Natural Remedies… Farmacopoeia… Plants Before Pills.

There’s lots of turbulence in and around big pharma today. Modern medicine can be a lifesaver, so this article on homegrown remedies is NOT an anti-pharma rant. Rather, it’s about focusing on prevention and utilization of the pharmacopoeia (“farmacopoeia”) of healing plants provided by nature first, whenever possible.

In our family we’ve always been interested in medicinal plants and healing through healthy foods first. We always head to the homegrown inexpensive remedies first, before popping prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) pills from bottles, unless it’s a supplement or herbal capsule.

DISCLAIMER: We’re sharing with you, as “virtual neighbors and friends”, from the experience of our own usage as well as research we’ve studied, including traditional medicines and uses by our ancestors and indigenous cultures. We are NOT health professionals, so please use your own discretion as well as that of your trusted health professionals.

Plants before pills… roots and leaves for ills.

“Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be they food.”
~Hippocrates, ancient Greek doctor, philosopher, c.460 bce-375 bce

Yard Food

This—and every—spring, we enjoy salads that include edible weeds with purple flowers such as wild violets – leaves and flowers, dandelion leaves and blossoms, plus a sprinkling of edible weeds like chickweed.

Not only do these plant treasures make for an exotic gourmet salad, especially if sprinkled with a few of the edible flowers, they also pack a powerful nutritional punch. Sometimes we’ll add in wild chives along with a handful of edible leaves from the yard and garden.

Plants – Friends With Benefits

We know you fellow gardeners and plant lovers look upon your plants fondly, and often as friends and — like friends — as blessings. We do too!

38 years ago, I bought my first healing herbs book. I have several now, including digital books on Kindle, hardcover and paperback that are all well worn and yellowed. I’ve always loved the concept of foraging for food and medicine and making our own salves, teas and homegrown remedies. 

I can’t meet a new plant without wondering what nutritional and/or medicinal treasures it may hold, because so often they do. I love how there’s so much we can do to take control of our own health and wellness. Further, that there are so many homegrown remedies as close as our yards and kitchens that we can grow and forage.

And it just makes senses for medicinal plants have been around eons longer than pharmaceuticals. Now, it’s encouraging to see so many more people taking an interest in learning how to use plants for health and medicine.

RELATED: Edible ground covers

A Wealth of Health Growing in the Yard and Garden

We’re grateful daily for the abundance of free information at our fingertips from the world wide web, plus so many books and teachers readily sharing their knowledge online. Most of us have ready access to the entire set of encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and teachers in our pockets, rendering memorization moot. In fact, best not to congest our busy brains with unnecessary facts until we need them!

Of course, the very best way to learn and remember, is to do. When it comes to plants and homegrown remedies, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. There’s such vast abundance of medicinal plants, most with multiple benefits and uses for a plethora of ailments.

But consider the value of learning about just one new plant weekly, or one new thing about a plant we already know and grow. In a year’s time we will know around 50 new plants and bits of information, including how to put them to use in homegrown remedies.

So as I’m updating this article I’m sipping a cup of homegrown tea. This blend has a number of favorite dried herbs, including longevity spinach (gynura), blueberry leaves, lemon balm, and avocado leaves and topped off with a rosehip from our rugosa rose bush, and sweetened with homegrown stevia.

Each one of these plants’ leaves have nutritional and medicinal benefits. And they’re all from our yard and garden. We love how nature provides a wealth of health in the plants all around us, both those planted and those that volunteer to grow, such as the many beneficial weeds.

RELATED: Best dehydrators and methods for drying herbs.

Hands on Learning

I’ve learned most from as-needed usage. For me, the best learning comes from research, study and application of what is needed, when it is needed. 

All the more reason that I’m grateful for ready access to learning from those who’ve devoted their lives to healing herbs and plant lore. When I first started the journey into homegrown remedies 38 years ago, there were a few books available. Today, there are many books, courses and free articles and videos from herbalists sharing their knowledge with the world.

Thank goodness for ready access to the world wide web, available for searching what we need, when we need it, 24/7! And of course… as in the garden, we have to weed out the bad weeds online and focus on the good. Some of it is useful wisdom and some of it is just weeds we don’t need! 😎

You may enjoy this article on Backyard Edible Weeds.

“When it comes to weeds… check before you chuck and investigate before you terminate.
Those plants may just hold hidden treasures that you need.”
~Coleman Alderson, co-owner-GardensAll.com

Growing Health and Wellness

Each year we’re steadily increasing the number of medicinal plants and herbs that we’re growing and making use of. The year of this update, (2022) it’s avocado leaves and strawberry leaves. Last year it was gynura, lemon balm and calendula, which are wonderfully healing for skin irritations and minor abrasions in the form of calendula oil, cream and calendula salve.

Though for convenience we also make good use of some of the many really good herbal remedies increasingly more available on the market today. If you’re short on space or time to grow and make your own, there are many really great remedies readily available, so that’s where we’ll start.

Preventive medicine isn’t part of a physician’s everyday routine, which is spent dispensing drugs and performing surgery.
~Deepak Chopra, MD, holistic health advocate, author, teacher, b.10/22/1946

Before You Grow Your Own, Try Pre-Blended Remedies First. Here’s Why:

Even if you can grow your own, if you’re just getting started at making your own herbal concoctions for homegrown remedies, we recommend buying some pre-made remedies first.

A great time to do this is in winter, when most of us can’t be out gardening as much (or at all), but we have time to experiment and plan. That way you can discover and decide which herbal blends work best for you, before going to the trouble of buying seed, growing, harvesting, dehydrating and blending them!

You can also gather ideas from pre-made herbal blends and concoctions by examining the ingredients labels. As you find a blend you like you can grow the herbs based on the ingredients label.

Sure, you won’t have the exact recipe for proportions, but based on the order of ingredients in the list, you have an idea of the prominent herbs. Then you can find online specific recipes online to which you can adjust to your preferences.

Toward that, here is our go-to mouthwash and mouth rinse, recommended by our dentist, and verified by us over years of use. We’ve resolved many a sore tooth and sore gums situation, by using this mouth tonic. It’s all the better because it’s a natural herbal remedy!

RELATED: This may also help you to determine which plants to grow.

Here’s what the Dental Herb Company has to say about their Herbal Tooth Tonic, which is an essential in our household:

Herbal Tooth Tonic

Reducing Oral Bacteria

“The pure essential oils in Dental Herb Company products are powerful antimicrobials, providing maximum potency and long-lasting effectiveness to combat the harmful oral bacteria that lead to halitosis and periodontal disease.“

Promoting Gingival Healing

“Dental Herb Company products contain gotu kola and Echinacea – two powerful anti-inflammatory herbs shown to stimulate healing and repair damaged tissue. The pure essential oils of lavender and eucalyptus, well known for their soothing and healing properties, are key elements in the formulae.”^[1]https://www.dentalherb.com/

So, to keep on hand for dental ailments, try Dental Tooth Tonic or make your own by growing your own herbs for this. It takes a lot of plants to make even a little bit of essential oils, however, whatever herbs you grow are invariably good for multiple ailments and usually also have culinary or herbal tea benefit.

If you can’t grow your own herbs, you can still save money by purchasing herbs in bulk and making your own or a combination of growing and procuring what you can’t grow. In this list for instance, growing Eucalyptus to make your own eucalyptus oil may not be practical in your growing zone, but you could purchase the eucalyptus oil and grow the other herbs.

Herbs Used for Tooth Tonics

• Gotu Kola or Pennywort (Centella asiatica)
• Echinacea
• Lavender
• Eucalyptus

Started by famed herbalist author, Rosemary Gladstar in 1974,^[2]https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/our-roots/ these Traditional Medicinal herbal teas are most of what’s pictured in the image of our tea drawer below.

Our Go-to Herbal Tea Remedies – store bought or from Amazon, include the following:

(Note: The ingredients in these two popular brands are all organic, but we’re saving time and space by not listing that word repetitively for each item).

• Traditional Medicinals Tea brand is a favorite go to for teas labeled by remedy, such as:
  • Belly Comfort –
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Peppermint leaf, fennel fruit, ginger rhizome, rosehip, papaya leaf, alfalfa herb; cinnamon bark.
  • Cold Care – This is a seasonal sampler of 4 different cold care blends, so a good way to try them all.
  • Dandelion for Detox – Traditional Medicinals has several varieties and we like them all.
    See how to make dandelion tea.
  • Echinacea Plus Elderberry
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Echinacea, elderflower, ginger, chamomile, yarrow, peppermint, echinacea root extract, elderberry fruit dry concentrate,
  • Gas Relief
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Caraway fruit (seeds), coriander fruit (seeds), chamomile flower, lemon balm leaf, peppermint leaf
  • Healthy Cycle (formerly PMS or Female Toner teas)
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Raspberry leaf, licorice root, stinging nettle leaf, dandelion root and leaf, spearmint leaf, rosehip, lemon verbena leaf, lemon grass leaf, ginger rhizome, chamomile flower
  • Smooth Move –
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Senna leaf, chamomile flower, fennel fruit, peppermint leaf
  • Throat Coat –
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Licorice root & extract, slippery elm bark, marshmallow root, wild cherry bark, cinnamon bark, fennel fruit (seeds), orange peel
  • Ginger Digestive Aid –
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Ginger rhizome, blackberry leaf, stevia leaf, lemon myrtle leaf (Backhousia citriodora)
  • Sleep and relaxation teas – Cup of Calm, Nighty Night, Stress Ease – this is a sampler of their various stress relief teas.
• Yogi Tea – All Yogi Tea ingredients are also organic, though we have not repeated that word for each item in the lists below:
  • Echinacea Immune Support –
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Echinacea flower & extract, peppermint leaf, lemongrass, cinnamon bark, licorice root, spearmint leaf, fennel seed, cardamom pod, rosehip, burdock root, mullein leaf, clove bud, stevia leaf, black pepper, black elderberry extract
  • Peach Detox
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Cinnamon bark, ginger root, cardamom pod, burdock root, dandelion root, clove bud, licorice root, orange peel, yellow dock, black pepper, peach pieces
  • Berry Detox Tea –
    ORGANIC INGREDIENTS: Ginger root, fennel seed, hibiscus flower, burdock root, dandelion root, orange peel, honeybush leaf, yellow dock root, stevia leaf, blueberry pieces

Next, learn about 4 popular medicinal herbs you can grow and use for numerous homegrown remedies. We’ll also cover the herb’s benefits, growing medicinal plants and how easy it is to make your own teas.

4 POPULAR EASY TO GROW HERBS VALUED FOR HOME REMEDIES

1. Mint

A favorite herbal tea, mint is an ingredient in many different commercial tea blends, and is much-loved for its refreshing fragrance and its benefits for digestion and calming.

Cucumber water with lemon, mint and other fruits and herbs for the best kind of “vitamin water”!

Growing Mint

Mint is an easy herb to grow and comes in many varieties of mint. But be forewarned, mint can quickly overtake your garden!  For this reason, it is recommended to grow mint in either a container or its own bed. There are many varieties of mint and the healing properties are similar.  Whether you grow peppermint or spearmint, the active compound is menthol.

We’re growing several types of mint, including lemon balm, chocolate mint and spearmint, and you can read more about growing mint here.

CAUTION: The antispasmodic properties of mint may not be advisable if you suffer from acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux). Always check with your doctor first and if approved, test small amounts carefully.

Mint Tea Benefits

• Reduce congestion in a cold or flu
• Minimize gas pain and bloating
• Reduce intestinal cramping
• Mild chest expectorant
• Reduce fever by inducing sweating
• Relieve nausea

Growing mint… so simple and so healthful.

Find more on growing mint and making soothing and medicinal herbal teas at these links. Oh, and we love adding mint to our watermelon smoothies. See why you’ll want to whip up some, including using the seeds.

To think that for YEARS we were tossing those high density nutrients into the compost or trash!! Now we blend them in smoothies using our Vitamix, which works great and you don’t even notice them. You can also get watermelon seed extract and capsules.

But now back to mint and other homegrown remedies, followed by more beneficial plants with many uses.

Mint is easy to grow, harvest and dry for tea, but if you don’t have any homegrown yet, you can save money by purchasing in bulk. For quality organic herbs we like Frontier Herbs and Starwest.

Traditional Uses of Mint by Country

Mint is such a powerful and prolifically used beneficial herb that we’ve included below, (at the end of this article) a listing of traditional uses for mint in a handful of countries. In scanning these lists, you will see a lot of common uses around the world.

2. Ginger – (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae) 

Zingiber officinale is the considered an herb rather than a vegetable. This homely root with intensely pungent flavor, is an ingredient in many natural cough, cold, and nausea treatments.

Brew a nice cup of ginger tea for an upset stomach. You might wish to sweetened it with honey to please the palate, or use Manuka honey for added health benefits and yummy flavor. OR… make some awesome homemade ginger ale without all the nasty high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Homemade ginger ale tastes great, is so much better for you and is easy to make.

Growing Ginger

Ginger is a tropical plant that’s easy to grow indoors. It requires excellent soil, warmth, humidity, and filtered sunlight.^[3]https://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-ginger.html

To grow it, plant some of the ginger rhizomes you find in the produce section of your local supermarket, or ginger root in bulk through Amazon. Plant in a partly shaded location in a well-prepared bed.

GINGER FORMS INCLUDE

• Fresh
• Dried
• Pickled
• Preserved
• Crystallized
• Candied
• Powdered
• Ground

We prefer the fresh or dried ginger root for making ginger tea, or, you can buy ready-made ginger tea bags to have a quick nausea remedy on hand. We especially like this ginger turmeric tea that includes the powerful benefits of turmeric.

GINGER BENEFITS

• AIDS COLD & FLU^[4]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4377061/
  • Helps prevent and improve cold and flu
  • Warm the body of someone suffering from chills
  • Induce sweating to break a fever
  • Soothe a sore throat
• AIDS NAUSEA
  • Prevent or treat motion sickness (better than dimenhydrinate (Dramamine))^[5]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/ 
• ANTI-AGING & ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
  • Antioxidants – very high level; surpassed only by pomegranate^[6]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
  • Decrease, inflammation, swelling and pain
  • Rheumatoid arthritis & Osteoarthritis
• ANALGESIC
• ANTIBACTERIAL
• ANTICANCEROUS
• ANTIDIABETIC
• ANTIFUNGAL
• VERMIFUGE (antiparasitic)

RESEARCH SOURCES:

• Research paper by Ann M. Bode and Zigang Dong,
  • also published in the book: Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects.
• Study on Ginger and Treatment of Diseases, July 12, 2014 PMCID: PMC4106649
• A modern look at an ancient medicinal herb research

Caution: It’s not recommended to exceed 4 grams of ginger per day as compounds in the herb can cause irritation of the mouth, heartburn and diarrhea if taken in excess. Also consult with your physician if you have health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, blood disorders, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.

RELATED: Make Fire Cider with ginger for an immunity boost against cold and flu, and all the better using homegrown ginger and garlic!

You can find more on edible ginger and the white butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium) plant that we’re growing.

This next homegrown remedy is often used in Thai cooking. Before you scroll down, can you guess it?

3. Lemongrass

Lemongrass is another herb that is loaded with healing properties.  The spiky, easy-to-grow plant has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, and antifungal properties, making it helpful in treating a plethora of ailments.

Growing Lemongrass

You can actually root the lemongrass that you buy at the grocery store if the root is still intact. It grows beautifully in a large pot, making it a good herb for the apartment windowsill farmer to cultivate.  Lemongrass can be grown year-round indoors.^[7]https://purplefoodie.com/grow-your-own-lemongrass/#.UfABRY0WLDs

Lemongrass Benefits

• aid in digestion
• calm nervous disorders and anxiety
• aid in the treatment of high blood pressure if consumed daily
• dilate blood vessels and improve circulation
• act as a mild diuretic to reduce fluid retention

4. Echinacea Purpurea

Echinacea is one of the most popular herbs for boosting the immune system during cold and flu season. Widely available in many forms of products, this lovely flowering plant is probably the pinnacle of many herbal preventatives.

Echinacea is not only antibacterial – but it is believed to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight off bacterial and viral attacks. The medicinal properties are in the leaves and the purple flowers.

However, while echinacea remains a staple herb in the natural home remedies inventory as well as pharmacy shelves, the science is not yet conclusive, so more research is needed.

Editor’s Note: There are some citings in earlier research that no scientific studies have conclusively proven the efficacy of echinacea for boosting the immune system or aiding in colds and flu.^[8]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4441164/ ^[9]https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2003/0101/p77.html

However, other studies prove otherwise. Echinacea has been used for centuries with beneficial results, and it has been studied more extensively in Europe and Germany, and only more recently, in the US.^[10]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2362099/

We use it. We don’t think that something scientifically unproven is invalid, especially if there’s anecdotal evidence across cultures dating back before such things were studied. However, it’s important to be informed, so we’re sharing here the common knowledge on echinacea as well as a research paper that dives into the studies and the history of the folklore.^[11]https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/echinacea-for-cold-and-flu/

Growing Echinacea

Echinacea is also known as the “purple coneflower”.  The plant has deep taproots and is somewhat drought resistant. It is a perennial. Sow seeds outdoors in the early spring before the last frost. These plants like full sun and they don’t like too much moisture.

Echinacea Benefits Are Believed to Include:

• enhance the immune system
• relieve pain
• reduce inflammation
• provide antioxidant effects
• shorten illness time for sufferers of the common cold

“Echinacea was the most widely used medicinal plant of the Plains Indians.” 
~Study Kelly Kindscher, 2016, Uses of Echinacea by Native Americans

SOURCE: Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA

Traditional Uses of Echinacea by Native American Indians

19 Plains Indian tribes were documented as using Echinacea species medicinally, and in particular, Echinacea angustifolia.

Echinacea is still being used by Native Americans across the Great Plains for a variety of treatments, including:

• Colds
  • coughs
  • sore throats
• Painkiller
• Snakebite
• Toothache

Lewis and Clark learned about native use of echinacea during their Expedition and in 1805 shipped the roots and seeds back to President Jefferson as one of their more important finds.

RESEARCH: Kelly Kindscher, 2016, Uses of Echinacea by Native Americans^[12]https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-18156-1_2

RELATED: Rosa sinensis, AKA Hibiscus, is also a flower with benefits great to add to teas.

REFERENCE: EatLocalGrown.com

Herbal Remedies for Anxiety and Menopause

Since I’ve had personal experience with these herbal remedies, for any that is may serve, whether that’s you or someone you know. You can try tinctures by this company and end up growing the ones that work for you if you choose to.

There are many wonderful herbal remedies. Two that have been of tremendous benefit for me are: Friend of the Earth Meno-ease and also their Cortisol-ease.

You can read more about my experience with these herbal remedies and how I reduced dramatic menopausal symptoms and anxiety and panic attacks with natural remedies. This may help if you’re struggling with stress, fear and anxiety.

You may also be interested in reading about herbal remedies for cold and flu season, or this one on 3 ingredient herbal teas for cold and flu. And, if you’re just getting started growing herbs you might benefit by one these herb garden kits.

DISCLAIMER: We aren’t doctors offering medical advice of any kind. We’re simply sharing some of the things we use that have helped us and others throughout the ages.

Contributions from the Community

More Homegrown Remedies Ideas

Mint for Anxiety Relief, and Sinus, Colds and Flu Soother

“I use all of those you’ve mentioned. Another way I use mint is hung as a bundle in the shower for quick sinus relief as well as anxiety. Many herbs like mint and ginger help me relieve anxiety and stress. I correlate tummy troubles with stress often times. I still have mint and lemon balm growing in this crazy mild weather.“
~Shannon Schofield, of Shannon’s Sweet Tooth Farm

“New England aster tincture for sinus drainage.”
~Donna Ramsey

“I make raspberry tea for tummy aches and echinacea tea for colds and flu. Along with other herbs mixed in. I made calendula & comfrey salve for skin irritations.”
~Laura LaChance Stubbs, of Candles by Laura Stubbs

Simple Peppermint Spritz for Mosquitoes

“Mix 1 tbsp of peppermint oil and 1 qt of water. We spritz it on before going outside to keep mosquitos, flies, gnats, etc away.”
Debie Baugher 

Traditional Uses of Mint by Country, (listed alphabetically)

• ALGERIA –
  • cough
  • digestive aid
    • antispasmodic 
    • gas and flatulence 
  • nausea
  • insecticida
• AUSTRALIA –
  • abortifacient
  • colds:
    • coughs
    • inhalant
  • headaches
• BRAZIL – 
  • colds:
    • bronchitis
    • coughs
  • fever
  • kidney stones 
  • parasitic worms expulsion:
    • Ascaris lumbricoides
    • Entamoeba histolytica
    • Giardia lamblia
  • stomach ache
• CHINA –
  • common cold
    • sore throat
  • eyes:
    • red eyes
    • superficial visual obstructions
  • headache
  • mouth ulcers
  • skin –
    • sores
    • rashes
  • respiratory:
    • chest distension and oppression
• FINLAND –
  • bronchitis
  • cough
  • flatulence
  • indigestion
  • irritable bowel syndrome
  • nausea / vomiting
• FRANCE –
  • anti-inflammatory
  • antispasmodic
  • blood pressure (hypotensive)
  • calming to nervous system 
  • choleretic
  • digestion
  • flatulence (carminative)
  • insecticidal
  • sedative
  • tonic
• INDIA –
  • abortifacient
  • analgesic
  • antispasmodic
  • aphthae (mouth & tongue ulcers)
  • bronchitis
  • calming
  • chicken pox
  • common cold symptoms
    • congestion (catarrh)
      • respiratory tract 
      • oral mucosa
      • cough
  • digestive aid (stomachic)
  • diuretic 
  • fever
  • flatulence
  • gas discomfort (carminative)
  • headaches / migraines
  • hepatitis
  • hiccups 
  • Inflammation
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
  • memory enhancer
  • menstrual cramps
  • mouthwash
  • muscle pain (myalgia)
  • nausea
  • nerve pain (neuralgia
  • rheumatism
  • sinusitis
  • stimulant
  • toothache
• IRAN – Different parts of the plant (leaves, flower, stem, bark, and seeds) used for:
  • abdominal disorders
  • aphrodisiac
  • anticatarrhal (reduces mucus)
  • antimicrobial
  • antispasmodic
  • arthritis (antirheumatic)
  • asthma & dyspnea (labored breathing)
  • bladder stones
  • blood purifier
  • cholera
  • colds
    • antiseptic
    • bronchitis
    • sinusitis
  • constipation
  • digestive disorders
  • diuretic
  • diarrhea / dysentery
  • fever
  • flatulence (carminative)
  • food poisoning
  • gall stone
  • Headache
  • indigestion
  • insect repellent
  • intestinal colic
  • jaundice
  • kidney stones
  • nausea (antiemetic)
  • parasites / deworming
  • sedative
  • stimulant
  • tonsillitis
  • toothache
  • tuberculosis
  • weakness
  • wound healing
• MOROCCO –
  • colds
  • digestion
  • fatigue
  • headache
  • -SPAIN
  • Hypotensive (lower blood pressure)
• TURKEY –
  • antispasmodic
  • bronchitis 
  • fevers
  • flatulence (carminative)
  • gastrointestinal complaints 
  • inflammation
  • stimulant
• USA –
  • decrease fatigue
  • nervous system stimulant / balancer

SOURCE: Study on the Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Mentha Species, Published: March 15th 2017, DOI: 10.5772/67291 by Fatiha Brahmi, et al

NOTE: While most mints have beneficial properties, you can refer to the study cited and linked before for specific types of mint used by ailment by country.