demulcent Archives - Herbal Encyclopedia

Rose

December 28, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

Botanical and Common Names

Family Rosaceae
Rosa species
R. canina (Wild Rose, Dog Rose, Rose Hip, Brier Hip, Hip, Brier Rose, Eglantine Gall, Hogseed, Dog-berry, Sweet Brier, Witches’ Brier, Hep Tree, Hip Fruit, Hop Fruit, Hipberries)
R. arkansana (Prairie Wild Rose, Sunshine Rose, Arkansas Rose, Meadow Rose, Pasture Rose)
R. laevigata (Cherokee Rose)
R. gallica var. centifolia (Apothacary’s Rose, French Rose, Cabbage Rose, Hundred-leafed Rose)
R. damascena (Damask Rose)
R. rugosa (Rugosa Rose, Saltspray Rose, Beach Tornado)
R. multiflora (Japanese Rose)

Cautions

Use only the rose species listed here for medicinal purposes and not garden hybrids.

Because of the high price of rose oil, adulteration is common. Therefore, for medicinal purposes, use only the best high quality, genuine rose oil.

Consumers should be aware of the fact that much of the natural vitamin C in some rosehip products is lost in the manufacturing process. To compensate, some fortify the products with artificial vitamin C.

Description

Rose species are native to various places, but most are from the Middle East. They have been cultivated for thousands of years, but some can still be found in the wild although most are cultivated for commercial or private use. Typically, roses are climbing or bushy perennials with thorny stems and varying shapes and colours of flowers. All have a unique rose scent. The wild roses typically grow everywhere on the prairies of North America in ravines and stream banks, bluffs, thickets, and along roadsides and railroads.

History

In the 1st century CE, Pliny the Elder recorded thirty-two different medicinal uses of the rose.

Roses were grown in medieval gardens more for medicine and food than for beauty.

Ironically, the Cherokee rose is native to China, but now grows throughout much of North America and is the state flower of Georgia. It was used in China to treat diarrhea.

In the 19th century, it was proven that roses contain essential oils. Rose oil is distilled from the petals and used in aromatherapy.

With the discovery of vitamin C in the 1930s, and subsequent claims by Linus Pauling that massive doses of the nutrient could cure the common cold, rosehips have been of much interest because of their high content of this nutrient.

Unlike Western medicine, all indigenous cultures believe that there is no separation between the physical and the mental or spiritual being, and both must be assessed before healing occurs. The same belief has long been held true regarding the rose and is seen in this saying, “Roses are good for the skin and the soul”.

The botanical name of the Wild Rose is reflected in its use by the Romans. R. canina species was used for rabid dog bites.

Roses continued as official medicine until well into the 1930s (British Pharmacopoeia) when the tincture of the Apothocary’s Rose was prescribed for sore throats. Roses were also widely used as mild astringents and to flavour other medicines.

There were dozens of varieties of roses in North America. The Native Americans learned how to use whatever grew in their region, as a medicine and, in cases of emergency, as a food. The leaves, petals, hips, and roots were widely used for a variety of conditions, including colds, fevers, diarrhea, influenza, and stomach troubles.

The Omahas steeped the hips or roots to make a wash to treat eye inflammations.

In the Great Lakes region, the Chippewas made a tea from the wild rose and used the berries for food and for diseases of the eye. They used the inner bark of the roots to treat cataracts.

The Pawnees collected the insect galls from the lower parts of the stems, and charred and crushed them for use in dressings for burns. The insect or disease-produced galls were found in the archaeological remains of the Hill Site, near present-day Guide Rock, Nebraska, which was occupied by the Pawnees in the early 1800s.

The Flathead and Cheyenne tribes treated snow blindness with an eyewash made by boiling the petals, stem bark, or root bark. The Cheyenne also boiled the inner bark to make a tea valued for treating diarrhea and stomach trouble.

Many other tribes used all parts of the plant for various remedies. The Crows boiled the crushed roots and used them in hot compresses to reduce swellings. They also sniffed vapor to stop bleedings from the nose or mouth.

The Arapahos used the seeds to produce a drawing effect for muscular pain.

Key Actions

antidepressant
antispasmodic
aphrodisiac
astringent
antibacterial
antiviral
antiseptic
anti-inflammatory
blood tonic
cleansing
digestive stimulant
expectorant
increases bile production
kidney tonic
menstrual regulator

Key Components

volatile oil
vitamins and minerals (especially A, B, E, and K, potassium and iron)

Medicinal Parts

Flowers, petals, rosehips, root, root bark, essential oil

There are some 300 chemical constituents of which only about 100 have been identified.

Depending on the source, some rose teas are able to supply as much as 1000 mg. per cup. Recent studies now indicate that taking more than 2000 mg. of vitamin C per day changes the vitamin into a pro-oxidant that actually increases cellular damage caused by unstable free radicals. Other experts seem to think that this action takes place with as little as 1000 mg. of vitamin C per day.

Remedies

The seeds of the Japanese rose are used in Oriental medicine as a diuretic and laxative.

Infusions of dried rose petals are used for headaches and taken after meals to aid digestion.

Steam inhalation of a decoction of rose petals, lavender, and hops help induce sleep.

Compresses soaked in infusions of the dried flowers make a good anti-inflammatory remedy for the eyes or any other inflamed area of the body and applied cool for headaches.

Rosehip tincture is an effective astringent for treating diarrhea or in relieving colic or as a component in cough remedies.

Rosehip syrup is used as a cough remedy or taken as a source of vitamin C.

Rosehip decoction is taken with other herbs to treat chronic diarrhea associated with stomach weaknesses.

Flower decoctions are taken with motherwort for heavy menstruation or combined with Chinese herbs for liver dysfunctions.

Tinctures from the petals are used for diarrhea or sluggish digestion. When combined with other herbs, they areused to treat irregular or heavy menstruation.

Gargles made from petal infusions, used alone or combined with sage, are used for sore throats.

Creams from the essential oil are used to treat dry or inflamed skin.

Lotions from the essential oil are combined with lady’s mantle tincture for vaginal itching.

Rosewater combined with equal amounts of witch hazel is used as a moisturizing lotion for skin prone to pimples or acne. (Rosewater is a by-product of the steam distillation of Bulgarian rose oil and is used as a skin remedy.)

A few drops of essential oil can be added to bathwater for depression, grief, or insomnia.

Massage oil is made by mixing a few drops of essential oil with a neutral oil and used to relieve stress and exhaustion or for sluggish digestion.

Traditional Uses

The dried hips of the wild rose are especially high in vitamin C, having three times that of citrus fruits, and have long been used to prevent scurvy.

The Chinese use the flowers as a qi or energy stimulant and blood tonic to relieve stagnant liver energies. They are also used for digestive irregularities or with motherwort for heavy menstruation.

The Damask rose blooms for only a couple of weeks, during which time the petals are collected and steam distilled to produce true Bulgarian rose oil used in about 96% of all women’s perfumes. Medicinally, it is an important nervine used for depression and anxiety.

The cabbage rose is used to produce French rose oil, which differs significantly in its chemical composition from Bulgarian rose oil and has a reputation as an aphrodisiac.

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Marshmallow

December 27, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

Botanical Name

Family Malvaceae
Althaea officinalis

Common Names

Moorish Mallow, Cheeses, White Maoow, Althea, Mortification Root, Sweet Weed, Wymote, Mallards, Schloss, Schloss Tea, Malvavisco, Kitmi, Bismalva

Cautions

The absorption of other drugs may be delayed because of the mucilages in the herb.
If using the tincture for digestive or urinary disorders, use the hot-water method to reduce the alcohol.

Description

Indigenous to Asia, marshmallow is now found in temperate zones worldwide, preferring salty marshes, fields, and tidal zones. Related to the hollyhock and common mallow, marshmallow is a downy perennial, growing to about seven feet, producing thick, white roots, heart-shaped leaves, and pink flowers. The aerial parts are gathered in summer as the plants begin to flower, while the root is harvested in autumn.

History

Theophrastus (c. 372-286 BCE) reported that the root was used in sweet wine to treat coughs.

The plant’s sweet, mucilaginous properties were once used to make a type of candy of the same name. The modern marshmallow derives its name from this early sweet, despite no longer containing any of the plant.

It is one of 95 genera in the Malvaceae family, of which all contain a healing mucilage.

Its genus name is derived from the Greek althe, which means “to cure.”

Marshmallow was eaten by the Egyptians and Syrians and mentioned by Pythagoras, Plato, and Virgil.

The ancient Romans used it in barley soup, considering it a delicacy. The plant is credited with sustaining some populations during famines.

It has long been used as a laxative.

Its common names relating to cheese came as a result of the appearance of the seeds. They are a light brown, disc-shaped, and slotted upright in a ring known as “cheese.”

Key Actions

alleviates local irritation
anti-inflammatory
decreases blood sugar (hypoglycemic)
diuretic
demulcent (soothes)
expectorant
heals wounds
stimulates phagocytosis (boosts the immune system)

Key Components

mucilages (11% in roots less in leaves and flowers)
pectins (11% in roots)
starches (37% in roots)
flavonoids
salicylic and other phenolic acids
sucrose
asparagine
coumarins
tannins

Medicinal Parts

Flowers, leaves, roots

Remedies

Gargles are used for sore throats and gum inflammations.

Ointment from the root is used for boils and abscesses or burns.

Infusions from the leaves are used to treat coughs, diarrhea, cystitis, and frequent urination, or used externally as an eye compress.

The fresh, crushed flowers (or in an infusion) are applied warm to soothe inflamed skin.

The powder is used as a binding agent in the manufacture of pills.

Syrups are made from infusions to treat coughs.

Decoctions, tinctures, and poultices can be used for all manner of inflammations.

Traditional Uses

The root counters excess stomach acid and soothes and protects mucous membranes.

It is commonly used to treat peptic ulcers and gastritis, as well as a variety of other intestinal problems, including regional ileitis, colitis, diverticulitis, and irritable bowel syndrome.

It has long been used to treat inflammations of the bladder, urethra, and ureters. Although not a powerful antibiotic, it does relax the muscular wall of the bladder significantly, causing the release of bacteria that may have been pocketed in the bladder. Recently, it has been recommended as a possible treatment for IC (interstitial cystitis), a new bladder disorder baffling physicians.

Its demulcent qualities bring relief to dry coughs, bronchial asthma and congestion, and pleurisy.

The peeled root has been used as a chew-stick for teething babies; and, in Persia, it is used in the manner to reduce inflammation in teething babies.

After steeping, the mucilage from the leaves and roots is used as a soothing product for dry hands, sunburn, dry hair, in lotions, or in facial masks to treat such skin conditions as psoriasis.

A soothing eye compress can be used to soften the skin around the eyes.

Although marshmallow flowers are rarely available commercially, garden hollyhock flowers can be used as an alternative to make expectorant syrups for coughs.

View items on our site that contain marshmallow.

Comfrey

December 23, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

Bee pollinating a Comfrey leaf flower

Botanical Name

Family Boraginaceae
Symphytum officinale

Common Names

Ass Ear, Black Root, Blackwort, Boneset, Bruisewort, Consound, Gum Plant, Healing Herb, Knitback, Knitbone, Salsify, Slippery Root, Wallwort
Spanish: Sueldo, Consueldo, Cardo Santo

Cautions

Do not use comfrey on dirty wounds as rapid healing can trap the dirt or pus.

The use of comfrey root is not suggested as it contains toxic alkaloids, mainly pyrrolizidine.

It is unclear as to whether the alkaloids are toxic in the context of the whole plant, since they are only present in minute amounts and are often completely absent from samples of dried aerial parts. The highest concentration is in the root, having almost twice as much as in the aerial parts. Until such time as it is proven one way or the other, use of the root internally is not advised. It should be noted that Swedish researchers have determined that these alkaloids are destroyed when making a decoction of the aerial parts.

Internal use of comfrey is not recommended.

Description

Indigenous to Europe, comfrey now grows in all temperate regions of the world, including western Asia, North America, and Australia. The herb is a perennial that grows up to three feet, producing thick leaves and bell-like white to pink or mauve flowers. It thrives in moist, marshy places; but it can send down a ten-foot, or longer, taproot to raise moisture and valuable minerals. The leaves and flowering tops are harvested during the summer. The root is harvested in the spring or fall when the allantoin levels are the highest.

History

Long used to heal wounds, the comfrey leaves and roots have been used to cure ailments ranging from stubborn leg ulcers to broken bones, and hence its common name of “boneset” or “knitbone”.

During ancient times, comfrey baths were popular before marriage to repair the hymen and thus restoring virginity.

Since 400 BCE, early Greek physicians have used comfrey to stop bleeding, treat bronchial problems, heal wounds, and mend broken bones.

During the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, an Englishman named Henry Doubleday became convinced that the world could be saved from hunger and suffering by using comfrey. He established a charitable organization to research the cultivation and use of the plant that exists to this day and continues to publish pamphlets and books on its usage.

Key Actions

astringent
anti-inflammatory
cell proliferator
demulcent
heals wounds, bone, and cartilage

Key Components

allantoin (up to 4.7% mainly in flowering tops)
inulin
mucilage (about 29% mainly fructans)
nutrients (calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A, B12, C, proteins)
phenolic acids (rosmarinic)
steroidal saponins
toxic alkaloids (including pyrrolizidines)
tannins

Medicinal Parts

Aerial parts, root

The active ingredients in comfrey herb are allantoin (a substance that fosters the growth of new cells), rosemarinic acid (an anti-inflammatory), and mucilage (a gummy substance that soothes inflammed tissues).

Allantoin is credited with encouraging bone, cartilage, and muscle cells to grow. However, a soothing solution can be made from the leaves steeped in hot water; but its effectiveness is lessened by heat. The roots contain about twice as much allantoin as the leaves. Pharmacists may add allantoin to ointments and creams to enhance skin-healing properties.

Remedies

Poultices made from the fresh leaves are applied to rough skin, aching joints, sores, burns, cuts, sprains, and to reduce the swelling around fractures. They can also applied to minor fractures that would not normally be set in plaster, for example, broken toes, ribs, or hairline cracks in larger bones.

Poultices from the root are ground into a powder; a little water is added to make a paste that can be used on stubborn wounds and bleeding hemorrhoids.

Creams are used for bone and muscle damage, including osteoarthritis.

Infused oil (hot method) is used on arthritic joints, bruises, sprains, other traumatic injuries, and for inflamed bunions.

Tinctures of the comfrey root are applied undiluted to acne.

Ointments made from the leaves are used on bruises and scrapes.

Traditional Uses

Comfrey leaves are dried, ground up, and mixed with water, a moisturizing oil, or aloe vera to form salves or pastes that can be used externally to promote the healing of skin ailments, while reducing inflammations and infection. When the crushed herb is applied to an injured limb, the allantoin is absorbed through the skin to speed healing. When a compress is applied immediately to a sprained ankle, it can significantly reduce the severity of the injury.

A lotion or solution of comfrey leaves made by soaking them in hot, but not boiling, water andcan be applied to abrasions to soothe the irritation.

Dried roots may be ground up and dissolved in hot water to form a mucilage that can bind together such open skin ulcers as bedsores, that have resisted other forms of healing. Although the root has similar properties as the leaves, it tends to be colder in nature and more nourishing in action, therefore, better suited in treating varicose ulcers.

The combination of tannins and mucilage helps soothe bruises and scrapes.

Externally, comfrey leaves are useful in healing stubborn skin ulcers, bedsores, and other lesions. They can also promote the healing of minor burns, eczema, and psoriasis, soothe bee stings and spider bites (including those of the brown recluse), and treat skin staph infections and athlete’s foot. A poultice can be made from freshly chopped leaves and applied directly to the wound and covered lightly with a bandage. This should be changed every day, and the wound cleansed with water (not tap) and a mild soap. The area can first be cleansed with hydrogen peroxide if there is infection present.

View: Comfrey Products from Cloverleaf Farm.

Chickweed

December 22, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

Botanical 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.

Agave

November 21, 2010 By Cloverleaf Farm

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

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.