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 Gill-over-the-ground
Glechoma hederacea
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Description
Part Used Medicinally
Medicinal Action and Uses
A
Quote from Gerard
---Synonyms---Nepeta Glechoma (Benth.). Alehoof. Gill-go-over-the-Ground.
Haymaids. Tun-hoof. Hedgemaids. Lizzy-run-up-the-Hedge. Gill-go-by-the-Hedge.
Catsfoot. Robin-run-in-the-Hedge.
---Part Used---Herb.
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---Description---Ground Ivy is one of the commonest plants, flourishing upon
sunny hedge banks and waste ground in all parts of Great Britain. The root is
perennial, throwing out long, trailing, unbranched square stems, which root at
intervals and bear numerous, kidney-shaped leaves of a dark green tint, somewhat
downy with manycelled hairs, and having regular, rounded indentations on the
margins. The leaves are stalked and opposite to one another, the undersides
paler and dotted with glands.
The flowers are placed three or four together in the axils of the upper leaves,
which often have a purplish tint and are two-lipped, of a bright purplish blue,
with small white spots on the lower lip, or more rarely white or pink and open
early in April. The plant continues in blossom through the greater part of the
summer and autumn.
Its popular name is attributed to the resemblance borne by its foliage to that
of the true Ivy.
It varies in size, as well as the degree of colour in the flower, according to
its situation and remains green not only in summer, but, like the true Ivy, at
all times of the year, even throughout winter, unless the frost is very severe.
Green (Universal Herbal, 1832) tells us that Ground Ivy expels the plants which
grow near it, and in consequence impoverishes pastures. Cattle seem in general
to avoid it, though Linnaeus says that sheep eat it; horses are not fond of it,
and goats and swine refuse it. It is thought to be injurious to those horses
that eat much of it, though the expressed juice, mixed with a little wine and
applied morning and evening, has been said to destroy the white specks which
frequently form on their eyes.
The whole plant possesses a balsamic odour and an aromatic, bitter taste, due to
its particular volatile oil, contained in the glands on the under surface of the
leaves. It was one of the principal plants used by the early Saxons to clarify
their beers, before hops had been introduced, the leaves being steeped in the
hot liquor. Hence the names it has also borne; Alehoof and Tunhoof. It not only
improved the flavour and keeping qualities of the beer, but rendered it clearer.
Until the reign of Henry VIII it was in general use for this purpose.
The plant also acquired the name of Gill from the French guiller (to ferment
beer), but as Gill also meant 'a girl,' it came also to be called 'Hedgemaids.'
Some hairy tumours may often be seen in the autumn on the leaves of Ground Ivy,
caused by the puncture of the Cynips glechomae, from which these galls spring.
They have a strong flavour of the plant and are sometimes eaten by the peasantry
of France.
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---Part Used Medicinally---The whole herb, gathered early in May, when most of
the flowers are still quite fresh.
---Medicinal Action and Uses---Diuretic, astringent, tonic and gently stimulant.
Useful in kidney diseases and for indigestion.
From early days, Ground Ivy has been endowed with singular curative virtues, and
is one of the most popular remedies for coughs and nervous headaches. It has
even been extolled before all other vegetable medicines for the cure of
consumption.
An excellent cooling beverage, known in the country as Gill Tea, is made from
this plant, 1 OZ. of the herb being infused with a pint of boiling water,
sweetened with honey, sugar or liquorice, and drunk when cool in wineglassful
doses, three or four times a day. This used to be a favourite remedy with the
poor for coughs of long standing, being much used in consumption. Ground Ivy was
at one time one of the cries of London for making a tea to purify the blood. It
is a wholesome drink and is still considered serviceable in pectoral complaints
and in cases of weakness of the digestive organs, being stimulating and tonic,
though it has long been discarded from the Materia Medica as an official plant,
in favour of others of greater certainty of action. As a medicine useful in
pulmonary complaints, where a tonic for the kidneys is required, it would appear
to possess peculiar suitability, and is well adapted to all kidney complaints.
The expressed juice of the fresh herb is diaphoretic, diuretic and somewhat
astringent; snuffed up the nose, it has been considered curative of headache
when all other remedies have failed. A snuff made from the dried leaves of
Ground Ivy will render marked relief against a dull, congestive headache of the
passive kind.
The expressed juice may also be advantageously used for bruises and 'black
eyes.' It is also employed as an antiscorbutic, for which it has a long-standing
reputation. Combined with Yarrow or Chamomile Flowers it is said to make an
excellent poultice for abscesses, gatherings and tumours.
In America, painters used the Ground Ivy as a preventive of, and remedy for lead
colic, a wineglassful of the freshly-made infusion being taken frequently.
The infusion is also used with advantage as a wash for sore and weak eyes.
Gerard says:
'it is commended against the humming noise and ringing sound of the ears, being
put into them, and for them that are hard of hearing. Matthiolus writeth that
the juice being tempered with Verdergrease is good against fistulas and hollow
ulcers. Dioscorides teacheth that "half a dram of the leaves being drunk in
foure ounces and a half of faire water for 40 or 50 days together is a remedy
against sciatica or ache in the huckle-bone."
Galen hath attributed all the virtues to the flowers. Ground Ivy, Celandine and
Daisies, of each a like quantity, stamped, strained and a little sugar and
rose-water put thereto, and dropt into the eyes, takes away all manner of
inflammation, etc., yea, although the sight were well-nigh gone. It is proved to
be the best medicine in the world. The women of our Northern parts, especially
Wales and Cheshire, do turn Herbe-Ale-hoof into their ale - but the reason I
know not. It also purgeth the head from rheumatic humours flowing from the
brain.'
Culpepper, repeating much that Gerard has already related of the virtues of
Ground Ivy, adds that it is:
'a singular herb for all inward wounds, ulcerated lungs and other parts, either
by itself or boiled with other like herbs; and being drank, in a short time it
easeth all griping pains, windy and choleric humours in the stomach, spleen,
etc., helps the yellow jaundice by opening the stoppings of the gall and liver,
and melancholy by opening the stoppings of the spleen; the decoction of it in
wine drank for some time together procureth ease in sciatica or hip gout; as
also the gout in the hands, knees or feet; if you put to the decoction some
honey and a little burnt alum, it is excellent to gargle any sore mouth or
throat, and to wash sores and ulcers; it speedily heals green wounds, being
bruised and bound thereto.'
He concludes his account of the herb by saying:
'It is good to tun up with new drink, for it will clarify it in a night that it
will be the fitter to be drank the next morning; or if any drink be thick with
removing or any other accident, it will do the like in a few hours.'
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