Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Buckthorn doesn’t treat jaundice or arthritis. And it’s more likely to aggravate hemorrhoids than help them. But its laxative action is so powerful, it’s considered a purgative.

Purgative. No one disputes buckthorn’s laxative effect.

It’s an ingredient in the over-the-counter laxative Movicol.

Buckthorn contains chemicals (anthraquinones) that are dramatic purgatives-for most people, too dramatic. Buckthorn should be considered a last-resort treatment for constipation. First, eat a diet higher in fiber, drink more fluids, and exercise more. If that doesn’t provide relief, try a bulkforming laxative such as psyllium, for example (see page 423). If that doesn’t help, try a gentler anthraquinone, cascara sagrada (see page 144). And if that doesn’t work, try buckthorn in consultation with your physician.

Intriguing Possibility. Harry Hoxsey may have been on the right track. Buckthorn has an anti-tumor effect, according to research published in the Journal of tFIe National Cancer Institute, but other studies must be conducted before this herb can be used to treat cancer.

Rx for Buckthorn

In Germany, physicians prescribe an infusion containing 112 teaspoon each of dried buckthorn bark, fennel seed, and chamomile flowers (which soothe the stomach) steeped in I cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drink it before bed. You’ll find the taste initially sweet, then bitter.

If you prefer a decoction, boil I teaspoon of dried buckthorn in 3 cups of water and steep for 30 minutes. Drink cool, 1 tablespoon at a time before bed.

In a tincture, take 1/2 teaspoon before bed.

Buckthorn the Safety Factor

Because of buckthorn’s powerful laxative action, it should not be used by people with chronic gastrointestinal problems, such as ulcers, colitis, or hemorrhoids. Pregnant women should not take buckthorn.

Don’t use buckthorn for more than two weeks at a time. If you use it too long, it causes lazy bowel syndrome-an inability to move stool without chemical stimulation. If constipation persists, consult a physician.

If you use buckthorn, make sure it has been dried thoroughly. Otherwise, it causes vomiting, severe abdominal pain, and violent diarrhea. Most herbalists recommend drying the berries or bark for at least a year-some say two-before using them. Fresh buckthorn may also be artificially dried by baking at 250°F for several hours. If nausea and abdominal distress develop, seek professional medical attention immediately.

For otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults who do not have any chronic gastrointestinal conditions and are not taking other laxatives, buckthorn may be used very cautiously for short periods of time in amounts typically recommended.

Buckthorn should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If violent diarrhea occurs or if intestinal cramps develop, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if constipation does not improve in a few days.

Native Cultivation -Not for the Garden

Buckthorn is a shrub or small tree which reaches about 20 feet. It has shiny, dark green leaves, and produces black, peasize berries. It is not a garden herb.

Relieves Constipation

Family: Rhamnaceae; (includes Cascara Sagrada)

Genus and Species: Rhamnus Cathartics, R, Frangula

Also known as: Purging buckthorn, Frangula, Alder Buckthorn

Parts used: Berries; Bark

his herb’s specific name, catnartica, is no joke, Buckthorn is a potent laxative-so powerful, in fact, that authorities advise using it only as a last resort, when other, gentler laxatives have failed.

Buckthorn became popular in herbal healing in Europe around the 13th century, At the time, they had few effective medicines to offer. And they believed the key to curing disease lay in purging the body of “foul humours,” Not surprisingly, powerful laxatives were widely prescribed, Buckthorn was a favorite because it produced quick, reliable, dramatic resuits, Of course, it didn’t cure any disease, All it did was send people running to their outhouses and leave them with intestinal cramps.

A long History

Down through the ages, herbalists have also recommended buckthorn for jaundice, hemorrhoids, gout, arthritis, and menstruation promotion.

Buckthorn also has a long history as a cancer treatment.

In America it was an ingredient in the popular-but highly controversial-Hoxsey Cancer Formula

Diuretics deplete body stores of potassium, an important nutrient. Anyone taking buchu should increase consumption of foods high in potassium, such as bananas and fresh vegetables.

Pregnant women should not take diuretics without a physician’s approval.

The Food and Drug Administration considers buchu safe, and no harmful effects have been reported. For otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults who are not taking other diuretics, buchu is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

Buchu should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If buchu causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or diarrhea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant symptoms or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Native Cultivation - African

This 5-foot shrub with finely toothed opposite or alternative leaves is not grown in the United States.

The Buchu King is long forgotten, but herbalists have considered this herb a urinary antiseptic ever since.

Premenstrual Syndrome - Many women complain of “bloating” from water retention before their periods. Buchu is an ingredient in two over-the-counter diuretics (Fluidex and Odrinil) marketed to relieve the bloating of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

High Blood Pressure and Congestive Heart Failure - Physicians prescribe diuretics to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. These are serious conditions requiring professional care. Consult your physician about including buchu as part of your treatment plan.

Urinary Tract Infection - Most modern herbals continue to recommend buchufor urinary tract infections. One study of its effects on the bacteria that cause these infections showed no benefit, but herbal experts continue to stand behind it as an infection fighter.

Rx for Buchu

For relief of bloating due to PMS, try an infusion or tincture. You might also try these preparations for relief of chronic urinary tract infections.

For an infusion, use I to 2 teaspoons of dried, crumbled leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 20 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. Buchu has a minty aroma and a pleasant, minty taste.

In a tincture, take 112 to I teaspoon up to three times a day. Do not give buchu to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

A South African Waterpill

Family: Rutaceae; (includes Orange, Lemon, Rue)

Genus and Species: Barosma Betufina, B. Crenufata, B. Serratifofia

Also known as: Bookoo, Buku, Bucku, Bucca

Parts used: Leaves

Buchu is Southern Africa’s contribution to herbal healing.

The leaves of this 5-foot shrub contain an oil that increases urine production. The native peoples of what is now Namibia and South Africa used buchu for urinary problems long before they had any contact with Europeans. In the 17th century, when Dutch (Afrikaner) colonists settled the region, they adopted buchu for urinary tract infections, kidney stones, arthritis, cholera, and muscle aches.

Later English settlers also adopted buchu and used the herb to treat so many illnesses that medical botanists now claim it has been used for “almost every disease which afflicts mankind.”

The Buchu King

In 1847, New York patent medicine entrepreneur Henry T. Helmbold introduced Helmbold’s Compound Extract of Buchu for urinary problems, kidney stones, and “diseases arising from imprudence [venereal diseases].” The American public responded as enthusiastically as the African colonists had. Helmbold grew rich and called himself Helmbold, the Buchu King.

In large amounts, boneset may cause nausea, vomiting, and violent diarrhea.

Boneset contains chemicals (pyrrolizidines), which in large amounts cause liver damage and liver tumors in laboratory animals. Boneset’s effect on human cancer, if any, is unclear because the plant also contains anti-cancer substances.

However, the pyrrolizidines in some healing herbs, such as comfrey (see page 194), have caused a few cases of liver damage in people who have taken more than recommended amounts for long periods of time. It’s not a good idea to take boneset frequently as a tonic. And don’t take more than recommended amounts. Anyone with a history of alcoholism, liver disease, or cancer should not use this herb without consulting his physician

Toxic When Fresh

Do not eat fresh boneset. It contains a toxic chemical (trernerol). which causes nausea, vomiting, weakness, muscle tremors, increased respiration, and at high doses, possibly even coma and death. Drying the herb eliminates the tremerol and the possibility of poisoning.

The Food and Drug Administration lists boneset as an herb of “undefined safety.” For otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults who have no history of alcoholism, cancer, or liver disease, boneset is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

Boneset should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If boneset causes minor discomforts, such as stomach upset or a laxative effect, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Do not take boneset for more than two weeks at a time, and do not exceed recommended amounts.

Native Cultivation - A Snap to Grow

Boneset is easy to identify because its long, narrow, pointed leaf pairs are not distinct, but rather connected and pierced by the stem.

The herb has round, erect, hairy, hollow stems which grow to 5 feet, then split into three branches, which produce tiny, densely clustered white to bluish florets from midsummer through fall.

A hardy perennial, boneset grows easily from seeds planted in spring or root divisions planted in spring or fall. It prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil under full sun but tolerates poorer soil and partial shade.

Harvest it as it flowers by cutting the entire plant a few inches above the ground.

Modern herbal critics tend to ridicule boneset as passionately as physicians a century ago praised it. One says, “It simply doesn’t work.” Another claims, “Boneset lacks therapeutic merit.” A third writes, “In view of [boneset’s I singular lack of effectiveness, it seems incredible that the plant held official status from 1820 to 1950.”

Boneset’s critics have a point. The herb has never been shown to suppress fever as well as aspirin. However, several recent studies seem to suggest that the herb has some therapeutic value, after all.

Colds and Flu - European studies show this herb helps treat minor viral and bacterial infections by stimulating white blood cells to destroy disease-causing microorganisms more effectively. In Germany, where herbal medicine is more mainstream than it is in the United States, physicians currently use boneset to treat viral infections, such as colds and flu
Arthritis. One study shows boneset is mildly anti-inflammatory, lending some support to its traditional use in treating arthritis.

Intriguing Possibility - Recent studies conducted worldwide suggest the possible immune stimulants in boneset have anti-cancer effects, but more research is needed before boneset can be used to treat tumors.

Myth - Traditional use notwithstanding, boneset has never been shown to be effective against dengue fever or malaria.

Rx for Boneset

To treat colds, flu, and arthritis, and for minor inflammation, use an infusion or tincture. For an infusion, use I to 2 teaspoons of dried leavesper cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 20 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day.

You’ll find the taste very bitter and astringent. Add sugar or honey and lemon, or mix it with an herbal beverage tea.

In a tincture, use 112 to I teaspoon up to three times a day. Boneset should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

For Colds and Flu

Family: Compositae; (includes Daisy, Dandelion, Marigold)

Genus and Species: Eupatorium Perfolia Tum

Also known as: Feverwort, Sweat Plant

Parts used: Leaves and Flower Tops

Let’s clear up one matter right away: Boneset has nothing to do with mending broken bones. This herb helps treat minor viral and bacterial illnesses by possibly revving up the immune system’s response to infection.

Breakbone Fever

Boneset’s name comes from its traditional use as a treatment for “breakbone fever.” an old term for dengue (pronounced DENG-ee) fever. Dengue is a mosquito-borne, viral disease that causes muscle pains so intense that people imagine their bones are breaking, hence its traditional name Today, dengue is rare in the United States except among overseas travelers, who sometimes return from the tropics with it. Ironically, boneset has never been shown to provide significant relief from dengue fever.

The Indians introduced boneset to early colonists as a sweat- inducer, an old treatment for fevers. The Indians used boneset for all fever-producing illnesses: influenza, cholera, dengue, malaria, and typhoid, hence boneset’s other names, feverwort and sweat plant.

The Indians also used boneset to relieve arthritis and to treat colds, indigestion, constipation, and loss of appetite.

In Every Attic and Woodshed

White settlers adopted boneset so enthusiastically, it was one of early America’s most popular healing herbs. During the Civil War, soldiers used it not only to treat fever but also as a tonic to keep them healthy (Modern science shows this is not a good idea.)

In his classic book American Medicinal Plants, Dr C. F. Millspaugh wrote: “There is probably no plant more extensively or frequently used than this The attic or woodshed of almost every farm house has bunches hanging from the rafters, ready for immediate use should some family member or neighbor be taken with a cold.”
Millspaugh also considered boneset excellent against malaria, a major problem in 19th•century America. He wrote he’d seen the herb cure malaria when it didn’t respond to Peruvian cinchona bark, the source of the anti- malarial drug, quinine.

Herbal Aspirin

Boneset was listed as a treatment for fever in the U.S. Pnarmacopoeia from 1820 through 1916, and in the National Formulary, the pharmacists’ manual, from 1926 through 1950. But over time it fell from favor. replaced by another herbal fever-fighter, aspirin.

Contemporary herbalists continue to recommend boneset enthusiastically for fever In his Holistic Herva/, David Hoffmann calls it “perhaps the best remedy for influenza.”

Blue cohosh is a powerful herb that should be administered by a physician. The decoction tastes initially somewhat sweet, then bitter and unpleasant.

Blue Cohosh the Safety Factor

No one with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, glaucoma, or a history of stroke should use blue cohosh.

When powdered, blue cohosh root irritates mucous membranes. Handle it with care. Take care not to inhale any or introduce it into your eyes.

Blue cohosh should be used only at term to induce labor, and then only under medical supervision.

Native Cultivation - Easy to Find

Blue cohosh is not a garden herb, but it’s easy to recognize in early spring in forests from the Appalachians to the Mississippi. Before other forest-floor plants have shown signs of new life, blue cohosh’s blue-purple stem and single large leaf have risen 2 to 3 feet. As spring turns to summer, blue cohosh produces three branches with three compound leaves each.

In summer, the plant produces small yellowish flowers and dark blue berries, which are poisonous and potentially fatal to children. Make sure children do not eat the berries.

Blue cohosh’s traditional uses in gynecology appear to stand up to scientific scrutiny.

Labor Inducer, Researchers have discovered a chemical (caulosaponin) in blue cohosh that provokes strong uterine contractions, thus supporting its primary Indian use.

However, caulosaponin also narrows the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Blue cohosh has produced heart damage in laboratory animals, and human heart damage seems quite possible from overdose.

On the other hand, blue cohosh does not appear to be significantly more hazardous than Pitocin, the standard drug used to induce labor, which may also cause heart damage and other serious side effects, including even maternal and fetal death.

Pitocin requires constant professional monitoring. Blue cohosh should also be used under strict medical supervision. If you’d like to use it at term, discuss your desire with your obstetrician and/or midwife and use it only with your doctor’s consent and supervision.

Menstruation Promotion - As a powerful uterine stimulant, blue cohosh could certainly trigger menstruation. But women should not use it for this purpose. It’s too powerful, and its side effects are potentially too serious.

Intriguing Possibilities - Researchers in India have discovered tantalizing evidence that the American Indians may have been on the right track in using blue cohosh as a contraceptive. In animals, the herb inhibits ovulation, according to a report published in the Journal of Reproduction and Fertility.

European researchers have identified some antibiotic and immune-stimulating properties in blue cohosh, possibly explaining its use by Eclectic physicians for bladder and kidney infections.

Finally, blue cohosh also has anti-inflammatory activity, lending credence to its traditional use for arthritis.

Myth - Despite its traditional reputation as a treatment for high blood pressure, studies show blue cohosh is more likely to cause this serious condition than treat it.

Herbal Labor Inducer

Family: Berberidaceae; (includes Mayapple, Mandrake, Barberry)

Genus and Species: Caulophyllum Thalictroides

Also known as: Papoose Root, Blue Berry

Parts used: Root

The Indians called blue cohosh papoose root, believing it triggered labor and hastened childbirth. They were right, Science shows that an active substance found in blue cohosh can induce labor. This substance is so powerful, in fact, that the herb should be used only under medical supervision.

Blue cohosh is not related to black cohosh-they belong to different botanical families. But the Indians used both as gynecological herbs and called them both cohosh, Algonquian for “rough,” because they both have gnarled roots. The “blue” refers to this herb’s bluish stem and dark blue berries.

Herb of Many Uses

In addition to using it to induce labor, menstruation, and abortion, the Indians also used blue cohosh to treat sore throat, hiccups, infant colic, epilepsy, and arthritis. Some Indian women even drank a strong decoction as a contraceptive.

Nineteenth-century American Eclectic physician lohn King popularized blue cohosh as a labor inducer and menstruation inducer in the first edition of his King’s American Dispensatory. The Eclectics also prescribed it for menstrual cramps, breast pain, bladder and kidney infection, insomnia, bronchitis, and nausea.

Non-Eclectic (”regular”) physicians never adopted blue cohosh, but it was listed in the U.S. Pnarmacopoeia as a labor inducer from 1882 to 1905.

Modern herbals recommend blue cohosh as a labor inducer and menstruation promoter. Some herbalists also suggest it for asthma, anxiety, cough, arthritis, and high blood pressure.

Here is another case where modern science supports folk wisdom-or at least some of it. It turns out that black haw may be a good treatment for some gynecological complaints. But pregnant women are advised against using it.
Menstrual Cramps. A report published in the British journal Nature shows that black haw contains a uterine relaxant (scopoletin), thus supporting its value in treating menstrual cramps. Today in Germany, where herbal medicine is more mainstream than it is in the United States, black haw preparations are widely used for menstrual cramps. These products are not available in the United States, but the herb itself is easily obtained.

Miscarriage Prevention - This herb has been used for centuries to prevent miscarriage. As a uterine relaxant. black haw may indeed do the job. Unfortunately, it also contains salicin, a close chemical relative of aspirin. Because aspirin has been linked to birth defects, pregnant women should not take black haw.

Fever, Headache. Arthritis, and Other Pain - The aspirinlike chemical in black haw may reduce fever and relieve pain.

Rx for Black Haw

Use a decoction or infusion of black haw for relief of menstrual cramps, fever, headache, and general aches and pains.

For a decoction, use 2 teaspoons of dried bark per cup of water. Boil 10 minutes. Cool. Drink up to 3 cups a day. It has an extremely bitter taste, so you may want to take it with lemon and honey or even mix it with a beverage tea.

In a tincture, use up to 2 teaspoons three times a day.

Black Haw the Safety Factor

Like aspirin, the salicin in black haw is a pain reliever (analgesic), which may contribute to the herb’s ability to relieve menstrual cramping, However, aspirin has also been implicated as a cause of birth defects in the children of women who take it while pregnant.

Aspirin is most hazardous to the unborn early in the pregnancy. Recognizing this, the classic British herbal Potter’s New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations says black haw should be used only during the final five weeks of pregnancy to prevent threatened prematurity.

Any woman facing possible premature birth should discuss her situation with her obstetrician. Most physicians advise bed rest for threatened prematurity, along with increased fluid intake and no breast or sexual stimulation. Drugs (including herbs) are a last resort and should only be used with the consent of a doctor.

Parents should not give black haw to children under 16 who are suffering fevers related to colds, flu, or chicken pox, because its salicin may increase the risk of Reye’s syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal childhood disease.

Large doses of black haw may produce upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, andlor ringing in the ears (tinnitus). especially in those sensitive to aspirin.
For otherwise healthy nonpregnant, non nursing adults, black haw is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

Black haw should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If minor discomforts such as stomach upset or ringing in the ears develop, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if menstrual cramps do not improve significantly after two months.

Native Cultivation - Harvest Branch Bark

In the North, black haw is a deciduous spreading shrub with reddish-brown bark. In the South, it becomes a small tree. The leaves are pointed, serrated ovals and resemble plum leaves. They turn red in fall. Black haw flowers are large, clustered, white, and showy. Depending on location, black haw blooms from early spring to summer.

Black haw grows best in rich, moist, well-drained soil under full sun, but tolerates poorer soil and partial shade as long as it gets adequate moisture. Branch bark may be collected in summer. The trunk bark should be collected in fall. Dry it in the shade.

Slave Owner’s Herb

Family: Caprifoliaceae; (includes Honeysuckle, Elder)

Genus and Species: Viburnum Prunifolium

Also known as: Viburnum

Parts used: Bark

Black haw is an herb with a shadowy past. The reddish-brown bark of this native American shrub has a long history as a folk remedy for gynecological complaints - uses supported by some recent research. Before white people came to this continent, Indian women drank a decoction of black haw bark for menstrual cramps, childbirth recovery, and menopausal discomforts. But its special use was to prevent miscarriage.

It was left to southern slave owners to invent more nefarious uses for the bark-they used black haw coercively to prevent slave abortions. Slaves were a valuable asset, and slaveholders wanted slave women (”breeders”) to bear as many children as possible. Slave owners often raped black women for pleasure and to increase their slave holdings. Many slave women attempted to abort the resulting pregnancies as a quiet protest against slavery.

A favorite means of inducing abortions on southern plantations was cotton root, an herb readily available to slaves. According to the 19th-century Eclectic medical text, King’s American Dispensatory: “It was customary for plantersto compel female slaves to drink an infusion of black haw daily whilst pregnant to prevent abortion from taking the cotton root.”

Quiets the “lrritable Womb”

An Eclectic physician from Mississippi introduced black haw to the North, where it quickly became an herbal mainstay for gynecological complaints. The Eclectics valued it highly: “As a uterine tonic, it is unquestionably of great utility… for menstrual pains… and a good remedy for menopause… But the condition for which black haw is most valued is threatened abortion. By its quieting effect upon the irritable womb, women who have been previously unable to go to term have been aided to pass through pregnancy without mishaps.”

Modern herbalists continue to recommend black haw for menstrual cramps and threatened abortion. Some herbals encourage women to drink black haw tea throughout pregnancy.

Physicians argued about black cohosh a century ago, and the debate continues today. A 1986 Food and Drug Administration report dismissed black cohosh as having “no therapeutic value” and warned of its possible side effects. Other experts say the herb has many potentially beneficial effects but consider it too toxic to use. The Germans, meanwhile, include the herb in several prescription drugs to relieve menopausal discomforts.

Black cohosh overdose may cause dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, visual dimness, headache, tremors, joint pains, and depressed heart rate. For some, these effects may develop at relatively low doses.
In addition to the side effects listed above, the estrogenlike component of the herb may act just like estrogen itself and contribute to liver problems and abnormal blood clotting, as well as promote the development of certain types of breast tumors. Finally, pregnant women should not use estrogenic herbs.

Black cohosh’s possible effects on the heart are most worrisome. Anyone with heart disease, especially congestive heart failure, should not use it.

Potentially Potent

Black cohosh is a potentially hazardous herb that should be used cautiously. Otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults who do not have heart disease or estrogen-dependent cancers and are not taking sedatives, blood pressure medication, birth control pills, or postmenopausal estrogen, may use it for short periods in amounts typically recommended-but only with a physician’s consent.
If any of the side effects listed above develop, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Native Cultivation - Get to the Root

Black cohosh is a leafy perennial that reaches 9 feet. It has knotty black roots and a smooth stem with large, toothed, compound leaves and small, multiple white flowers that develop in midsummer on long projections called racemes.

Black cohosh grows from seeds sown in spring or root divisions taken in spring or fall.

Harvest the roots in fall after the fruits have ripened. Cut them lengthwise to dry.

When used safely, this herb may playa role in healing. Because of its possible side effects, however, it should be used only with the approval and supervision of your physiclan. Several studies show its early advocates may have been right about the herb’s potential to treat gynecological problems.

Menstrual Discomforts. Black cohosh has estrogenic effects, meaning it acts like the female sex hormone estrogen. The herb’s estrogenic action may lend support to its traditional use for menstrual complaints.

Estrogenic herbs must be used carefully, however.

Estrogen is a key ingredient in birth control pills. Any woman whose physician advises her not to take the Pill may have to avoid using this herb as well. She should discuss black cohosh’s estrogenic activity with her doctor before using this herb.

Menopausal Discomforts - Estrogen is also prescribed for menopausal symptoms, and herbs with estrogenic action can be expected to have a similar effect on these symptoms. Today in Germany, where herbal healing is more mainstream than it is in the United States, black cohosh is a key ingredient in three drugs prescribed for discomforts of menopause. The German text Herbal Medicine says the drugs “appear to be effective … We can, in many cases, manage without hormones, though … success is not instant. The drug has to be given over some time…” These drugs are not available in the United States, but the herb itself is.

When used to treat menopausal discomforts, estrogen by itself may increase a woman’s risk of uterine cancer. Taking another female sex hormone, progesterone, minimizes this risk. Any woman considering using black cohosh for menopause should consult her physician about using the herb by itself or in conjunction with progesterone.

Prostate Cancer - Female sex hormones slow the growth of prostate tumors. Physicians often prescribe hormones similar to estrogen for men with prostate cancer. Black cohosh’s estrogenic action may help manage this cancer, but men with prostate cancer should consult their physicians before using it.

High Blood Pressure - A study published in Nature shows black cohosh reduces blood pressure by opening the blood vessels in the limbs (peripheral vasodilation). The herb may help manage high blood pressure, but consult your physician before using it for this purpose.

Intriguing Possibilities - One study shows black cohosh has anti-inflammatory activity, possibly explaining its Indian use as a treatment for arthritis. Another report shows it reduces animal blood sugar levels, suggesting possible value in controlling diabetes.
More study needs to be done to determine whether the herb will prove useful in treating these conditions.

Other preliminary animal findings point to possible antibiotic, sedative, and stomach-soothing action.

Rx for Black Cohosh

For a decoction, boil [12 teaspoon of powdered root per cup of water for 30 minutes. Let cool. It has an unpleasant aroma and a sharp, bitter taste. Add lemon and honey, or mix with a beverage tea. Take 2 tablespoons every few hours, up to I cup a day.

In a tincture, take up to 1 teaspoon per day.

Children under age 2 and people over 65 should start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

The Indians Were Right

Family: Ranunculaceae; (includes Buttercup, Larkspur, Peony)

Genus and Species: Cimicifuga Racemosa or Macrotys actaeoides

Also known as: Squawroot, Snake Root

Parts used: Rhizome and Root

One of the 19th century’s most popular patent medicines was Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound, introduced in 1876 to treat “female weakness” - that is, menstrual cramps. Pinkham’s Compound contained several herbs, and chief among them was black cohosh, long known among the Algonquian Indians as a treatment for gynecological complaints.

Pinkham’s product also contained an enormous amount of alcohol. During the 1 9th century, respectable ladies did not drink liquor. Many drank Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound instead. A reformulated Vegetable Compound is still available today-minus most of the alcohol and, ironically, without any black cohosh, the ingredient that may have had the greatest effect on menstrual pain.

Medicine for Indian Women

This herb was named black because of its dark medicinal roots. Cohosh is Algonquian for “rough:’ another reference to its roots.

The Indians boiled black cohosh’s gnarled roots in water arid drank the decoction for fatigue, sore throat, arthritis, and rattlesnake bite-hence one popular name for this herb, “snakeroot.” But black cohosh was used primarily by Indian women for gynecological problems and childbirth.

wild black cohosh grew most profusely in the Ohio River Valley, which was fitting because the herb was championed by 19th~century Eclectic physicians, whose medical school was in Cincinnati on the banks of the Ohio. The Eclectics recommended black cohosh for fever, rashes, insomnia, malaria, yellow fever, and all “hysterical” (gynecological) ailments. The Eclectic medical text, King’s American Dispensatory, stated: “In dysmenorrhea [menstrual cramps], it is of greatest utility, being surpassed by no other drug”.

Non-Eclectic (”regular”) physicians remained unimpressed, but Lydia Pinkham sided with the Eclectics and included it in her Vegetable Compound.

Many Modern Uses

Black cohosh does not grow in China, but Chinese physicians use several related plants to treat headache, measles, diarrhea, bleeding gums, and some gynecological problems.

Homeopaths recommend microdoses of black cohosh for menstrual problems and childbirth.

Contemporary herbalists prescribe it to relieve spasms, as a diuretic to treat water retention, as an expectorant to help clear mucus from the respiratory system, and as an astringent, sedative, and menstruation promoter. Several modern herbals, in fact, call it “one of our best” menstruation promoters.

Safety questions have been raised about tannins. In various studies, they show both pro- and anti-cancer action. Their cancer-promoting action has received more publicity, notably from a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which showed that tannins produce malignant tumors in laboratory animals. But tannins apparently also have an anti-cancer effect against some animal tumors.

Tannins’ effects on human cancer remain unclear. Small quantities have never been implicated in human tumors, but Asians who drink large quantities of tea, which is high in tannins, show unusually high rates of stomach cancer. Adding milk neutralizes the tannins, which appears to be why the tealoving British have a low rate of stomach cancer. People with a history of cancer, particularly stomach or colon cancer, should exercise caution and not use medicinal quantities of this herb. Other people should take no more than recommended amounts of infusions or decoctions, and for extra safety, add a bit of milk.

Distress Signals

In large amounts, tannins may cause stomach distress, nausea, and vomiting. Blackberry root bark contains the most tannins, followed by the leaves, and finally the fruit. People with chronic gastrointestinal conditions, such as colitis, for example, should probably not use the roots.

For otherwise healthy nonpregnant, nonnursing adults, blackberry is safe in amounts typically recommended.

Blackberry should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If blackberry causes minor discomforts such as nausea or vomiting, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Native Cultivation - Go Wild in the Garden

Blackberry bushes grow wild around most of North America. They have long, tangled, thorny stems, lush foliage, and a profusion of berries that turn red as they ripen and become a juicy, purplish blue-black by midsummer.

Blackberry bushes are so vigorous and invasive, they quickly become a thick, thorny, impenetrable mass. Rooting them out is almost impossible-as any gardener who has tried can attest. Even when removed, stray root fragments continue to send up new shoots. To minimize problems, plant this shrub in containers or surround its roots with sheet metal.

Blackberries grow easily from Ih-inch root cuttings taken in autumn and stored through the winter in cool sand (around 50°F). Plant cuttings vertically 1 to 3 feet apart in 3 to 4 inches of soil.

Blackberries adapt to many conditions but grow best in loose, moist rich soil amended with manure or finished compost. The plants flower in spring and bear fruit throughout the summer.

Harvest the leaves and roots any time. For ease of harvesting the berries, train the branches along supports and prune them mercilessly.

Contrary to the claims of Nicholas Culpeper, blackberry in any form doesn’t do much for the genitals, but it is a tasty remedy for several common ills.

Diarrhea - Blackberry’s high tannin content makes it quite astringent and supports its traditional use as a treatment for diarrhea and dysentery.

Wounds - Tannin’s astringent action helps constrict blood vessels and stop minor bleeding. This action would tend to explain the traditional external use of the herb to treat wounds. Blackberry thorns often cause minor cuts, so it’s nice to know first aid is close at hand.

Mouth Sores, Sore Throat - Enjoy some of the sweet, ripe berries. Their astringent tannins might help.

Hemorrhoids - The astringent nature of blackberry may explain its traditional use as a hemorrhoid treatment.

Intriguing Possibilities - One animal study shows that a strong infusion of blackberry leaves reduces blood sugar levels in diabetic rabbits, suggesting possible value in the management of diabetes.

Research has shown that blackberry’s close relative, raspberry, relaxes the uterus. Women might try blackberry for painful menstrual cramps.

Rx for Blackberry

To treat diarrhea or soothe a sore throat, try an infusion, decoction, or tincture. For an infusion, use 2 to 3 teaspoons of dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 20 minutes. Add a bit of milk. Drink up to S cups a day. You can also use a handful of crushed berries, either dried or fresh, or i to 2 teaspoons of dried powdered bark to make an infusion.

For a decoction, use I teaspoon of powdered root per cup of water. Boil for 30 minutes. Drink up to I cup a day. Enjoy it with a bit of milk.

In a tincture, take up to 2 teaspoons a day.
Iin commercial preparations, follow package directions.
To treat wounds or hemorrhoids, soak a clean cloth in a tincture or strong infusion and apply externally.

Medicinal doses of blackberry should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

Not Just Jam and Jelly

Family: Rosaceae; (includes Rose, Apple, Almond, Strawberry

Genus and Species: Rubus Fruticosus (European); R. Villosus (American)

Also known as: Bramble, Dewberry, Goutberry

Parts Used: Leaves, bark, roots, fruit

If your acquaintance with the blackberry is confined to jam and jelly, it’s time to branch out. You have to look to the whole bush to benefit from its full potential.

The blackberry bush was once as highly prized for its medicinal leaves, bark, and roots as it was for its sweet fruit. Today, however, blackberry has fallen from healing fashion, replaced by its close botanical relative, raspberry. It’s time to bring back blackberry. Externally it may help treat wounds, and internally, it’s a tasty treatment for mouth sores, sore throat, and diarrhea.

“Goutberry”

The ancient Greeks used blackberry to treat gout. They were the only people to use the herb as a treatment for this disordec but Greek medicine was so influential in Europe that well into the 18th century, the herb was called goutberry.
The ancient Chinese used the unripe berries to treat kidney problems, urinary incontinence, and impotence.

The Romans chewed the leaves and bark for bleeding gums and drank a decoction for diarrhea.

Tenth-century Arab physicians considered the fruit an aphrodisiac (it isn’t)

“An Excellent Syrup”

During the Middle Ages, blackberry leaves were applied to the skin to soothe burns and scalds.

In his influential Herbal, 17th century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper called the herb “very binding” and good for “fevers, ulcers, putrid sores of the mouth and secret parts [genitals], spitting blood [tuberculosis], piles [hemorrhoids], stones of the kidney, too much flowing of women’s courses [menstruation], and hot distempers of the head, eyes, and body”.

The 19th century American Eclectic physicians recommended a preparation made from the fruit as “an excellent syrup which is of much service in dysentery, being pleasant to the taste, mitigating the sufferings of the patient, and ultimately effecting a cure.” They also recommended blackberry leaves for gonorrhea, vaginal discharges, recovery from childbirth, and “cholera infantum” - an old term for infant infectious diarrhea, which, in the days before antibiotics, was often fatal (and still is in many parts of the world).

The few contemporary herbalists who discuss blackberry at all recommend it as an astringent for diarrhea.

Two hundred years ago bayberry was widely used medicinally. It’s a shame it’s been almost forgotten, because science has shown this native American herb may have some real benefits in treating fever and diarrhea.

Diarrhea - Bayberry root bark contains an antibiotic chemical (myricitrin), which may fight a broad range of bacteria and protozoa. Myricltrin’s antibiotic action supports bayberry’s traditional use against diarrhea and dysentery.

Bayberry also contains astringent tannins, which add to its value in treating diarrhea.

Fever - The antibiotic myricitrin also helps reduce fever, thus lending credence to bayberry’s use among the Choctaw Indians.

intriguing Possibility - Myricitrin promotes the flow of bile and might potentially be of value in liver and gallbladder ailments, but as yet no research demonstrates this.

Rx for Bayberry

For a decoction, boil 1 teaspoon of powdered root bark in a pint of water for 10 to 15 minutes. Add a bit of milk and drink cool. up to 2 cups a day. You’ll find the taste bitter and astringent. A tincture might go down more easily.

In a tincture, take 112 teaspoon up to twice a day. Bayberry should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with a low-strength preparation and increase strength if necessary.

The Safety Factor

The high tannin content of bayberry makes the herb of questionable value for anyone with a history of cancer. In various studies, tannins show both pro- and anti-cancer action. Their cancer-promoting action has received more publicity, notably from a study published in the lournal of the National Cancer Institute, which showed that tannins produce malignant tumors in laboratory animals. But tannins have also been shown to have an anti-cancer effect against some animal tumors.

Tannins’ effects on human cancer remain unclear. Small quantities have never been implicated in human tumors, but Asians who drink large quantities of tea, which contains tannins, show unusually high rates of stomach cancer. Adding milk neutralizes the tannins, which may be why the tea-loving British have a low rate of stomach cancer. Those with a history of cancer, particularly stomach or colon cancer. should exercise caution and not use this herb. Others should drink no more than recommended amounts, and for extra safety, add milk.

Other Side Effects

In large doses, bayberry root bark may cause stomach distress, nausea, and vomiting. Those with chronic gastrointestinal conditions, such as colitis, for example, should use it cautiously.

Bayberry changes the way the body uses sodium and potassium. Those who must watch their sodium/potassium balance, such as people with kidney disease, high blood pres” sure, or congestive heart failure, for example, should consult their physicians before using it.

For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who need not pay special attention to their sodium/potassium balance, do not have gastrointestinal conditions, and have no history of stomach or colon cancer, bayberry root bark may be used cautiously in amounts typically recommended.

Bayberry should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If bayberry causes minor dis” comforts such as nausea or vomiting, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience any unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Native Cultivation - Flourishes in Florida

Bayberry is native to the area from New Jersey to the Great Lakes and south to Florida and Texas. In the Southeast, it matures into an evergreen tree that reaches about 35 feet. Further north, the plant becomes smaller. Around the Great Lakes, mature plants rarely grow taller than 3 feet.

Bayberry has grayish bark, waxy branches, and dense, narrow, delicately toothed leaves dotted with resin glands, which produce a fragrant aroma when crushed. Yellow flowers appear in spring and produce nutlike fruits thickly covered with the wax once so highly valued in candle-making

Bayberry grows from seeds planted in spring or early fall.

It prefers peaty soil under full sun but tolerates poorer sandy soil along streams and in swampy areas. Plants require little care other than pruning.

Harvest the root bark after a few years.

All-American Fever Treatment

Family: Myricaceae; (includes Myrtle)

Genus and Species: Myrica Cerifera

Also known as: Wax myrtle, Candleberry, Tallow Shrub

Parts Used: Root bark

The early American colonists found the bayberry tree growing throughout the East. but they used it to make fragrant candles rather than medicines. Initially bayberry was used medicinally only in the South, where the Choctaw Indians boiled the leaves and drank the decoction as a treatment for fever. Later, Louisiana settlers adopted the plant and drank bayberry wax in hot water “as a certain cure for the most violent cases of dysentery,” according to a medical account from 1722.

Second Only to Hot Pepper

During the early 19th century, bayberry was popularized by Samuel A. Thomson, a New England herbalist and creator of the first patent medicines. He touted it as second only to red pepper for producing “heat” within the body. Thomson recommended bayberry for colds, flu, and other infectious diseases in addition to diarrhea and fever.

Thomson’s herbalism lost popularity after the Civil War, replaced by the more scientific Eclectic physicians, who prescribed the astringent herb topically for bleeding gums and internally for diarrhea, dysentery, sore throat, scarlet fever, menstrual difficulties, and even typhoid.

Although bayberry has since waned in popularity, some contemporary herbalists recommend using the herb externally for varicose veins and internally for diarrhea, dysentery, colds, flu, bleeding gums, and sore throat. One modern herbal calls it “one of the most useful herbs in botanical medicine” and goes so far as to advocate treating uterine bleeding by packing the vagina with cotton soaked in bayberry tea. (Do not do this. See a physician for unusual uterine bleeding.)