Rosemary

~ By Kythera Ann ~

Rosemary is one of those wonderful herbs that make a beautiful ornamental plant as well as a welcome culinary seasoning. Its Latin name, Rosmarinus officinalis, means "dew of the sea" and rosemary is most closely associated with the cooking of the Mediterranean area. The evergreen leaves of this shrubby herb are about 1 inch long, linear, revolute, dark green above and paler and glandular beneath, with an odor pungently aromatic and somewhat camphoraceous. The flowers are small and pale blue.

Rosemary is propagated by seeds, cuttings and layers, and division of roots. I simply snip the leaves whenever I want them for cooking or medicinal purposes.

Where the winter temperatures dip below 30 degrees F., rosemary plants will have to spend the winter indoors. In this case, it's easier to grow your rosemary in a container all year. Since rosemary likes it on the dry side, terra cotta pots are an especially good choice. Just be sure it doesn't bake and completely dry out while outdoors during the summer.

Bring the potted rosemary inside once the temperature inches into the 30s. It can be a little trickier to keep rosemary happy inside. Your rosemary plant will still require 6-8 hours of full sun, so artificial lights may be necessary. Heat is not as crucial as sunlight.

The oil of Rosemary, distilled from the flowering tops, as directed in the British Pharmacopceia, is superior oil to that obtained from the stem and leaves, but nearly all the commercial oil is distilled from the stem and leaves of the wild plant before it is in flower.

The upper portions of the shoots are taken, with the leaves on and the leaves are stripped off the portions of the shoots that are very wooden. From 100 lb. of the flowering tops, 8 OZ. of the oil are usually obtained.

History:

The Ancients were well acquainted with the shrub, which had a reputation for strengthening the memory. On this account it became the emblem of fidelity for lovers. It holds a special position among herbs from the symbolism attached to it. Not only was it used at weddings, but also at funerals, for decking churches and banqueting halls at festivals, as incense in religious ceremonies, and in magical spells.

At weddings, it was entwined in the wreath worn by the bride, being first dipped into scented water. Anne of Cleves, we are told, wore such a wreath at her wedding. A Rosemary branch, richly gilded and tied with silken ribands of all colors, was also presented to wedding guests, as a symbol of love and loyalty. Together with an orange stuck with cloves it was given as a New Year's gift - allusions to this custom are to be found in Ben Jonson's plays.

In early times, Rosemary was freely cultivated in kitchen gardens and came to represent the dominant influence of the house mistress 'Where Rosemary flourished, the woman ruled.'

The Treasury of Botany says: 'There is a vulgar belief in Gloucestershire and other counties, that Rosemary will not grow well unless where the mistress is "master" and so touchy are some of the lords of creation upon this point, that we have more than once had reason to suspect them of privately injuring a growing rosemary in order to destroy this evidence of their want of authority.'

Rosemary was one of the cordial herbs used to flavor ale and wine. It was also used in Christmas decoration and song.

'Down with the rosemary and so,
Down with the baies and mistletoe,
Down with the holly, ivie all
Wherewith ye deck the Christmas Hall.'
~ Herrick ~

In place of more costly incense, the ancients used Rosemary in their religious ceremonies. An old French name for it was Incensier.

The Spaniards revere it as one of the bushes that gave shelter to the Virgin Mary in the flight into Egypt and call it Romero, the Pilgrim's Flower. Both in Spain and Italy, it has been considered a safeguard from witches and evil influences generally. The Sicilians believe that young fairies, taking the form of snakes, lie amongst the branches.

It was an old custom to burn Rosemary in sick chambers, and in French hospitals it is customary to burn Rosemary with Juniper berries to purify the air and prevent infection. Like Rue, it was placed in the dock of courts of justice, as a preventative from the contagion of gaol-fever. A sprig of Rosemary was carried in the hand at funerals, being distributed to the mourners before they left the house, to be cast on to the coffin when it had been lowered into the grave. In many parts of Wales it is still a custom.

Miss Rohde gives the following quotation from Banckes' Herbal:

'Take the flowers thereof and make powder thereof and binde it to thy right arme in a linnen cloath and it shale make theee light and merrie.

'Take the flowers and put them in thy chest among thy clothes or among thy Bookes and Mothes shall not destroy them.

'Boyle the leaves in white wine and washe thy face therewith and thy browes and thou shalt have a faire face.

'Also put the leaves under thy bedde and thou shalt be delivered of all evill dreames.

'Take the leaves and put them into wine and it shall keep the wine from all sourness and evill savours, and if thou wilt sell thy wine thou shalt have goode speede.

'Also if thou be feeble boyle the leaves in cleane water and washe thyself and thou shalt wax shiny.

'Also if thou have lost appetite of eating boyle well these leaves in cleane water and when the water is colde put thereunto as much of white wine and then make sops, eat them thereof wel and thou shalt restore thy appetite againe.

'If thy legges be blowen with gowte, boyle the leaves in water and binde them in a linnen cloath and winde it about thy legges and it shall do thee much good.

'If thou have a cough drink the water of the leaves boyld in white wine and ye shall be whole.

'Take the Timber thereof and burn it to coales and make powder thereof and rubbe thy teeth thereof and it shall keep thy teeth from all evils.

Smell it oft and it shall keep thee youngly.

'Also if a man have lost his smellyng of the ayre that he may not draw his breath, make a fire of the wood, and bake his bread therewith, eate it and it shall keepe him well.

'Make thee a box of the wood of rosemary and smell to it and it shall preserve thy youth.'

Medicinal Action and Uses:

Tonic, astringent, diaphoretic, stimulant. Oil of Rosemary has the carminative properties of other volatile oils and is an excellent stomachic and nervine, curing many cases of headache.

It is employed principally, externally, as spiritus Rosmarini, in hair-lotions, for its odor and effect in stimulating the hair-bulbs to renewed activity and preventing premature baldness. An infusion of the dried plant (both leaves and flowers) combined with borax and used when cold, makes one of the best hair washes known. It forms an effectual remedy for the prevention of scurf and dandruff.

The oil is also used externally as a rubefacient and is added to liniments as a fragrant stimulant. Hungary water, for outward application to renovate the vitality of paralyzed limbs, was first invented for a Queen of Hungary, who was said to have been completely cured by its continued use. It was prepared by putting 1 1/2 lb. of fresh Rosemary tops in full flower into 1 gallon of spirits of wine; this was allowed to stand for four days and then distilled. Hungary water was also considered very efficacious against gout in the hands and feet, being rubbed into them vigorously.

A formula dated 1235, said to be in the handwriting of Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary, is said to be preserved in Vienna.

Rosemary Wine when taken in small quantities acts as a quieting cordial to a weak heart subject to palpitation, and relieves accompanying dropsy by stimulating the kidneys. It is made by chopping up sprigs of green Rosemary and pouring on them white wine, which is strained off after a few days and is then ready for use. By stimulating the brain and nervous system, it is a good remedy for headaches caused by feeble circulation.

The young tops, leaves and flowers can be made into an infusion, called Rosemary Tea, which, taken warm, is a good remedy for removing headache, colic, colds and nervous diseases, care being taken to prevent the escape of steam during its preparation. It will relieve nervous depression. A conserve, made by beating up the freshly gathered tops with three times their weight of sugar, is said to have the same effect.

Rosemary and Coltsfoot leaves are considered good when rubbed together and smoked for asthma and other affections of the throat and lungs.

The Rosemary herb is a Super Antioxidant It's been shown to prevent mutations in your DNA (particularly in the liver and the bronchial cells) that are caused by disease causing chemicals and toxins1 which can lead to cancerous growths.

What's more, in spite of the increased awareness and media attention that skin cancer has been getting in the last decade or more, few of us know that the rosemary herb helps protect your skin.

Well over a decade ago scientists confirmed that the antioxidant components of rosemary called carnosol and ursollic acid were effective in preventing the deadly skin cancer melanoma.

Rosemary probably became known as the herb of remembrance because of its stimulating effects on the mind. It's a warming, stimulating herb that increases the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your head, which may be one reason why it's such a good memory booster, but that's not all. The compounds in rosemary herb are said to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, which is a chemical that induces the brain cells that are responsible for memory and reasoning to communicate with one another.

The rosemary herb or rosemary essential oil can be used for:

- Circulation problems
- Muscle pain
- Nerve and sciatic pain
- Eczema
- Vibrant, young skin
- Rheumatism
- Blocked menstrual flow
- Liver congestion
- Halitosis
- Enhancing immunity because it stimulates sweating and toxin removal
- Adrenal fatigue
- Fever reduction
- Digestive upset, bloating, cramping
- Antibacterial purposes
- Fungal infections including Candida

In fact, as an antibacterial, rosemary is really special because it cleanses the blood and helps control the growth of many pathogenic bacteria without killing the good micro flora (beneficial bacteria and yeast) in your body - unlike so many antibacterial drugs which kill the good bacteria along with the bad, throwing off the balance of your inner ecosystem.

Preventing the growth of fungal infections like Candida is part of the equation of maintaining a healthy inner ecosystem and true vitality.

And the rosemary herb has been shown to be naturally effective in killing yeast infections and Candida.

PLEASE NOTE: This article is intended for educational purposes only. Using the information contained within this article for any other purpose remains the sole responsibility of the individual.

Resources:

http://www.herbalextractsplus.com/rosemary.cfm

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/jun2006_report_sunscreen_02.htm

         

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