Botanical Name

• Family Boraginaceae
• Pygeum africanum

Common Names

• None listed.

Cautions

• It should be taken only under professional guidance.

Description

 Native to Africa, pygeum is extracted from an evergreen tree that grows to 120 feet and has oblong leaves, white flowers and red berries. It is still harvested from the wild, but increased demand has produced severe shortages which has led to the establishment of commercial farms.

History

 In the past, pygeum was valued in Africa for its hard wood, often used in making wagons. But its bark was also recognized as being useful in treating urinary disorders.

In Asian countries, the fruit kernels of a related species, P. gardneri, are used to poison fish.

Key Actions

• diuretic
• endocrine agent
• tonic
• urinary antiseptic

Key Components

• phytosterols (beta-sitosterol)
• triterpenes (ursolic and oleanolic acids)
• long-chain alcohols (n-tetracosanol)
• tannins

Medicinal Parts

• Bark

Traditional Uses

 In France, the fat-soluble extract of pygeum bark has become the primary treatment for an enlarged prostate gland. In trial studies during the 1960s, the fact was established that the extract increases glandular secretions and reduced the levels of cholesterol within the organ. In most Western countries, surgery is the main option for enlarged prostates; but, in France, pygeum is prescribed with an 81% success rate.

Decoctions are used to reduce the severity of chronic prostate inflammation.

It is sometimes helpful in reversing male sterility when caused by insufficient prostate secretions.

In combination with other herbs, pygeum may be valuable in the treatment of prostatic cancer.

Botanical Name

• Family Rutaceae
• Zanthoxylum americanum

Common Names

• Toothache Tree, Yellow Wood/Yellowwood, Suterberry, Sootberry, False Hercules, False Hercules Club

Cautions

• An overdose can lead to salivation, increased cardiac function, and elevated blood pressure.
• Do not use during pregnancy.
• Do not take internally if suffering from inflammatory stomach conditions.

Description

 Prickly Ash is a member of a temperate genus of trees and shrubs that inhabit Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It is a deciduous shrub, growing to ten feet with thorny gray branches and compound leaves. It prefers moist, shady sites as woodlands. The bark is harvested in the spring, while the berries are collected in summer.

History

 Native North Americans chewed both the bark and the berries to alleviate rheumatism and toothaches.

The Mesquakie used four distinct parts of the plant: the bark of the trunk, the bark of the root, the berries, and the leaves. The bark and the berries are strong expectorants and used to make cough syrups, stop hemorrhages, and treat tuberculosis. The inner bark was boiled with the root of sarsaparilla and another undetermined root to make a tea that was drunk to gain strength during an illness. The berries were mixed with the insect gall of a plant, likely the Canadian Goldenrod, and a tea was made to cure kidney problems. The powdered inner bark was used to treat toothache.

The Comanches used the bark for fever, sore throat, and toothache.

Young Omaha men used the fruits as a perfume. The whole plant has the smell and taste like that of lemons.

The Illinois and Miamis used the bark to "draw off pus".

It was used in the US during the 19th century as a circulatory stimulant and to treat arthritis.

The dried bark was officially listed in the US Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1926 and in the National Formulary from 1926 to 1947. The dried berries were listed in the National Formulary from 1916 to 1947.

Key Actions

• antirheumatic
• antispasmodic
• carminative
• circulatory stimulant
• increases sweating
• mild stimulant
• tonic

Key Components

• alkaloids (chelerythrine, nitidine, laurifoline, tembetarine, magnoflorine, and candicine)
• herclavin
• lignans (asarinin)
• neoherculin
• tannins
• resins
• gums
• volatile oil
• pyrocoumarins
• xanthyletin
• xanthoxyletin

Medicinal Parts

• Root bark, berries
• The action of the berries is similar to that of the bark; but, because their principles are more easily absorbed in the stomach, they are considered stronger.
• Anthoxylin is a diaphoretic.

Traditional Uses

 The bark contains stimulants that act as a general tonic and invigorator. It is a true alternative that can be employed in a variety of conditions, especially that of glandular fever. It is also used for low blood pressure, rheumatic disorders, fever, and inflammation.

Ayuvedic medicine uses it for toothache, headache, eye and ear conditions, dyspeptic symptoms, colic, flatulence, worm infestation, diarrhea, fever, coughs, asthma, paralysis, and leprosy.

Western herbalists regard it as a prime remedy for rheumatic and arthritic problems. A tincture is used to stimulate the blood flow to painful and stiff joints, while promoting the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the area and removing waste products.

A decoction, combined with ginger, improves circulation in both intermittent claudication and Raynaud's disease, conditions where the arteries of the limbs have narrowed, preventing sufficient blood reaching the hand or leg muscles. A lotion can be made from a decoction and rubbed on the legs or hands to improve circulation. Tablets are also available for the same purpose.

It is also used to relieve gas and diarrhea while toning the digestive system.

Topically, it is applied to leg ulcers and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease.

Southern Prickly Ash (Z. clavaherculis) also grows in the US and used interchangeably with the common prickly ash.

A Chinese species called Chuan jiao (Z. bungeanum) is given for "cold" patterns of illness causing abdominal pain.

In South Africa, Z. zanthoxyloides is the traditional West African herb for rheumatic conditions.

Botanical and Common Names

• Family Salicaceae
• Populus species
• Populus alba (White Poplar, Silver-leaved/Silverleaf Poplar, Trembling Aspen)
• Populus nigra (Black Poplar)
• Populus tremuloides (Quaking Aspen)
• Populus x candicans syn. P. gileadensis (Balm of Gilead, Balsam Poplar, Mecca Balsam, Tacamahack)

Cautions

• Do not use if sensitive to aspirin.

Description

 The poplars are deciduous trees, growing to seventy or eighty feet, producing heart-shaped or oval leaves and sticky, resinous buds. There are both European and North American varieties which are now naturalized in many areas of the world. The buds and the bark are collected in spring for medicinal use.

History

 The Balm of Gilead is a small shrub that grows profusely in certain areas of the Middle East, especially around Mecca. It has been used for several thousand years to soothe inflamed and irritated skin. The ancient Arabian physicians, Mesu, Rhazes, and Avicenna were highly impressed with its medicinal qualities.

Despite claims to the contrary, there is little evidence to support the idea that P. candicans is the Balm of Gilead mentioned in the Bible. In fact, a far more likely candidate is Pistacia lentiscus as its buds are collected in late winter for medicinal purposes.

In the 17th century, Nicolas Culpeper recorded remedies for wounds and fevers, as well as its ability to dry up the milk after weaning; but this has never proven to be effective.

The Quaking Aspen received its name from the way the leaves quiver in the wind.

The Ojibwa people of North America used an oily compound made from bear fat and quaking aspen to treat earache. Other Native Americans used the bark for diverse purposes, including a wash for sore eyes.

The natural antibiotic nature of the Balm of Gilead resin is sought by bees and used in the construction of their hives.

Key Actions

(a) Poplar species

• antiphlogistic (takes down fevers)
• analgesic
• antibacterial
• antispasmodic

(b) Balm of Gilead

• antiseptic
• analgesic
• antibacterial
• antifungal
• anti-inflammatory
• expectorant

(c) Quaking Aspen

• anti-inflammatory
• astringent
• antiseptic
• stimulant
• tonic

Key Components

• glycosides and esters yielding salicylic acid
• flavonoids (leaf buds)
• volatile oil (leaf buds)

Medicinal Parts

• Bark, buds

Traditional Uses

 Balm of Gilead is a common ingredient in cough mixtures and is often used for sore throats, dry irritable coughs, bronchitits, and other respiratory ailments which research is confirming. The volatile oils are readily absorbed through the skin and have an antibiotic and febrifuge effect, making it an ideal remedy for chest infections. The duration of colds and some strains of flu are shortened with the application of the ointment or lotion to the chest area.

In France and Germany, Balm of Gilead is applied as salves to scrapes, small wounds, chapped and itchy skin. sunburn, chilblains, and hemorrhoids.

A preparation applied externally may also help relieve the pain of rheumatic joints and strained muscles. It can also be used in treating chronic skin ulcers and other infected wounds and is thought to be superior to the turpentines for its antiseptic properties.

Like willow bark, poplar bark has long been used as an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, especially when treating arthritis and rheumatism. It is also employed in reducing fevers.

Being a stimulant, the quaking aspen acts as a tonic remedy in the treatment of anorexia and other debilitated states. Its astringent properties make it a good remedy for diarrhea and symptoms of irritable bowel. It is also used to treat urinary tract infections.

The poplar bark and leaves have been used in treating prostate enlargement.

The buds are used for superficial skin injuries, external hemorrhoids, frostbite, and sunburn.

Botanical Name

• Family Phytolaccaceae
• Phytolacca decandra-americana

Common Names

• Pokeweed, American Nightshade/Spinach, Bear's Grape, Branching Phytolacca, Cancer-root, Coakum-Chongras, Cokan, Crowberry, Inkberry, Jalap, Phytolacca Berry/Root, Pigeon Berry, Pocan, Poke, Poke Berry, Red Weed, Red-Ink Plant, Scoke/Skoke, Virginian Poke, Fitolaca (Spanish)

Cautions

 The plant is highly toxic in overdose. Therefore, it should be used only under professional supervision.

The leaves of many species are edible when cooked, but are extremely poisonous when raw. Therefore, it is vital that the right species be identified.

Do not take during pregnancy.

Description

 Indigenous to North America but common in Mediterranean countries, the plant is an herbaceous perennial, growing to ten feet, having alternate lance-shaped leaves, spikes of greenish white flowers, and clusters of fleshy, deep purple berries. There are about forty species of this genus, with the majority found in the US thriving in damp woodlands and open areas. Both the roots and the berries can be used medicinally although the roots have a stronger action and are unearthed in the late autumn.

History

 The plant was widely used by Native Americans and early European settlers in poultices for skin diseases, sores, ulcers, and tumors. It was also given internally to relieve pain and to induce vomiting.

The berries yield a strong red dye which, in the past, was added to confectionery items and alcoholic drinks.

Key Actions

• antirheumatic
• antiarthritic
• antiviral
• antiedemic
• anti-inflammatory
• immune stimulating
• lymphatic decongestant

Key Components

• triterpenoid saponins
• lectins
• proteins
• resin
• mucilage

Medicinal Parts

 Root, berries

• The triterpenoid saponins are strongly anti-inflammatory.
• The proteins are antiviral.
• The lectins mitogenic, meaning they break up chromosomes.

Traditional Uses

 The root is used for such respiratory infections as sore throats and tonsillitis and for swollen glands and chronic infections.

It is sometimes prescribed for pain and infection of the ovaries or testes and as a cleanser for the lymphatic system to stimulate the clearance of waste products.

As a poultice or ointment, the herb is applied to skin ulcers, sore and infected breasts, acne, folliculitis, fungal infections as ringworm, and scabies. It is also used for dysmenorrhea, dyspepsia, catarrh, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, syphilis, mumps, conjunctivitis, scabies, ringworm, and constipation.

Homeopathic remedies include that of inflammations of the mucous membranes, particularly of the respiratory tract, feverish infections, mammary gland inflammations, and rheumatic or arthritic conditions.

In Vermont especially, the anti-inflammatory properties are prized as a valued remedy for rheumatism.

In Canada, it has been successfully used to to treat psoriasis.

Botanical and Common Names

• Family Asclepiadaceae
• Asclepias tuberosa (Pleurisy Root, Butterfly Weed, Butterfly Milkweed, Silkweed, Chiggerflower, Canada/Flux//Wind/White/Tuber/Rubber/Pipple – Root, Orange – Swallow-wort/Milkweed/Root/Apocynum, Swallow Wort/Swallowwort/Swallow-wort, Indian Nosy)
• Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed/Silkweed, Rose-colored Silkweed)
• Asclepias asperula (Milkweed, Candlelit, Antelope Horns, Pleurisy Root; Spanish: Immortal, Yerba del Indio, Candelilla, Lichens, Yamato, Raiz de Pleurisy; Nahuatl: Tlalacxoyatl, Tlalayotli, Tlatlacoctic)

Cautions

• Do not use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
• Do not exceed prescribed dosage as digitalis-like poisonings are possible.

Description

 The Asclepias genus is a group of weeds common throughout much of North America and northern Mexico. Most grow low to the ground with long, oval leaves and small flowers followed by seedpods. A. asperula grows primarily throughout the desert southwest, extending into western Nebraska, Arkansas, and Mexico.

Pleurisy root is the most common of the species used for herbal use, and grows primarily in the eastern part of the US. It is an upright perennial, growing to three feet producing narrow, lance-shaped leaves and spikes of numerous five-petaled orange or yellow flowers. The pencil-thin roots are unearthed in the spring and may continue down for some distance into the soil or simply just peter out. Occasionally the roots form thick clusters of tubers.

The common milkweed grows throughout the west. It is scattered and erratic; but, when found, often grows in large colonies from about eighteen inches to six feet in height, usually with a single stem. The leaves are broad, oval, and longish, growing up to eight or ten inches in length. The veining in the leaves is pronounced. The plant produces pinkish-white flowers in a large globular cluster. The individual flowers are quite delicate and very sweet. After flowering, the plant produces good-sized pods, three to five inches in length, which are filled with downy seeds.

History

 The genus name comes from the name of the Greek god of medicine, Asklepios.

The roots were used as an effective expectorant to treat colds, bronchial conditions, and pleurisy, hence the name. Native Americans considered pleurisy root a cure-all used to treat such diverse conditions as pleurisy, typhoid, pneumonia, congestion, dysentery, colic, eczema, and hysteria.

The Natchez people used a tea from the boiled root to treat pneumonia. Many tribes considered it a good remedy for hot, dry fevers.

The Omaha believed this herb to be so important that only members of the Shell society were allowed to dig and distribute the roots. They ate the raw root for bronchitis and other chest conditions, as did the Ponca tribes.

The Menominee also considered it one of their most important medicines and used the pulverized root on cuts, bruises, and other injuries. It was also chewed and placed on wounds or dried, pulverized, and blown into them, especially old, obstinate sores.

Although the plant does not grow on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, the Lakotas have ten names for six species of Asclepias.

The Cheyennes made a tea from the plant for snowblindness and other forms of blindness, and applied the liquid to the eyes using clean cloths. They also applied the chewed root to rashes and sores, including diaper rash and baby's sore gums.

The Mesquakies used the root to expel tapeworms, and some species were used as contraceptives.

In Mexico, the various species of Asclepias are called "inmortal" because the plant grows again from the root with seeming immortality. Its other names refer to its popularity as a remedy for pleurisy and chest congestions.

The Aztec Herbal of 1552 recommended the root as a purgative, laxative, and a remedy for chest congestion. The root is still used today for both purposes.

The root was listed in the US Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1905 and in the National Formulary from 1916 to 1936. The common milkweed (A. syriaca) and the swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) were also officially listed in the US Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1863 and 1873 to 1882.

The cardiac glycosides in the pleurisy root plants are a useful chemical defence for the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Their relationship to the Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is considered to be a classic example of "Batesian mimicry" and the co-evolution of two butterfly species. Monarch butterflies, in their caterpillar phase, eat milkweeds almost exclusively and are able to store the toxic alkaloids in their cells without apparent harm. After their metamorphosis into butterflies, they become poisonous to birds because of the continued presence of the alkaloids. It was experimentally determined that these cardiac alkaloids made blue jays and other birds vomit. They soon learned not to eat the Monarchs. These glycosides not only give protection to the Monarchs from bird predators, but also indirectly to the Viceroy butterfly as well. The Viceroy mimics the Monarchs in appearance, and the birds leave them alone even though the Viceroys do not eat the milkweed plants and are not poisonous.

Key Actions

• anti-inflammatory
• antispasmodic
• estrogenic
• expectorant
• promotes sweating
• tonic

Key Components

• cardenolides
• flavonoids

Medicinal Parts

 Root

The Asclepias species consists of three traditionally used in herbal medicine: the common milkweed (A. speciosa), immortal (A. asperula), and pleurisy root (A. tuberosa). While each is specific, they also have certain similarities in their effects on the body.

Traditional Uses

 Its specific use is for relieving the pain and inflammation of pleurisy, but it also is a good remedy for any hot, dry, and tight chest conditions. Pleurisy is an inflammation and painful drying of the sack that contains the lungs. Pleurisy root promotes coughing and the expelling of phlegm, while reducing fevers by stimulating perspiration. It regulates breathing and retards further inflammation of the pleura. The herb contains anodyne substances which will also ease the pain to a certain extent. However, too much can cause nausea and, eventually, vomiting. The narrow-leaved milkweeds possess larger quantities of the constituents that cause nausea and vomiting so should be used more cautiously.

It can also be used to correct dysentary and chronic diarrhea.

Swamp milkweed is used mainly for digestive disorders, but has the same cardiac glycosides as pleurisy root.

The common milkweed is a highly useful plant.

Other Information

 *The shoots may be gathered when four to eight inches in height and prepared like asparagus.

*The thick, white, milky sap is quite bitter and contains a number of cardiac glycosides. The water, in which it is cooked, should be changed two or three times. The sap is water soluble and should be discarded along with the water. When so prepared, the plant tastes much like asparagus and maybe more palatable. The sap is also considered to be a remedy for warts when the milky juice is rubbed daily on the wart.

*The leaves are also edible and prepared much like spinach.

*The flower buds can be boiled as well and tastes like a cross between peas and asparagus. The flowers are quite sweet and, when cooked slowly in water, become a thick syrup suitable for pancakes.

*The pods, before becoming filled with the downy seeds, are very good and tastes a little like okra.

Botanical and Common Names

• Family Plantaginaceae
• Plantago afra (Psyllium Seed, Plantain, Fleaseed, Flea Wort, Psyllion, Psyllios)
• Plantago ovata syn. Plantago isphagula (Psyllium, Blood Plantago, Indian Plantago, Ispaghula, Sand Plantain, Spogel, Blond Psyllium, Black Psyllium)
• Plantago lanceolata (Plantain, Buckhorn, Chinmey-sweeps, Headsman, Ribgrass, Ribwort, Ripplegrass, Soldier’s Herb)
• Plantago major (Common plantain, Waybread, Broad-leaved Plantain, Ribwort, Ripple Grass; Spanish: Lantén, Llantén, Planten, Pastorcito; Nahuatl: Acaxilotl, Totoncapatli)

Cautions

• Always drink plenty of water when taking psyllium ,and do not exceed the stated dose.

Description

The plant is indigenous to the Mediterranean region and western Asia; but it now grows worldwide, especially in India, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, northern Africa, Spain, and Canary Islands. The plant is cultivated mainly in India and neighbouring countries, Spain, central Europe, Cuba, Arizona, and Southern Brazil. To many areas, it is considered a weed. The herb is an annual that grows to about sixteen inches in height, producing narrow leaves and clusters of tiny whitish-brown flowers.

History

The Anglo-Saxons considered it an important healing herb.

Of the species growing wild in Mexico and the southwestern US, several are native, while others are escapees from gardens. These garden plants were brought to Mexico from Chile, Argentina, and Peru by the Spanish.

Pliny suggested that, if several pieces of flesh were put in a pot with plantain, it would join them back together again.

The seeds been used as a laxative for thousands of years in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. Given their small size and colour, the husks and seeds have often been mistaken for fleas and hence their nickname of “fleaseed.”

Psyllium seeds were considered a high-fiber food that was part of the Aztec diet, and still used today by many people.

The Pennsylvania Dutch extracted juice to soothe tired and abused feet, treat insect bites, and lessen the pain of hemorrhoids. They also found that the seeds were effective in ridding intestinal worms.

In North Carolina, the plant was placed on the wrist of a feverish person; and, when it turned brown from the heat of the body, the person would be cured.

The gypsies of Eastern Europe had an effective hemorrhoid cream recipe that included plantain, ground ivy, and lard, which were boiled and the ingredients pressed to obtain all of the plants’ powerful substances. Once cooled, the cream was liberally applied to the area. The Maoris of New Zealand treated the same area by placing the plant in a steaming pot of water and hanging the “affected part” over the pot.

Gerard advocated using an infusion as a wash for sore throats, gums, or “privy parts” of man or woman. He was likely referring to the high rates of venereal disease common at the time. The plant is still used on herpes sores.

In ancient times, the plant had a prominent place in many herbals. Dioscorides and Pliny recommended it for such things as malignant tumors, ulcers, bronchial disorders, fevers, infected wounds, bites, and pustulous inflammations.

The plant has long been recognized as possessing antibiotic properties; and, until the turn of the 20th century, people were still pulverizing the leaves and, along with a pinch of salt, using the herb on rat-bites and other potentially dangerous wounds. An old Roman remedy used it for boils.

Key Actions

(a) Leaves

• antispasmodic
• reduces phlegm
• relaxing expectorant
• tones mucous membranes
• topical healer

(b) Seeds

• antidiarrheal
• anti-inflammatory
• bulk laxative
• demulcent
• emollient
• promotes healing

Key Components

• mucilage (arabinoxylan)
• fixed oil (2.5% mainly linoleic, oleic, and palmitic fatty acids)
• starch

Medicinal Parts

Leaves, seeds, and husks

Clinical trials during the 1980s in the US, Germany, and Scandinavia showed that psyllium has both a laxative and an antidiarrheal action, as well as having the ability to help restore normal function of a body organ.

In recent years, study of the herb has found it to be useful in two main areas of treatment, as an expectorant and as an external antiseptic. As an expectorant, where up to 10% of the plant may be mucilaginous, plantain is aided by the glycoside aucubin to produce this action. Therefore, the herb is a successful remedy for coughs, and such related ailments as bronchitis. Several Russian pharmaceutical companies have invested large sums in cultivating the plant so as to have an adequate supply of its active ingredients.

Remedies

Juice from the fresh leaves is taken for inflamed mucous membranes, especially with cystitis, diarrhea, and lung infections.

Tinctures are preferably made from the fresh leaves and used for heavy mucus and allergy rhinitis, or if astringency is needed.

Poultices are made from the fresh leaves and applied to bee stings and slow-healing wounds.

Ointments are used for wounds, burns, and hemorrhoids.

Washes from the diluted juice are used for inflammations, sores, and wounds.

Gargles from the diluted juice are used for sore throats or mouth inflammations.

Syrups are made from the juice and used for coughs particularly when the throat is sore or inflamed.

An infusion from the seeds is used for urethritis.

The husks are often powdered and used in a variety of preparations.

Traditional Uses

Plantain is one of the more versatile herbs used for a wide variety of disorders, including bites and stings, black spots on the skin, lymph gland swellings, epilepsy, excessive bleeding, uterine pains, headaches, coughs, fevers, flu, sore feet, eye and gum inflammations, and bladder infections.

Today, the Plantago lanceolata species is the most used in herbal medicine, although P. major is still used as a first-aid remedy for bee stings.

The black seeds of P. psyllium and the pink seeds of P. ovata are used for the commercially prepared bulk laxatives. Fresh seeds must be soaked in water before they are used to correct constipation. Because of its gelatinous consistency, psyllium maintains a high water content within the bowel, thus increasing bulk in the stool, making it easier to pass and invaluable for those prone to hemorrhoids.

The seeds are also used for healing wounds and such skin infections as boils and carbuncles.

The husks can be soaked in an infusion of calendula and used as a poultice to draw infection out of boils, abscesses, and other pus-filled infections.

It is used also to treat dysentery, burns, bruises, canker sores, sore eyes and throat, inflammations, headaches, and vaginal irritations.

In the Louisiana bayou, the fresh leaves were traditionally applied to sores to promote healing, while the dried leaves were put in linen closets to keep insects away.

The Chinese have long used plantain to stop potentially fatal diarrhea in children. They also used the plant for a healthy childbirth, especially in those where the fetus is in the wrong position. In such cases, plantain is credited with a 90% reversal rate in position leading to a normal presentation at birth.

The plant has received much attention in Burma, where it is used to treat high blood pressure, as well as the common sores and fevers usually found in tropical places. Their scientists have spent much time in researching the plant and have found some interesting facts. Plantain, whether in water or alcohol solutions, does cause a drop in arterial pressure in dogs. They have also determined that a substance, plantaglucide, cuts down on the formation of ulcers. In addition, substances appear to increase gastric juices which reduce intestinal contractions, alleviating stomach pain. Since the plant contains mucilage, particularly in the seeds, it is useful in collecting toxins in the intestine and moving out the soft feces.

NOTE: This is not the same plant as the plantain fruit, which resembles a banana.

Botanical Name

• Family Ericaceae
• Chimaphila umbellata

Common Names

• Prince's Pine, Ground Holly, Umbellate Wintergreen, Butter Winter, King's Cureall, Love in Winter, Rheumatism Weed, King's Cure

Cautions

• Not for long-term use.

Description

 Native to North America, Europe, and Asia, Pipsissewa is an evergreen plant that grows around the world in temperate climates, thriving in woods and shady places in sandy soil. It has several stems and grows to about eight inches, producing shiny, wedge-shaped leaves and small flat-topped clusters of white flowers tinged with red. It is now extensively grown in Europe, Asia, Siberia, and North and South America, and is a protected species in Germany. The leaves are gathered in summer.

History

 It was much used by Native North Americans, especially the Okanagan-Coleville, Iroquois, and Delaware, to induce sweating and to treat such fevers as typhus. They also used it for kidney and bladder complaints, to regulate menstruation, and externally for skin diseases, including smallpox. They also used it to treat childbirth complications, respiratory problems, rheumatism, stomach cancer, constipation, venereal disease, and heart ailments.

European settlers used the herb for rheumatism and urinary and kidney problems.

Pipsissewa was listed in the US Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1916.

Key Actions

• astringent
• antiseptic
• antimicrobial
• anti-inflammatory
• diuretic
• hypoglycemic
• tonic
• wound healer

Key Components

• hydroquinones (including arbutin)
• flavonoids
• triterpenes
• methyl salicylate
• tannins (4-5%)

Medicinal Parts

• Leaves

Traditional Uses

 Like Uva Ursi, Pipsissewa contains quinine, which is a urinary antiseptic and used to treat urinary tract infections, including cystitis and urethritis. It has also been prescribed for more serious conditions as gonorrhea and kidney stones.

Its diuretic properties increase urine flow, which removes wastes from the body and is, therefore, beneficial in treating rheumatism and gout.

The fresh leaves can be applied to rheumatic joints or muscles, as well as blisters, sores, and swellings.

Homeopathic uses include chronic inflammation of the urinary tract, prostate gland, and mammary glands.

Botanical Name

• Family Loganiaceae
• Spigelia marilandica

Common Names

• Pink Root, Maryland/Carolina Pinkroot, American Wormgrass/Wormroot, Indian/India/Carolina/Maryland Pink, Spigelia, Starbloom, Wormgrass

Cautions

• It should be used only under professional guidance as older sources state that the herb contains a toxin that paralyzes the spinal marrow that can lead to death through asphyxiation.

Description

 Native to the southern US, pinkroot is a prolific perennial plant with oval to lance-shaped leaves, spikes of brilliant red-pink flowers, and a double seed capsule. It grows in dry, rich soil in woodland clearings and borders, especially in Kentucky, Florida, and Texas. The roots are unearthed in autumn.

History

 Used extensively by Native Americans as a vermifuge, it was gathered for trade with the white settlers by the Creeks and Cherokees. From the late 18th century onward, it became a major de-worming herb in North America and Europe.

Key Actions

• antiparasitic
• strongly emetic

Key Components

• alkaloids (mainly spigeleine)
• volatile oil
• tannins
• acidic resins
• waxes

Medicinal Parts

• Rhizomes, roots
• Spigeleine is irritating to the stomach and strongly emetic.

Traditional Uses

 Today, pinkroot is used solely to expel intestinal worms, especially tapeworms and roundworms. It is prescribed with such other herbs as senna and fennel to ensure the elimination of both the worms and the root itself, which is potentially toxic if it is absorbed through the gut. The recommended dosage is one ounce of the powdered root made into an infusion and taken morning and evening, with as little food during the day as possible between the two doses.

Several of the Spigelia species act as worm-expelling herbs. These include S. flemmingania, native to Brazil, and S. anthelmia, native to the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Colombia, which also contains isoquinoline alkaloids useful in the treatment of heart disease.

The root has also been used as a febrifuge and for malaria.

Homeopathic remedies are used as a calmative during states of excitement.