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

Cinnamon

December 22, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

Cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamonBotanical and Common Names

  • Family Lauraceae
  • Cinnamomum aromaticum (Chinese Cinnamon, Cassia, False Cinnamon, Bastard Cinnamon, Cassia Lignea, Cassia Bark, Cassia aromaticum, Canton Cassia)
  • Cinnamomum camphora (Camphor Tree, Gum Camphor, Laurel Camphor, Cemphire)
  • Cinnamomum verum (Cinnamon, Ceylon Cinnamon)
  • Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Sweetwood, True cinnamon, Canela [Spanish])
  • Cinnamomum cassia (Common cinnamon)

Cautions

  • Avoid therapeutic doses during pregnancy, as the herb is a uterine stimulant and can cause a miscarriage.
  • Avoid with nursing mothers as this herb may cause allergic hypersensitivity due to its cinnamein content. E.
  • Use with care in overheated or feverish conditions.
  • Can be toxic if taken in excess.
  • Avoid with stomach and intestinal ulcers due to its stomachic effect.
  • Prolonged use of this herb may cause tissue irritation due to potential toxicity.
  • Gastro-intestinal irritation may result where large amounts are ingested, causing violent vomiting and possible kidney irritation.
  • Do not take the essential oil internally.
  • The Camphor oil obtained from a specific variety of cinnamon tree is not for use internally (see separately).
  • Caution is needed when using the essential oil as it is very strong (6 g of the oil is enough to kill a medium-sized dog in five hours) and must be diluted in a neutral oil before it is used topically.

Description

Native to Sri Lanka and India, cinnamon is now found growing in tropical forests worldwide to an altitude of 1,500 feet above sea level. It is extensively cultivated throughout the tropical regions, especially in the Philippines and West Indies, but mainly as a spice. The plant is a tropical evergreen tree that reaches about thirty feet in height. It has thick, smooth, pale bark and leathery, oval, green leaves with paler undersides and small white flowers. The bark, leaves, and the bluish, oval fruits are fragrant. Only the bark from wild trees is used medicinally as cultivated trees are less potent. After the bark is harvested, it is left twenty-four hours to ferment. The outer bark is then scraped away, leaving the inner bark for use. The inner bark is also distilled for its essential oil.

True cinnamon comes from C. zeylanicum, while the common cinnamon comes from C. cassia. Cassia, whether in oil or powder, is half the strength of true cinnamon. Therefore, it is much more abundant, cheaper, and consequently, less effective medicinally, but fine as a spice. It is the only form found in the US, although there are many other varieties.

History

Cinnamon has a long history of medicinal use and is one of the world’s most important spices.

It is one of the oldest tonic plants in the world. The ancients Theophrastus, Herodotus, Galen, Dioscorides, Pliny, and Strebo all mention it.

Chinese use dates back at least 5,000 years. One Chinese ancient stated that if you took cinnamon with toads’ brains for seven years, you would be able to walk on water, look young forever, and never die. However, it is unlikely that many would want to after such a challenge!

It was first used medicinally in Egypt and India and in parts of Europe since about 500 BCE.

Traditionally, it was taken for colds, flu, and digestive problems and is still used in much the same way today.

Key Actions

  • antiseptic
  • astringent
  • aids digesting
  • antispasmodic
  • antibacterial
  • antifungal
  • antiviral
  • anti-nausea
  • anti-flatulence
  • anti-diarrheal
  • carminative
  • hypoglycemic
  • promotes sweating
  • uterine stimulant
  • warming stimulant

Key Components

  • volatile oil (up to 4% with cinnamaldehyde 65-70% and eugenol 4-10%)
  • tannins (condensed)
  • mucilage
  • gum
  • sugars
  • coumarins

Medicinal Parts

Bark, twigs, essential oil

The cinnamaldehyde has been shown by Japanese researchers to be a sedative and analgesic and thought also to reduce blood pressure and fevers.

One Japanese study showed that it may also help prevent ulcers. This is plausible since it is an antimicrobial and some ulcers are caused by bacteria.

Cinnamon oil has exhibited antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and larvicidal activities. Specifically, constituents in cinnamon are able to kill E. coli, Candida albicans, and Staphylococcus aureus. Staph infections usually cause lesions, pustules, and boils that can be terminal if spread to other organs.

Researchers at Kent State University, demonstrated that by adding one part cinnamon to 1000 parts apple cider, the combination killed more than 90% of the E. coli bacteria, a potentially deadly organism that is sometimes found in unpasteurized apple juice.

Eugenol, a chemical found in the oils of cloves, allspice, and cinnamon bark (but not cassia bark) has topical anesthetic properties, explaining its effectiveness as a painkiller for skin wounds.

Remedies

  • Dried twigs of the cassia are used to relieve “cold” conditions.
  • Essential oil is used on insect stings.
  • Tinctures are used for digestion.
  • Infusions are used for colds and flu.
  • The powder is used mainly in India to stimulate a weak digestion.

Traditional Uses

Western herbalists generally use the bark of zeylanicum, while the Chinese prefer their own species, cassia.

Regardless of the variety, the bark, leaves, and roots produce essential oils that are used, not only to scent and flavour, but also for tonics, antiseptics, and remedies for flatulence, nausea, colds, and high blood pressure. It has traditionally been used to relieve upset stomachs and gas, diarrhea, as well as for stimulating the appetite and enhancing digestion.

Externally, it reduces the pain of minor cuts and abrasions.

In China, the bark (rou gui) and the twigs (gui zhi) are used for separate conditions. The bark is believed to be best for conditions involving the torso, while the twigs are for fingers and toes.

Cinnamon is often combined with ginger to stimulate circulation and the digestion.

The Chinese believe that cinnamon heats up a cold body, improves circulation, and generally causes the blood to rush, which in turn, will remove toxins faster.

In India, it is used to stimulate inadequate contractions during labor, and is also an effective pain reliever.

In both China and in India, the use of cinnamon is used to promote regular and easy menstrual cycles.

Cinnamon is often used as a flavoring in toothpaste, not only because of its refreshing taste, but also because of its antiseptic properties that help kill bacteria responsible for tooth decay and gum disease.

Cinnamon can also be beneficial to people with type-2 diabetes by reducing the amount of insulin necessary to metabolize glucose. Researchers found that one-eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon can triple insulin efficiency.

Filed Under: C Tagged With: anti-diarrheal, anti-flatulence, anti-nausea, antibacterial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, astringent, carminative, cinnamon, digestion, gastro-intestinal, hypoglycemic, promotes sweating, uterine stimulant, warming stimulant

Chickweed

December 22, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

Chickweed growing at Cloverleaf FarmBotanical Name

  • Family Caryophyllaceae
  • Stellaria media

Common Names

  • Adder’s Mouth, Passerina, Satin Flower, Starweed, Star Chickweed, Starwort, Stitchwort, Tongue-grass, Winterweed

Cautions

  • Do not use if there is any kidney disease present.
  • Do not exceed dosage as an excessive dose can have an adverse effect on the kidneys; and, in rare cases, may cause heart failure.

Description

Native to Europe and Asia, chickweed is now found in virtually all of the world. It grows easily in open areas and is generally regarded as a troublesome weed. It seems to thrive in areas where cultivation is common and in unattended gardens, but dwindles and becomes sparce where farming is abandoned.

It is a sprawling perennial, growing to about six inches high and producing hairy stems, oval leaves, and star-like white flowers. It is harvested throughout the growing season as a food and a medicine.

History

In Gerard’s day (late 1500s), chickweed was given as a tonic to caged birds.

A chronic weed to some, it has long been a valuable vegetable, as well as being used medicinally.

In the 1st century CE, Dioscorides, a Greek physician, wrote that chickweed could be used with cornmeal for eye inflammation and that the juice could be introduced into the ear for an earache.

It was given as a tonic to malnourished children, reflecting its use in poor European rural areas as a “free food” in hard times.

Key Actions

  • astringent
  • antirheumatic
  • demulcent
  • heals wounds

Key Components

  • coumarins
  • carbolic acids
  • flavonoids (including rutin)
  • fatty acids
  • mucilage
  • minerals
  • silica
  • triterpenoid saponins
  • vitamins A, B, C

Medicinal Parts

  • Aerial parts
  • In China, the root of S. dichotoma (yin chai hu)

Remedies

Decoctions of the fresh herb are used as a cleansing tonic, to relieve tiredness and debility, and for urinary tract infections.

Tinctures are added to remedies for rheumatism.

Poultices made from the fresh plant are applied to boils and abscesses and to painful rheumatic joints.

Compresses are soaked in hot decoctions or in diluted tinctures and applied to painful joints.

Creams are used for eczema and other skin irritations, including burns and scalds and to draw out insect stingers or splinters.

Infused oil is made by the hot infusion method and applied as an alternative to creams for skin rashes, or added to a bathwater for eczema.

Juice from the fresh plant is used either internally or externally to heal skin problems.

Decoctions from the root are used for fevers related to weakness in chronic illness.

Traditional Uses

Chickweed has long been used to heal wounds and in poultices for drawing boils.

In China, the root is used as a cooling herb for fevers and to stop nosebleeds and heavy menstrual bleeding.

The expressed liquid is used for soothing sores, and scaly or itchy patches of skin. It is said that two or three pounds of the fresh herb in a hot bath will tone and invigorate the skin.

Because of its diuretic properties, chickweed is also good for certain kidney disorders; but caution is advised and should be done only under the guidance of a professional.

Filed Under: C Tagged With: antirheumatic, astringent, demulcent, heals wounds

Amaranth

November 21, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

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.

Filed Under: A Tagged With: amaranth, astringent, blood loss, canker sores, diarrhea, dysentery, gargle, menstruation, mouthwash, nutritive, saponins, tannis, throat inflammations, vaginal discharge

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

Agrimony

November 21, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

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.

Filed Under: A Tagged With: agrimony, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antiparasitic and antibacterial properties (A. pilosa), arthritis, astringent, bitter, blood in the urine, boils, bronchitis, clean wounds, clot formation, conjunctivitis, coumarins, cystitis, diarrhea, diuretic, dysentery, eczema, encourages clot formation, flavonoids, heal wounds, heavy menstrual bleeding, inflammation, intestinal parasites, kidney stones, luteolin, mild diarrhea, mildly antiviral, minerals, mucous, nasal mucus, phlegm, polysaccharides, rheumatism, silica, sore throat, sores, stimulates bile flow, tannins, tissue healer, Trichomonas vaginalis, urinary infection, uterine bleeding, varicose ulcer, vitamins, volatile oil

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