ΝΑΠΥ
Sinapis alba
(White mustard)
Botanical info:
White mustard is an annual herbaceous plant growing to 70 cm tall, with composite leaves. It grows naturally in loans, fallow lands, valleys, and in lower altitudes. It is native to Europe, north Africa, and west Asia. Flowering late spring to midsummer.
Hippocratic legacy:
a. In Diseases 3:
a. Is recommended for pulmonary diseases.
b. And also, as expectorant.
b. In Regimen 2 white mustard is described:
a. As heating and laxative but also halting urination.
c. In Diseases of Women 1:
a. Is suggested as conception stimulant.
Other uses:
It is named butcher's broom because bunches of stems were once used to clean butcher blocks. Butcher's broom has been used by a variety of peoples as a treatment for a variety of ailments. A classical remedy from Europe claimed that the rhizomes could be used as a diuretic. In ancient Greece, butcher's broom was used as a laxative or diuretic, and it was also believed to remove kidney stones when added to wine. Butcher's broom was also used to reduce swelling and to speed the recovery of fractures.