FAMILY:
Rosacea

SPECIES:
Rubus Idaeus

DESCRIPTION:
Raspberry has biennial, bristliy stems with many prickles, pinnate leaves, small white flowers, and delicious red fruit.

USES:
Raspberries are food and flavouring, yield a dye, and give a face mask for reddened skin. they reduce anaemia, and in China are prescribed for kidney problems and bed-wetting. The leaves (properly dried to avoid toxins), contain tannin. leaf tea is taken during late pregnancy to tone uterine and pelvic muscles. The tea reduces menstrual pain.

REMARK:
A Blackberry leaf decoction is a blood and skin tonic, and a poultice treats eczema.

APPLICATIONS:

LEAVES
Infusion: To ease childbirth, take one cup daily in the last six to eight weeks of pregnancy; drink plenty of the warm tea during labour. Can also be used for mild diarrhoea, menstrual problemsor as a gargle for mouth ulcers and sore throats.

Tincture: More astringent than the infusion, the diluted tinture is used on wounds and inflammations, or as a mouthwash for ulcers and gum inflammations.

Wash: Use the infusion for bathing wounds, and apply regularly to varicose ulcers and sores. It also makes a soothing eyewash.

BERRIES
VINEGAR Steep 500 g fruit in 1 litre wine vinegar for two weeks, then strain. This thick red liquid can be added to cough mixtures or used in gargles for sore throats. Its pleasant taste can halp disguise the flavour of other herbal expectorants.

CAUTION:
Avoid high doses of the leaves during early pregnancy, as they can stimulate the uterus.