Click on a letter to see pictures and individual herb information with folklore usages.
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I-K - L - M - N-O - P - Q-R - S - T - U-V - W-Y
Some herbs are known to react with your medication. Please consult your physician before starting on any herb.
BARLEY HORDEUM VULGARE
Family: Hordeum distichon
---Synonyms---Pearl Barley. Perlatum.
---Part Used---Decorticated seeds.
Pearl Barley is the grain without its skin; rounded and polished; this is
the official variety. Taste and odour farinaceous. The Scotch, milled, or
pot barley isthe grain with husks only partly removed. Patent Barley is the
ground decorticated grain.
---Medicinal Action and Uses---Barley is nutritional and demulcent. It is rich in vitamins B and E and is recommended for those convalescing. It is given as Barley-water or as an extract of malt. Barley-water is soothing to the bowel where there is inflammation or diarrhea. Hordenine, an alkaloid with properties similar to ephedrine, is produced in the root of the germinating grain, and is therefore of value in the treatment of asthma and bronchitis.
Pearl Barley is used for the preparation of a decoction which is a nutritive and demulcent drink in febrile conditions and in catarrhal affections of the respiratory and urinary organs: barley water is used to dilute cows' milk for young infants, it prevents the formation of hard masses of curd in the stomach. Malt is produced from barley by a process of steeping and drying which develop a ferment 'diatase' needed for the production of alcoholic malt liquors, but in the form of Malt Extract it is largely used in medicine. Vinegar is an acid liquid produced by oxidation of fermented malt wort. Malt vinegar is the only vinegar that should be used medicinally.
| BALM | BARLEY | BILBERRIES | BAY TRE | BEANS |
| BLUE-BOTTLE | BORAGE | BETONY | BIRCH TREE | BLACKBERRY |
| BUCKTHORN | BASIL |