One of my favorite mint family herbs is lemon balm (Mellissa officinalis). It is a perennial herb which originated from Southern Europe. The medical use of this herb dates back more than 2000 years.
Paracelsus, born Theophrastus von Hohenheim, was a Swiss physician, alchemist, and astrologer of the German Renaissance. He believed lemon balm would completely revivify a man and indicated its use for all complaints of the nervous system.
John Evelyn (1620 – 1706) was an English writer, gardener and diarist who wrote, "Balm is sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory and powerfully chasing away melancholy." The history of John Evelyn's writings – especially his diaries – are fascinating.
In 1992, the skulls of John and Mary were stolen by persons unknown who hacked into the stone sarcophagi on the chapel floor and tore open the coffins. They have not been recovered. I never understood vandalism on graves and headstones.
And finally the famous Nicholas Culpepper said that lemon balm "is excellent in the use to help the memory."
There have been double blind studies involving Lemon Balm that demonstrate dose dependent memory decrements and its anxiolytic like modulation of mood. Grow lemon balm in your garden, or go to www.urbanleaf.com - the worlds smallest garden and grow lemon balm in a bottle in your apartment window sill.
Until tomorrow...