Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Hickory dickory dock




Hickory dickory dock
Forget about the clock
It's the leaves I want to find
They've been preying on my mind


Angie said they were so great
So let me put them on the plate
Of things to talk about today
So, now we're up up and away.




Mixing your Wednesday poem with your Wednesday post can be a challenge it's true but I must do what I do...STOP...whew, think I'm back in control and off the poetry wagon now, although now is such an easy rhyme word...no, I can do this, I won't use the word cow or how or pow or wow or sow.


Now, let's see what we can find out about these elusive dock leaves...


These are called prairie dock leaves...



I found this treasure that says it is a dock leaf sun circle...








This picture was described as dock leaf squares...are you seeing a pattern here or is it just me? (Had to stop checking these pictures out or we would have gone through every geometrical configuration with these "leaves"!!)



Now for some real, sink your teeth into (which you can actually do with these leaves), information from our friend the Internet...

Description

"Yellow dock (Rumex crispus) is a small, leafy plant that grows wild throughout the world. It belongs to the buckwheat or Polygonaceae family. It has yellowish-brown roots, which accounts for its common name. The roots are 8-12 in (20-30 cm) long, about 0.5 in (1.27 cm) thick, fleshy, and usually not forked. The stem is 1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m) high and branched. Yellow dock is also known as curly or curled dock because of its long lance shaped leaves that are slightly ruffled along its edges. The leaves are 6-10 in (15-25 cm) long. Its leaves are used for food while both roots and leaves are used as herbal remedies. Yellow dock is closely related to rhubarb and sorrel. (So feel free to make a yellow dock pie.)

In terms of chemical analysis, yellow dock contains anthraquinone glycosides, tannins, rumicin, and oxalates, including potassium oxalate. (I was really worried that there were NO anthraquinone glycosides as well as this other 'gook' in them, weren't you?)

General Use


Yellow dock is primarily used in the treatment of digestive problems, liver diseases, and skin disorders. It has been described as an alterative, astringent, cholagogue, hepatic, laxative, and nutritive.

Cholagogue - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A cholagogue is a medicinal agent which promotes the discharge of bile from the system, purging it downward.
(Had to look this one up as it is new and now VERY scary to me, especially the part about purging downward...yikes!)

Yellow dock contains relatively small amounts of anthraquinone glycosides, which are strong laxatives in larger doses. Since yellow dock contains only small amounts of these chemicals, however, it is used as a mild laxative. Yellow dock is also used to help support and restore liver function, which is why it is called a hepatic.
(The more I learn about this yellow dock, the louder that scary music from Jaws is getting in my head.)

Applied externally as an antiseptic and an astringent, yellow dock has been used to treat skin cuts, swelling, rashes, boils, burns, bleeding hemorrhoids, dog and insect bites, and wounds. An ancient British charm that was chanted when dock is applied to skin irritations caused by stinging nettle illustrates the use of yellow dock as a skin treatment: "Nettle out, dock in, dock remove the nettle sting."
(Now, I'm liking this part where we get to sing the nettle sting song..but we need a tune and I don't think the Jaws one is gonna work, so let's try Rock A Bye Baby...in fact that is wacko song for a lullaby with the baby coming down with the branch so it is a MUCH better nettle sting song!!)

Yellow dock is also taken internally as a treatment for such skin conditions as psoriasis, eczema, acne, poison ivy, and other rashes, often in combination with such other herbs as red clover (Trifolium pratense), dandelion root (Taraxacum officinalis), cleavers (Galium aparine), and burdock (Arctium lappa).
(Now my question is...WHERE do we find all this stuff, although I do have lots of dandelions, but cleavers, burdock and red clover? I can see myself going into my local grocery store and asking for these and then see the men in white jackets coming to take me away...hmmm, does that mean Eddie Bluelights?)

Yellow dock also has been used in the treatment of liver and gallbladder disorders. It is called a cholagogue because it is thought to stimulate the production of bile and digestive fluids.
(Now, I've been wanting lots of bile and digestive juices just like the rest of you!)

Yellow dock is nutritious, as it contains vitamin C, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. It even contains enough tannin to use in tanning leather.
(So, if you ingest this stuff, will your insides get tanned? This means you will have to say "Hey, everyone, you want to see my tan?" and then open your mouth and go ahhhh!)

For external applications, both roots and leaves are used. The root may be pounded and applied as a poultice. Fresh or boiled leaves and stems are directly placed on skin irritations. An ointment is made by boiling the root in vinegar until the fiber is softened. The pulp is then mixed with a solid grease such as petroleum jelly, animal fat, or vegetable shortening."
(Ya hoo, yet another use for vinegar as well as a stress reliever through root pounding!)

This is what I found when trying to research where to get the yellow dock leaves...
"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rumex obtusifolius, commonly known as Broad-leaved Dock, Bitter Dock, Bluntleaf Dock, Dock Leaf or (confusingly) "butter dock", is a perennial weed, native to Europe but can now be found in the United States and many other countries around the world. "

Time to chuckle...

First Time in Church

Mrs. Harrison took her three-year-old daughter, Jenny, to church for the first time.
After arriving, the church lights were lowered, and then the choir came down the aisle, carrying lighted candles.There was silence in the entire sanctuary until Jenny's voice was suddenly heard, loudly singing: "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you..."
***********

"The Truth About Kids"

You spend the first 2 years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next 16 telling them to sit down and shut-up.

Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your children.

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like clearing the driveway before it has stopped snowing.

There is only one pretty child in the world and every mother has it.- Chinese Proverb.

Mothers of teens know why animals eat their young.

Children are natural mimics, who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.

Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.

The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.

We child proofed our home 3 years ago and they're still getting in!


Church Restoration Project

There was a tradesman, a painter named Jack, who was very interested in making a dollar where he could. So he often would thin down his paint to make it go a wee bit further. As it happened, he got away with this for some time. Eventually the local church decided to do a big restoration project. Jack put in a painting bid and, because his price was so competitive, he got the job. And so he started, erecting the trestles and putting up the planks, and buying the paint and thinning it down with turpentine.

Jack was up on the scaffolding, painting away, the job nearly done, when suddenly there was a horrendous clap of thunder. The sky opened and the rain poured down, washing the thin paint from all over the church and knocking Jack off the scaffold to land on the lawn.

Jack was no fool. He knew this was a judgment from the Almighty, so he fell on his knees and cried, "Oh, God! Forgive me! What should I do?"

And from the thunder, a mighty Voice spoke, "Repaint! Repaint! And thin no more!"

~~~Thank You dear Lord for the blessings of cures in Your natural world, may our kindnesses also cure "pains" in the world.

13 comments:

  1. AHAHA! I didn't see that last one coming. &:o) So, I'm trying to glean the real lesson about yellow dock here, Marcy. It can be good for us, yes? But we don't want to go grazing on it, either, right? I'm going to have to go look around the back twenty and see if we have any here...

    Oh, and by the way, there's a little token for you over at my place!

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  2. Okay, it looks like I should be planting some yellow dock here! Lots of benefits (and maybe a few not-wanted side effects)!
    Very informative, Marcy!
    LOVED the jokes and can commiserate with ALL the feelings on the parent/kid jokes, especially right now!

    You're the best!
    Love you, E

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  3. Hi Ya Marcy!
    I would swear that I have that yellow dock growing in my yard. I thought it was a weed, well maybe it is. Should I try eating it? I could rip it up and make a salad with yes?

    I love all of the kid comments, each one was so, so funny and true!!!

    I think I am going to go rip that baby out of the ground and have a look at the roots!

    Love Di

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  4. I love it!!! "Repaint! Repaint! And thin no more!!!!! HEHEHEHEHEHE!!! Cathy

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  5. Great post Marcy, I too have some in my yard, I think.....like Di I am going to have look and see.
    Loved the jokes and your commentary always makes me chuckle....:-) Hugs

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  6. So that's why we can never find a dock leaf when we need one - you've spirited them all over there! They'all in American back yards!

    About burdoxk: we can get some pop (what's pop in American?0 called Dandelion and Burdock and very lovely t is too. The only real drink to have with fish and chips. I used to think it was just a name but no, it really is made from dandelions and burdocks so somebody must know all about them.

    Eddie Bluelights might be able to infiltrate their natural habitats because his outfit is green and it might be useful in his line of business to know about it. What am I saying - he probably already does.

    You wouldn't catch me eating one or stewing it up, not even if I was ever so ....er.... bound!

    xx

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  7. Very interesting, Angie, but I can't find anything resembling that drink here in America! Now what am I going to drink with my fish and chips?!
    Maybe when we go to Disney World I can ask in the English Pub at Epcot if they serve it!

    Here, Marcy, just in case you want to do a post on the Dandelion drink:
    http://www.herbalremedypro.com/burdock.htm
    But if you do a post, try to come up with something similar here, I don't want to have to travel to Europe or Asia to enjoy it!
    Love you, E

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  8. I found it! I know, Marcy, you've been sitting there waiting on pins and needles for this ~ Sarsaparilla is very similar in taste to Dandelion & Burdock! 'Sasparilla' is yesterday's Root Beer! I know my Grandma and Grandpa used to drink it! I think I heard my Dad talk about drinking it too!
    Nevermind the root beer, I'll stick to drinking regular beer with my fish and chips, thank you!

    Hmmm, Fish and Chips, ice cold beer, now I need to find a good Irish Pub! Think I'll meet Ray downtown after work one of these nights and stop in the Pig And Whistle!

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  9. See Angie thinks I might be useful somewhere in the Universe! Very relieved by that LOL.

    Oh Marcy - I just loved the paint job story finishing, "Repaint, Repaint, thin no more!" Really clever - I will tell that to my patients in the Ambulance and have them in stitches!

    Did you hear about the Irishman who wanted to paint a pub and gave the Landlord a low price. Another paint firm contacted the landlord and offered a much higer price. The landlord said, "Shamus has quited £500 and you quoted £1500, the brewery will never agree to this".
    The painter said, "They will when you give them just one quote, mine!"
    "Why?"
    "Well there is £500 for you, £500 for me and you can let Irish do it for his £500"

    Boom boom!
    Loved the post again, Marcy, great! ~ Eddie

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  10. And another joke, just told to me by my son Jonathan who is almost as nutty as me:

    An Englishman, an Irishman, a Welshman and a Scotsman went into a bar and were met by a vicar, a minister, a rabbi and a priest.
    The barman looked up and said, "What is this? Some kind of joke?"

    I will explain if you do not get it!!

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  11. I know I have some in my yard Marcy!
    This post made me think of my mother...she would pick fresh wild greens every spring...

    Our computers have been down all day due to the fact my husband and I switched computers...his had all of the photos on it...so I was using his for posts and was on it more than he was.

    I mentioned to Eileen that I didn't do a post or poem today and not to tell you :0 but I'm here for my punishment. I'll try to do better!

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  12. Hi Dr. Marcy. I read your post....began to get digestive problems, looked down and discovered a rash....and think I might be developing gall stones. Am searching high and low for Yellow Dock....and in the meantime, am trying to figure out what in the heck Eddie's joke about the bar means. Perhaps I've been away too long....but alas, am going away again. I wanted to stop in, thought and tell you that I miss you, and I hope that you have a terrifc week.
    Love and hugs,
    Jackie

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  13. Tell Jackie that in England (or UK) we sometimes start a joke with, "There was an Englishman, Scotsman etc then it leads into the joke.
    Also sometimes a list of men in the cloth and then it goes into the joke.
    This joke I said was a double wammy!! A cert that a joke was to follow - but it didn't! HA! HA! HA! - never mind ~ Eddie

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