Plantain
July 28, 2006
Although fairly busy with house and mouse care we did go the farm today for our weekly work share and vegetable pick-up.
While working I was stung by a bee or something like that. Thanks to another bee sting I got last fall while I was at the farm with my mother-in-law I knew just what to do. I found a plantain leaf (plantain is found almost anywhere grass grows) chewed it up a bit and rubbed it directly onto my skin and the pain immediately went away. I had experienced this once, last fall, but I forgot how effective it was.
Backyard plantain
Plantain has 5 "strings"
When I was done working I mentioned this to Jill, the farmer. She shared a story that happened on the farm. A few years ago an inexperienced farm apprentice cut a major blood vessel in a sheep's tummy while shearing it. The sheep was gushing blood but a couple people gathered lots of plantain, chewed it up and applied it to the wound and the bleeding stopped immediately. As it turns out plantain stops bleeding as well as skin pain from insect stings.
I just wanted to share this in case you are out and about with your kids etc... and someone gets stung. I've used plantain to relieve the kid's insect bites as well although it wasn't effective for long term (more than 3 hours).
2010 Post Update:
More plantain goodness can be found in the following posts from the Bulk Herb Store.
