists highlighting our endeavours to play a part in helping to deal with the pandemic. It is clear from the Chinese experience that integrating herbal medicine with pharmaceutical treatments has had a positive impact on managing patients with covid 19.

Robert Elliott.

27/11/2018

In these shortening days the wonderful flowers of Mahonia sparkle like yellow flares in the sparse sunlight, seeming to intensify the suns feeble rays, reminding us of brighter times to come.
To add to the charm their delicate scent perfumes the air on still days another reminder of balmy summer days in the winter.
Mahonia or Oregon Mountain Grape is used in the treatment of skin diseases in particular psoriasis. Beneficial in controlling the degree of itching and scaling that plagues those suffering from psoriasis. Anything that benefits and helps ameliorate the symptoms of this most common skin disease is good news. The plant is rich in the yellow compound Berberine which benefits the liver and assists with detoxification.
Herbalists treat most skin problems internally by supporting the other organs of elimination, the liver kidneys and lungs. With Psoriasis this approach is complimented by regular sea salt bathing, which for most people proves very helpful.
I wouldn’t recommend sea swimming at this time of year for obvious reasons but the sea can be brought into the bathroom by dissolving approximately a half Kilo of sea salt in the bath.

20/01/2017

MAN FLU? Blog
When ill we can be incredibly self possessed.
Thankfully we also have a built in ‘illness amnesia’, quickly forgetting all the pain and discomfort and getting on with life again.
I recently developed the flu, not ‘caught’ the flu you notice and in an attempt not to forget, here’s a short flu blog describing symptoms and treatment strategies.

An acute sore throat akin to sucking a blunt razor blade started only hours after a Sunday walk in freezing fog in the Glens of Antrim.
You always know somethings seriously wrong when you still feel cold after an hour in the car with the heater full on.
Immediate action was to gargle with Propolis tincture, suck Echinacea pastilles and take the Chinese herbal remedy Yin Qiao Chi Du Wan.
The latter should be in everyones flu first aid kit. Its just horrible tasting tablets which are made from dramatically named ‘fire poison’ remedies, chiefly honeysuckle flower and Forsythia seed, it is specific for the immediate onset of an infection starting with throat pain.

Wake up on Monday feeling awful having croaked all through the night like a strangled bullfrog. The throat is a little better and I go to work, looking fine but feeling wasted, knowing that today is make or break regarding symptoms.
By teatime I know it’s the flu, alternating hot and cold sensations, muscular aching, disorientation, banging head, nasal blockage, no appetite. So it’s home, bed, and so many fluids that I think of taking the duvet to the bathroom and sleeping in there.
‘Feeding the fever’ requires hot drinks and remedies like ginger, capsicum and cinnamon, combined with large doses of immune regulatory remedies such as Echinacea, Baptisia, (wild indigo) and Elderberry in syrup form. For the muscular aching I have boneset and a combination of remedies called composition essence.
To top all this off I start taking Vitamin C in very large doses, about 1000 mg every 2 hours.

Tuesday dawns after a fitful feverish sleep and nightmare dreams of been kicked and beaten by an assailant that I cannot escape. I struggle at work for a short time, ironically looking about a million times better than I feel. Cannot maintain the charade for long, the day is cut short and I’m crawling back into my pit again, oblivious of any joy and unable to read or hold a sensible conversation.
Along with the continuing treatments i start taking oregano capsules and olive leaf extract, these are real deep diggers and I only consider Oregano if I suspect things are going south.
I’m also given SOUP, by my long suffering wife. This is real medicine, full of onions garlic ginger lentils and love, love is a life saver when we are adrift in sickness.

On Wednesday I feel much better but sound like a wheezing, sneezing bag of stray dogs barking for their life. Everybody is sympathetic, while discreetly keeping a respectful distance. Now is the time to add Organic apple cider vinegar to my medicine mix as well as taking it regularly well diluted in warm water with Manuka honey. There are few things better to ‘cut through’ catarrh and clear the head, as well as providing a great non dairy source of probiotics. It is really important to avoid dairy until this congestion lifts.
Milk, cheese, cream, yoghurts, custard, chocolate are all really mucus producing at this stage and do no favours.

Over the next few days I feel as weak as a kitten and if I try to do anything I feel dreadful and risk relapsing. This is the hardest time though, the sympathy wanes and I’m eager to get back to normal and start to ignore my frail body.
It doesn’t help that I am perceived as entering man flu territory. It is important to remember that having eggs boiled to perfection with soldiers and triangles of toast and marmalade is not vital for a full recovery.

A week on I have avoided a relapse and apart from a sneaky cough that grabs me usually in the middle of a telephone call things are good. I’m taking follow up treatments of adaptogenic remedies such as Siberian ginseng and a cough bottle with Thyme, Liquorice, Mullein Elecampane and Echinacea. Acupuncture treatments are also helping my chest and energy levels.
I’m convinced that a good recovery is enhanced by avoiding if possible paracetamol or aspirin which lower the core temperature of the body allowing an infection to persist for longer. It’s like short term gain with symptoms but long term pain with a delayed recovery.

The next time a friend relative or colleague has the flu I am determined to crank up the empathy.
Thankfully flu doesn’t occur often but in the famous words of Sting, it quickly shows “how fragile we are.”

25/04/2016

Back to the future sphagnum moss field dressings.

25/04/2016

Moss for most folks probably come fairly low on the radar, not much more than a nuisance ruining a decent lawn.In reality moss, specifically Sphagnum moss is a really influential plant. Its incredible water holding properties gives it the power to sculpt landscapes, both the blanket and the raised bog so familiar to the Irish, Scots and Welsh.Bogland is now becoming a rarity, hence the general abandonment of peat based composts, but lets not panic, based on regular treks into the Irish hills I canʼt imagine them disappearing entirely in the next few generations.Sphagnum of which there are numerous species not only retains water but also acts like a wick, drawing up the water table. The lower decomposing layers are consolidated into peat or ʻturfʼ which our ancestors have cut, dried and burned for millennia.The Icelanders, lacking any decent source of timber, even used turf to build traditional farm houses until relatively recently .In the two world wars due to the short supplies of cotton, fresh growing Sphagnum moss was harvested, steam sterilised, impregnated with garlic oil and then dried.It made an excellent field dressing whose absorbency meant that it didnʼt need changing as frequently as cotton bandages, promoting significantly improved rates of wound healing.This use must have been part of our ethno botanical lore brought back into use in extremis and then interestingly as quickly abandoned.Donʼt be surprised to see moss dressings in an ICU in your neighbourhood sometime soon.After all honey and maggots are now commonly used in wound management protocols.