Herbal Encyclopedia

Common Medicinal Herbs For Natural Health

  • Herbs
  • Modes of Use
    • Compresses and Lotions
    • Creams
    • Decoctions
    • Electuaries
    • Essential Oils
    • Fomentations
    • Gargles and Mouthwashes
    • Glycerites
    • Liniments
    • Medicinal Milks
    • Mustard Plasters
    • Oil Infusions
    • Ointments and Salves
    • Poison Ivy Lotions
    • Poultices
    • Powders and Capsules
    • Vapor Balms
    • Steam Inhalations
    • Syrups
    • Tinctures and Vinegars
    • Toothpastes
    • Water Infusions
    • When To Gather Herbs
  • Scientific Names

Amargo

November 21, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

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.

Filed Under: A Tagged With: * anthelmintic, alkaloids, amargo, anorexia, anthelminthic, anti-tumor, antimicrobial, antiviral, appetite, choleretic, decoction, diarrhea, digestion, digestive stimulant, digestive systems, dysentery, dyspepsia, edema, enema, febrifuge, fever reducer, fevers, gallbladder, gonorrhea, indole alkaloids, insect repellent, insecticidal, insecticide, intestinal gas, lice, liver disease, malaria, menstrual complaints, parasites, pinworms, purgarive, purgative, snake bites, threadworms, triterpenes, vitamin, worm infestations, wound treatments

Aloe

November 21, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

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.

Filed Under: A Tagged With: aloe, aloin, amino acids, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antibiotic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiulcer, antiviral, enzymes, flavonoids, Herpes, immune system, laxative, minerals, polysaccharides, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, purgative, resins, salicylic acid, Stapylococcus aureus, steroid hormones, tannins, vitamins

Alder

November 21, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

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.

Filed Under: A Tagged With: alder, anthraquinone, antimicrobial, astringent, bleeding, cuts, diarrhea, flavonoids, gargle, glycosides, gum inflammations, heals wounds, hives, intestinal bleeding, lignans, mouthwash, poison ivy, reduce breast engorgement, relieve aching, scabies, sore throat, sprains, stops bleeding, streptococcal throat infection, swelling, tannin, wounds

Acacia

June 29, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

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.

Filed Under: A Tagged With: * anthelmintic, Acacia, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticatarrhal, antifungal, antimalarial, antimicrobial, antiseptic, astringent, diuretic, hemostatic, inflamation, mucilaginous, rapid healing, sedative, tannin

Cloverleaf Farm natural, herbal healing

Click here for Natural Herbal Healing.

Pages

  • Modes of Use
    • Compresses and Lotions
    • Creams
    • Decoctions
    • Electuaries
    • Essential Oils
    • Fomentations
    • Gargles and Mouthwashes
    • Glycerites
    • Liniments
    • Lip Balms
    • Medicinal Milks
    • Mustard Plasters
    • Oil Infusions
    • Ointments and Salves
    • Poison Ivy Lotions
    • Poultices
    • Powders and Capsules
    • Steam Inhalations
    • Syrups
    • Tinctures and Vinegars
    • Toothpastes
    • Vapor Balms
    • Water Infusions
    • When To Gather Herbs
  • Online Herbal Encyclopedia of Knowledge
  • Scientific Names

Cloverleaf Farm

  • Cloverleaf Farm Store
  • Our Farm Blog
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

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.

Copyright © 2023 · Cloverleaf Farm Herbal Apothecary