Foeniculum Vulgare
In ancient Greece, the word for fennel was marathon. This name is based on the Greek victory over the Persians in 470 B.C. at Marathon which was fought on a field planted with fennel. In Greek mythology, knowledge came to man as a gift from the gods in the form of a fiery coal held in a fennel stalk. The ancient Romans chewed these herb stalks in the belief that it would control obesity. In Medieval times, this miracle herb was considered a sacred herb used to treat disease. Fennel was hung from the rafters to bring good luck and put in keyholes to keep out ghosts and evil spirits.
In medieval times people kept a stash of fennel seeds handy to nibble on through long church services and on fast days, the seeds were considered to be an appetite suppressant and quieted a rumbling stomach. Culpeper also wrote, “All parts of the fennel plant used in drink or broth to make people lean that are too fat.”
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Fennel helps to improve digestion; it quiets hiccups, thus preventing nausea. Its ability to break up uric acid in the tissues helps eliminate gout. This same ability to digest and handle protein digestion and protein waste helps to clear mucus from the liver and lungs. It also works as an antidote to poisonous mushrooms. A decoction of fennel was recommended by Chinese medicine for abdominal pain, colic, and stomach chills.
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Fennel tea helps rid the intestinal tract of mucus. Fennel also functions as a gall bladder and liver cleanser, due to its abilities as a tissue cleanser. It’s also effective for cancer patients after radiation and chemotherapy. Chest rubs are made from essential oil and combined with eucalyptus and a neutral oil for upper respiratory congestion. Decoctions from the roots are prescribed for such urinary problems as kidney stones or such disorders associated with high uric acid content as gout.
Fennel is effective in these areas:
Appetite-suppressant, Asthma, Bedwetting, Bites (insect), Bronchitis, Cholesterol (lowers), Colic, Colon Disorders, Conjunctivitis (compress), Constipation, Convulsions, Coughs, Cramps (abdominal), Digestion (sluggish), Emphysema, eyewash, food poisoning, Gall Bladder, Gas, Gout, Hoarseness, Indigestion, Intestinal Problems, Jaundice, Kidney Stones, Lactation (increases).
Bodily Influence:
Antacid, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-spasmodic, Aromatic, Carminative, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Expectorant, Galactagogue, Parasiticide, Stimulant, Stomachic, Tonic.
References:
Little Herb Encyclopedia, by Jack Ritchason; N.D., Woodland Publishing Incorporated, 1995
The Ultimate Healing System, Course Manual, Copyright 1985, Don Lepore
Planetary Herbology, Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., Lotus Press, 1988
Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, by James A. Duke, Pub. CRP Second Edition 2007
The Complete Medicinal Herbal, by Penelope Ody, Published by Dorling Kindersley