Fun In My Back Yard



Plantain

28 Jul 2006
Posted by renee

renee's picture

Spring plantainSpring plantain

Although fairly busy with house and mouse care we did go the farm today for our weekly work share and vegetable pick-up. While working I was stung by a bee or something like that (poor guy lost his life stinging me as he left his stinger in my foot which I had to pull out). Thanks to another bee sting I got last fall while I was at the farm with my mother-in-law I knew just what to do. I found a plantain leaf (plantain is found almost anywhere grass grows) chewed it up a bit and rubbed it directly onto my skin and the pain immediately went away. I had experienced this once, last fall, but I forgot how effective it was.

When I was done working (pulling weeds in the flower gardens) I mentioned this to Jill, the farmer. She shared a story that happened on the farm. A few years ago an inexperienced farm apprentice cut a major blood vessel in a sheep's tummy while shearing it. The sheep was gushing blood but a couple people gathered lots of plantain, chewed it up and applied it to the wound and the bleeding stopped immediately. As it turns out plantain stops bleeding as well as skin pain from insect stings.

I just wanted to share this in case you are out and about with your kids etc... and someone gets stung. I've used plantain to relieve the kid's insect bites as well although it wasn't effective for long term (more than 3 hours).

Trackback URL for this post:

http://fimby.tougas.net/trackback/656

Comfrey

Last week during the kids one and only playdate of the month (too busy gardening this time of year, no time for play) Celine sprained/strained her knee on the trampoline. Bummer.

The nearest we can tell from the kids' fuzzy retelling is that she hyperex


Anonymous's picture

Bee Sting

When we where kids.....My Parents always put wet mud on our skin if we where stung by a bee. It also works great to take away the pain and the redness. I was once stung by my eye, and this took it away right away. Could have been much worse.



Anonymous's picture

More on Plantain

Plantain is used as a poultice on all kinds of Skin Ailments. Rub directly on Rashes caused by Stinging Nettle, Poison Ivy--Oak. Used for Bites, Burns, Rashes, Poisonous Spiders, and Snake Bites.

Plantain can also be taken internally, but use with caution this way. (Research the net if you want more info on use of plantain internally.)

Other uses of Plantain are for: bed wetting, bladder, blood poisoning, burns, diarrhea, douche, eyes, fractures, frigidity, hemorrhage, hemorrhoids, hoarseness, itching, kidneys, leucorrhea, lumbago, lungs, menstruation (dec), thrush, tumors, ulcers, vagina, wounds.

I have heard of people using mud for insect bites. As the mud dries, it draws the poison out of the skin into the dried mud.



Anonymous's picture

Pingback

[...] your yard, especially if you have little kids who can be prone to injuries. Comfrey, together with plantain which is no doubt growing like a weed in your lawn, are a good start to an herbal first aid [...]



Anonymous's picture

I need these simple (not

I need these simple (not overwhelming) suggestions - thank you!


Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. If you have a Gravatar account, used to display your avatar.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.