## 3 Results and Discussion
### Home Gardens as Sources for Medicines
crispa_ L., in Samogitian called Darza Mietra (garden mint), was planted in peasants' gardens [31]. Mint tea was consumed, and a large amount of mint was grown in Lithuania Minor. Mint tea was also drunk as a remedy for many diseases: indigestion (diarrhoea, abdominal pain, bloating and nausea), colds and as a sedative. It was used if anything was wrong with the eyes and for headaches [7]. Studies on food plants in Italy have shown that the highest citation rates had _Taraxacum officinal_ [PERSON][PERSON] ex [PERSON], _Crepis vesiculara_ L., _Allium cepa_ L. and _A. sativum_ L. [32]. According to the frequency of citation in the Taurage District, _Taraxacum officinal_ ([PERSON] ex [PERSON] was also the most popular plant in Lithuania. It might be wrong to say this plant is \"grown\", because it is an unwanted weed. In our definition of \"home gardens\", dandelion can be classified as growing in a presenter's yard, around a garden, not weeded but, on the contrary, desired and used for treatment. Its roots are used for dandelion root coffee, which is known to improve liver function. The aboveground part is used exclusively for medicinal purposes, mainly for gallbladder and liver diseases. This is broadly in line with the indications described in the EMA monographs. As a wild food species, it was known in Poland as famine food and in Estonia as a health food. In Estonia, _Taraxacum_ syrup (often called \"dandelion honey\") and wine became popular in the 1980s-1990s, and some people still make it at home [4]. In the archival analysis, due to the vague methodology, it was difficult to name the most popular plants, but according to the number of ailments, three plants with the widest range of indications could be distinguished: horseradish, _Armoracia rusticana_ P. Gaertn; buckwheat, _Fagopyrum esculentum_ Moench; mint, _Mentlu piperita_ L. (Table S2). In the Taurage research, the most frequently used plant parts were leaves (158) flowers (81) and fruit (63); in the archival analysis data, flowers, leaves and roots were used 50, 47 and 33 times, respectively. The archival analysis by Latvian researchers also obtained similar results: leaves and flowers were the most commonly used parts, and herbal tea was the most common dosage form [30]. Methods of Preparation, Dosage and Methods of Administration  
In the Taurage District, the main methods of preparation of raw plant materials (Figure 4) were teas (the frequency of citations was 140) prepared by just pouring hot water over and by decoctions (84)--boiling for a few minutes and simply using fresh plants without any preparation (80). The analysis of the 1948 research showed that the most popular were decoctions (98), while teas were used very rarely (9)--medicines were prepared not just by pouring hot water over herbs, boiling for longer was required, and infusions with vodka were also popular as it meant longer shelf life, all done with fresh herbs. The consumption of a fresh plant was closely related to its use as a functional food when the medicine and the food are \"two in one\" and it was difficult to draw a line between them. With the help of information technologies, even without pharmaceutical education, it was possible to find detailed methods of the preparation of raw materials of plant origin, as well as printed publications on the same subject. Comparing the two studies, it was observed that the choice of preparation methods of medicinal plants at home among modern respondents was poorer, simplified, less attention was paid to the amounts of raw material, preparation time and other details. Interestingly, the study in 1948 described in detail the different methods of plant preparation and even the quantities, which were measured by hand without measuring vessels. One of the most favoured folk medicine forms, according to the 1948 study, were _succus recens_, juice squeezed from plants or parts of them collected just before consumption.