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Dill
(Anethum
graveolens)
COMMON NAMES: Dilly, garden dill.
MEDICINAL PART: Fruit.
DESCRIPTION:
Dill is an annual plant widely cultivated as a spice but also found growing
wild in North and South America and in Europe. The hollow, finely
grooved stem grows 1 to 3 feet high and is striped dark green and white
with bluish spots. The leaves are bluish-green, bipennate with filiform
leaflets; the base dilates into a sheath surrounding the stem. Flat,
compound umbels of yellow flowers appear from July to September, producing
eventually the oval, ribbed dill seeds.
PROPERTIES AND USES: Antispasmodic, calmative, carminative, diureticm galactagogue, stomachic. Dill tea, made with water or white wine, is a popular remedy for upset stomach. Dill also helps stimulate appetite, and a decoction of the seed may be helpful for insomnia as will as for pains due to flatulence. Nursing mothers can use dill to promote the flow of milk, particularly in combination with anise, coriander, fennel, and caraway. Try chewing the seeds to clear up halitosis.
The leaves and seed have been used in putting up pickles, but pickles should never be introduced into the stomach. Dill has been used to flavor other foods also. Dill is an old-fashioned stomach remedy. It prevents gas and fermentation. It is a splendid remedy for colic in children and can be used in hot milk. Very quieting to the nerves, useful in swellings and pain’s, and stops hiccoughs.
PREPARATION AND DOSAGE:
Infusion: Steep 2 tsp seeds in 1-cup water for 10 to 15 minutes. Take 1/2 cup at a time, 1 to 2 cups a day.
