5
NATURAL REMEDIES
We stood last Autumn admiring a large bush of Rhamnus catharticus covered in black
berries and wondered if the reputation of the Purging Buckthorn was really justified. One
member of the family (who shall be nameless) suffers from this problem so we thought it
might be worth putting to the test. We took a pocketful of the berries home and put them
in the freezer in a polythene bag. Two berries taken at night before bed was quite
effective, and cheaper than pills, but after a week or two the dose had to be increased to
three, and then four. After that we gave up - either the body had became used to them or
the berries were losing their strength in the freezer - a pity because there were enough
berries on that bush to cure most of the constipation in Essex.
Another remedy we have tried is the plant Chelidonium majus (Greater Celandine) which
is said to remove warts. It grows commonly around villages in Essex. When a stem or leaf
is broken it exudes a bright yellow sap which is applied to the wart. We know of two
people who can verify that this really does work.
Now it is said that in times gone by the pill Woodlouse was carried by people and
swallowed as a cure for indigestion. Fortunately we never suffer from this, and so are
unable to test it. Should anyone try it we would be interested to learn the result. In fact
any useful natural tips would be welcome - a cheap substitute for VIAGRA would be
most useful.
Shirley Watson
EDUCATION?
Reading the latest Essex Wildlife Trust magazine I noticed that the Trust had taught
28,000 children. A wonderful effort and hopefully those youngsters will in future make a
valuable contribution to our knowledge of the county's wildlife.
Several events have recently caused me to wonder if the Trust ought to target some of that
education at another section of the community - the Local Authorities. Large trees in
towns and villages, some of them 'veterans', are being felled simply because a so-called
tree expert says that some of the wood is rotten. Guess who will be paid for doing the
job? Some of these old trees would have stood for another 100 years - a valuable wildlife
habitat. Perhaps the Councils are worried that someone could be injured by a fallling
branch. Surely insurance would cover this slight risk. However, if it's old, down it comes
by the chainsaw.
My other concern is roadside verges. Councils obviously feel a desparate urge to do
something to improve the environment and promote wildlife, and their answer is to plant
trees - lots of them. On every available wide verge you can see this, sometimes in
thousands and always planted far too close together anyway. Guess who makes money by
recommending close planting in case of losses?
The results of this planting is the almost total loss of the existing ground flora and fauna
of that particular verge. A recent example of to be seen north of Newport at the junction
of the B1383 and the B1052. A wide verge here supports up to 100 species of wild
flowers including the Wild Liquorice (Astragalus glycyphyllos) which is a fairly scarce
plant of Eastern England, although not uncommon in W. Essex. Unless the trees are
removed the flowers are doomed.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 29, Mayl999