Unit 4 Picking, drying and storing up of medicinal plants

Folk medicine is the traditional art of medicine as practised among rustic communities and primitive peoples, consisting typically of the use of herbal remedies, fruits and vegetables thought to have healing power. So, folk medicine is the product of wisdom of all mankind. But each nation in connection with different climatic conditions and peculiar plant world has accumulated its own experience of herbs treatment. It is supposed that local herbs influence local inhabitants’ organisms better. Serious illnesses are treated more successfully with the help of complex mixtures of plants, animals and inorganic origin (from 6 to 70 components).

It’s necessary to remember that every organism has its own peculiarities (depending on temperament, composition of elements). What is useful for one person can be harmful for another one.

For medical needs all parts of a plant or just one are gathered. It is very important to know herbs storage time because plants healing properties depend on it. All parts of a plant are stored at the beginning of blossom. At this time the plants are gathered in which people use an overground part. Some kinds of plants are picked even at exact time (in the afternoon or at night). In buds and blossoming period leaves are gathered in the morning after dew dried (except coltsfoot, the leaves of which appear after blossoming). Buds are cut in early spring before swelling as they will lose their healing properties later. Roots are stored in autumn after juice motion stopping or in early spring before its beginning. Roots are washed in running water, never in warm water. Seeds and berries are picked in the period of their full ripening (except hemlock seeds which are gathered unripe) either in the morning or in the evening. Bark is cut in spring during juice movement. Flowers are picked in warm weather after dew during buds formation.

It is necessary to store fresh raw material (except buckthorn bark which is better to use after 2 years storage; dried hypericum grass keeps its properties during 10 years storage).

The best way to dry medicinal plants is on attics , in sheds or balconies in shadow. Never in the sun! Only roots are dried in the sun. The place of dried medicinal plants storage plays a very important role. As a rule herbs are stored in a close packaging in dry and ventilated place at room temperature. Roots are stored in boxes stuck with white paper, grass in cardboard boxes, dried berries and seeds in paper packets. Each box must be marked outside. Roots and rhizomes storage life is about 2-3 years, flowers and leaves storage life is 1 year. Medicinal plants with fragrances are kept in jars separately.

Active Vocabulary

to pick (to gather)	збирати
to dry	сушити
to store up	заготовляти
medicinal plants	лікарські рослини
to accumulate	накопичувати
blossoming	розквіт, цвіт,цвітіння
buds	бруньки
coltsfoot	підбіл
healing effect	цілющий ефект
running water	проточна вода
to ripen	достигати (про плоди)
hemlock	болиголов
bark	кора
buckthorn bark	кора крушини ломної
hypericum grass	трава звіробою
storage life	термін зберігання
essential oil	ефірне масло

Tasks

Task 1. Answer the questions to the text.

1. What is folk medicine?

2. When are roots stored up?

3. When are flowers picked?

4. What is the best way to dry medicinal plants?

5. Does the place of dried medicinal plants storage play a very important role?

Task 2. Match the words.

to accumulate	проточна вода
buckthorn bark	надземна частина
raw material	бруньки
hemlock	пахощі, аромат
overground part	горище
running water	сушити
buds	кора крушини ломної
fragrance	накопичувати
to dry	болиголов
attic	сировина

Task 3. Make up sentences using the following words.

1. Has, nation, treatment, accumulated, of, own, each, experience, its, herbs, treatment.

2. Material, is, necessary, store, fresh, to, raw, it.

3. The, art, folk, is, medicine, traditional, of, medicine.

4. Kinds, of, exact, plants, picked, even, at, some, time, are.

5. Running, roots, washed, water, are, in.

Task 4. Translate into English the following sentences:

1. Народна медицина – продукт мудрості всього людства. 2. Краще діють на людину рослини того регіону, в якому вона проживає. 3. Дуже важливо знати, коли заготовляти рослини, тому що від цього залежить вміст цілющих властивостей. 4. Бруньки зрізують рано навесні до їх набухання, інакше вони не матимуть лікувальної цінності. 5. На сонці сушать тільки коріння та кореневища. 6. Термін зберігання коріння і кореневищ – 2-3 роки, квіток і листя – один рік.

7. Лікарську сировину, що містить ароматичні ефірні олії, зберігають окремо від інших рослин, у банках.

Task 5. Make up dialogues using active vocabulary of the lesson on the topics:

a) “Conversation about local medicinal plants and their gathering techniques”

b) “Instructions how to dry parts of plants properly”

c) “Use of herbs by members of your family”