Common Mint Field Mint,Bo he,BOHE,su bo he,Peppermint,Herba Menthae,Field mint,Old Traditions and modern research.

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Herba Menthae,Field mint:Old Traditions.

Mentha Powder Extract INCI Name Mentha Arvensis Extract CAS 90063-97-1 EINECS ELINCS No 290-058-5 Mint Leaf Extract Mentha haplocalyx Mentha piperita Linn photo picture image Dried mint leaves were found in Egyptian pyramids, dating from 1000 BCE.

 Mint has long been a symbol of hospitality as mentioned by the Roman poet, Ovid, who wrote of two peasants (Baucis and Philemon) who scoured their serving board with the herb before feeding guests.

 It also has an ancient history as a strewing herb for temple floors, rooms, places of recreation, and where feasts and banquets were held. Not only was it strewn about to freshen the air, but also to deter mice. Even today, dried mint leaves are a viable alternative to camphor mothballs.

 The Romans flavoured their wines and sauces with mint. However, when women, who drank the wine, were threatened with death, secret drinkers would mask their breath by chewing a paste made with mint and honey.

 A monk writing during the 9th century, said at that time, there were so many kinds of mint that he would rather count the sparks of Vulcan's furnace. Today, there are more than 600 varieties which continue to hybridize. It is said that the best way to select one is to use the nose rather than askin for it by name.

 Peppermint was first commercially cultivated in England in the 18th century and taken to America soon after, where they are now the world leaders in production.

 Mint was used in England at least as early as the 9th century CE. It was stated that it was good for the stomach as well as for killing worms, curing earaches, healing skin ulcers, dog bites, and head wounds, and increasing the milk supply in nursing mothers. However, other European sources were also convinced that it assured the conception of male children when eaten and acted as a contraceptive when placed in the vagina. (Who would have thought it could be so easy!) However, this is one time that advice should not be heeded.

 Poleo is a native American mint that was used medicinally by the Aztecs in much the same way as it is used today. The Aztecs bundled the herb and kept it for use during the course of the year, just as we dry and store herbs today.

 It is widely used by Native Americans as a medicinal, home deodorizer, perfume, food and beverage flavouring, and as an ingredient in hair oil. They also used mint, along with Boneset and Sage, in a mixture taken as an expectorant and cough syrup.
 The Shoshone and Paiute made a tea from the dried leaves and stems to treat gas.
 The Menominee treated pneumonia by drinking a tea made by combining peppermint with catnip.

 Most Eastern Woodland tribes boiled mint and inhaled the steam to help relieve head colds, congested lungs, and bronchial and sinus conditions, a practice still held by many today.
 The Lakota made a tea from the leaves and a stronger one from the roots to treat headaches.
 The Blackfeet chewed and swallowed about a teaspoon of the dried leaves to treat heart ailments and chest pains.

 Diluted oil of peppermint was sold as a trade item by trappers and traders to Indian tribes. Since these tribes were already familiar with the herb, they valued the potent oil more. This oil was extracted by distillation in England and sold in distinctive clear, green or blue, glass vials with raised lettering. These glass vials have been found in numerous archaeological sites, including those of the Ottawas, Potawatomis, Arikaras, Chippewas, Kickapoos, Omahas, and Pascagoulas. These sites date from about 1760 to 1850. At an Arikara cemetery near Leavenworth, Kansas, a vial was found buried with a five-year-old girl, likely as a final medicinal offering to take on her next journey. Today, peppermint oil is used in many preparations used to treat burns, sunburns, poison ivy, diaper rash, and athlete's foot.

 Mentha refers to Mentha averensis or Mentha haplocalyx. These are Chinese peppermints; Western peppermint is derived from Mentha piperita. The entire tops of the plant are used for the herb, known as bohe (bo refers to this specific mint, but the character is the same as the one meaning "thin" or "slight"; he refers to the water lily; hence, the thin water lily). The Materia Medica in which mentha was first described was the Tang Bencao, also known as the Xinxiu Bencao (659 A.D.), but there was brief mention of it in the earlier Leigong Paozhi Lun (ca. 470 A.D.).

 According to Oriental Materia Medica, mentha is pungent and cool, disperses wind-heat, cleanses the throat, and promotes skin eruptions; it is to be used for fever, headaches, hyperemia (excessive tearing), sore throat, oral and skin lesions, rash, and toothache. When treating a rash, this herb is described as helping to "bring the rash to the surface," implying that it can speed the disease process and help resolve it more quickly (reference is usually made specifically to measles; the herb is thought to benefit itchy rashes in general). In addition, mentha is said to promote the flow of liver qi, though this application tends to be limited; the reference prescriptions for this use are Bupleurum and Tang-kuei Formula, Xiao Yao San, and its modification Bupleurum and Peony Formula, Jiawei Xiao Yao San, which contain mentha for regulating liver qi.

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citations1.Common Mint Field Mint,Bo he,BOHE,su bo he,Peppermint,Herba Menthae,Field mint,Old Traditions and modern research.

last edit date:18th,June.2009.