Lamiaceae (Labiatae). Common names: thyme, mountain thyme. Parts used: aerial parts of plants. Pharmacy name: thyme herb - Serpylli herba (formerly: Herba Serpylli).
Botanical description. This subshrub usually develops from a thin, woody rhizome numerous creeping or ascending stems about 15 cm long, round or faceted, glabrous or pubescent. The leaves are small, linear or ovoid, entire and often pubescent. Pink-red flowers are located in capitate whorls or short spikes at the tops of the stems. The whole plant, especially the flowers and leaves, contains a lot of essential oil and therefore has a strong and characteristic odor.
Blooms from May to August. It is found in dry rocky places, on slopes and along roadsides, as well as in sunny forest glades and edges, even on rocks and walls. Often forms luxurious turf.
Collection and preparation. Flowering herbs are collected without roots and immediately dried in the air in the shade.
Active ingredients: essential oil, a little tannin, bitterness, flavonoids (possibly saponins).
Healing action and application. The main active ingredient of this and other thymes is essential oil, which has antispasmodic and disinfectant properties. Lungs and bronchi, stomach, and intestines - these are the organs that are treated with thyme; it relieves irritating coughs, even with whooping cough, revitalizes the activity of the stomach and intestines, stimulates the appetite, so that food is better digested.
Most often, a tea is made from this medicinal plant, which is drunk with sweetened honey for coughs, and with unsweetened honey for gastrointestinal disorders.
Use as a seasoning. Healing plants that have an aromatic scent, which means they contain a lot of essential oil, are often used as seasonings. This also applies to thyme, especially since one variety has a smell that is strongly reminiscent of lemon. Thyme is readily used fresh as an aromatic additive to various types of salads, including fruit ones, in the latter case, however, very carefully. Dried thyme is good for seasoning very fatty dishes, which are better absorbed due to this. Fried potatoes, scrambled eggs with lard, fatty fish dishes and strong soups are especially well digested when thyme is added.
My special advice. There are people who do not tolerate eggs well, especially hard-boiled ones, both in their pure form (then the egg sits on their stomach like a stone) and in salads. For them, a true blessing would be a seasoning mixture that contains thyme, wormwood, rosemary and a little salt. Eggs for breakfast and egg dishes seasoned with this mixture are better digested.
Use in folk medicine. This aromatic herb is very popular in folk medicine. It is used to treat coughs and lung diseases, flatulence and intestinal diseases - usually successfully. They use tea, the preparation of which has already been described above.
Medieval herbalists glorify thyme as a “feminine remedy”; in folk medicine, tea made from it is recommended during menstruation. In addition, alcohol extract (thyme alcohol) is used as a rub for rheumatism and gout. Dislocations, sprains and bruises are treated in the same way.
The cooking methods here are very different. A usable alcohol tincture is obtained by pouring 20 g of thyme herb into 250 g of 70% alcohol and letting it brew for 10 days. After surgical removal of toenails, according to pharmacologist G.V. Aitzen, a foot bath with thyme is very useful.