Fragrant jasmine has healing properties, according to 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpepper.
Sharon loves the smell of jasmine and there are large areas of it along the fences of her huerta, or garden. As she does her walking practice each day she knows she is reaching the turnaround point when she smells the jasmine in a neighbour´s garden. With her sight problems, which are long standing and nothing to do with her stroke, she loves fragrances. Her favourite oil for the burner in near to her chair in the lounge is jasmine.
Culpepper is not alone in recognizing the healing talents of jasmine or, Jessamine as he calls it.
“Jessamine is a warm, cordial plant, government by Jupiter in the sign Cancer. The flowers only are used. It warms the womb, and heals schirrithi therin, and facilitates the birth; it is useful for cough, difficulty of breathing, &c. The oil made by infusion of flowers, is used for perfumes. It disperses crude humours, and is good for cold and catarrhous constitutions, but not for the hot. The oil is good also for hard and contracted limbs, it opens, warms, and softens the nerves and tendons, if used as a liniment to the parts, or taken in drink, or clysters. It removes diseases of the uterus, and is of service in pituitous colics. A poultice of the leaves, boiled in wine, dissolves cold swelling and hard tumours.”
The reference to beneficial effects on “hard and contracted limbs” is of obvious interest in view of the problems experienced by people recovering from strokes. The search is now on for some cream with jasmine for Sharon to rub on her left hand, which can curl up painfully. If anyone hears where we can find any please let us know.
Common jasmine, such as that in Sharon´s huerta, is native to Iran but there are more than 300 tropical and subtropical species. The genus is part of the olive family.
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©Phillip Bruce 2009
Sharon loves the smell of jasmine and there are large areas of it along the fences of her huerta, or garden. As she does her walking practice each day she knows she is reaching the turnaround point when she smells the jasmine in a neighbour´s garden. With her sight problems, which are long standing and nothing to do with her stroke, she loves fragrances. Her favourite oil for the burner in near to her chair in the lounge is jasmine.
Culpepper is not alone in recognizing the healing talents of jasmine or, Jessamine as he calls it.
“Jessamine is a warm, cordial plant, government by Jupiter in the sign Cancer. The flowers only are used. It warms the womb, and heals schirrithi therin, and facilitates the birth; it is useful for cough, difficulty of breathing, &c. The oil made by infusion of flowers, is used for perfumes. It disperses crude humours, and is good for cold and catarrhous constitutions, but not for the hot. The oil is good also for hard and contracted limbs, it opens, warms, and softens the nerves and tendons, if used as a liniment to the parts, or taken in drink, or clysters. It removes diseases of the uterus, and is of service in pituitous colics. A poultice of the leaves, boiled in wine, dissolves cold swelling and hard tumours.”
The reference to beneficial effects on “hard and contracted limbs” is of obvious interest in view of the problems experienced by people recovering from strokes. The search is now on for some cream with jasmine for Sharon to rub on her left hand, which can curl up painfully. If anyone hears where we can find any please let us know.
Common jasmine, such as that in Sharon´s huerta, is native to Iran but there are more than 300 tropical and subtropical species. The genus is part of the olive family.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
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