This is Starwest's nitrogen-flushed double wall silverfoil pack.

This beautiful aromatic herb has many uses, culinary, cosmetic, household and medicinal.

It is used as an infusion, decoction, essential oil, bath and potpourri additive.

The 1997 Commission E on Phytotherapy and Herbal Substances of the German Federal Institute for Drugs recommends Lavender flower for 'Internal: Mood disturbances such as restlessness or insomnia, functional abdominal complaints (nervous stomach irritations, Roehmheld syndrome, meteorism, nervous intestinal discomfort). For balneotherapy [Bath]: Treatment of functional circulatory disorders.'

'Dosage: Internal: As tea: 1 - 2 teaspoons of drug per cup of water. Lavender oil: 1 - 4 drops (ca. 20 - 80 mg), e.g., on a sugar cube. External use as bath additive: 20 - 100 g of drug for a 20 liter bath. Mode of Administration: As herb for preparations of tea, as extract and as bath additive. Note: Combinations with other sedative and/or carminative herbs may be beneficial.'

'Actions: Internal: Sedative; Antiflatulent.'

As Grieve puts it, of Lavender's household uses, 'Dried Lavender flowers are still greatly used to perfume linen, their powerful, aromatic odour acting also as a preventative to the attacks of moths and other insects. In America, they find very considerable employment for disinfecting hotrooms and keeping away flies and mosquitoes, who do not like the scent. Oil of Lavender, on cotton-wool, tied in a little bag or in a perforated ball hung in the room, is said to keep it free from all flies.'

'Not only are insects averse to the smell of Lavender, so that oil of Lavender rubbed on the skin will prevent midge and mosquito bites, but it is said on good authority that the lions and tigers in our Zoological Gardens are powerfully affected by the scent of Lavender Water, and will become docile under its influence.'

Lavender is an effective herb for headaches, especially when they are related to stress.

Grieve's classic 'A Modern Herbal': 'Lavender was used in earlier days as a condiment and for flavouring dishes 'to comfort the stomach.' Gerard speaks of Conserves of Lavender being served at table.'

'It has aromatic, carminative and nervine properties. Though largely used in perfumery, it is now not much employed internally, except as a flavouring agent, occurring occasionally in pharmacy to cover disagreeable odours in ointments and other compounds.'

'Red Lavender lozenges are employed both as a mild stimulant and for their pleasant taste.'

'The essential oil, or a spirit of Lavender made from it, proves admirably restorative and tonic against faintness, palpitations of a nervous sort, weak giddiness, spasms and colic. It is agreeable to the taste and smell, provokes appetite, raises the spirits and dispels flatulence. The dose is from 1 to 4 drops on sugar or in a spoonful or two of milk.'

'A few drops of the essence of Lavender in a hot footbath has a marked influence in relieving fatigue. Outwardly applied, it relieves toothache, neuralgia, sprains, and rheumatism. In hysteria, palsy and similar disorders of debility and lack of nerve power, Lavender will act as a powerful stimulant.'

'It profiteth them much,' says Gerard, 'that have the palsy if they be washed with the distilled water from the Lavender flowers, or are annointed with the oil made from the flowers and olive oil in such manner as oil of roses is used.'

'Culpepper says that: 'a decoction made with the flowers of Lavender, Horehound, Fennel and Asparagus root, and a little Cinnamon, is very profitably used to help the falling-sickness (epilepsy) and the giddiness or turning of the brain.'

'In some cases of mental depression and delusions, oil of Lavender proves of real service, and a few drops rubbed on the temple will cure nervous headache.'

'Compound Tincture of Lavender, sold under the name of Lavender drops, besides being a useful colouring and flavouring for mixtures, is still largely used for faintness. This tincture of red Lavender is a popular medicinal cordial, and is composed of the oils of Lavender and Rosmary, with cinnamon bark, nutmeg and red sandle wood, macerated in spirit of wine for seven days. A teaspoonful may be taken as a dose in a little water after an indigestible meal, repeating after half an hour if needed.'

It has been officially recognized in the successive British Pharmacopoeia for over 200 years.'

'A tea brewed from Lavender tops, made in moderate strength, is excellent to relieve headache from fatigue and exhaustion, giving the same relief as the application of Lavender water to the temples. An infusion taken too freely, will, however, cause griping and colic, and Lavender oil in too large doses is a narcotic poison and causes death by convulsions.'

'Lavender oil is found of service when rubbed externally for stimulating paralysed limbs. Mixed with 3/4 spirit of turpentine or spirit of wine it made the famous Oleum Spicae, formerly much celebrated for curing old sprains and stiff joints. Fomentations with Lavender in bags, applied hot, will speedily relieve local pains.'

'A distilled water made from Lavender has been used as a gargle and for hoarseness and loss of voice.'

'Its use in the swabbing of wounds obtained further proof during the War, and the French Academy of Medicine is giving attention to the oil for this and other antiseptic surgical purposes. The oil is successfully used in the treatment of sores, varicose ulcers, burns and scalds. In France, it is a regular thing for most households to keep a bottle of Essence of Lavender as a domestic remedy against bruises, bites and trivial aches and pains, both external and internal.'

'Lavender oil is also used in veterinary practice, being very efficacious in killing lice and other parasites on animals. Its germicidal properties are very pronounced. In the south-east of France it is considered a useful vermifuge.'

'Preparations and Dosages: Fluid extract, ½ to 1 drachm. Compound Tincture, B.P., and U.S.P., ½ to 1 drachm. Oil, 1 to 3 drops. Spirit, B.P. and U.S.P., 5 to 30 drops.'

'The flowers and leaves were formerly employed as a sternutatory [sneeze-inducer] and probably still enter into the composition of some snuffs.'

'In the East, especially in Turkey and Egypt, they are used, as of old, for perfuming the bath.'

'The 'straw,' completely freed from the flowers, is sold and used as litter and also for making ointment. If burnt, for deodorizing purposes, the stalks diffuse a powerful, but agreeable odour.'

Lavender Water can easily be prepared at home. Into a quart bottle are put 1 oz. essential oil of Lavender, one drop of Musk and 1½ pint spirits of wine. These three ingredients are well mixed together by shaking. The mixture is left to settle, shaken again in a few days, then poured into little perfume bottles fitted with air-tight stoppers.

'This is another recipe from an old family book: 'Put into a bottle half a pint of spirit of wine and two drachms of oil of lavender. Mix it with rose-water, five ounces, orange-flower water, two ounces, also two drachms of musk and six ounces of distilled water.' This is stated to be 'a pleasant and efficacious cordial and very useful in languor and weakness of the nerves, lowness of spirits, faintings, etc.'

Another recipe is to mix 2 oz. of refined essence of Lavender with ¾ pint of good brandy. This Lavender Water is so strong that it must be diluted with water before it is used.

'Lavender Vinegar. A refreshing toilet preparation is made by mixing 6 parts of Rosewater, 1 part of spirits of Lavender and 2 parts of Orleans vinegar.'

'It can also be prepared from freshly gathered flower-tops. These are dried, placed in a stoppered bottle and steeped for a week in Orleans vinegar. Every day the bottle must be shaken, and at the end of the week the liquid is drained off and filtered through white blotting paper.'

'Another delicious and aromatic toilet vinegar is made as follows: Dry a good quantity of rose leaves, lavender flowers and jasmine flowers. Weigh them, and to every 4 oz. of rose leaves allow 1 oz. each of lavender and jasmine. Mix them well together, pour over them 2 pints of white vinegar, and shake well, then add ½ pint of rose-water and shake again. Stand aside for ten days, then strain and bottle.'

Eclectic Materia Medica, 1922 (Felter): 'External. Spirit of lavender is an agreeable and soothing lotion for the headache of debility and in fevers. The compound tincture is frequently added to carbonate of ammonium, and constitutes 'smelling salts' for the relief of headache and tendency to fainting.'

Internal. Oil of lavender, the spirit and the compound tincture are delightful stimulants and carminatives. They are extensively employed to allay gastric uneasiness and nausea, in flatulent colic, hysteria, nervous debility, general languor and tendency to fainting. For nervous and weak individuals, who faint easily and are prone to hysterical seizures, they are simple and safe preparations. The compound tincture is added to many mixtures to give color, and all of the lavender preparations are used as corrigents and adjuvants of less agreeable medicines. Scudder valued the compound tincture in nervous irritability in children, and incorporated it in a 'soothing syrup' described under Cypripedium, which see.'

http://www.herbmed.org/Herbs/Herb103.htm:

3 minutes of aromatherapy to 40 adults increased frontal beta power, suggesting increased drowsiness. They also had less depression, were more relaxed and performed math computations faster and more accurately: Diego 1998

Normalization of the level of total lipids, ratio of total cholesterol to its alpha-fraction, was seen with lavender oil in 150 patients with chronic bronchitis: Siurin 1997

Improvement in mood and perceived levels of anxiety by lavender oil aromatherapy in a study with 122 patients in general intensive care: Dunn 1995

Perineal discomfort following childbirth was alleviated by lavender oil as a bath additive between the 3rd and 5th days in a placebo controlled study with 635 women: Dale 1994

Flight controllers felt less tired, and had normalized REG-wave amplitude and tonic tension of cerebral vessels by aromatherapy with brandy mint, lavender and anise: Leshchinskaia 1983