Nettles?

[fishin_musician]

Have you ever walked into a god awful old stinging nettle plant? One about as high as you are. Or wading through a bunch of brush in the woods have you ever run into their low bush cousins? I'm not sure what they are called but they get about 18 inches high and have the nettle effect. When it happens to me, I get soome mud from the nearest ditch or crick and smear it on my leg or arm where ever the nettles hit me. The mud soothes the sting and as it dries it adheres to the stingers and pulls them out of your skin. Petty neat.

[JMarrs]

yea, in high school we were doing a cross country run to prepare for soccer season, and we cut across a small creek. i got my foot tangled up in some of it, and it felt like my leg had caught on fire!

[beagles]

I am all too familiar with the stinging nettles.  They grow tall and thick along the Susky.  During the early training of the dog you see in my profile pic, I used to take her to the river to run rabbits. Each time she would always seem to be running the rabbits hardest in the nettles.  You couldn't see her in there, but you could sure hear her.  Well long story short, If I wanted to go home I would usually have to go in after her. Because like many other hunting beagles, she just won't quit on a rabbit no matter how much I would yell at her to come to me.  While she never minded those fire weeds at all, I would be miserable for several hours after getting roughed up about my thighs, ankles chest and wherever else I broke through.  I did come to find that a hot shower although painful at first would usually speed up the healing process and put out the fire in a short time after.  The plant itself is pretty impressive as it grows incredibly fast and thick and it is proven to have many medical benefits as shown here.

Stinging Nettle a perennial native to Europe and the United States has been used traditionally as a diuretic, astringent, blood builder and in treating anemia because of its high iron content. It has been used in the form of dried leaves or juice extracted from the leaves.

In addition the powdered leaves fresh leaf juice have been applied to cuts to stop bleeding, drank as a tea to reduce menstrual bleeding and in treating nosebleeds and hemorroids.

Recently studies have found that the leaf tea aids in coagulation and formation of hemoglobin in red blood cells. Stinging nettle diuretic activities has shown increased excretion of chlorides and urea in animals. The high potassium content and flavonoids may be what contributes to its diuretic action. In Europe it is used to help in the treatment of kidney infections.

New research studies have found that this herb helps in relief of urinary difficulties associated with early stages of benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH). It does not effect or decrease the enlargement of the prostate but increases the urinary output and decreases the urge at night.

Cautions: Fresh nettle leaves sting as we all probably know and the sting lasts up to about an hour after coming in contact with the skin. What makes the nettle sting are the compounds in the nettle such as histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, acetylcholine and small amounts of formic acid and leukotrienes. All of this together gives that awful sting we feel when touched. There are no side effects known to the medical field if touched.

[zziipp]

nice info beagles.thanx

[duffy]

Look for a weed groing near nettles, called jewel weed, has verigated leaves and a thick stalk full of juice when crushed, also yellowish or orange flowers when in bloom. Crush the stalk and rub the juice on nettle affected spots, it will take the sting away immediately, old boy scout trick on hikes.

[wiredstone]

Look for a weed groing near nettles, called jewel weed, has verigated leaves and a thick stalk full of juice when crushed, also yellowish or orange flowers when in bloom. Crush the stalk and rub the juice on nettle affected spots, it will take the sting away immediately, old boy scout trick on hikes.
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That works for poison ivy too.

[HenryDavid]

Don't wear shorts when you're hiking and bushwacking it just doesn't make sense.  I hike with long pants and long sleeves all summer, who the heck needs ticks and poison ivy.

[Carpy]

Don't wear shorts when you're hiking and bushwacking it just doesn't make sense.  I hike with long pants and long sleeves all summer, who the heck needs ticks and poison ivy.

I'm sweating just thinking about that idea.