This topic will be, I hope, a convenient place to discover the medicinal value of herbs form the kitchen spice shelf.

Many if not all of the common culinary herbs and spices so often added to foods for flavor also have considerable medicinal value and for these reasons may have originally been added in ancient times.

Most herbal spices are carminatives which prevents or relieves gas, stimulants, aids to digestion, some relieve nervousness, spasms, coldness. bleeding, diarrhea headache acute infections and even heart attacks.
More often then not they are considered crisis medicine being used for the first acute stages of the disease. The spice rack can be considered a safe and natural alternative to the synthetic drugs found else where.

TAAT = taking as a tea.
DOS   =  dose
INF    =  INFUSION
TINC  =  TINCTURE
POUL  =  POULTICE
POWD =  POWDER
TONIC =  TONIC

1. Anise {pimpinella asisum}: taat
Used to break up mucus in hard coughs, also to stimulate mothers milk, stimulant and carminative to teat flatulence and colic, added to a laxative formula it will reduce griping/cramping of the bowels.

2. Basil {ocimum basilicum}: taat
Used for indigestion, fevers, colds, flu, kidney and bladder troubles, head aches, cramps, nausea, vomiting, constipation and nervous conditions, carminative, antipyretic, stimulant, alterative, diuretic and nervine.

3. Black Pepper {piper nigrum}: dos
A mixture of black pepper and honey is used to break up cold mucous and/or sore throats, preventive and cure for many diseases.

4. Caraway {carum carvi}: inf
Aid for digestion and can be taken for gas, colic and nervous conditions.
Mild stimulant and may be added to digestion and in laxative formulas to prevent griping.

5. Cardamon {elettaria cardamomum}: taat
Carminative and stimulant mixed with other herbs for indigestion and gas, diarrhea, colic, and headaches. It warms the body and is a very important ingredient in Chai Tea.

6. Cayenne {Capsicum anuum}: powd, raw, tinc, poul
Stimulant, astringent, carminative and antispasmodic and is considered one of superior crises herbs. Taken as a remedy for most conditions and also taken as a daily tonic. IT benefits the heart and circulation often preventing heart attacks, strokes, colds, flu, diminished vitality, head aches, indigestion, depression and arthritis.
Rubbed on toothaches, swellings and inflammations as a tinc.
Used also for hemorrhage internally or externally it can be relied on to stop the bleeding by virtue of the fact that it normalizes the circulation.
When used with plantain as a poultice it has remarkable powers to draw out a foreign object that is embedded in the flesh.

7. Cinnamon {Cinnamomum zeylanicum}: tinc,
Stimulating, astringent, demulcent and carminative. Warms the system and balances foods such as fruits, milk and desserts. MEdicinally it is used to warm the organs to treat chronic diarrhea, cramps, heart and abdominal pains, indigestion, gas, dysentery, coughing, wheezing and lower back pain. As a tincture it is also used to stop bleeding from the uterus.

8. Cloves {eugenia aromatica}: raw


to be continued as soon as i can find a spare minute