DICTIONARIES are wonderful things; one can spend hours trekking through them. Glancing through Living and Wellbeing (The Herald, March 31) my attention was caught by the pregnancy pampering article and the wellbeing gift set. Raspberry Leaf tea? Mm!
Out came the Modern Herbal by Mrs M. Grieve, a weighty tome published in 1931 but erudite and informative. I looked up Raspberry (Rubus Idæus), also known as the Hindberry. A little verse says:
“T’was only to hear the yorling sing,
And pu’the crawflower round the spring,
The scarlet hep and the hindberrie,
And the nut that hangs frae the hazel tree.”
Out came the Edinburgh University Press Concise Scottish Dictionar’ to consult on the hindberrie,s the wild raspberry. Mrs. Grieve also mentions the Saxon name as being the hindbeer. The Collins Little Gem German Dictionary gives the raspberry as the himbeere.
Even though there is not the faintest chance I will need raspberry leaf tea to take me through parturition it might be useful for the healing of canker of the throat, cleansing wounds and controlling laxity of the bowels.
I did read about Henbane easing toothache but possibly causing “maniacal delirium” and Henna as useful for colouring the hair; safe enough. There again, leprosy and smallpox are mentioned as responding to Henna.
Just a normal Saturday morning then?
Thelma Edwards,
Old Comrades Hall,
Hume, Kelso.
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