During the period of the Crusades, ladies embroidered thyme sprigs of the sleeves of their knight’s before they went off to battle. Hundreds of years ago, thyme worn in the hair of a maiden meant she was available for marriage.
One of the oldest herbal remedies, the use of thyme is documented on Egyptian papyri dating back to about 1600 BC. At one time a tincture of thyme was used as a headache remedy and to prevent nightmares.
As a natural antiseptic, thyme is effective against fungal infections like oral and vaginal thrush. As a lotion, the herbal medicine eases athlete’s foot.
Thyme herbal tea used as a gargle is a natural herbal remedy for mouth and throat infections. An infusion of thyme is used to disinfect wounds.
Thyme as an Herbal Medicine
There are many varieties of thyme, but all contain the same natural medicinal properties in their volatile oil which contains thymol, an antimicrobial that helps with infections of the stomach, lung and throat. When the volatile oil passes to the kidneys, it works to disinfect urine and bladder conditions.
Carvacrol, borneol, cineole, linalool and pinene are also found in the volatile oil of the herb thyme, along with other active ingredients including tannins, flavonoids, apigenin and luteolin.
The expectorant properties of thyme have made the herb popular as a natural herbal medicine for the treatment of congested lungs, whooping cough and bronchitis. It has also been used to reduce muscle spasms, especially those that narrow the tiny airways in the lungs, to help ease breathing, and other muscle tension. Colic, indigestion and flatulence have been treated by thyme and the herbal remedy is used as an external aid in disinfecting and healing wounds.
Thyme essential oil is used for perfumes and insect repellents.
Growing Thyme, a Natural Herbal Remedy
Creeping thyme is a perennial with small pinkish flowers that bloom in the summer. The succulent leaves are small and oblong, on thin wiry stems. Thyme is native to mountain regions in southern Europe, and grows well along stone garden paths where their gray-green leaves with paler undersides make a scented carpet. Small flowers varying from white to purple appear in the summer in dense clusters.
Thyme is often grown in gravelly soil as a lawn substitute, and there is a saying that the more it’s walked upon, the faster it grows.
Thyme herb can be root divided in the early spring once the plants are four years old. Upright thyme herb also propagates by layering. Simply scrape away bark on the outside stem and bend it to soil, anchoring with a wire. Cover with good soil, leaving at least 6 inches of the end exposed. These will root over the summer and the new thyme plant will be strong enough to cut away from the main plant in the early fall.
The whole herb is collected for medicinal use when in flower, and is prepared as an infusion or herbal tea, essential oil or tincture.
Sources:
Atha, Anthony. The Ultimate Herb Book. Great Britain: Collens & Brown Limited, 2001.
Polunin, Miriam, Robbins, Christopher. The Natural Pharmacy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992.
Shaudys, Phyllis. The Pleasure of Herbs. Vermont: Storey Communications, 1986.
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