Chickweed

Chickweed is a wonderful ointment or cream for skin rashes or conditions that ooze and weep like eczema. It is soothing to the itchy, burning effects of cuts, wounds, and other skin conditions.

Chickweed is a very common weed and found in most gardens and fields. You can collect it throughout the year. The springtime is when it is best picked fresh and can be enjoyed in your own salads, as well as the horse's big overgrown salad of a field. When cooked, it is similar to spinach. Watch where you walk in your yard and fields. You are probably stepping on this low-growing, ground-creeping plant with small star shaped white flowers.

Juliette de Bairacli Levy, author of The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable , claims that, "It is one of the few readily edible herbs containing a richness of copper. All animals should be encouraged to feed upon it -- It is one of the herbs most praised by Turkish gypsies, not only for its edible qualities, but also its potent medicinal properties, as it contains many of the soothing and tonic powers of Slippery Elm. The whole plant is used. It is a highly tonic food for the digestive system, and a remedy for all stomach ailments. "

It is highly regarded by many for its cooling effects and value in dealing with blood toxicity, fevers, inflammation and other hot diseases. It is considered to have demulcent (soothing substances taken internally), emollient (softening, soothing to the skin), expectorant (helps to expel mucus from lungs and throat), antitussive (prevents coughing), antipyretic (cooling herbs used to reduce fevers), alterative (blood cleansing) and vulnerary (wound healing) properties.

It is wonderful to support the body after a long term illness since it is very nutritious, rich in vitamins A, B, C, and Biotin, and rich in minerals like Calcium, Iron, Copper, Zinc and Manganese.