What were the virtues of borage?

By Chelsie Vandaveer

July 15, 2002

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Cool-tankard is now commonly known as borage (Borago officinalis Linnaeus). In A Modern Herbal (1931), Mrs. Grieve explains the use, "When steeped in water, it imparts a coolness to it and a faint cucumber flavour, and compounded with lemon and sugar in wine,...it makes a refreshing and restorative summer drink. It was formerly always an ingredient in
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Borago officinalis (Borage), Close-up of Hairy Blue Flowers with Buds Photographic Print Hemant Jariwala Buy Photographic Print at AllPosters.com

cool tankards of wine and cider."

John Gerard (The Herbal, 1633 ed.) believed borage was the herb Pliny the Elder called Euphrosinum for Euphrosyne (Mirth), one of the three Graces. He states "the old verse concerning Borage doth testifie: Ego Borago gaudia semper ago. I Borage bring always courage." Gaudia also translates as "cause of joy, source of delight". The age and source of the verse are not known.

Gerard highly recommended the herb, "The leaves and floures of Borage put into Wine make men and women glad and merry, and drive away all sadnesse, dulnesse, and melancholy....Syrrup made of the floures...comforteth the heart...and quieteth the phrenticke (frantic) and lunaticke person.
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Borago officinalis (Borage) Photographic Print Hemant Jariwala
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Syrrup made of the juice...is good against swouning (swooning), and the cardiacke passion of the heart...."

Borage was a widespread panacea. Gerard said of its Vertues: "Those of our time do use the floures in salads, to exhilerate....There be also many things made of them, used every where for the comfort of the heart, for the driving away of sorrow, and encreasing the joy of the minde."

The BioPix has excellent photographs of borage. To view the photographs, click on the link:

Click here to view the photographs

killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~

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