Latin name: Thymus vulgaris
Place of origin: The mediterranean, but cultivated in France
Description: Thyme is a small three to five inches tall plant with shallow roots, and many small green leaves.
Historical Medicinal Use: Thyme was thought to treat respiratory issues such as asthma, and that it could separate “pure” from “impure” in the body. It was used in a medicinal recipe by Fouquet for treating a headache caused by the cold and for purging the brain (3).
Modern Medicinal Use: Thyme has been empirically shown to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties (Halat et al.).
Sources
Andrea Mattioli, Pietro. Pietri Andreae Mattholi senensis medici Commentarii in sex libros Pedacii Dioscoridis Anazarbei De medica materia. 1565.
de Fouquet, Marie. Recueil des remèdes faciles et domestiques, choisis et expérimentés, et très approuvés pour toutes sortes de maladies internes et externes, et difficiles à guerir. 1685.
Fuchs, Leonhart. Histoire des plantes. 1549
Hammoudi Halat, Dalal et al. “A Focused Insight into Thyme: Biological, Chemical, and Therapeutic Properties of an Indigenous Mediterranean Herb.” Nutrients vol. 14,10 2104. 18 May. 2022, doi:10.3390/nu14102104