Horsemint, also known as Eastern Bee balm, Wild Bergamot, Wild Oswego Tea, and Monarda is a very common and useful medicinal herb. Horsemint has a distinctive citrus or lemony scent when the leaves are rubbed or crushed.
It is very easy to grow and often forms large colonies. Bees and butterflies are attracted to this plant. Horsemint has the highest thymol content of all the mints. It is more than an antiseptic, mite-killer and cough syrup ingredient.
As a depressant, it is one of the most commonly abused substances among anaesthesiologists and nurses. If thymol were discovered today it would be a prescription drug.
This herb tea can be drunk for a variety of digestive disorders including PMS cramps, stomach ache, flatulence, bloating, and indigestion and many more common ailments.
It is also a carminative which means it either prevents formation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract or facilitates the expulsion of any gas in your system.
Horsemint is used as a natural insect repellent, and when it is plentiful you can grab a handful of leaves and rub them on your skin to keep the bugs away.It contains the oil citronellol that is used commercially in some insect repellents and lotions.
It contains cardiac, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, sudorific, emmenagogue, aromatic, stomachic, calmative and mild alterative therapeutic properties. One tribe drank a cold extract to relieve backache, and another to stimulate heart action.
A tisane made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis.
Long before the Europeans came to America, the Native American tribes were using Bee Balm as a cold remedy and an antiseptic.
Even today, the essential oil is being scientifically researched for its benefits in treating wounds and preventing against infections. Herbs have always been used for its health benefits and is still popularly used today.
