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Archiver > MDGARRET > 2006-08 > 1156800743


From: "K.Fitzgerald" <>
Subject: RE: [MDGARRET] Medicinal
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 17:32:23 -0400


Hi there,
Don't know about the "yurse" part, but I suspect that by "sliperalum" she
meant "slippery elm".

I fold this on-line for you:
"....
Slippery Elm helps relieve digestive discomfort and provides mucilage to
soothe the digestive tract. It grows widely throughout North America and is
also known by the names Red Elm, Moose Elm and Indian Elm.
.
The plant contains mucilage, a long chain of sugars (polysaccharides) that
make a slippery substance when combined with water. This mucilage is
believed to soothe the digestive system. Slippery elm is also rich in
nutrients and is easy to digest, making it an excellent food during times
of digestive discomfort.
.
It can be made into a gruel. In times of famine, early American settlers
used it as a survival food; George Washington and his troops survived for
several days on slippery elm gruel during the bitter winter at Valley
Forge...."
.
Also:
"...Slippery Elm is taken orally for stomach inflammation, ulcers, and sore
throat. Applied to the skin, it can be used as a treatment for wounds,
burns, and skin conditions.
It is the powdered inner bark of the tree that provides relief. It forms a
slippery, viscous coating that soothes irritation in the throat and the
lining of the stomach. Its water-retaining properties also make it an ideal
ingredient for a soothing compress...."
.
"...Commercial lozenges containing Slippery Elm are best for throat
conditions. For stomach problems, you can make a tea by pouring 1 cup of
boiling water over 1 teaspoonful of Slippery Elm powder. To apply to a
wound or a burn, mix the powder with water to form a paste. ..."
.
"... Slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) has been used as an herbal remedy in North
America for centuries. Native Americans used slippery elm in healing salves
for wounds, boils, ulcers, burns, and skin inflammation. Antiseptic
poultices made from the mucilage or gummy secretion from the bark were
applied to infected wounds. In particular, the Cherokee used Slippery elm
for coughs, skin conditions, and as an eye wash...."

Bye for now,
Kathleen


> [Original Message]
> Subject: [MDGARRET] Medicinal
>
> Doctors and nurses, My great grandmother b. in Somerset County, PA in
1831
> who lived in Garrett County 1860-69 +- wrote her daughter to treat her
husband
> with "sliperalum and yurse." It is the best I can make out from the
writing.
> I don't know a better spelling and I never heard of anything like it.
Does
> anyone recognize it as a treatment of something? This correspondence
took place
> between Kansas and Oklahoma in 1915.
>
> Gerald


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