Flora Palaestina Ethnobotany

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Linum usitatissimum L.

Family

Linaceae

Synonym(s)

English name(s)

Flax

Arabic Name(s)

kittan كتان

Hebrew Name(s)

pishta tarbutit

פִּשְׁתָּה תַּרְבּוּתִית

Life Form

Annual

Habitat

Disturbed habitats

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Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Linum usitatissimum L.

System/State	Traditional Complaint/Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/ Administration	Parts Used	Source
Dermatological	Stimulant/ irritant	Rubefacient	Prepare compress/ poultice using either Linum seeds or Linum seeds + mustard seeds. (See NOTES 1 & 2).	Seed	Z
Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT)	Tonsilitis	Anti-Infective	Cook seeds in water, mash & spread on cloth/bandage; apply to throat.	Seed	Z
Gastrointestinal	Diarrhea/ dysentery	Anti-Infective, Anti-diarrheal	Boil/blanch seeds (Hebrew: "tashlik" (see NOTES 3) or prepare an infusion & drink.	Seed	Z
Gastrointestinal	Enterocolitis	Anti-Infective, Anti-inflammatory, Demulcent	Decoct seeds & use as an enema.	Seed	Z
Infectious Diseases	Gonorrhoea	Anti-Infective	Boil/blanch seeds (Hebrew "tashlik")(see NOTES 3) or prepare an infusion & drink.	Seed	Z
Infectious Diseases	Mumps	Anti-Infective	Macerate/ soften seeds in water, prepare a compress & apply to swelling.	Seed	Z
Kidney & Urinary Tract	Kidney inflammation/ proteinuria/ haematuria	Anti-inflammatory	Boil/ blanch seeds (Hebrew "tashlik") (See NOTES 3) or prepare an infusion & drink.	Seed	Z
Kidney & Urinary Tract	Kidney stones & sand in urinary tract	Anti-lithic	1. Cook seeds + barley or barley + "hilbeh" (Trigonella foenum-graecum) & drink. 2. Boil seeds in water & drink.	Seed	Z
Musculoskeletal/ Joints	Gout/ rheumatism & internal inflammation	Analgesic, Anti-arthritic, Anti-inflammatory, Uricolytic	1.Prepare poultice (See NOTES 1) by adding boiling water to powdered seeds or cold water to powdered seeds & boiling. (Admin. not specified but probably applied to affected area). 2. Prepare compress (See NOTES 2) by macerating seeds in water & adding to cloth for external application.	Seed	Z
Nervous System	Chronic headache	Analgesic	Mix roasted, ground seeds + sugar & eat x1 teaspoonful mornings followed by raw egg.	Seed	Z
Oral Health	Halitosis (bad breath)	Mouth wash	Boil seeds in water & use to gargle.	Seed	Z
Respiratory	Cough/ rhinorrhoea (runny nose)	Anti-catarrhal, Anti-tussive	1. Boil/blanch seeds (Hebrew: "tashlik") (See NOTES 3) or prepare infusion of them & drink. 2. Roast seeds over fire, grind + fadi sugar & eat x3 teaspoons/day. 3. Cook seeds + "babunej" (Matricaria sp.) + Althaea sp. + sugar & drink.	Seed	Z
Womens Health	Uterine inflammation after childbirth	Anti-inflammatory	Decoct seeds + "khubbazi" (Malva sp.) & use as douche or enema.	Seed	Z
Wound Healing	Open boil/ purulent lesion/ wound	Vulnerary	1. Grind seeds, moisten + water or vinegar & bandage affected area. 2. Cook ground seeds in little water, spread over cloth & bandage lesion (softens & opens lesion). 3. Apply powdered seeds to dry purulent lesion after pus is released. 4. Unravel flax/linen (Linum) cloth, dip in cold water & apply flax fibers to lesion for not more than 6 hours. (CAUTION: cloth should not be left on the lesion for too long.)	Seed, Stem	Z

The authors of FLORAPALE, (Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical) web site do not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants described here. Always seek advice from a health professional before using a plant medicinally or for other purposes. See DISCLAIMER.

Notes

1. A poultice is a soft moist mass of material (e.g.plant or flour) spread on cloth & then placed over the skin.
2. A compress or fomentation is a folded cloth or pad soaked in a strong herbal solution & applied externally to body part.
3. In some preperations the Hebrew word "tashlik" is used. Z translates this as boiling or blanching a plant & mentions that "it probably differs from a decoction in that a shorter boiling time is needed". The watery extract is then drunk.

Cautions

Seeds & other parts of some strains of Linum usitatissimum contain cyanogenic glycosides which can be toxic if water is drunk at the same time. Contraindicated in oesophageal stricture, slow bowel movement condition & acute gut inflammatory conditions. Can also cause bowel obstruction if fluid intake is inadequte.