Natural Remedies: Rubus Villosus Rubus Fruticosus, Bramble, or Common Blackberry
‘In bramble, out cough,
Here I leave the whooping cough’.
Thus goes an old English rhyme which Josephine Addison quotes in her book, ‘The Illustrated Plant Lore’. Apparently, she writes, in some countries, this rhyme was said as the patient passed seven times through an arch. Presumably the bramble or blackberry was taken as a restorative tea, with this rhyme and wee dance added to improve the spirits of the whooping cough patient.
Using Blackberry as a fermented tea:
Fermenting herbal teas increases the nutritive effect of the herbs used. The fermenting process releases the active ingredients, such as tannins, iron, manganese, potassium, flavanoids and other antioxidant agents, such as Vitamins C,and Vitamin B. Vitamin B levels are increased with the fermentation of the herb.
Black Ceylon Tea is put through a fermentation process to improve the flavour: The tannin and other antioxidants are released from ceylon tea when it is fermented.
To Make Fermented Tea:
Simply wrap up the clean fresh leaves of the herb you wish to make into tea. Wrap the herbs lightly in a clean, damp tea-towel. Put them into a warm place for a couple of days. The warmth helps the fermentation process, which will increase the availability of antioxidants from your herbal tea.
After two or three days, take out the leaves from the tea-towel. Spread out over a tray and dry carefully in a warm, airy place.
Simple Blackberry Tea
For Diarrhoea, Colds or Flu, Skin Problems
Take one heaped teaspoon of dried herb, preferably fermented as explained above. Pour over one pint of boiling water and let the tea infuse for 20 minutes. Let cool. Drink up to two cupsful of the cold tea each day.
This infusion can be applied warm to skin eczema. It is soothing and has healing qualities which help the skin.
Blackberry Tea Combination (for similar use as above)
Take equal quantities of dried lime flowers, blackberry leaves, and elderflowers. You can use your dried fermented blackberry leaves.
Crumble up all the herbs, mix well, and put in an air-tight jar.
Take a heaped teaspoon of the dried herbs and pour over a cup of boiling water. Let steep for 10 minutes, then strain and drink. Take the tea three times a day as a prophylactic for flu, or to treat it.
Also very good for colds.
Blackberry For Sore Gums Or Mouth Ulcers:
These ideas for using blackberry as a healer for tender gums, and other things, are recommended by Dr Vogel in his book ‘The Nature Doctor’. This doctor surely believed in the power of herbs, rather than drugs, in helping to heal certain ailments of the body.
John Heinerman, Ph.D., also recommends blackberry in his book ‘Miracle Healing Herbs’, published by Heinerman,1998, where he praises its use, especially in cases of diarrhoea. Mr Heinerman also considers blackberry tea to be useful for such conditions as skin sores, mouth sores, impaired liver function, and sick blood.
Chew Fresh Blackberry Leaves to help heal bleeding gums (often a sign of Vitamin C deficiency). You could use some of your fresh fermented blackberry leaves for this purpose. Chewing the leaves releases the healing Vitamin C and tannins, both of which help to stem bleeding and heal the tissues.
According to old English herbals, the young shoots of blackberry were sometimes used as salad greens. Eating the young leaves in this way ‘would fasten teeth which were loose’. (see Josephine Addison p.28-29)
The healing action on the gums and teeth would be attributable to the plentiful Vitamin C and rutin within the blackberry leaves.
Many years ago, whilst expecting my first child, I healed loose teeth and bleeding gums with the use of citrus fruit, eaten every day until cured. Grapefruit or lemons were recommended to me by an unknown healer. He also said to eat some of the white pith under the skin each day, as this is where the Vitamin C content is richest. Within a week, my gums were healed and the teeth strong again.
The hospital doctors had told me not to worry about the bleeding gums because ‘90% of all pregnant women coming here have bleeding gums,’ they said. I guess most of these women were suffereing simple Vitamin C deficiency.
Drinking fermented blackberry tea three times a day for a week will also help the problem of sore gums and mouth ulcers.
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