Rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis is the single species of the Rosmarinus Genus but has over 17 varieties (cultivars) that we use on a regular basis. It is believed that Rosemary originated from the Mediterranean Basin and has since spread out over the world. It is however a plant which though hardy and very easy to grow, does not do well in freezing conditions and this prevented its use in higher altitudes. The name Rosemary stems from the Latin Rosmarinus, and is generally believed to stand for, Ros meaning Dew and Marinus meaning "of the sea" or Dew of the Sea. Perhaps so named for is proclivity for low laying areas that would be near the sea in general.

Steeped in age old European traditions Rosemary has long enjoyed a three fold relationship with man, that of spiritually, culinary and medicinally. The oldest associations are that of enhancing the memory and thereby promoting fidelity and loyalty. Rosemary also held a reputation of a protector plant like Chives from bad spirits, disease, plague and infestation, but more so and more widely used as chives were only introduced to Europe by Marco Polo in the 1200's. It was common to spread cut Rosemary during sickness, funerals, weddings and even in churches. So common that Rosemary was by tradition planted at the four corners of a house and developed into a hedge, the same was true for the fields for the protection of the crops.

Rosemary is one of the few herbs that retain its potency when dried, and this like Parsley gave it legs into the ancient Arab trade routes that spread its use across three continents. This property makes it a favourite herb for many chefs in a wide variety of dishes, but it is also that potency which requires only small quantities be used. The essential oil of Rosemary is very powerful, perhaps lethal if the contents of a bottle were swallowed, the oil is not to be used lightly medicinally and never for cooking. The compounds Bornoeal along with Camphor are the major constituents of the oil and between them have over 50 known effects on the human body. In traditional medicine Rosemary is used for over 60 proscribed treatments, and we will look at some of them a bit later. But first let's look at Rosemary pharmacological top five and then equate them to these age old cures. Pharmacology

With over 429 chemical compounds Rosemary has more than 690 effects in total whenever we consume it. To reiterate if you haven't read any of the other articles in this series, I am listing

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