Juniper

JuniperuscommunisL.

We read about the use of juniper in the household in the surviving manuscripts of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Very beautiful, unusually strong wood with an exquisite aroma was used to make furniture, kitchen utensils, toys, amulets, and icons. It has been noted that juniper amulet protects against many infectious diseases. Milk in a jug made from this tree does not turn sour even on a hot summer day, and in barrels steamed with juniper, vegetables pickled for the winter do not spoil for a long time. Juniper wood does not rot and over time even acquires special strength, which is why noble people were buried in very expensive sarcophagi made of juniper. In the poem “On the Properties of Herbs,” special attention is paid to juniper:

It is also good for the stomach. So, healing the chest area.
It relieves excessive, even ingrained, cough.
He is able to provide help against various poisons,
It will also help with cramps and ruptures.
The uterine defect and disease that infertility gives, it takes away;
Its juice heals those who have been bitten by a viper.
So, if it is burnt and mixed with clean water,
Then with anointing he will drive out leprosy from the shameful body.
The sap of the wood destroys his intoxication...
They will smear the head with ointment and this will help it;
Hair, the expert assures, preserves the beauty of the head;
If it falls out, it will become the same as before, and the loss itself will be delayed.
In the same way, but with less guarantee, it will cure baldness,
Having grown hair quickly on the previous chapter of the ridiculous.

In Rus', juniper was called “mozzhukha” or “heather”. Sprigs of heather were used as spices for all kinds of pickles, powdered berries were added to gingerbread dough, and strong drinks were prepared from them. They loved to take a steam bath in a Russian bathhouse with a juniper broom. Huts were fumigated with heather to purify the air and get rid of annoying insects. Threads made from heather were especially strong; they were used to sew together planks for boats and schooners. Juniper oil was one of the main components of the varnish that old masters used to coat musical instruments. Healers kept threads in juniper oil to sew up wounds and treated fresh cuts and festering wounds with it. There is known experience in treating tuberculosis and nervous diseases with the help of juniper.

Not a single tree emits as many phytoncides as juniper, so it is readily planted in cities, but highly polluted air often destroys these useful plants, the lifespan of which in natural conditions reaches 3000 years.

Medicinal properties

1. It thins mucus well and eliminates inflammatory processes in the lungs and bronchi.
2. Used for tuberculosis and chronic respiratory diseases.
3. Used to treat gastric ulcers, indigestion and intestinal motility disorders, gastroenteritis, and heartburn. It has an analgesic effect in intestinal colic.
4. Recommended for cholelithiasis, hepatopathy associated with bile stagnation, increases bile formation and excretion.
5. It is used as a disinfectant for inflammation of the genitourinary system. Effective for papillomatosis of the bladder, urinary retention and urolithiasis.
6. It has a diuretic effect for edema associated with renal failure, circulatory disorders, heart function, and liver function.
7. Promotes the removal of uric acid from the body (which is important in the treatment of rheumatism, gout, arthritis), cholesterol (which is necessary in the treatment of atherosclerosis, diabetes).
8. Effective for diseases associated with metabolic disorders.
9. Increases the elasticity of blood vessels, cleanses the blood. Lowers blood pressure.
10. Recommended for leucorrhoea, delayed menstruation and pain associated with it.
11. Used for obesity and weakening of subcutaneous connective tissue (cellulite).
12. Strengthens the immune system.
13. Causes intensive regeneration of the skin, accelerates the healing of thermal burns.
14. Prescribed for inflammation of the skin, acne, seborrhea, lichen, scabies, eczema, dermatitis, fungal diseases.
15. In folk medicine, it is used to treat hemorrhoids, purulent wounds, as well as for dilated veins, cracks in the skin, ear pain, gum inflammation, gout, malaria, and lack of appetite. Used as a means to promote rapid recovery of the patient, for obstetrics, cleansing the body of toxins and restoring sexual function.
16. Calms the nervous system during stressful conditions and obsessive fears. Tones, relieves mental fatigue, can be used as a sleeping pill.
17. Suitable for normal to oily skin as it cleanses pores well and has drying properties. Stimulates skin cell renewal. Eliminates dandruff.
18. Repels ticks and fleas.

Dosage

Externally: 4-5 k. per 10 ml of vegetable oil.

Internally: 1-2 k. per 1 tsp. oils 2-3 times a day for a month.

Baths: 5-6 k.

Inhalations: 1-3 k.

Compresses: 6-7 k.

Enrichment of cosmetics: 2-3 k. per 10 g of base.

Contraindications. Individual intolerance, pregnancy, acute inflammatory kidney diseases (nephritis, nephrosonephritis).

Note. Overdose and long-term use cause slowly developing and prolonged hypotension, irritation of the renal parenchyma, the appearance of blood in the urine, poisoning, and increased inflammation.