This plant can still be seen now, poking out of lawns, verges & hedgerows. Ribwort & Broadleaf Plantain are very safe plants. Useful in treating small children & adults.
When I see Ribwort I think mainly of regulating mucus production:
If in the upper part of the body, this plant is useful for chronic coughs with white/clear mucus, continuous runny noses in children & adults, acute yellow or green nasal mucus as seen in sinusitis or nasal congestion due to allergies. For the latter it is best combined with Elderflower (Sambucus nigra).
If in the middle of the body, overproduction of mucus may be associated with fullness & bloating, lack of appetite, tiredness after eating, nausea in the mornings…
If in the lower part of the body, you may see chronic loose stools, discharges, mucus or blood in the stool. It is used to treat problems associated with symptoms of IBS.
If my children ever show signs of a yellow snotty nose, I go out & fill a small saucepan with the leaves of Ribwort or Plantain, bring it to the boil & simmer it gently for 20 minutes. Remove it from the hob & leave it until cooled. I then strain it & give it to the children 2-3 tablespoons at a time. For smaller children you can use a 10ml syringe & squirt it in their mouths. I’d do this 4-6 times in the first 24 -48 hours & usually within this time, the mucus would become clear/white, reducing the risk of ear infections & more severe problems such as bronchitis & sinusitis. This is as equally effective for adults, just make it stronger & take 1/4 to half a cup full 3 x daily. Your tea should resemble a medium strength black tea.
It is useful externally for bruising & wounds. I combine it with Comfrey for this purpose. You can chew the fresh leaves & apply the pulp to insect bites & stings, I have also used this on cuts which have been hard to stop bleeding. The same pulp will also help to draw out splinters & bring boils to a head, for this you can also use compresses of the hot tea on a piece of muslin cloth.
All in all this plant is useful in many ways & is certainly one you can safely incorporate into your lives. It’s around most of the year & once it has flowered the seeds & their husks can be used as a bulk laxative but I’ll talk more about that when the time comes…
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