I love painting sunflowers. I have painted several in the past year or two. Since there had been a sunflower show before I joined ebsq I thought I would never get to enter one in any of the shows - until now. I knew that the sunflower seed produced a wonderful oil for cooking, soapmaking and a rich heavy oil that was a good mix with a lighter oil to use for massage oil formulations, but never knew it was used for many homiopathic remedies as well, check it out ---Medicinal Action and Uses---The seeds have diuretic and expectorant properties and have been employed with success in the treatment of bronchial, laryngeal and pulmonary affections, coughs and colds, also in whooping cough. The following preparation is recommended: Boil 2 OZ. of the seeds in 1 quart of water, down to 12 OZ. and then strain. Add 6 OZ. of good Holland gin and 6 OZ. of sugar. Give in doses of 1 to 2 teaspoonsful, three or four times a day. The oil possesses similar properties and may be given in doses of 10 to 15 drops or more, two or three times a day. A tincture of the Howers and leaves has been recommended in combination with balsamics in the treatment of bronchiectasis. The seeds, if browned in the oven and then made into an infusion are admirable for the relief of whooping cough. Tincture of Helianthus has been used in Russia. Kazatchkoft says that in the Caucasus the inhabitants employ the Sunflower in malarial fever. The leaves are spread upon a bed covered with a cloth, moistened with warm milk and then the patient is wrapped up in it. Perspiration is produced and this process is repeated every day until the fever has ceased. A tincture prepared from the seed with rectified spirit of wine is useful for intermittent fevers and ague, instead of quinine. It has been employed thus in Turkey and Persia, where quinine and arsenic have failed, being free from any of the inconveniences which often arise from giving large quantities of the other drugs.