For headache: To use sambong for headache, simply heat enough fresh leaves over a fire until slightly wilted. Then pound the leaves a little and place on the forehead and temples. A cloth bandage may also be used to keep the leaves in place. Change the dressing every four hours when needed.For gaseous distention: Gaseous distention is caused by excessive air in the stomach. It is produced by swallowing air, indigestion or eating too much gas-forming foods like rootcrops and some fruits. For these simple cases of gaseous distention, boil 1 tablespoon of crushed dried (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh) leaves of sambong in 1 glass of water for 15 minutes. Strain and drink and boiled mixture while lukewarm. For children, follow the same steps but use only 1/2 tablespoon leaves.
How to plant sambong: Sambong is best propagated using plantlets. Plantlets are the "baby plants" that grow around the base of the mother plant. A plantlet with at least three leaves can be separated carefully from the mother plant and planted right away in a pot or plastic bag. A plantlet must be planted with its roots.
Harvesting and storing: It is best to harvest only the mature and healthy leaves. Make sure though that the plant is left with enough leaves to survive. If you wish, you may harvest excess leaves and air-dry them for storing. Air-drying takes about four days on warm weather or about two weeks during the rainy season. Leaves are sufficiently dry if they crumble when crusted with the fingers. Dried leaves should be sealed in plastic bag or kept in covered tinted glass jar. Keep leaves in cool, dry place and away from direct sunlight to extend their storage life.
Source: Phil. Council for Health Research and Development (DOST) , photo courtesy of www.hawaii.edu
Uses
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Leaves as poultice for abscesses.
Decoction of roots and leaves for fevers and cystitis.
Sitz-bath of boiled leaves, 500 gms to a ballon of water, for rheumatic pains of waist and back.
Applied while hot over the sinuses. Used for wounds and cuts.
Fresh juice of leaves to wounds and cuts.
Poultice of leaves to forehead for headaches.
Tea is used for colds and as an expectorant; likewise, has antispasmodic and antidiarrheal benefits.
Postpartum baths.
Decoction of leaves, 50 gms to a pint of boiling water, 4 glasses daily, for stomach pains.
Preparations
• Fever: decoction of roots; boil 2 - 4 handfuls of the leaves. Use the lukewarm decoction as a sponge bath.
• Headaches: apply pounded leaves on the forehead and temples. Hold in place with a clean piece of cloth.
• Gas distention: boil 2 tsp of the chopped leaves in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes. Drink the decoction while warm. Also used for upset stomach. • • Postpartum, for mothers' bath after childbirth.
• Boils: Apply pounded leaves as poultice daily.
• Diuretic: Boil 2 tbsp chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes. Take 1/2 of the decoction after every meal, 3 times a day.
Thanks, Mindy - some good ideas. I looked up winter squash on foodreference.com to check the inedible reference: "Unlike its summer counterparts, winter squash is harvested at a mature age, which makes the skin hard and inedible. The skin, however, is protective and increases its storage life." This was confirmed in a couple of other sources, too. However, I don't know if that means you would suffer ill effects from eating the skin, just that the skin may not be digestible. In any case, I would advise against using the skin in winter squash preparations.
ReplyDeleteOk im done air drying time to get dressed” #AshyTweet lol
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