>> You're changing your mind about whether there was a solid basis for recommending a treatment in this case? Earlier in the thread when I pointed out that it was unclear where the "skin fungus" diagnosis came from, you said: "Ok - that makes sense.". No, I agree that asking if someone has been diagnosed makes sense. But we didn't get an answer - so we can assume nothing about that person ... yet you follow up on an indeterminate situation by assuming that people are making guesses as to what it is. We don't know if it was self diagnosis or a definite diagnosis. >> Your other link is on effects of herbal oils on bacterial cultures No, on the effects of essential oils on fungal cultures, as we were discussing tinea, a group of fungal diseases. Also, I suggest we keep in mind 3 other things here: location, location, and location. Trying to treat an internal infection with a substance only shown to be effective in test tube studies does require extrapolation that may be unwarranted ... some organ in the body may absorb or metabolize the treatment and keep it from reaching adequate concentrations where the infection is. On the other hand, when we are dealing with skin infections, essential oils can be applied rather directly. There are other studies that have shown that essentials oils applied to the skin of humans are effective in treating dermatophyte fungal infections - I know you've said that you can't be expected to look up any information beyond what is presented (which doesn't stop you from giving an 'expert' opinion on something that you are unfamiliar with) - so I'll leave one such link here, though it certainly isn't the only one. My bottom line - plants (and bees) have evolved to produce plenty of antifungal substances, and applying such substances to non-life-threatening skin infections appears to be a reasonably effective manner of treating such infections. Here is a link that might be useful: Broad spectrum herbal therapy against superficial fungal infections.

I highly recommend Horehound. It is a very bitter medicinal herb, generally recognized as useful in bronchial conditions. It likes a very well-drained position, and grows best for me in above-ground pots. It needs protection from faster growing plants--it is OK near things like Thyme and the smaller forms of Sage, but definitely not the Mints. Valerian is useful for nervous conditions, and has a fragrant inflorescence. It grows fairly tall but is an attractive plant. Comfrey is pretty close to being a rank weed similar to Mullein but I like to use it in places that would otherwise attract true weeds. It is a bully and will grow straight up at first, then let its stalks fall down, shading out anything in a 3 to 4 foot diameter. It can be used externally for injuries. Skullcap is also a rather attractive plant with interesting flower stalks...it has grown well for me and even reseeded itself lightly. Feverfew is good for migraine headaches, and is a small and rather attractive fern-like leaved little daisy-type plant that grows in attractive clumps. It works by doing something irreversible to smooth muscle, so should be used with caution. There are many medicinal herbs that treat similar conditions, so it's really more practical to try to discover the ones that do best in your area, for the conditions you want, and try to grow those. If you ask in the forums for your area, posters can tell you what has done well for them in that zone. Also, some really good medicinal herbs are either so large that you wouldn't want them to share a bed with the others, or so tiny that they really do better with the protection of their own pot.

Nat, I wouldn't eat any herbs that have been treated with chemicals to get rid of insects. The only thing that I use occasionally on my herbs is a sea weed-fish emulsion feed. I grow lemongrass here in south Texas as a year round clump of "grass". Lots of people grow pampas grass and other ornamental grasses for landscaping, but I like lemongrass the best because it looks good, and it is a culinary herb. Mine grow to about 5' and will put out flowers every year. I have a large yard, and I have two planted up against the fence. I also have several growing in pots in my greenhouse. They make nice presents for my "herbie friends"! Here are some more recipes that I have picked up here and there. I just can't remember where here and there came from. TOM KA GAI (Chicken coconut soup) 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk 1 cup chicken broth 3 to 4 thin slices galangal root (some recipes substitute ginger, but others say absolutely do not substitute) 3 kefir (kaffir) lime leaves 1 stalk lemongrass, lower portion cut into 1-inch lengths and crushed 6 straw mushrooms 4 ounces chopped chicken 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons lime juice Cilantro Ground chili powder (optional) In saucepan, combine coconut milk, chicken broth, galangal, kefir lime leaves, lemongrass and straw mushrooms and heat over medium until boiling. Add chicken; simmer about 2 minutes, or until chicken is cooked. Mix in sugar, salt and lime juice. Garnish with cilantro. If desired, add ground chili powder to achieve desired spiciness. Makes 2 servings. THAI TURKEY SAUSAGE From Sunset Perfect for campouts, you can cook up a big batch of patties at home and freeze. Heat them in camp for a great breakfast with eggs or hash-browns (Wilderness Cuisine author Carole Latimer uses sweet potatoes), tangerine juice, and papaya wedges. Notes: It's easiest to mince lemon grass in a food processor or minichopper. For best texture, mince the remaining ingredients with a knife. 1 pound ground turkey 1/4 pound green beans, ends and strings removed, minced 8 green onions, ends trimmed, minced 1 stalk (5 to 8 in.) fresh lemon grass, tough outer layers, stem end, and coarse leaves removed, minced 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh serrano chilies (2 or 3), stemmed, seeded, and finely minced 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) 1 large egg 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon sugar About 2 tablespoons olive oil 1. At home: Mix turkey well with beans, onions, lemon grass, cilantro, chilies (lesser amount for mildest flavor), fish sauce, egg, cornstarch, and sugar. Divide into 16 equal portions and shape into 16 patties, each 1/2 inch thick. 2. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add a few patties, without crowding. Cook until brown on each side and no longer pink in center (cut to test), about 7 minutes total. Remove as cooked and drain on paper towels; add more patties to pan. 3. When patties are cool, freeze in a single layer in a metal pan until hard, then seal airtight in plastic freezer bags. Transport in an insulated chest. 4. In camp: Place frozen patties in a 9- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over low heat, cover, and cook until warm, 3 to 5 minutes; turn at least once. Nutritional analysis per patty. Yield: Makes 16 patties; 8 servings NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 73(53% from fat); FAT 4.3g(sat 0.9g); PROTEIN 5.9g; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; SODIUM 107mg; FIBER 0.3g; CARBOHYDRATE 2.4g HOT AND SOUR SOUP 6-1/2 cups chicken stock 1 heaping tablespoon tom yam hot and sour paste 4 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (optional) 1 stick lemongrass, tender inner part only, roughly chopped juice of 1 lime 4 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla) 2-3 small jalapenos or fresh red or green chilies, finely chopped 1 teaspoon sugar 1-1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons straw or button mushrooms, halved or quartered according to size 1 pound 2 ounces peeled raw shrimp, thawed if frozen 5 small scallions, cut into short lengths and then into strips small bunch cilantro, chopped Heat the stock and tom yam paste in a decent-sized saucepan with the lime leaves, lemongrass, lime juice, fish sauce, chilies and sugar. Bring to a boil, add the mushrooms and simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the shrimp and scallions and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked but still tender. Sprinkle with a little cilantro and put more on the table for people to add themselves as they want. Serves 4-6. LEMONGRASS CHICKEN (2) 1kg whole chicken 1 1/4 cups water salt and pepper to taste 6-8 lemongrass leaves, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon cornflour milk Place the chicken on a saucer in a saucepan. Add the water, sprinkle salt and pepper over and heap the lemongrass onto the breast. Cover and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, basting occasionally with the liquid. To eat hot, remove chicken and keep warm. Strain the liquid into a small saucepan and stir in a tablespoon cornflour blended to a smooth paste with a little milk. Stir until thickened and pour over the chicken. To eat the chicken cold, put it into a deep bowl and pour the strained liquid over it. Cool, then chill overnight. The liquid will have jelled and there will be a layer of fat which should be removed. LEMONGRASS COCONUT SORBET 10 stalks lemongrass 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 cup coconut milk (stir before measuring) Peel the tough outer layers from the lemongrass and discard them. Cut the remainder into 1cm lengths. In a saucepan over high heat, combine lemongrass, sugar, salt and 2 cups water. Stir until liquid comes to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 20 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids to extract moisture. Discard solids. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir syrup until cool, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Whisk in the coconut milk. If mixture is lumpy, pour through a fine strainer. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze. Or freeze in a suitable dish until just firm , 2-4 hours. Scoop into bowls, or scrape with a large form to form a slushy ice. Serve immediately. TOMATO LEMONGRASS SALSA 2 stalks lemongrass 2 green or red chilles, finely chopped 1 large tomato, coarsely diced 1 small red onion, finely diced 2 tablespoons chopped coriander 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon sesame oil salt Combine all ingredients and let sit at room temperature for about one hour, then refrigerate. Use within one day. LEMONGRASS SYLLABUB 4 stems lemongrass, chopped finely 20g chopped fresh ginger 120g castor sugar 200ml water 300ml thickened cream 1 tablespoon brandy 2 tablespoons lime juice Place the lemongrass, ginger, castor sugar and water in a saucepan, stir over heat until sugar has dissolved. Boil for 10 minutes, then leave to cool. Strain. May be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Delicious spooned over ice cream. To make the syllabub, add the syrup, brandy, and lime juice to the cream and whisk together until soft peaks form. Serve in glass dishes with a few gratings of lime zest if desired. The syllabub can also be used as a filling for Pavlova. Fill a pavlova case with the syllabub, sprinkle over some cubed mango. Sweeten some passionfruit pulp with a little sugar, then drizzle over the mango. KAFFIR LIME AND CHICKEN STIRFRY 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste 3-4 Kaffir lime leaves 3-4 chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 1 cup coconut cream 1-2 tablespoons fish sauce juice of 1 lime 1 cup chopped pineapple chopped coriander or parsley to garnish Fry onions until lightly browned, remove from pan. Stirfry curry paste and Kaffir lime leaves together over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken, fry for 1-2 minutes. Add coconut cream, fish sauce, lime juice and onions. Add enough water to barely cover the mixture, simmer for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add pineapple, simmer a further 2-3 minutes. Serve on a bed of boiled rice and garnish with coriander. KAFFIR LIME AND GINGER MELON SALAD 1/2 red pawpaw 1/2 honeydew melon 1/2 yellow rockmelon 3 fresh kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded 1 1/2 cups water 3/4 cup castor sugar 2 tablespoons julienned fresh ginger juice of one lime 6 kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn Greek yoghurt to serve. Combine water, sugar, ginger and lime leaves in a saucepan, heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove leaves, set aside to cool. Peel and slice melons into wedges of the same size. Place in a serving bowl and drizzle the syrup over the fruit. Garnish with shredded kaffir leaves and serve with chilled yoghurt. THAI CHICKEN AND LEMONGRASS SOUP From the Frugal Gourmet 6 cups chicken stock 4 slices dried galangal root 1 slice fresh ginger, the size of a quarter 2 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced 3 shallots, peeled and sliced 7 dried kaffir lime leaves 3 stalks lemongrass, peeled and the bottom 5 inches chopped 1 tsp Thai red curry paste 1 tbls sugar 1 14 oz. can coconut milk 3 tbls Thai fish sauce 3/4 lb. thinly sliced skinless and boneless chicken breasts 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced 2 tbls freshly squeezed lime juice Salt and Pepper to taste Fresh coriander for garnish. Place chicken stock in 6 quart kettle and add the galangal root, ginger, garlic, shallots, lime leaves, lemongrass and red curry paste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the stock and discard the solids. Return the stock to the pot, add the sugar, coconut milk and fish sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer again. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except garnish and bring to serving temperature. Garnish with fresh coriander if you wish. Note: many Thai cooks prefer to leave the solids in the soup stock and do not drain it at all. This gives a bit brighter flavor, if you wish. Linda

The last month has been amazing for both making fresh herbal teas and drying herbs for teas after all the fresh stuff dies back in the fall and winter. Lemongrass is just one of the things I put in my teapot when making tea, but it's real simple - I cut off a couple stalks a couple inches above the ground, rinse it, and either shove the whole thing in the pot or cut it in two-inch pieces. For drying, I cut it into about six-inch pieces, then once dry I cut it into smaller pieces for addition to my tea blend. Of course, I almost never would put only that in my teapot - I'd also include some mints, some stevia, lemon balm or lemon verbena, pineapple sage, catnip, nettles, bee balm, etc. Of course bee balm is now flowering, and it has a much more sage like flavor, but I have cut and dried some of the flowers to add to my blend (the red flowers add a nice pink color to the tea). It really just depends on what I want. The other day I made a tea with a lot of strawberry mint, some lemon verbena, stevia, and anise hyssop, and a little store-bought green tea (it's looking like it will be years before the tea camelia's I planted will get big enough to supply all the green tea we drink). It was great. I think it's a far better bet to find some fresh lemongrass stalks at an Asian market or some grocery stores, put in a glass with water to see if roots sprout (or straight into a pot keeping the soil moist), and then potting it up. I've kept mine going for years, splitting what was overwintered in a pot each spring, half in the garden, half back in the pot with some fresh potting soil, bringing the pot in before danger of frost. Seed for lemongrass seems like a process that will just take far too much time, particularly for something that really wants full sun and heat but dies if left out in the winter. I want big massive bunches of it fast once it gets hot, because just like lots of other grasses, in the scorching blaze and dryness of late summer lemongrass suffers just like any other grass. I split mine and put some in the garden (here in Virginia) just a little over a month ago, and both the potted and the garden plant are already huge cascading fronds ready for tea.