LEARNING AT THE POTTER'S WHEEL

ALSO KNOWN AS:
Hyssopus officinalis

PARTS USED
Flowers, leaves, shoots

PHYTOCHEMICALS & NUTRIENTS
Alpha-pinene, benzaldehyde, beta-ionone, beta-sitosterol, borneol, caffeic acid, camphor, carvacrol, choline, eugenol, ferulic acid, geraniol, hesperidin, limonene, linalol, marrubiin, oleanolic acid, 1,8-cineole, rosmarinic acid, thymol, ursolic acid

PROPERTIES & USES
The flowering tops of Hyssop are most used in herbal preparations. The flowers present in blue, red and white. The tops are cut in August for medicinal use. The greens can be used in salads and soups.

Hyssop is usually given as a warm infusion mixed with Horehound.

As a tea or infusion, Hyssop promotes expulsion of mucus from the respiratory tract and relieves congestion. One old remedy for ‘debility of the chest’ recommends infusing 1 ounce of dried hyssop flowers in one pint of boiling water [writer’s note: always used distilled water for infusions & tinctures] for ten minutes. Sweeten with honey. Take a wineglassful three times per day until the condition improves. This remedy is also considered a vermifuge. A vermifuge is an agent that expels intestinal worms.

The green tops are sometimes boiled in a soup for the treatment of asthma. A tea of the Hyssop flowers and green tops is said to tone a ‘feeble stomach.’ A tea from the green tops drunk several times a day is reported to help rheumatism.

Catarrh is an excessive secretion of thick phlegm or mucus by mucous membranes or a deposit of hardened mucus or secretions anywhere in tissues. Hyssop has proved to be an effective treatment of chronic catarrh because of its expectorant, stimulant and diaphoretic properties. A diaphoretic helps the body remove waste from its system by means of perspiration, reducing fever if present. Hyssop is sudorific, which means it causes perspiration. An expectorant helps the body expel mucous from air passageways

As a carminative, Hyssop helps remove gas from the digestive tract, easing related bowel pains and pressure.

These benefits stem from Hyssop’s particular volatile oil which is stimulative, carminative, & sudorific. This highly aromatic essential oil is found in the leaves, stems, and flowers.

Hyssop is reported to help regulate blood pressure when taken internally. Other conditions helped by internal applications include circulatory problems, epilepsy, fever, gout and weight problems.

Externally, application of fresh green Hyssop to wounds promotes healing. An infusion of the leaves can be applied topically to ease muscle pain, help remedy bruises, and treat discolored contusions.

A Hyssop bath can prove beneficial, but a large quantity of the leaves would be required for such an application, making it somewhat impractical.

CAUTIONS & CONSIDERATIONS
It is not recommended to use Hyssop during pregnancy. As with all herbs, avoid use of plants that have been exposed to toxic chemicals or have not been certified 'chemical free.'

Disclaimer: None of this is to be considered a substitute for medical examination and/or treatment. Use what you will, but do so knowing that you must consider your own circumstance and the application of these things with sound judgment.

~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~’`’~

Purge me with hyssop,
and I shall be clean:
wash me,
and I shall be whiter than snow.
Psalm 51:7

~~~~&*&*&~~~~

Whiter than snow;
yes, whiter than snow;
Now wash me
and I shall be
whiter than snow.

~~James Nicholson, author~~
~~~William G. Fischer, composer~~~
Click here for full lyrics & tune