The ancient Egyptians considered chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) to be the flower of the sun god Amun Ra, as it has a temperature-lowering and thirst-quenching effect.
The generic name of the chamomile Matricaria comes from the Latin word mater - mother, which is due to its use to treat many female diseases, and its species name also comes from the ancient Romans, who called it chamaemellon (from chamai - low, mellon - apple), due to the similarity between its smell and the scent of a freshly picked apple.
Dioscurides recommends the baths and poultices for headaches, and kidney ailments as well as: "Chewed chamomile cures canker sores. Some use it as a suppository for recurrent fevers (chamomile is mashed into a fine paste with oil)."
Basic Benefits
Chamomile is one of the best anti-inflammatory agents. It also helps to soothe gastrointestinal ailments, spasms, colic, high fever in children.
Bulgarian folk medicine recommends chamomile for inflammation and stones in the kidneys and bladder, for inflammation of the stomach and intestines, for shortness of breath, jaundice, epilepsy, headache, pain in the stomach and intestines.
For drinking as an infusion, chamomile is also used for difficult urination and hemoptysis, to regulate insufficient menstruation, for rheumatism, sciatica, and mouth fungus.
Externally, chamomile is used to prepare poultices for wounds, boils, and cancer, for washings for inflammation of the eyes, for white discharge and inflammation of the uterus, hemorrhoids, sores in the mouth, for gargling for sore throat, toothache, inflammation of the tonsils, bad breath of the mouth.
The dried herb can also be used to fumigate bed bugs and other insects.
Recipes
Chamomile infusion is prepared as 1 tbsp. of the herb is poured with 200 ml of boiling water and left to soak for 1 hour. It is drunk at once. This is done 3 times a day, because hamazulene, which is responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect of chamomile, quickly decomposes in an aqueous solution.
Oil extraction: Once dry enough, the flowers are placed in a clean, dry jar. It is topped up with olive oil (or oil) and left for 30-40 days in the sun. The mixture is then strained and poured into glass bottles or jars and stored in a dark and cool place. Extremely suitable for delicate, sensitive, and allergic skin. It is used successfully for very dry, chapped, and dehydrated skin.
Ointment: 250 g of desalted lard is heated well. Add 2 heaping handfuls of fresh chamomile flowers. Leave for a while and remove from the oven. The next day, the mixture is slightly warmed, filtered through a linen cloth, and poured into clean glasses. It is stored in a refrigerator.
