The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Motherwort

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey y'all, welcome to this week's show. Today we're going to talk about a really interesting herb, but I do want to apologize for not doing a podcast last week. I hate it when I miss a podcast, but I was called out of town unexpectedly. And yeah, by the time I got back, there was just no way to get one done. So I figured to pick up this week. And we're going to pick up with Mother Wart. Mother Wart is a really interesting herb, okay?

Starting point is 00:00:28 the Latin name is Leonurus Cardiaca. It's long been used as a heart herb. That's why it has the name cardiaca. Leonurus is from the word lion, and that's because a common name for it is lion's tail. It's been called that since, you know, two, three thousand years ago. It doesn't look any more like a lion's tail than a dandelion looks like lion's teeth. That's what dandelion means.

Starting point is 00:00:56 It's French dint de laion. It's teeth of the lion. But, you know, people used to be a little more fanciful with their imaginations and such. But oddly enough, even though it was well known in the ancient world, there's no mention of it in any of the ancient Greek oracles that I can find. As best I can tell, we only begin to find it actually written about in the 1500s, which is kind of crazy. because, I mean, they had already named it, Leonorus Cardiaca. They knew what it was. They knew what it did, but there's no writing about it.

Starting point is 00:01:37 Gerard described Mother Wart and its uses in 1597, but the illustrations that he used in his book were from the botanist Jacob, Theodorus Tabor Montanus, hugely influential German physician and botanist, much further back. So anyway, I have yet to find an English translation of Tabor Montanis' books. If you know of any, if you happen to have one and want to send me one, that would be fantastic. Parkinson, I finally did find someone sent me an online, a PDF of Parkinson's book. Was it Paradisend, Solay, I believe.

Starting point is 00:02:20 Anyway, his herbal is really good. I just had a fragment of it that had been published. I don't know, 20 years ago. I mean, it wasn't even more than a tenth of the book, so someone did give me that resource. Very grateful for that. If you happen to run across to Burnhamontanus' books, I would be very grateful.

Starting point is 00:02:39 Even if it's a copy in German or Latin, I guess they were published in German and Latin, that would be great just for the, you know, to have on my shelf for the prints, the pictures. That would be awesome. And I do read Latin. I taught myself Latin. a few years ago.

Starting point is 00:02:59 I'm, you know, it's no longer a spoken language, but I can read it for the most part. And if not, I can look it up real quick. And, you know, German is so similar to English. A lot of times I can figure it out as well. But anyway, not that you're going to be running across a five, six hundred year old book and want to send me a free copy. If you do, that'd be awesome. Anyway, Gerard says,

Starting point is 00:03:25 motherwort bringeth forth stalks four square thick and hard well why is that important all right i'm not going to get into all the elizabethan english it's in the met family whenever you find a plant that has a square stem and opposite leaves you can be pretty much 90% sure it's in the mint family that's where to start there are a couple of impostors but not very many he says that it flourisheth and flower and seateth fourth from June to September. Anyway, it doesn't really matter. Now, he mentions, though, that, this is actually interesting, that he says,

Starting point is 00:04:04 in our age is called Cardiacca and the high Dutch, it was Hertzkesport and Low Dutch, Hertzca's band. Okay, so, yeah, he totally learned about this from Tabor Montana, Tiberna Montaneus, whatever his name is, to burn a Montaneus. The temperature, we don't need to worry about that.

Starting point is 00:04:23 Here we go. virtues. Diverse. That means many people commend it against the infirmities of the heart. It is judged to be so forceful that it maybe thought it took its name cardiac of the effect. In other words, by 1580s, it was a well-known herb for heart issues. It is reported to cure convulsions and cramps and the palsy. And to open these stoppies, of the entrails, in other words, it helps with constipation as well. And it kills all kinds of worms in the belly. Now, that is true.

Starting point is 00:05:01 While this plant is called motherwort in our modern time, it should never, ever be taken by pregnant women. It does kill, well, kill the infant. For one thing, I mean, if anything it kills worms, it's a vermicuse, should never be taken during pregnancy. It also stimulates menstruation. In fact, he says the powder of the herb given in wine provoketh not only the urine, but the monthly course. So there you have it.

Starting point is 00:05:34 Now, it was at the time used to stimulate labor. That's not a very safe use. As I always say when it comes to herbs during pregnancy, if you use them at all, consult with someone who absolutely specializes in herbs for women, especially during pregnancy. Like an herbalist, she's also a midwife. I am not. I do not claim to be. I caution strongly.

Starting point is 00:06:04 I mean, as I've said many times, just about any book on natural childbirth or whatever, is probably going to recommend raspberry leaf tea or blackberry leaf tea. It tonifies the uterus. It helps with the contractions. It helps with the delivery.

Starting point is 00:06:22 And it can help prevent miscarriage in useful moderate dosages. There actually was a woman who decided to drink two gallons of it a day and caused a miscarriage and hurt herself very badly. So, you know, I don't recommend anything because, well, basically, I don't know if the person listening to me is sensible enough to use it properly. Does that sound unkind? Well, it's not meant to be.

Starting point is 00:06:53 I mean, the woman was, drank two gallons of the tea a day. If you drink more than a gallon of water a day, you can do serious harm to your health. I mean, obviously obsessive, you know, obsessive, compulsive, and took things over the top. You know, I try not to make assumptions that people know what I'm talking about. I remember when I had a food blog, it was a cooking blog about all about Southern food. I really enjoyed it. I don't remember why I discontinued it, but I do remember one time, a lady got in touch with me and said, I can't make pasta. And I'm like, what do you mean you can't make pasta?

Starting point is 00:07:37 Are you using store-bought dried pasta? You're trying to make it from scratch? What? She said, no, I buy, you know, pasta from the grocery store, mures or marilla or something like that. And I put it, when I cook it, it all clumps together and becomes like a nasty, you know, nasty. solid, slimy lump that's like raw in the middle rather than the kind of pasta my grandmother made or I eat in a restaurant. I'm like, I don't really understand this. And I ask her like so many questions. And I finally said, are you bringing the water to a boil? And she got really offended.

Starting point is 00:08:14 She's, I have a PhD and this, you know, whatever. I mean, she was like, you know, really offended that I would ask her such a stupid question. After a few more questions, it turned out she literally did not know the difference between simmering and boiling water. She was bringing the water barely up to a simmer. You know, when you see there was like tiny little bubbles on the bottom of the pot. Not a rolling boil, obviously. And just dumping the pasta in there. And it wasn't cooking.

Starting point is 00:08:41 It was just lumping together. So even people with like advanced college degrees can be remarkably stupid. Ignorant would be the right term. so yeah I do try not to make such assumptions but I mean really you see some of the things people do I mean I was just watching a video on on homemade handguns and some of the designs were just insane pipe guns and such you know zip guns things that'll blow up in your hand blow your fingers off and you just look at it you think who the heck came up with this when they were high as a kite you know I was just just crazy but anyway anyway he said motherwort was good for green wounds that means fresh wounds it doesn't mean gang green by the way and was often used as a for diseases and cattle I mean he doesn't even specify what those are now

Starting point is 00:09:40 Cole Pepper about a hundred years later said well he again identifies it as a member of the Mint family government and virtues that's what I'm looking for government and virtues. Venus owns this herb and it is under Leo. I have no idea what that means and I honestly don't care. But anyway, he says there is no better herb to take a melancholy vapors from the heart to strengthen it and make it merry. That is actually true. Motherwort has an unexplained by science, okay, effect to actually elevate mood. Why is it called Motherwort if pregnant women can't use it? Well, it's actually like the most useful herb, Motherwort and Mugwort, I'd probably put the two together, for all, most.

Starting point is 00:10:31 I shouldn't say all. I should say most menstrual issues. It helps with what we might call PMS. It helps with the irritability. It helps. But it also helps with depression. It actually is a mood elevator. Now, some women, the reason I couldn't say all, it's been so often recommended for

Starting point is 00:10:50 to bring on menstruation, to help with the irritability and the mood swings and all that, that, you know, women have used this for centuries. For some, it actually has an effect of making them feel kind of detached or out of it. This episode is brought to you by Spreaker, the platform responsible for a rapidly spreading condition known as podcast brain. Symptoms include buying microphones you don't need, explaining RSS feeds to confused relatives, and saying things like, sorry, I can't talk right now, I'm editing audio. If this sounds familiar, you're probably already a podcaster.

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Starting point is 00:11:58 So that's why I can't say it works for everybody. But it's very helpful for men as well, for the heart. And for certain anxious, depressed type states. As I said, no one knows why. But that's true with a lot of the members of the Mint and Artemisia families, is they do have psychological effects that have not been thoroughly explored. It really should be. I mean, people have, gosh, Mugwort's great for anxiety.

Starting point is 00:12:30 And, like, I think the last statistic I read was almost like 70% of women in America are on medication for anxiety and depression. And probably 70% of those could be helped with Mugwort without the side effects. because, you know, those drugs really are not very good for you. So much PTSD after the wars. So many people also dealing with, like, grief and really serious issues. Mugwort, a member of the Artemisia family, has an odd psychological effect of, like, distancing you from your trauma. You just, you don't think about it as much.

Starting point is 00:13:18 No one knows why that is, but for thousands of years, it was given to anybody who had lost a loved one because it would help with grief. They knew it helped with grief. They didn't know why. We still don't know why because our scientists are not interested in using the plants God gave us for free. They want to use chemicals that they can sell and make a lot of money for somebody. You know, the company the employees of them is going to make a lot of money. Well, anyway, he said that it makes the heart merry cheerful and a blithe soul. it may be kept in a syrup or conserved.

Starting point is 00:13:50 Conserve is actually like a jelly. You can make mint jelly. You can do that with lion's tail as well. Motherwort, wherever we're going to call it. Leonorus, cardiac Leonoros. It makes women joyful mothers of children and settles their wounds as they should be. Therefore, we call it Motherwort.

Starting point is 00:14:11 It is held to be of much use for the trembling of the heart, as well as for feignings and swoonings. took the name cardiaca. The powder thereof to the quantity of a spoonful drink and wine is helpful to women in their sore travail. Also, it really helps with the cramping, in other words. Also, for the suffocating or risings of the mother. Now, that is an odd statement. I've never been able to essentially talking about the womb. I don't know what the suffocatings and risings are. I don't know. I doubt many women do either, but if you are one and know what the heck he's talking about let me know um i probably don't want to know uh gosh that's just i'm my cup of tea

Starting point is 00:14:54 okay it likely took the name of mother work with us uh yeah it also provokes urine and women's courses cleanses the chest of cold flam oppresses it kills worms in the belly and is good used to warm and dry up the cold humors that means mucus essentially to digest and disperse them until they are settled in the veins joints and sinews of the body and to help cramps and convulsions. Yeah, so by 1600, this was a very commonly used herb, and Miss Greave in the 1330s tells us, old writers tell us there is no better herb

Starting point is 00:15:36 for strengthening and gladdening the heart, and that is good against hysterical complaints, and especially for palpitations of the heart when they arise from hysteric causes. You may be aware that Hawthorne is also very good for arrhythmia before I mean if I had a cardiac issue which I don't before I would take prescription digitalis or something similar and certainly before I would try to make my own tincture of digitalis and use it I would try Hawthorne I would try Mother Wart I

Starting point is 00:16:08 would even try Lily the Valley but that's me you know I'm not giving medical advice figure it out on your own she says it is a simple tonic not only for the heart for heart disease, neuralgia and other affections of the heart, but also in spinal disease and recovering from fevers where the other tonics are inadmissible. She found an old herbal

Starting point is 00:16:29 from way back. You can tell by the way the words are spelled. This is Anglo-Saxon. She said that Macer's herbal we find Mother Wart mentioned is one of the herbs which were considered all-powerful against wicked spirits. spelled W-Y-K-K-E-D-S-P-E-R-Y-T-I-S.

Starting point is 00:16:50 Yes, the English language used to be spelled very, very differently. And probably the wicked spirits they're talking about are anxiety and depression. Under her medicinal use as an action, she says, diaphoretic means it helps break a fever. Antispharmatic, Nervine, a menagogue means it brings on menacees. Mother Ward is especially valuable in female weaknesses. and disorders, hence the name, allaying nervous irritability and inducing quiet and passivity of the whole nervous system. Oddly enough, some women don't like the quiet and pacivity that it induces,

Starting point is 00:17:28 but most do. As a tonic, it acts without producing febrile excitement and in fevers attended with nervousness and delirium, it is extremely useful. It's a very good, or most of them it's really good for fevers. Now, let's go to modern use and we'll look at plants for future. They say motherwort is especially valuable in the treatment of female weaknesses and disorders. Gee, wonder where they got that from. Yeah, but we know. Allaying nervous irritability and inducing quiet impassivity of the whole nervous system. You see why I am so careful in citing my sources. They just repeat things out of books without giving anybody any credit. I, you know, what I would always say.

Starting point is 00:18:14 I don't like guru types. I don't like people that act like they know everything through some secret knowledge. Anyway, they say, it is also seen as a remedy for heart palpitations. It has a strengthening effect, especially on a weak heart. The antispasmodic and sedative effects

Starting point is 00:18:31 promote relaxation rather than drowsiness. The leaves are antispasmodic, astringent, cardiac, diaphoretica, menagic, nervine, sedative, stomatic, tonic, and an aguteron stimulant. They are taken internally in the treatment of heart complaints, notably palpitations, and problems associated with menstruation, childbirth, and menopause, especially of a nervous origin. Although an infusion can be used, a taste is so bitter that the plant is usually made into a conserve or syrup. An alcoholic extract

Starting point is 00:19:00 is said to possess superior action to Valerian. So good sedative, help you sleep, even though they say it doesn't induce drowsiness, and then they say it's like Valerian, so it does, it can. It depends on the dosage. The plant has been found effective in the treatment of functional heart complaints due to its autonomic imbalance and also as an antithyroid treatment, though it needs to be taken for several months

Starting point is 00:19:27 for these effects be noticed. The whole herb is harvested in August when in flour and can be dried for later use, should not be prescribed in earlier stages of pregnancy or where periods are heavy. Yes. You're having heavy bleeding. You don't want to take this one.

Starting point is 00:19:44 A homeopathy also uses it. We'll just go with that. So that pretty much wraps up motherwort. I consider this one, I say so often, one of the essential herbs, but especially if you have a woman in your life or you have a heart issue. I would absolutely prioritize growing motherwort and hawthorn. You know, the hauls have antispasmodic properties,

Starting point is 00:20:14 so they're good for both menstrual cramping and good for the heart. I mean, a lot of these herbs actually do have some similar effects. And, you know, if I needed it, I'd put together probably a formula of about three or four of these rather than using them individually. I experiment with them individually and then probably come up with a good formula. That's the way I do things. But, you know, the bitterness of motherwort, it was similar to the bitterness of mugwort. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:20:42 So, I mean, you could probably put together a nice bitter tonic. Anyway, when you consider that basically side effects and over medication of people in America is like the leading cause of death in the entire United States now. I think it's definitely worth trying the herbs first, but, you know, I don't wear a white coat. I could tell you to do one thing. By the way, that's interesting. Edward Bernays is considered the father of propaganda and marketing. He was Sigmund Freud's nephew. He's the one that came up with putting someone in a white coat because people would look at them and think they're a doctor, whether they say they are or not.

Starting point is 00:21:30 Remember what Obama did during Obamacare, put white coats on everybody? and people are far more likely to trust them and take their advice. So I am telling you, I am not wearing a white coat, and I expect you to do your own research because it is a crazy old world after all. Right, y'all. Have a great week, and I'll talk to you next time. The information in this podcast is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing I say or right has been evaluated or approved by the application.

Starting point is 00:22:07 FDA. I'm not a doctor. The U.S. government does not recognize the practice of verbal medicine, and there is no governing body regulating herbless. Therefore, I'm really just a guy who studies herbs. I'm not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write or say is accurate or true. I can tell you what herbs have been traditionally used for. I can tell you my own experience, and if I believe an herb has helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use an herb anyone recommends, you're treating yourself. You take full response to the responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, a sensitivity, an underlying condition that no one else even shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to listen to my podcast or read my blog, you agree to be responsible for yourself to your own research, make your own choices, and not to blame me for anything ever.

The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Motherwort

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