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 | Raspberry Other Names: Raspbis. Hindberry. Bramble of Mount Ida.
Botanical Name: Rubus idaeus
Family: N.O. Rosaceae |
Habitat: |
| The well-known Raspberry, grown so largely for its fruit, grows wild in some parts of Great Britain. It is a native of many parts of Europe. The stems are erect and shrubby, biennial, with creeping perennial roots. It flowers in May and June. |
Cultivation: |
The plant is generally propagated by suckers, though those raisedfrom layers should be preferred, because they will be better rooted and not so liable to send out suckers. In preparing these plants their fibres should be shortened, but the buds which are placed at a small distance from the stem of the plant must not be cut off, as they produce the new shoots the following summer. Place the plants about 2 feet apart in the rows, allowing 4 or 5 feet between the rows. If planted too closely, without plenty of air between the rows, the fruit will not be so fine.
The most suitable soil is a good, strong loam. They do not thrive so well in a light soil.
In October, cut down all the old wood that has produced fruit in the summer and shorten the young shoots to about 2 feet in length. Dig the spaces between the rows well and dress with a little manure. Beyond weeding during the summer, no further care is needed. It is wise to form new plantations every three or four years, as the fruit on old plants is apt to deteriorate. > |
Constituents: |
The Raspberry contains a crystallizable fruit-sugar, a fragrant volatile oil, pectin, citric and malic acids, mineral salts, colouring matter and water. The ripe fruit is fragrant, subacid and cooling: it allays heat and thirst, and is not liable to acetous fermentation in the stomach.
Raspberry vinegar is an acid syrup made with the fruit-juice, sugar and white-wine vinegar, and when added to water forms an excellent cooling drink in summer, suitable also in feverish cases, where the acid is not an objection. It makes a useful gargle for relaxed, sore throat.
A home-made wine, brewed from the fermented juice of ripe Raspberries, is antiscrofulous, and Raspberry syrup dissolves the tartar of the teeth.
The fruit is also utilized for dyeing purposes. |
Medicinal Usage: |
Astringent and stimulant. Raspberry Leaf Tea, made by the infusion of 1 OZ. of the dried leaves in a pint of boiling water, is employed as a gargle for sore mouths, canker of the throat, and as a wash for wounds and ulcers. The leaves, combined with the powdered bark of Slippery Elm, make a good poultice for cleansing wounds, burns and scalds, removing proud flesh and promoting healing.
An infusion of Raspberry leaves, taken cold, is a reliable remedy for extreme laxity of the bowels. The infusion alone, or as a component part of injections, never fails to give immediate relief. It is useful in stomach complaints of children.
Raspberry Leaf Tea is valuable during parturition. It should be taken freely - warm. |
Ancient Lore: |
RASPBERRY RUBUS IDAFUS
Thefruit ... is somewhat astringent and good to prevent miscarriage.
The common Garden Raspberry is a hardy deciduous shrub of the Rose family.
Where to find it. It is mainly cultivated, but also grows wild in woodland, where it likes the loamy soil.
Flowering time: Late spring to midsummer.
Astrology: Venus owns this shrub.
Medicinal virtues: The fruit has a pleasant grateful smell and taste, is cordial, strengthens the stomach and stays vomiting. It dissolves the tartar- ous concretions on the teeth, but is inferior to Strawberries for that purpose.
Thejuice of the ripe fruit boiled into a syrup is agreeable to the stomach, and prevents sickness and retchings.
Modern uses: The syrup made from the fruits is used to flavour medicines. The leaves are astringent and an infusion of them - i OZ (28 g) to 1 Pt (568 ml) of boiling water - will check simple diarrhoea. The infusion can also be used where there is a fever to encourage sweating. A strong infusion made in the same proportions, but boiled for a few minutes, makes a good gargle for sore throats.
The powdered leaves made into tablets are taken in pregnancy to help childbirth. The infusion can be taken for the same purpose, and for painful menstruation. It has a marked hormonal eftect on the musculature of the uterus, stimulating normal contractions and inducing relaxation between them. If the medicine is to be taken in pregnancy - and it should not be taken in the early weeks - it is advisable to he under the supervision of a medical herbalist. |
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