Herbal Encyclopedia

Common Medicinal Herbs For Natural Health

Potato

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PotatoBotanical Name

  • Family Solanaceae
  • Solanum tuberosum

Common Names

  • Potato

Cautions

  • Do not use the aerial parts of the plant as they are poisonous.
  • Some people may be sensitive or allergic to the Nightshade Family of plants.
  • Do not drink the juice of more than one large potato per day.

Description

Native to Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, the potato plant has been developed into hundreds of varieties that grow around the world today. The perennial grows to about three feet in height, producing branching stems with compound leaves, white or purple flowers, green berries, and swollen tubers, which are harvested in the fall to early spring.

History

Many different potato species and varieties have been cultivated by the Quechua and Aymara peoples of the central Andes. By the early 16th century, the potato was introduced into Europe by the Spanish, who found them in the New World. However, it was not until the 18th century that it became a staple foot in Europe.

Although potato water has no established medicinal benefits, it does make a good silver cleaner.

Key Actions

  • heals internally and externally
  • nutritive

Key Components

  • starch
  • vitamins A, B, C, and K
  • minerals (especially potassium)
  • atropine alkaloids (trace amounts)

Medicinal Parts

  • Tubers

Traditional Uses

The main therapeutic use of the potato is for healing wounds. Internally, potato juice is taken to treat peptic ulcers, bringing relief from pain and acidity. Externally, poultices are made from the mashed pulp and applied to painful joints, headaches, backaches, skin rashes and inflammations, hemorrhoids, and to draw out foreign objects such as slivers.

Potato skins are used in India to treat swollen gums and to heal burns.

The root of the Brazilian, S. insidiosum, is used as a diuretic and stomach-supporting remedy.

Marshmallow

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Marshmallow RootBotanical 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.

Hops

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HopsBotanical Names

  • Family Cannabaceae
  • Humulus lupulus
  • Humulus americana

Common Names

  • Common Hops

Cautions

  • The plant is a potential allergen and can cause contact dermatitis in some people.
  • Do not use during pregnancy or if suffering from depression.

Description

Related to the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa), hops is a tall, climbing perennial that flourishes in the wild on dumps and along roadsides. It is widely grown commercially throughout northern Europe, Asia, and the US, as well as in other temperate regions. The green stems (bines) are pencil-thick and covered in six rows of climbing barbs. They do not turn woody and can be trained to grow up raised wire runners to more than thirty feet. The male flowers are yellowish-green and inconspicuous, while the female flowers are richly blossomed, producing a yellowish fruit. The plant has a very strong odour and an extremely bitter taste.

History

Much like its relative, the hemp plant, when hops was first used to brew beer in England in the 16th century, it aroused great opposition and a petition to Parliament described it as a “wicked weed” that would “endanger the people”. However, unlike hemp, hops does not carry the same versatility or nutritive value.

Its bitter taste is well-known to beer drinkers, and has been cultivated for such since at least the 11th century.

Native Americans, including the Algonquin and Mohegan, used the blossoms to treat nervousness. The Fox and the Cherokee used the plant as a sedative, and the Mohegan used a blossom infusion to relieve toothache.

Key Actions

  • antispasmodic
  • aromatic bitter
  • sedative
  • soporific (hypnotic)

Key Components

  • bitter principles (lupulin containing humulon, lupulon, and valerianic acid)
  • volatile oil (1% mainly humulene)
  • flavonoids
  • polyphenolic tannins
  • estrogenic substances
  • asparagine
  • vitamins and minerals (especially niacin, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, selenium, and vitamin C)

Medicinal Parts

The strobiles (flower heads)

A number of constituents, including valerianic acid, have a sedative action.

Lupulon and humulon possess antiseptic and antibiotic properties which have proven to be effective against Staphylococcus aureus.

Some components are thought to depress central nervous activity.

Traditional Uses

The fruit is used to help relieve pain and fever and as an effective diuretic.

Its bitter principles strongly stimulate the digestive system, increasing gastric and other secretions. It also has an estrogenic effect that relaxes smooth muscle, easing the grip of colic.

Hops is probably best known as an additive that helps preserve beer, but this herb has long been used as a sedative. A sachet placed inside a bed pillow releases an aroma that calms the mind and helps to reduce irritability and restlessness, while promoting a good night’s sleep. However, its sedating action is thought to stem more from the alcohol concentration reached in the drying process. To make a hops pillow: Gather enough of the dried heads to fill a small pillowcase or cloth bag. First, place the hops in a glass bowl and lightly sprinkle them with a solution of water and a touch of glycerin. This will minimize the noise made by the dried hops. Secondly, return the hops to the pillowcase or bag and tie or sew it closed.

Its antispasmodic action makes it useful with certain types of asthma and for menstrual pain.

When blended with other herbs, hops is good for stress, anxiety, tension, and headaches although it should not be used if depression is a factor.

Fennel

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Fennel SeedsBotanical Name

  • Family Umbelliferae
  • Foeniculum vulgare

Common Names

  • Large fennel, Sweet fennel, Wild fennel, Fenkel, Bitter fennel, Garden fennel
  • Spanish: Hinojo, Hinojo de Castillo, Cilantrillo

Cautions

  • Avoid medicinal doses during pregnancy.
  • May cause contact dermatitis and/or photosensitivity.
  • Do not exceed recommended dosage as the seeds are potentially toxic in excessive amounts.
  • The essential oil should never be taken internally.
  • Ingesting even small amounts of undiluted fennel oil can cause nausea, vomiting, and seizures.
  • Those with hepatitis, cirrhosis, or other liver disorders are advised not to take fennel.

Description

Fennel is native to the Mediterranean region, but is now cultivated worldwide. It is an aromatic perennial that grows to about five feet in height, having dark green, feathery leaves, umbels of yellow flowers, and small, ridged, oval-shaped seeds, which are gathered in the autumn. The tall stalk looks like celery and is often consumed as vegetables, while the leaves and seeds are used to flavour foods. Although the taste and aroma of fennel are sometimes mistaken for anise or licorice, the plant is actually related to caraway.

History

Fennel is one of the oldest cultivated plants and much valued by the Romans. Warriors took it to keep good health, while their ladies took it to stave off obesity.

The Romans also believed that serpents sucked the juice of the plant to improve their eyesight prompting Pliny to recommend the herb for”dimness of human vision”

It was one of the nine sacred herbs of the Anglo-Saxons.

In 812 CE, Charlemagne declared it was essential in every garden because of its healing properties.

Its Greek name is marathon, meaning “to grow thin.” It was given to the plant because of its reputation for weight loss.

In medieval times, the seeds were chewed to stop gastric rumblings during church services.

Inhaling herbs was often a means of treating respiratory disorders. The Lacnunga, a 10th century Anglo-Saxon medical text, recommends “Take fennel and hassuck (dried grass or rushes) and cotton and burn all together on the side which the wind is” and, it recommends, that the practitioner “reek” patients with steam. This is similar to the Native American use of the sweat lodge or the modern sauna, where herbs are placed on the hot rocks to be added to the steaming process.

Key Actions

  • antispasmodic
  • appetite stimulant
  • anti-inflammatory
  • diuretic
  • relieves flatulence and bloating
  • stimulates flow of breast milk

Key Components

  • volatile oil (8% consisting of up to 80% anethole, 18-22% fenchone and methyl chavicol)
  • flavonoids
  • coumarins (including bergapten)
  • sterols

Medicinal Parts

Seeds, essential oil, root

Although the root is sometimes used medicinally, it is not as effective as the seeds and used mainly as a vegetable.

Fenchone is a pungent gas.

Estragole is a phytoestrogen that mildly mimics the female hormone, estrogen, and was once used to produce a synthetic version used in the treatment of bloating, breast tenderness, other PMS symptoms, and cramping.

Fennel seed extracts have proven to calm muscle spasms by reducing smooth muscle contractions.

Studies indicate that substances in fennel can reduce airway congestion by thinning and loosening phlegm, which tends to support the addition of fennel in numerous European cough remedies.

Remedies

An infusion from the seeds makes a good gargle for sore throats or used as a mild expectorant.

A syrup made from an infusion is given for colic and teething pain in babies.

An eyewash is used for conjunctivitis.

Essential oil is used for digestive and relaxing needs.

A decoction from the seeds is used in Chinese medicine to relieve abdominal pains, colic, and stomach chills.

Tinctures from the seeds are used for digestive problems.

Mouthwash and gargles are made from infusions for gum disorders, loose teeth, laryngitis, and sore throats.

Chest rubs are made from the essential oil and combined with eucalyptus and a neutral oil for upper respiratory congestion. Decoctions from the roots are prescribed for such urinary problems as kidney stones or such disorders associated with high uric acid content as gout.

Traditional Uses

Every part of the plant is edible, but it is mainly the seeds and essential oil that is used medicinally.

The primary use for the herb is for digestive upsets and settling stomach pain while stimulating the appetite. The seeds are soothing for the digestive system.

It aids in the treatment of kidney stones. When combined with such urinary antiseptics as uva-ursi, it makes an effective treatment for cystitis.

It has a long history of use for weight loss and warding off ageing.

The seeds also promote milk flow during breastfeeding. When an infusion is taken by nursing mothers, it also helps relieve colic in the baby.

In Chinese medicine, the seeds (hui xiang) are thought to be a toner for the spleen and kidneys, and are also used in urinary and reproductive disharmonies.

In Mexico, fennel is used to treat digestive disorders, including baby colic, as well as a remedy for menstrual cramps. In Morelos and Oaxaca, fennel tea is used to promote lactation in nursing mothers.

German health authorities use fennel to treat mild stomach upsets, indigestion, bloating, gas, and cramps. They also recommend giving fennel seeds to hyperactive children as the seeds appear to have some sedative effects.

Used with honey, fennel clears upper respiratory congestion.

Dandelion

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Botanical Name

  • Family Asteraceae (formerly Compositae)
  • Taraxacum officinale

Common Names

  • Blowball, Cankerwort, Lion’s Tooth, Priest’s Crown, Swine Snout, Wild Endive, Taraxacum, Puff-Ball, Sin In The Grass, Diente de León (Spanish), Pu Gong Ying (Chinese)

Cautions

  • Do not use the plant unless sure it is free of chemical sprays.
  • If sucked excessively by children, the milky juice can cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, as well as excessive urination.

Description

There are considered to be about 600 species of dandelion found throughout the world where, in many cases, it is considered a noxious weed. One seed from a dandelion blown by the wind can start 200 or more new plants. It is also cultivated in many parts, including France and Germany.

The plant is closely related to chicory, a perennial growing to as much as twenty inches high producing ragged, saw-toothed leaves, hollow stalks, and golden flowers that quickly go to seed, leaving a “puffball” head that is dispersed in the breeze. The young leaves are picked in the spring for tonic salads and later for use as a medicine, while the roots are unearthed in autumn from two-year-old plants.

History

Dandelion was recommended in the works of Arab physicians in the 11th century and in an herbal written by the physicians of Myddfai in Wales in the 13th century.

Its name was apparently invented by a 15th century surgeon who compared the shape of the leaves to a lion’s tooth.

Dandelion was not mentioned in Chinese herbals until the 7th century CE, nor did it appear in Europe until 1485. While Western herbalists separate the leaves and the root, the Chinese use the whole plant.

Dandelion is such a valuable herb that, it is said, if it were as rare as ginseng, it would command a similar price.

A strong diuretic, its properties are absorbed through the skin. Young children who handle the flowers too much will have nocturnal enuresis, or wet the bed. This was the name given to it in former times (Wet-the-beds), and obviously recognized before the active principles in the plant were discovered and chemically isolated.

Frontier healers recommended dandelion as a spring tonic, and it is credited with saving the lives of the pioneers in winter because of its high vitamin content. Brought to America from Europe, it soon became a noxious weed found everywhere.

Native Americans used it for many reasons, including treating skin problems such as acne, eczema, and hives. The Pillager-Ojibwa made a dandelion root tea as a treatment for heartburn, while the Cherokee used the tea to calm nerves. The Iroquois used dandelion for a wide variety of conditions, including anemia, constipation, pain, and water retention. Many tribes chewed the dried sap like chewing gum and even roasted the root to make a coffee substitute.

The dandelion was used in the New Mexico region of the US since it was introduced by the Spanish around 1820. Some tribal remedies included boiling the blooms in water until the water turned a bright yellow. The liquid was then allowed to sit outside overnight and a glassful drunk every morning for a month to cure heart trouble. Others ground the leaves and applied the paste to broken bones and wrapping the area with bandages encrusted with fresh leaves to speed healing. The leaves could also be ground and added to dough to be applied to bad bruises to “take the blood out”.

In 1748, a traveller in French Canada discovered that the roots of the dandelion were used in salad as a tonic.

In the mid-18th century in Pennylvania, a large group of Mennonites brought the dandelion with them when they fled from religious persecution in Germany. They used the roots mainly for kidney and liver problems, manifested by the yellowing of the skin. The Shakers, in the mid-19th century US, also used the herb for liver problems.

Key Actions

(a) Leaves

  • diuretic
  • liver and digestive tonic

(b) Root

  • antirheumatic
  • diuretic
  • liver tonic
  • mildly laxative
  • promotes bile flow

Key Components

(a) Flowers and Seeds

  • vitamins A, B, C, and D (containing over 13,000 IU of vitamin A in 100 grams).
  • sequiterpene lactones
  • triterpenes
  • bitter glycosides

(b) Leaves

  • carotenoids
  • coumarins
  • choline
  • flavonoids
  • minerals (including calcium, iron, potassium, silicon, boron, magnesium, and zinc)

(c) Roots

  • tannins
  • triterpenes
  • sterols
  • volatile oil
  • choline
  • asparagine
  • inulin

Medicinal Parts

  • Leaves, flowers, fresh seeds, root
  • Chinese scientists have discovered that dandelion extracts have bactericidal effects against a number of nasty bacteria including S. aureus and those responsible for diphtheria, tuberculosis, and pneumonia.

Remedies

Fresh leaves are eaten as a vegetable in salads as a cleansing remedy.

Juice from the leaves is taken when a diuretic action is needed.

An infusion is less effective, as a diuretic, than the juice; but it makes a good cleansing remedy for toxic conditions, including gout and eczema. It is also used as a gentle liver and digestive stimulant.

The white sap from the stem and root can be used as a topical remedy for warts.

Tinctures are often added to other herbal remedies for heart failure and to ensure adequate potassium intake.

Tinctures from the roots are used for such toxic conditions as gout, eczema, or acne; and are also prescribed as a liver stimulant in certain liver disorders and related constipation.

Decoctions from the root are used for the same conditions as the tincture.

Traditional Uses

In China, the flowers, leaves, root, and seed heads of either the common dandelion or from an Oriental species (T. mongolicum). The Chinese have used dandelions for more than a thousand years as a diuretic, hypoglycemic, antispasmodic, anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal agent. It was used for such conditions as abscesses, appendicitis, boils, caries, dermatitis, fevers, inflammations, leucorrhea, liver ailments, mastitis, scrofula, snakebites, and stomachaches.

Although the leaves are an effective diuretic, they also contain significant amounts of potassium, a mineral generally lost when using conventional medications. It is used in cases of fluid retention, especially with heart problems. It has been used successfully to treat several kidney ailments and chronic hypertension.

The leaves are an effective liver and digestive tonic. The root, which has a shorter history of medicinal use, is also good for the liver.

Both the leaf and the root have a marked action on the gallbladder, and are used to prevent gallstones. The leaf may also help dissolve already formed stones.

The bitter, milky sap is used externally to heal wounds, remove warts, moles, pimples, calluses, and sores. It is also used to soothe bee stings and blisters.

The sap, leaves, and root extracts are ingested for its diuretic properties, to stimulate stomach secretions and aid in digestion, to relieve constipation and control diarrhea, to stimulate bile production, to treat liver disorders, to prevent or lower high blood pressure, to stimulate milk flow in nursing mothers, to relieve the pain of endometriosis, and to inhibit plaque buildup on teeth.

In Costa Rica, dandelions are sold as a treatment for diabetes.

In Guatemala, two different types of dandelions are used. The narrow-leafed variety, called diente de leon, is used as a tonic for generalized body health, while the other variety, called amargon, is used as a salad green and blood strengthener, especially in cases of anemia.

In Brazil, the herb is also used as a blood purifier used to treat liver problems, scurvy, and urinary complaints.

Asparagus

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AsparagusBotanical Name

  • Family Liliaceae
  • Asparagus officinalis

Common Name

  • Sparrow Grass

Cautions

  • Workers in canning factories are prone to asparagus scabies.

Description

Asparagus is a slender-stemmed perennial growing to about six feet. It has long fronds of delicate needle-like leaves and bell-shaped yellow-green flowers that produce small bright red berries. The plant grows in central and southern Europe, the Middle East, western Siberia, and northern Africa and is also cultivated worldwide, often in home gardens. Known mainly as a vegetable looking like long spears, it is the root that is used medicinally and unearthed after the shoots have been cut.

History

Judging from ancient Egyptian tomb drawings, asparagus was cultivated as long ago as 4,000 BCE.

In the 1st century CE, Dioscorides, the Green physician, recommended a decoction of the root to improve urine flow and to treat kidney problems, jaundice, and sciatica. He also recommended holding the chewed root against aching teeth.

Key Actions

  • bitter
  • diuretic
  • mild laxative
  • mild sedative

Key Components

  • asparagine
  • bitter glycosides
  • flavonoids
  • steroidal glycosides (asparagosides)

Medicinal Parts

  • Roots, shoots
  • Asparagine is a strong diuretic.

Remedies

  • commercial tablets available for convenience
  • tinctures for kidney stones and cardiac insufficiency
  • infusions for internal flushing-out therapy
  • decoctions to increase urine flow

Traditional Uses

In Chinese medicine, the root is used to treat irritable cough, coughing with blood, dry mouth and throat, and constipation.

Traditional use of the root includes application for non-specific inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract and for prevention of kidney and bladder stones. Because it is strongly diuretic, the herb helps to hasten the flushing of waste products that accumulate in the joints, thus helping arthritis and rheumatism sufferers.

It is also used for dropsy, rheumatic conditions, liver disease, bronchial asthma, and gout.

Agrimony

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Botanical Name

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

Common Names

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

Cautions

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

Description

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

History

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

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

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

Key Actions

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

Key Components

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

Medicinal Parts

  • Leaves, flowers, stems (aerial parts)

Remedies

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

Traditional Uses

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

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

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

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

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

Agave

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Botanical Name

  • Family Agavaceae
  • Agave americana

Common Names

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

Cautions

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

Description

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

History

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key Actions

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

Key Components

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

Medicinal Parts

  • Sap

Remedies

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

Traditional Uses

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

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

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

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

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

Acacia

By

Botanical and Common Names

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

Cautions

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

Description

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

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

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

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

History

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

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

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

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

Key Actions

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

Key Components

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

Medicinal Parts

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

Remedies

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

Traditional Uses

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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