Herbal Encyclopedia

Common Medicinal Herbs For Natural Health

Angelica

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Botanical and Common Names

  • Family Umbelliferae
  • Angelica archangelica (European Angelica, Garden Angelica, Masterwort, Alexanders, Archangel, Angel’s Wort, Spanish: Angélica, Raíz de Angélica)
  • Angelica sinensis, A. polymorpha, A. acutiloba (Dang gui / Dong quai, Chinese Angelica)
  • Angelica dahurica (Bai Zhi)

Cautions

  • Because the root contains chemicals called psoralens, it can cause serious photosensitivities.
  • It can cause contact dermatitis if used externally.
  • It is poisonous in large quantities.
  • Because angelica and osha are of the same family as the hemlocks, they bear some similarities to them and can be mistaken for a deadly poisonous hemlock plant (Cicuta maculata).
  • Do not use during pregnancy as it is a uterine stimulant.
  • It is contraindicated in diabetes because of its sugar content.
  • Overuse can cause diarrhea.
  • It should never be taken if breast-feeding.
  • It is contraindicated in those with breast cancer.

Description

There are between fifty and sixty varieties that grow worldwide; and each has special healing properties, although all are used for more or less the same purpose.

Angelica looks like its relative, the carrot, except that the angelica plant can reach heights of ten feet. It is generally an aromatic biennial or perennial herb, having ridged, upright, powerful hollow stems, large, bright green leaves, and greenish-white flowers that grow in umbels, common to this family of plants. It always prefers damp locations near running water. The cultivated varieties have extremely thick rhizomes, while the wild angelicas have thin conical roots. After picking, the cut root has a slippery, soaplike feel. The root, and to a lesser extent, the seeds and leaves, have a celery-like smell.

The leaves and stems are harvested in early summer, the seeds are gathered as they ripen in late summer, and the roots are harvested in late autumn after one year’s growth has taken place. The plant is short-lived and dies after it has produced seeds.

Thought to be indigenous to Syria, Holland, or Poland, angelica is now found growing wild along the coasts of the North and Baltic Seas as far north as Lapland, as well as in the region of the Himalayas and Siberia. Although it grows mainly in the northern temperate regions, it also seems to thrive well in New Zealand. Angelica is a protected species in Iceland, and cultivated in many places.

Dang gui is native to China and Japan (A. sinensis) and Japan (A. acutiloba). The best rhizomes are said to be from Gansu Province in China. Chinese medicine uses nine angelica species. Collectively, they are known as “dang gui” (as it is usually written in Chinese medical texts), but Angelica sinensis is preferred.

Bai Zhi grows wild in thickets in China, Japan, Korea, and Russia, and cultivated mainly in central and eastern regions of China.

History

Angelica has a long-standing, ancient record as a medicinal herb. About twenty different Native American tribes have used angelica species for medicine, including the Creeks who chewed the root and swallowed the juice for stomach disorders.

Many types of angelica were used by Native Americans including A. atropurpurea, A. arguta, A. pinnata, A. lucida, and A. archangelica, to treat colds, stomach disorders, diarrhea, gastritis, gas, and dyspepsia. It was also an effective diuretic and appetite stimulant. Infusions were used by the Iroquois in steam baths to treat headaches and frostbite. Angelica root poultices were applied to broken bones, and the tea served as a topical treatment for ulcers. It was also widely used as a purification herb and added to sacred pipe ceremonies and burned in healing ceremonies.

In America, the whole plant — roots, leaves, and seeds — was used to treat bacterial and viral infections. The natives also used it as a general tonic against such chronic illnesses as cancer or colds.

The British Flora Medica of 1877 stated that Laplanders considered it to be one of the most important medicinal herbs

According to European folklore and by the old calendar, its name was derived from the fact that it would usually bloom around the feast day of the Archangel Michael, the Great Defender, who appeared in a vision to explain its protective powers against evil.

European angelica was used in medieval times to ward off the plague and witches. It is said that, in the mid-1600s, an angel appeared to a monk during a dream with a message that it could protect against the plague. As a result of this experience, the monk renamed the plant angelica (from that of wild celery), and the British Royal College of Physicians used it to formulate the “King’s Excellent Plague Recipe”. Needless to say, it did not stop the plague and soon fell into disfavour.

The use of angelica in China dates to at least 400 BCE, and is still commonly used today.

Bai Zhi was first mentioned in Chinese herbals of the 1st century CE.

A famous military physician, Zhang Congzheng (1150-1228), classified Bai Zhi as a sweat-inducing herb able to counter such harmful external influences on the skin as cold, heat, dampness, and dryness.

Since angelica grew everywhere in Europe and because of its supposed spiritual connections, it became a foremost medicine used for all manner of illnesses, including bronchitis, colds, circulatory problems, muscle spasms, rheumatism, intestinal tract inflammation, indigestion, stomach cancer, water retention, tumors, poorly healing sores, insomnia, lack of energy, and debility. No wonder it earned the nickname of the “immunity plant”.

During the Middle Ages, the liquid extract was dropped into the eyes and ears of soldiers going into battle in the belief that it would improve their sight and hearing. Some modern herbalists still prescribe eye drops.

Angelica is one of four sacred plants of the Rocky Mountain Region. Each was given a gender characteristic that indicated for which sex it would be best used. These four plants were also believed to be directional specific. Therefore, the Pasque Flower became an herb of the south and a small female child; Usnea, an herb of the north and an ageless young man; Osha, an herb of the west and a strong male (often associated with the bear); and Angelica, an herb of the east and a quiet, but strong, mature woman.

Key Actions

(a) European Angelica

  • antispasmodic
  • carminative
  • diuretic
  • expectorant
  • promotes sweating
  • stimulates gastric secretions
  • topical anti-inflammatory (root extract)
  • uterine stimulant

(b) Chinese Angelica

  • antibiotic
  • antispasmodic
  • blood tonic
  • circulatory stimulant
  • laxative
  • promotes menstrual flow
  • regulates uterine contractions
  • sedative
  • strengthens liver function
  • antibacterial
  • antifungal
  • antiviral

Key Components

(a) European Angelica

  • caffeic acid derivatives
  • fatty oil
  • furanocoumarins (angelicin, bergaptene, imperatorin, oxypeucedanin, xantholtoxin)
  • flavonoids
  • phytosterols
  • volatile oil (mainly betaphellandrene)

(b) Chinese Angelica

  • beta-sitosterol
  • coumarins
  • vitamin B12
  • volatile oil [butylidine phthalide, ligustilide, sesquiterpenes, carvacrol])

(c) Bai Zhi

  • coumarins (imperatorin, marmesin, and phellopterin)
  • volatile oil

Medicinal Part

  • Seeds, leaves, stems, root.
  • The root is a rich source of vitamin B12, folic acid, and niacin, which may explain its blood-building attributes because these B vitamins are instrumental in making blood cells.
  • The coumarins increase blood flow, relieve inflammation, stimulate the CNS (central nervous system), and have antispasmodic effects.
  • Although experts disagree as to whether dang gui contains any plant estrogens (phytoestrogens) or has any direct hormonal action, reseach done in China has shown that it directly affects the uterus, causing both contracting and relaxing effects. In addition, its active ingredients appear to affect nearly every part of the body, including the CNS, immune system, muscles, digestive tract, kidneys, blood vessels and cells.

Remedies

  • infusions of leaves to treat indigestion
  • decoctions from dried roots (sinensis) to treat menstrual irregularities or pains, to stimulate the liver, weakness after childbirth, and to relieve constipation, especially in the elderly
  • tinctures made from the leaves to treat bronchitis or flatulence
  • tinctures made from the roots (archangelica) to treat bronchial phlegm, coughs, digestive disorders, or to stimulate the liver
  • compresses from the hot, diluted tincture or decoction applied to painful rheumatic or arthritic joints
  • creams made from the leaves and applied to skin irritations
  • massage oil made from diluted oil and combined with a neutral oil for painful arthritis or rheumatism
  • seeds used to perfume and cleanse a room
  • fresh roots cut to yield an aromatic gum used as a fixative in potpourri
  • young, fresh, green stems of pencil thickness for crystallizing and as a tonic to combat infections and improve energy levels

Traditional Uses

Although all parts of the plant are said to help a wide range of illnesses, the main medicinal part is the root. The stems and leaves have a weaker action. The root, stems, and leaves can be used for tonic purposes. The seeds work well for nausea. The root can be eaten in its raw, whole form and simply nibbled on from time to time. Its wide range of use includes for indigestion, gas, and colic.

It is also commonly used as a reproductive normalizer, to stimulate delayed menstruation, for reproductive or intestinal cramps, to normalize digestion and relieve flatulence, as an expectorant, a diaphoretic, and as a diuretic and antiseptic to cure urinary tract infections. It also has some use in relieving joint inflammations.

It improves blood flow to peripheral parts of the body, thereby increasing circulation. It is used specifically to treat Buerger’s disease, a condition that narrows the arteries of the hands and feet.

Used as an expectorant, it helps to relieve bronchitis and other upper respiratory conditions

Dang gui is commonly used today in many over-the-counter preparations available in the West.

Ginseng is considered the main herb in China as a male tonic, while angelica is considered the female counterpart. The Chinese long ago saw that regular use of angelica by women was credited with easy conception, no miscarriages, safe deliveries, and no menopausal complaints. It is noted, however, that the herb should not be taken during pregnancy.

Dang gui is often taken with other herbs to treat a multitude of female complaints. As a result, it is referred to as the “woman’s ginseng”. According to the principles of Chinese medicine, blood dominates women’s health, and dong quai is said to nourish and invigorate the blood, and is sometimes prescribed as a blood builder or blood tonic. It also acts as an antispasmodic and mild sedative. Despite its reputation as a female remedy, herbalists sometimes use it for men, especially if they are suffering from such blood-related or circulatory problems as fatigue or high blood pressure.

The Chinese also believed that women who took angelica maintained their youth far beyond its usual term. Consequently, they include it in all their major beauty creams.

Since the herb is mildly sedating, Chinese medicine uses it to treat people with overwrought nervous systems.

It is also used to treat allergies and their annoying symptoms, as well as for stiffened joints.

In addition to female complaints, dong quai is also used for liver disorders, inflammation, sciatica and rheumatism, digestive problems, and high blood pressure.

In Morelos, Mexico, a tea is made from the root for digestive problems, intestinal inflammations, menstrual cramps, bronchial congestion, and to promote milk-flow in nursing mothers.

Bai Zhi is used to treat headaches, aching eyes, nasal congestion, toothaches, sores, boils, and ulcers affecting the skin, tigeminal neuralgia, and as a warm tonic to alleviate the cold.

One way to take the root is by boiling one cup of angelica root in a quart of water for five minutes. Cool and refrigerate or take on hikes or bike rides and use instead of, or in addition to, water refills.

Filed Under: A

Amargo

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Botanical Name

  • Family Simaroubaceae
  • Quassia amara (Amargo, Bitter Wood, Bitter Ash, Bitter Bark, Jamaica/Surinam/Japanese Quassia (Bark), Cuasia or Hombre Grande [Spanish])
  • Picrasma excelsa syn. Picraenia excelsa (Quassia, Ash, Bitter Ash, Bitterwood)

Cautions

  • It is contraindicated during pregnancy.
  • It should not be used by menstruating women as it may cause uterine colic.
  • Excessive doses may cause irritation of the digestive tract and vomiting.

Description

Native to the Caribbean, Jamaica, and northern Venezuela, amargo can be found growing from southern Mexico to Brazil. It is a deciduous tree that can reach 100 feet, but usually it is a smaller size of about twenty feet. This shrubby tree produces smooth, gray bark, compound leaves, small red flowers, and pea-sized black fruits. It can be found growing in forests near water, but it is also cultivated for its medicinal use. The bark is harvested throughout the year.

History

Quassia bark was first introduced into Europe from Suriname in 1756 and named after Quassia, a native healer, who told Europeans of its therapeutic value.

Although a tincture of the wood chips is prepared for use today as a digestive aid, native Jamaicans long ago devised another method to accomplish the same purpose. They carved cups and bowls from the wood, which imparted the bitter flavour of Quassia to any food that was poured into them. Thus, their foodstuffs became impregnated with the bitter principles, making digestion of the foods easier since only a small amount is required.

Key Actions

(a) Amargo

  • anthelmintic (for ascarid, pinworms, and threadworms)
  • choleretic
  • digestive stimulant
  • purgative

(b) Quassia

  • antimicrobial
  • antiviral
  • anthelminthic
  • anti-tumor
  • insecticidal

Key Components

(a) Amargo

  • triterpenes
  • indole alkaloids

(b) Quassia

  • bitter substances (quassinoids and canthinones)
  • alkaloids
  • a coumarin (scopoletin)
  • vitamin B1

Medicinal Parts

  • Bark
  • Some of the quassinoids have cytotoxic action, that is, they have a destructive effect on leukemia cells.
  • Other quassinoids stimulate secretions of the gastric juices which increases the appetite and aids digestion. They may also have a choleretic effect, that is, stimulating bile production by the liver.
  • Research has indicated that the substance quassin is responsible for an antifertility effect. Extracts from the stem wood appeared to shrink the testes of test animals, as well as significantly reducing both sperm count and testosterone levels in the blood.

Remedies

  • Decoctions are used internally to treat digestive complaints and externally, as an insect repellent.

Traditional Uses

Quassia is used in various countries for more or less the same thing, that is, to stimulate the appetite and promote digestion.

Homeopathic remedies are used for gallbladder complaints, as a bitter tonic, a purgarive and anthelmintic; but mainly, it supports and strengthens weakened digestive systems by increasing bile flow and the secretion of salivary juices and stomach acids. It is commonly used to stimulate a weakened appetite, especially in the treatment of anorexia.

The herb’s bitterness has also led to its being used as a treatment for malaria and other fevers.

Quassia chips are yellowish bits of wood commonly found in herbal supply stores in many parts of Latin America. They have two purposes. One is as an anthelmintic and frequently used for pinworms. The other is a stimulant to the digestion as they contain potent bitter principles.

In Mexico and Brazil, amargo is made into a decoction to be used for dyspepsia, as well as loss of appetite. Mexicans also use the bark to treat intestinal parasites.

In Costa Rica and Suriname, it is used for fevers, malaria, and dysentery.

In Brazil, it is used to treat gonorrhea, for lice and worm infestations, and as an antiseptic for wound treatments.

In Costa Rica and Brazil, it is used for diarrhea, dysentery, and intestinal gas. It is said that the indigenous carry around wood shavings of the bark to be used in decoctions whenever needed.

In Guyana, it is used for snake bites, liver disease, edema, and menstrual complaints.

In the Caribbean, it is given for dysentery. The bark has also been used in enemas to expel threadworms and other parasites.

The bark has been widely used as a febrifuge (fever reducer) and insecticide.

The plant is so bitter — more so than quinine — that extracts of it are used commercially in the production of bitters and other flavorings.

In Central America, the wood is used to construct clothing storage boxes to keep away moths.

A most unusual use is to treat alcoholism. By mixing an extract with sulfuric acid and other substances to produce a tonic, it is said to destroy the appetite for alcohol. This use is not recommended, however, because of the sulfuric acid.

Amaranth

By

Botanical Name

  • Family Amaranthaceae
  • Amaranthus hypochondriacus

Common Names

  • Lady Bleeding, Lovely Bleeding, Love-Lies-Bleeding, Red Cockscomb, Velvet Flower, Pilewort, Prince’s Feather, Pig Weed, Cockscomb
  • Spanish: Alegría, Chile Puerco, Chichilquiltic
  • Nahuatl: Tlanepaquelitl, Quíhlitl, Huauhtli
  • Maya: Kix-xtez

Cautions

  • None listed

Description

Native to India and South America, it now grows wild in many countries as well as being cultivated. A common garden plant, it is a sturdy, upright annual growing to about three feet, having deeply veined, lance-shaped, purple-green leaves that grow to six inches. The flowers are tufts of small, deep crimson spikes which are harvested when in flower in late summer and early autumn.

History

The name comes from the Greek word meaning “unwithering”. It was used to decorate their tombs to signify immortality.

Key Actions

  • astringent
  • nutritive

Key Components

  • saponins
  • tannins

Medicinal Parts

  • Aerial parts

Remedies

  • decoctions to counter heavy menstruation
  • gargles to soothe throat inflammations
  • mouthwashes to heal canker sores

Traditional Uses

The astringency of the herb is useful in reducing blood loss and to treat diarrhea.

A decoction not only counters heavy menstrual bleeding, but also excessive vaginal discharge, diarrhea, and dysentery.

A related species called Quinoa or Inca Wheat, A. caudatus, is also a nutritious Andean grain. Both quinoa and amaranth are used as a grain or eaten cooked as a cereal. Another variety, A. grandiflorus, is used as a food by the Australian Aborgines. Still another variety, A. spinosus, is used in Ayurvedic medicine to reduce menstrual bleeding and excessive vaginal discharge and to arrest the coughing up of blood.

Aloe

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AloeBotanical Names

  • Family Liliaceae
  • Aloe vera, A. barbadensis, A. capensis, A. vulgaris, A. mexicana and other Aloe species

Common Names

  • Aloe, Aloe Vera, Barbados Aloe, Zanzibar Aloe, Curacao Aloe
  • Spanish: Sábila, Zábila

Cautions

  • It is not to be confused with Agave americana, sometimes known as American Aloe.
  • It can cause gastrointestinal cramping or contractions, so is contraindicated during pregnancy.
  • It should not be used internally by those suffering from intestinal obstructions, kidney disease, colitis, and intestinal inflammations.
  • In rare cases, heart arrythmias, kidney abnormalities, edema, and accelerated bone deterioration may occur.
  • Do not use the bitters on the skin.
  • Use as a laxative for only ten days at a time as long-term use can cause a loss of electrolytes, particularly potassium. Note that many “aloe” laxatives also contain senna, which is harder on the system and often, the real cause of the effectiveness of the laxative. Read the labels carefully. If aloe is not listed as the main ingredient, it is best to avoid that product.
  • Care must be taken when using many commercially prepared products that contain “aloe” as usually there is not enough included to be of much value medicinally.

Description

Native to eastern and southern Africa, aloes are now commonly cultivated worldwide, especially as houseplants. There are about 350 species of these perennials that also grow in the tropics, including Central and South America, India, and the Middle East. Aloes generally have prickly, gray-green succulent leaves that can reach a length of two feet and producing spikes of yellow or orange flowers. The leaves contain two different fluids — the inner portion is filled with a clear gel and the thick aloe skin contains a bitter yellow juice or latex.

History

Aloe has been used medicinally for more than 3500 years. Egyptian texts, dating to about 1500 BCE, describe its healing properties.

Alexander the Great used it to treat wounds.

Greece, Rome, China, India, West Indies all used it as a wound healer, laxative, and purgative.

Cleopatra is said to have attributed her beauty to it.

About the 6th century CE, Persian traders carried aloe throughout Asia. Marco Polo witnessed healers in the Orient using it.

A beautiful violet dye is produced from aloe plants (A. perryi) native to the island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean. A desire for the plant is said to have motivated Alexander the Great to conquer the island in the 4th century BCE. 1400 years later, Muslim traders reported the island was still the only source of the herb, although it is now grown in Africa, China, India, and Central America.

The Spanish called the plant sábila after the Arabic word, saber, which means patience. The implication is unclear.

Even before the conquest of Mexico, aloe was heavily cultivated on the island of Barbados, leading to the naming of one botanical variety, Aloe barbadensis.

Similar to the maguey, aloe is often confused for that plant. Even Columbus assumed that he had “discovered” aloe, a plant he was familiar with in Spain; but it was actually a maguey which he took back with him.

Related species are used as an antidote for poison arrow wounds.

Key Actions

  • antibacterial
  • antibiotic
  • antifungal
  • anti-inflammatory
  • antimicrobial
  • antiulcer
  • antiviral
  • emollient
  • healing
  • laxative
  • purgative
  • stimulates bile secretions

Key Components

  • amino acids
  • anthraquinone glycosides (aloin, aloe-emodin)
  • aloectin B
  • enzymes
  • flavonoids
  • minerals
  • polysaccharides
  • resins
  • salicylic acid
  • steroid hormones
  • tannins
  • vitamins

Medicinal Parts

  • Clear gel (in the leaves), yellow sap from the base (bitter aloes)
  • The anthraquinone glycosides (aloin and aloe-emodin) are strongly laxative and can cause uterine contractions. This is the reason that aloes are contraindicated internally during pregnancy. These substances are not found in high levels in potted plants.
  • Aloectin B stimulates immune system.
  • The gel is made up of some seventy-five complex substances known to date. Many are made up of bioactive ingredients.
  • Aloin is a stimulant for peristalsis. However, in high doses, aloin will act as a powerful purgative with the effects lasting up to twelve hours.
  • It has been proven effective against Stapylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Herpes simplex 1 and 2.

Remedies

  • fresh gel — to heal wounds and burns, treat fungal infections and insect bites
  • dried bitters — as a short-term laxative
  • commercial juice from gel — for peptic ulcers
  • tinctures — to stimulate the appetite
  • ointment — made by boiling a large quantity of gel until a thick paste, then using like fresh leaves
  • inhalation of gel in a steam — to relieve bronchial congestion
  • powder in capsules — to relieve constipation and to stimulate bile flow

Traditional Uses

In general, the gel is used externally. The latex is dried and used in oral drugs, mostly laxatives. There is also a standardized aloe extract, derived from freeze-dried aloe gel that can be taken internally. Some form is commonly found in all manner of beauty treatments: lotions, shampoos, creams, suntan lotions.

When needed, fresh leaves are generally snipped off, opened up, and the gel applied to the affected area on the skin for minor burns, scalds, or sunburns. This gel also helps speed the healing of cuts and other minor wounds; helps prevent scarring; reduces tissue damage from frostbite; relieves skin irritation and inflammation from stings or bites, treats external hemorrhoids; and moisturizes and softens dry, itchy, or rough skin.

Internally, the aloe latex juice is used to treat constipation, but care must be taken as too much can result in it being a purgative. See cautions above.

Research is indicating that its use internally has an antifertility aspect inhibiting ovulation in rabbits and rats.

Although numerous tests have indicated that when aloe is used externally, it helps wounds heal, decreases inflammation, and relieves pain, it can also delay deep wound healing including that of surgery.

The powdered gel extract is taken internally to treat ulcers and other intestinal problems including diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease as well as to bolster immunity.

The latex contains bitter substances that increase bowel motility and loosens the stool. These actions are derived from compounds in the resin which stimulate bowel contractions and helps increase the amount of intestinal fluid resulting in a more watery stool that is propelled rapidly through the colon. For this reason, aloe should not be used on a regular basis as this rapid propulsion dramatically affects the time needed to absorb valuable nutrients into the system.

Chinese medicine uses aloe to treat fungal diseases.

Ayurvedic medicine uses it for stomach tumors, constipation, colic, skin disorders, amenorrhea, worm infestation, and infections

South Africa uses it for eye inflammations and syphillis.

Aloe and honey are two of the more powerful substances that can be applied externally to speed wound healing and prevent infections in burn victims. One especially important aspect is that both are liquid. This allows them to keep the burn tissue moist, soothe the damaged tissues, and restore lost body fluids directly through the skin, which is generally a problem for burn victims. At the same time, they are potent anti-inflammatories and antibacterials and it is nearly impossible for a staph infection to get started with these two substances present.

Alder

By

Botanical Name

  • Family Betulaceae
  • Alnus glutinosa and other Alnus species

Common Names:

  • Black Alder, Common Alder, Owler, Tag Alder

Cautions

  • Not to be confused with another plant called Black Alder (Rhamnus frangula syn.Frangula alnus Family Rhamnaceae) which is closely related to Cascara.

Description

Indigenous to the damp regions of Europe, Asia, and North America, alder is a small tree with fissured, orangey bark, growing as high as seventy feet and producing notched, oval leaves which can be very sticky when young. The male flowers are arranged in stemmed catkins, while the female flowers form ovoid fruits which turn woody and remain on the tree the entire year. Thriving in damp places along riverbanks, it now grows in much of the Northern Hemisphere. It is almost identical in appearance to the oak. The bark and the leaves are gathered in spring or fall and best used fresh or from recent collections.

History

Water resistant, the tree was used in the construction of Venice. Wooster Beech (1794-1868), founder of the Eclectic healing movement, used a decoction of the bark to purify the blood.

Key Actions

  • antimicrobial
  • astringent
  • heals wounds
  • stops bleeding

Key Components

  • anthraquinone (emodin)
  • flavonoids (including hypericin)
  • glycosides
  • lignans
  • tannin (10-20%)

Medicinal Parts

  • Bark, leaves

Remedies

  • Decoctions are used as a tonic and to treat intestinal bleeding.
  • Gargles from the decoctions are used to treat streptococcal throat infections.
  • Compresses soaked in decoction are used to stauch wound bleeding and to help heal them.
  • Washes are used for scabies.
  • Poultices from the leaves are used to help reduce breast engorgement of nursing mothers.

Traditional Uses

Alder is most often used as a mouthwash and gargle for tooth, gum, and throat problems. Its drying action helps to contract the mucous membranes and reduce inflammation.

Since the bark is high in tannin, it can be used in all situations where astringency is needed, including diarrhea, gum inflammations, and sore throats.

For external use, it is good as a wash for cuts, hives, poison ivy, swellings, wounds, and sprains.

In Spain, the leaves are smoothed and placed on the soles of the feet to relieve aching.

The PDR for Herbal Medicines mentions an ophthalmic powder, but gives no further information.

Agrimony

By

Botanical Name

  • Family Rosaceae
  • Agrimonia eupatoria, A. procera, A. pilosa and other Agrimonia specie

Common Names

  • Stickwort, Cocklebur, Liverwort, Common Agrimony, Philanthropos, Church Steeples, Sticklewort

Cautions

  • No adverse effects have been noted. In fact, it is considered safe enough for children. However, because of its tannins, which are astringent, it should not be taken in large quantities as it can cause constipation or other digestive problems.
  • It may also increase sensitivity to the sun if too much is taken.

Description

A native European herb, the plant is an erect, downy, and slightly aromatic perennial that grows to about three feet in height. It is commonly found in marshes, wet meadows, and open areas. The paired leaves are green above and silvery-green beneath. The yellow flowers are small, five-petaled growing on the terminal spikes, and are collected while in bloom during the summer.

History

The Latin name eupatoria was derived from Mithridates Eupator (d. 63 BCE), King of Pontus in northern Turkey, who was said to have had a profound knowledge of plant lore.

It is the main ingredient in “arquebusade water”, a 15th century battlefield remedy for wounds.

Native Americans mainly used two types, A. eupatoria anA. gryposepal. The Cherokee used it to normalize bowels, treat fever, ease hunger pangs in children, and build up the blood. Other uses included treating snake bites, jaundince, gout, and worms.

Key Actions

  • anti-inflammatory
  • antiparasitic and antibacterial properties (A. pilosa)
  • astringent
  • diuretic
  • encourages clot formation
  • mildly antiviral
  • stimulates bile flow
  • tissue healer

Key Components

  • bitter principle
  • coumarins
  • flavonoids (including luteolin)
  • minerals and vitamins B and K
  • polysaccharides
  • silica (connective tissue healer)
  • tannins
  • volatile oil

Medicinal Parts

  • Leaves, flowers, stems (aerial parts)

Remedies

  • infusion to treat diarrhea, especially in children and infants and can be taken by breast-feeding mothers to dose babies
  • wash from infusions to clean wounds, sores, eczema, and varicose ulcers, and a weak infusion as an eyewash for conjunctivitis
  • for tinctures, being more potent and drying than infusions and used for more serious conditions where phlegm and mucous stubbornly remain; also used for cystitis, urinary infections, bronchitis, and heavy menstrual bleeding
  • poultices of the leaves for migraine headaches
  • gargle made from an infusion for sore throats and nasal mucus
  • decoctions used in China for heavy uterine bleeding, blood in the urine, dysentery, and intestinal parasites
  • compresses soaked in a decoction to treat boils
  • douches using a strained decoction for treatment of Trichomonas vaginalis

Traditional Uses

It can be combined with cornsilk to treat cystitis and urinary incontinence.

Because it staunches bleeding and encourages clot formation, it has long been used to heal wounds.

It is also used in the treatment of kidney stones, mild diarrhea, sore throats, rheumatism, and arthritis.

It can help relieve skin, mouth, and throat inflammations, and has been used to treat colds and asthma. It is an astringent, so makes an effective antidiarrheal agent.

When applied topically, agrimony leaves can help draw out thorns and splinters, stop cuts from bleeding, and help heal eczema, skin wounds, and sores.

Agave

By

Botanical Name

  • Family Agavaceae
  • Agave americana

Common Names

  • Century Plant
  • Spanish: Maguey, Lechuguilla, Mescal
  • Nahuatl: Metl, Tlacametl, Teometl

Cautions

  • Do not use during pregnancy.
  • Do not exceed prescribed dose as it may cause digestive irritation and lead to eventual liver damage.
  • External use can cause irritation in those with sensitive skin.

Description

Native to the deserts of Central America, agave is a succulent perennial with large rosettes of thirty to sixty fleshy, sharply-toothed leaves that reach a height of six feet. It produces clusters of yellow flowers, growing to three inches across and bloom on a polelike stem after ten years or more. It is also grown as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas around the world.

History

Plentiful in the arid areas of Mexico, agave is considered to be one of the most useful plants on earth. For as long as man has travelled the deserts of Mesoamerica, the plant has provided food, drink, and medicine. It is most famous as the source of tequila, pulque, and mescal. Long fibers from the leaves of some species are the source of sisal hemp woven into hammocks, fishing nets, and baskets. The heads, with the leaves trimmed off, are roasted and eaten. The tall stalks are chopped into pieces and chewed like sugar cane and some species are used to make soap.

According to legend, the plant lives for hundreds of years before it flowers, which is why it acquired the name of “Century Plant”. In reality, the plants live no more than thirty years, but the fatal flowering can be spectacular. In some species, a shoot two stories high, will produce an enormous cluster of white or yellow flowers.

Unlike the Europeans at the time the Spanish conquest of the New World, the Aztecs and Maya were very skilled in wound healing. They used the agave sap, often with egg white, to bind powders and gums in pastes and poultices to be applied to wounds.

The Bandianus Manuscript of 1552 was the first herbal to list the plants of the New World, describing an Aztec treatment for diarrhea and dysentery. In it, agave juice, combined with freshly-ground corn and extract of bladderwort was given as an enema, using a syringe made from the bladder of a small animal and a hollow bone or reed.

The 18th century Spanish botanist, Luis Née, was so impressed with the usefulness of the plant that, in his report to the crown, declared that Spain should not be without it. The plant was soon taken there, where it can still be found growing.

The juice was often applied to cuts and knife wounds to ease the pain, but another unusal use was recorded. It was stated that a cowardly (or clever) man was about to be whipped for some crime and had coated his back with the juice in order to lessen the pain of the whip.

Key Actions

  • antiseptic
  • anti-inflammatory
  • demulcent
  • diuretic
  • laxative
  • resorative

Key Components

  • estrogen-like isoflavonoids
  • alkaloids
  • coumarins
  • vitamins pro-A, B, C, D, and K

Medicinal Parts

  • Sap

Remedies

  • poultices to treat skin infections and inflammations
  • infusions for internal healing
  • juice applied to cuts, sores, and wounds

Traditional Uses

It is used to treat many digestive ailments, including ulcers and other inflammatory conditions of the intestines, stomach, and mouth. Its soothing properties protect the mucous membranes and encourage healing. It is also used for eye inflammations, bronchitis, arthritis, menstrual problems, as well as for cuts and wounds.

In the past, being a fairly close relative of Aloe Vera and with its rosette of sharply barbed spears, the two are often substituted for each other, depending on availability.

Another species, A. sisalana, is cultivated in subtropical America and Kenya as a source of hecogenin, the substance that is the starting point in the production of corticosteroids. Its fiber is also used to make rope and hammocks.

Mixed with a yellow chili and gourd seeds, the mixture was a tonic for those suffering relapses after illnesses.

A beverage made with the juice, called aguamiel, which literally means “water honey,” is prepared by roasting one of the spears until it begins to turn brown. The liquid is then squeezed from it and simmered over a low flame, sometimes with the addition of a cinnamon stick for flavour.

Agar

By

Botanical Name

  • Family Gelidaceae
  • Gelidium amansii, G. corneum

Common Names

  • Agar-Agar, Agar Weed, Japanese/Chinese Isinglass, Red Algae

Cautions

  • None listed

Description

This perennial seaweed grows up to three feet long, comprising of reddish-brown, translucent, multibranched ribbons and fronds, called thalli (singular thallus), that sprout from a permanent base every year. The thallus is cylindrical or flattened, subdivided, and tough. The plant produces spherical fruit late in the autumn or early winter. Indigenous to the Pacific coasts of Japan and China, Sri Lanka, it also grows along the South African coasts to a depth of 100 feet below sea level.

Commercial harvesters rake the plants from the banks and rocks. The refining of it is a complex process. After cleaning, it is boiled with sulphuric acid, which yields agar, a thick gummy liquid. This is set to form a jelly, which is colorless and tasteless and capable of absorbing 200 times its volume of water. The final product is cut into thin strips, dried, and stored in a cool place to prevent the growth of mold. The strips are then ground into a fine powder. About 6,500 tons of agar are processed each year.

History

Agar is a common food thickening agent, but it is used mostly in scientific research as a culture medium for growing micro-organisms in petri dishes.

The Japanese name kanten means “cold weather,” referring to the fact that the seaweed is harvested in the winter months. Freezing and thawing are necessary for the manufacturing process.

Key Actions

  • nutritive
  • bulk laxative

Key Components

  • polysaccharides (mainly agarose and agaropectine [up to 90%])

Medicinal Parts

  • The gelatinous extract, known as Agar
  • The polysaccharides are very mucilaginous, making it a good bulk laxative.

Traditional Uses

Like most seaweeds and their derivatives, agar is nutritious, containing large amounts of mucilage which absorbs water in the intestines and swells. This stimulates bowel activity, without purging, causing the subsequent elimination of feces.

The powder is used to make a jelly that is given to the sick and infirm for its highly digestible protein.

Although G. amansii is the main agar-producing species, there are other closely related species found around the world used as alternative sources. One is G. cartilagineum, found on the Pacific coast of North America.

Acacia

By

Botanical and Common Names

  • Family Leguminosae
  • Acacia arabica (Acacia, Babul, Wattle Bark, Indian Gum)
  • Acacia catechu (Black Catechu, Cutch)
  • Acacia senegal (Senegal, Acacia, Cape Gum, Egyptian Thorn, Gum Acacia, Gum Arabic, Gum Senegal, Tamerisk/Tamarisk, Babul)
  • Acacia decurrens (Black Wattle)
  • Acacia farnesiana, Mimosa farnesiana (Cassia flower, Cashaw, Sweet Acacia; Spanish: Huizache, Uña del Gato, Guisache, Palo Huisache, Binorama, Acacia, Espino Blanco, Huaxin (Nahuatl), Xkantiriz (Maya)

Cautions

  • Do not take for more than two to three weeks at a time without a break.
  • Do not take if suffering from kidney inflammations.

Description

The Acacia tree is indigenous to the Nile area, Ethiopia, East Africa, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, and India. It grows to about seventy feet with hard, woody, rusty-brown coloured bark and feathery leaves. It produces small, bright yellow flower heads and pods up to six inches long. The bark is collected from plants that are at least seven years old and then left to mature for a year. The Australian species, Black Wattle, is commercially available under the same name as Acacia. The two are used interchangeably. The US has several species, but A. angustissim is the only thornless variety.

Black Catechu is indigenous to India, Burma, Sri Lanka, and East Africa, growing to about forty feet in height at altitudes of 5,000 feet. It produces thorny branches, divided feathery leaves and flowers of close spikes. It is grown mainly for its lumber. Black catechu heartwood is harvested, ground, and boiled in water for twelve hours. The residue is then removed, the extract steamed to a syrup consistency, and is cooled in molds. When dried, this shiny, black-brown mass, called “cutch”, becomes a brittle solid which is broken up into irregular pieces and sold.

Senegal is found in the tropical Savannah belt of Africa, in the southern Sahara (Senegal and Gambia), in Arabia, Beluchistan, and Sind. It grows in forest-like conditions in the western and southwestern Sahara region (Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast, northern Dahomey and northern Nigeria). The latex is the result of a wound infection of the tree which has occurred naturally or by inducement. The incised bark is removed in strips approximately an inch wide by two feet in length. The liquid dries to form a hard, glazed substance and is collected on a weekly basis from trees ranging from three to twelve years old. Only the latex from A. senega or other African varieties are officially recognized. Therefore, it seems, the latex from the Asian, Australian, and American species is not officially recognized.

The Mexican species is a shrub that grows wild, having thorny stems and clumps of fragrant yellow flowers. It thrives abundantly in the Sonoran desert and in tropical and subtropical climates throughout Mexico. It is cultivated as an ornamental in gardens in the Americas, as well as in southern Europe, where it is also grown commercially for its flowers, whose aroma is used in perfumes.

History

The Acacia genus includes more than 1,200 species of flowering trees and shrubs. Many of them are used medicinally for their soothing properties.

In ancient Egypt, the wood of the acacia was used to make dwellings, wheels, and tool handles. All parts of the tree have long been used medicinally.

The gum was applied to loose teeth by ancient Egyptians as its thick mucilaginous qualities helped to support the tooth while the astringent qualities tightened up the surrounding gum tissue. If the damage was not too severe, the tooth would firm up in a short time. The gum was also applied to open wounds as an antiseptic balm.

Since prehistoric times, the plant has been used as a food and a dye by the Aztecs, who also considered the edible seedpods as an aphrodisiac.

Key Actions

  • anthelmintic
  • antibacterial
  • anticatarrhal
  • antifungal
  • anti-inflammatory
  • antimalarial
  • antimicrobial
  • antiseptic
  • astringent
  • diuretic
  • hemostatic
  • mucilaginous (roots and gum)
  • sedative (flowers and leaves)

Key Components

  • tannins ((25-60%)
  • mucilage (20-30%)
  • flavonoids
  • resins

Medicinal Parts

  • Bark, gum, and fruit (Acacia); bark, heartwood, leaves, and shoots (Catechu); latex (Senegal)
  • Has proven to be active against Staphylococcus aureus, Psudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella spp., malaria, Shigella dysenteriae, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Remedies

  1. Acacia
    1. lotions for bleeding gums
    2. gargles for sore throats
    3. wash for eczema and wounds
    4. eyewash for conjunctivitis
    5. douche for excessive vaginal discharge
    6. enemas for hemorrhoids
    7. decoctions for diarrhea
    8. mouthwash for gum disease and oral inflammations
  2. Black Catechu
    1. infusions, tinctures, powders, or ointments to act as a clotting agent externally or internally
    2. mouthwashes and gargles for oral inflammations or bleeding
    3. injectables are also available

Traditional Uses

Both the African and Australian varieties have tannin-rich bark. A decoction can be applied to inflamed tissue and burns to promote rapid healing and the knitting together of the tissues. This high tannin content also helps in the treatment of mouth ulcers and throat inflammations. Its astringency helps check the growth of oral bacteria while soothing the delicate tissues that line the oral cavity.

In Ayurvedic medicine, Acacia leaves, flowers, and pods have long been used to expel worms, to staunch bleeding, heal wounds, and suppress the coughing up of blood. Its strong astringent action is used to contract and toughen mucous membranes throughout the body in much the same way as witch hazel or oak bark.

Black Catechu is used internally for chronic catarrh of the mucous membranes, dysentery, and bleeding. In Chinese medicine it is used for poorly healing ulcers, weeping skin diseases, oral ulcers with bleeding, and traumatic injuries. A small piece of cutch can be dissolved in the mouth to stop bleeding gums or heal canker sores. In Ayurvedic medicine, decoctions of the bark and heartwood are used for sore throats.

Senegal gum is used as a mild stimulant and to impede absorption as well as for the treatment of catarrh and diarrhea. It is the source of the well-known gum arabic, as well as being a constituent of cough drops. It is also used in veterinary medicine for mild diarrhea in small animals, foals, and calves.

Mexicans use the flowers, leaves, and roots to make soothing teas and washes, good for the mucous membranes, and used mainly to treat bladder problems or as a topical antiseptic for skin and oral inflammations. The astringent fruit is used to treat dysentery.

Although herbalists in the US rarely use acacia for parasitic infestations, it is commonly used in other cultures. For example, one species, A. anthelmintica, is specific for worms in Abyssinia; A. nilotica is specific for malaria in Nigeria; and A. polyacantha is specific for malaria in Tanzania.

The acacia in some South American cultures has been considered specific for venomous stings and bites and used in much the same manner in each culture. The juice of the chewed bark is swallowed, while the chewed bark itself is placed on the area of the bite.

Decoctions made from the powdered leaves, stems, and pods are taken for shigella, malaria, dysentery, and diarrhea. The brew is both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory.

An infusion of the flowers and leaves is taken for gastrointestinal inflammations. The flowers are also sedating.

The roots make a mucilaginous tea that is both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It helps soothe mucous membranes from the mouth through to the anus, reducing inflammation and attacking microbial infections.

Any part may be powdered and applied to fungal infections, infected wounds, and to stop the bleeding of wounds and prevent subsequent infection.

To prepare gum: combine one part by weight of acacia gum with with parts by volume of distilled water. Place into a tightly-stoppered bottle, shake occasionally, all to dissolve, and keep refrigerated. It becomes a slimy goo in the process. One or two tablespoons of this at a time can be taken as often as needed for gastrointestinal inflammations, oral ulcerations, or dysentery. Mesquite (Prosopis julifera, P. pubescens) is a close relative and can be substituted for acacia, using the same preparation and dosage, with the same results.

For educational purposes only.
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.