Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

Uva ursi often turns urine a dark green. Do not become alarmed.

Herbal weight-loss formulas typically contain diuretics.

Uva ursi is the diuretic most often used. Because they boost urine production, diuretics temporarily eliminate some water weight. Weight lost using diuretics almost invariably returns, however. Weight-control experts do not recommend diuretics. The keys to permanent weight control include a low-fat, high-fiber diet, and regular aerobic exercise.

Some herb conservatives warn against using uva ursi because they say it causes vomiting, ringing in the ears, and convulsions. The source of this warning is one study reported in 1949, which did not use bulk uva ursi but rather very large amounts of its isolated antiseptic chemical, hydroquinone. Recommended doses of the whole herb are considered safe, if nausea or ringing in the ears develops, use less or stop using the herb.

High in Tannins

Uva ursi has such high levels of tannins that it has been used to tan leather. Large doses of tannins may cause stomach upset.

Tannins also have both pro- and anti-cancer action. Some authorities warn against their use, but tannins’ role in human cancers, if any, remains unclear. However, those with a history of cancer should either add milk, which appears to neutralize tannins, or not use large amounts.

Other Cautions

The Food and Drug Administration lists uva ursi as an herb of “undefined safety.” For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, uva ursi is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

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

Better to Buy Bearberry

Ancient Mediterranean bears must have loved the bright red, mealy, currant-size berries of this delicate, branching, perennial groundcover, because both its generic name, Arctostaphylos, from the Greek, and its Latin-rooted specific name, uva ursi, mean bear’s berry. The plant is often called bearberry in English. Not the berries but the leaves are used in herbal Healing, however.

Uva ursi grows throughout the temperate world. It has a long, fibrous root, woody stems and branches, inch-long, leathery, evergreen, paddle-shaped leaves and tiny white flowers tinged with red. The plant rarely grows taller than a few inches and prefers a dry, rocky, or sandy habitat.

Uva ursi is typically propagated from cuttings. Be patient.

This plant takes an unusually long time to root. It’s more convenient simply to buy small plants from a specialty herb nursery.

Uva ursi does poorly in rich soil. It prefers poor, gravelly, acidic soil. under full sun or partial shade. Keep your uva ursi patch well weeded until the plants have become established. It does not transplant well. Once established, uva ursi spreads to become a hearty, attractive groundcover, which can survive temperatures of -50°F.

Harvest leaves in autumn before the first frost. Because of their leathery texture, they are difficult to air dry. Spread them in a single layer and dry them in your oven.

Healing with Curry

Family: Zingiberaceae; (includes Ginger)

Genus and Species: Curcuma Longa

Also known as: Curcuma

Parts used: Roots

Turmeric is a recent addition to most American spice racks, but it’s been a mainstay in Indian curries for thousands of years. Its arrival here is good news for our palate and our health.

Turmeric’s Healing benefits are still largely unknown in North America, but it helps aid digestion, may fight intestinal parasites, may protect the liver. may help prevent heart disease, and may one day playa role in the treatment of cancer.

Whole-Body Cleanser

Turmeric held a place of honor in India’s traditional Ayurvedic medicine. A symbol of prosperity, it was considered a cleansing herb for the whole body. Medically, it was used as a digestive aid and treatment for fever. infections, dysentery, arthritis, and jaundice and other liver problems.

Traditional Chinese physicians also used turmeric to treat . liver and gallbladder problems, stop bleeding, and treat chest congestion and menstrual discomforts.

The ancient Greeks were well aware of turmeric, but unlike its close botanical relative, ginger, it never caught on in the West as either a culinary or medicinal herb. It was, however, used to make orange-yellow dyes.

Turmeric Paper

In the 1870s, chemists discovered turmeric’s orange-yellow root powder turned reddish brown when exposed to alkaline chemicals. This discovery led to the development of “turmeric paper,” thin strips of tissue brushed with a decoction of turmeric, then dried. During the late 19th century, turmeric paper was used in laboratories around the world to test for alkalinity. Eventually, it was replaced by litmus paper, which is still used today.

American chemists used turmeric paper, but not even the botanically oriented 19th-century Eclectic physicians had much use for turmeric itself, except to add color to medicinal ointments.

Maude Grieve’s influential Modern Herbal, published in 1931, said turmeric was “once a cure for jaundice,” then dismissed it as “seldom used in medicine except as a coloring.”

Few contemporary herbalists recommend turmeric. The ones who do advocate it to treat fever, relieve pains and chest congestion, and restore menstrual regularity.

Western herbalists, wake up. Turmeric is a healer.

Turmeric has been revered in India for thousands of years, so it should come as no surprise that Indians have conducted most of the research into the Healing chemical it contains curcumin.

Wound Treatment - Like many culinary herbs, turmeric helps retard food spoilage because it has antibacterial action. To help prevent bacterial wound infections, sprinkle a bit on cuts and scrapes after they have been thoroughly washed.

Digestive Aid - Turmeric also helps stimulate the flow of bile, which helps digest fats, supporting its traditional use as a digestive herb.

Intestinal Parasites - Turmeric fights protozoans in laboratory tests, lending some credence to its traditional use in treating dysentery.

Liver Protection - One animal study showed curcumin has a protective effect on liver tissue exposed to liver-damaging drugs, lending support to the herb’s traditional use in liver ailments. If you drink alcohol regularly, and/or take frequent high doses of certain pharmaceutical drugs, including the common pain reliever, acetaminophen (Tylenol), you may be at risk for liver damage. Ask your physician about using turmeric to protect your liver.

Arthritis - Several studies show curcumin has anti-inflammatory action, lending some credence to its traditional use in treating arthritis. This effect may also help relieve wound inflammation.

Heart Protection - One animal study showed that like its botanical relative, ginger, turmeric may help reduce cholesterol. Another study showed it helps prevent the internal blood clots that trigger heart attack and some strokes. Animal results cannot necessarily be applied to people, but in recommended amounts, turmeric is a tasty spice that does no harm, and these studies suggest it might do some good.

Intriguing Possibilities - Recently, curcumin has also been shown to have some anti-cancer activity. A report published in Cancer Letters says it inhibits the growth of lymphoma tumor cells. And research at Rutgers University shows curcumin helps prevent tumor development in animals.

Myth - The Chinese used turmeric to stimulate menstruation, but no research to date has identified any effect on the uterus.

Rx for Turmeric

To treat minor wounds, wash them with soap and water, then sprinkle on some powdered herb and bandage.

For an infusion to help aid digestion and possibly help promote heart health, use 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder per cup of warm milk. Drink up to 3 cups a day. These infusions may also offer a measure of protection to the liver and help ease the inflammation of arthritis. Turmeric tastes pleasantly aromatic, but in large amounts, it becomes somewhat bitter.

Medicinal turmeric preparations 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.

One animal study showed the herb reduces fertility. This experiment has not been replicated, and its implications for human fertility, if any, remain unclear. But those trying to conceive and those with fertility problems should probably not use medicinal amounts.

Turmeric’s potential anti-clotting effect might cause problems for those with clotting disorders. If you have a blood-clotting problem, discuss this herb’s anti-clotting effect with your physician before using medicinal preparations.

Unusually large amounts of turmeric may cause stomach upset.

Other Cautions

Turmeric is on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who are not taking anticoagulant medications, turmeric is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

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

An Indian Import

Turmeric is not a garden herb in North America. Grown from India to Indonesia, it’s a perennial with pulpy, orange, tuberous roots that grow to about 2 feet in length. The aerial parts, which reach 3 feet, include large, lily-like leaves, a thick, squat, central flower spike, and funnel-shaped yellow flowers.

Tried and True

Family: Labiatae; (includes Mints)

Genus and Species: Thymus Vulgaris, T. Serpyllum

Also known as: Common or garden thyme (T. Vulgaris); Wild, Creeping, Mother, and mother of Thyme (T. Serpyllum)

Parts used: Leaves and flower tops

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and Listerine? Or perhaps Vicks Vaporub. Thyme is commonly found in the kitchen herb cabinet, but millions of Americans stock this herb’s oil in their medicine chest as well. Its use in mouthwashes and decongestants is no coincidence. Thyme has a long history of use as an antiseptic, cough remedy, and digestive aid,

Herbed Sacrificial Lamb

Like several other aromatic kitchen herbs, thyme was used as a meat preservative in ancient times, It was sprinkled on sacrificial animals to make them more acceptable to the gods. Thyme was introduced into cooking as an offshoot of its meatpreserving action. The Romans also used it medicinally as a cough remedy, digestive aid, and treatment for intestinal worms.

Charlemagne ordered thyme grown in all his imperial gardens for both its culinary and medicinal value. Medieval German abbess/herbalist Hildegard of Bingen considered it the herb of choice for skin problems, anticipating its later use as an antiseptic.

Signs of Courage

During the Middle Ages, thyme became linked to courage. it was fashionable for noblewomen to embroider sprigs of thyme on scarves and give them to favorite knights departing for the Crusades.

As the centuries passed, thyme was used as an antiseptic during plagues, and those troubled by “melancholia” (depression) were advised to sleep on thyme-stuffed pillows.

Early anatomists named the lymph gland in the chest the thymus because it reminded them of a thyme flower.

Sixteenth-century herbalist John Gerard recommended thyme for leprosy and to “cure sciatica … pains in the head … [and] falling sickness [epilepsy].”

Later. English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper called thyme “excellent for nervous disorders … headaches … and a certain remedy for that troublesome complaint. the nightmare.” He claimed it “provokes the terms I menstruation I, gives safe and speedy delivery to women in travail [labor], and brings away the after-birth.” Culpeper also recommended thyme as “a noble strengthener of the lungs … an excellent remedy for shortness of breath … It purges the body of phlegm … comforts the stomach much and expels wind.”

Thymol Antiseptic Oil

By the late 17th century, apothecary shops were selling thyme oil as a topical antiseptic under the name oil of origanum. in 1719, German chemist Caspar Neumann extracted thyme oil’s active constituent which he called camphor of thyme. In 1853, French chemist M. Lallemand named it thymol, its name today.

From the mid-19th century through World War I, thymol enjoyed great popularity as an antiseptic. The American Eclectic physicians’ text, King’s American Dispensatory, extolled it: “Thymol is considered by many to be superior to carbolic acid I the antiseptic made famous in 1867 by the father of antiseptic surgery, Joseph Lister}. It prevents putrefaction and arrests it when it has commenced … Dissolved in water, it forms an invaluable disinfectant [fori sick rooms.” The Eclectics also prescribed thyme infusion for headache, gastrointestinal upsets, “hysteria” (menstrual cramps), and as a menstruation promoter.

World War Crisis

World War I caused a major thymol crisis. Most of the world’s supply was distilled in Germany, and when the British and French declared war on Germany, they had to scramble to overcome a terrible shortage of the suddenly vital battlefield antiseptic.

Thymol has since been replaced by more potent germ fighters, but it remains an ingredient in several antiseptic mouthwashes, including Listerine.

Contemporary herbalists recommend thyme externally for wound disinfection and internally for indigestion, sore throat, laryngitis, cough, whooping cough, and nervousness.

Fame and Simon & Garfunkel

While somewhat off-topic thyme found 20th century fame in the arts by song writers Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel. The herb made fame through a song Scarborough Fair/Canticle and a reworking of Simon’s 1963 song “The Side of a Hill” with new, anti-war lyrics. It was the title track of the 1966 album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, and was released as a single after featuring on the soundtrack to The Graduate in 1968.

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Remember me to one who lives there.
She once was a true love of mine.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
(a hill in the deep forest green)
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
(tracing of sparrow on snow-crested brown)
Without no seams nor needle work,
(blankets and bedclothes the child of the mountain)
Then she’ll be a true love of mine.
(sleeps unaware of the clarion call)

Tell her to find me an acre of land,
(on the side of a hill a sprinkling of leaves)
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
(washes the grave with silvery tears)
Between the salt water and the sea strand,
(a soldier cleans and polishes a gun)
Then she’ll be a true love of mine.
(sleeps unaware of the clarion call)

Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather,
(war bellows blazing in scarlet battalions)
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;
(general order their soldiers to kill)
And gather it all in a bunch of heather,
(and to fight for a cause they’ve long ago forgotten)
Then she’ll be a true love of mine.

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Remember me to one who lives there.
She once was a true love of mine.

Thyme’s aromatic oil contains two chemicals-thymol and carvacol-that account for its medicinal value. Both chemicals have preservative, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. They also have expectorant properties and may be useful as digestive aids.

Antiseptic - Thyme fights several disease-causing bacteria and fungi in the test tube, supporting its traditional use as an antiseptic, though infusions of the dried herb are nowhere near as powerful as the oil or distilled thymol. Still, for garden first aid, you can crush some fresh leaves into minor cuts and scrapes on the way to washing and bandaging them.

Digestive Aid - Some studies show thymol and carvacol relax the smooth muscle tissue of the gastrointestinal tract, making thyme an antispasmodic. This action of these chemical constituents lend support to thyme’s traditional use as a digestive aid.

Women’s Health - Antispasmodics relax not only the digestive tract but other smooth muscles, such as the uterus, as well. Small amounts may help relieve menstrual cramps, lending credence to the Eclectic physicians’ use of this herb But in large amounts, thyme oil and thymol are considered uterine stimulants.

Pregnant women may use thyme as a culinary spice, but they should avoid large amounts and should not use the herb’s oil.

Cough Remedy - German researchers have lent support to thyme’s traditional use as a phlegrn-loosener (expectorant), and in Germany today, where herbal medicine is considerably more mainstream than it is in the United States, thyme preparations are frequently prescribed to relax the respiratory tract and treat cough, whooping cough, and emphysema. German medical herbalist Rudolph Fritz Weiss, M.D., writes:

“Thyme is to the trachea [windpipe] and the bronchi what peppermint is to the stomach and intestines.”

Rx for Thyme

For garden accidents, crush fresh leaves into the wound on the way to washing and bandaging it. Once wounds have been thoroughly washed, apply a few drops of thyme tincture as an antiseptic.

For an infusion to help settle the stomach, soothe a cough, or possibly help relieve menstrual symptoms, use 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. Thyme tastes pleasantly aromatic with a faint clove-like aftertaste.

In a tincture, take ½ to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day.

Medicinal preparations of thyme 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.

Use the herb, not its oil. Even a few teaspoons of thyme oil can be toxic, causing headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, thyroid impairment, and heart and respiratory depression.

One animal study showed thyme suppresses thyroid activity in rats. Those with thyroid conditions should consult their physicians before taking medicinal doses.

Thyme and thyme oil may cause a rash in sensitive individuals.

Other Cautions

The Food and Drug Administration includes thyme in its list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who do not have thyroid problems, thyme is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

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

Time to Grow Thyme

Thyme is an aromatic, perennial. many-branched, groundcover shrub that reaches about 12 inches. It has small, opposite, virtually stalkless leaves and lilac or pink flowers that bloom in midsummer.

This hardy herb can be propagated from seeds, cuttings, and root divisions. Seeds require a temperature around 70°F to germinate and often do best when started indoors. For cuttings, snip 3-inch pieces from stems with new growth and place them in wet sand. Roots should appear in about two weeks. The best time for root division is in spring. Uproot a plant carefully, preserving as much of its root soil as possible. Divide it in half or thirds and replant the divisions 12 inches apart in moist soil.

Once established, thyme requires little care. It prefers welldrained soil on the dry side. Clumps tend to become woody after a few years. To prevent this, roots should be divided periodically. Wetting thyme leaves during watering reduces their fragrance. Thyme survives frost, but in areas with cold winters, use mulch. Thyme may be killed if winter temperatures drop below 10°F.

Harvest the leaves and flower tops just before the flowers bloom. Dry and store them in airtight containers to preserve the herb’s oil.

World’s Most Popular Healer

Family: Theaceae; (includes Camellia)

Genus and Species: Camellia Sinensis

Also known as: Green Tea, Black Tea

Parts used: Leaves

Tea is the world’s second most popular beverage (after water) and the world’s most widely used herbal medicine. Most people drink it as a mild stimulant, but this herb also may help treat diarrhea, prevent tooth decay, and act as a bronchial decongestant.

Tea Time Goes Way Back

Tea has been used in Chinese medicine for at least 3,000 years to treat headache, diarrhea, dysentery, colds, cough, asthma, and other respiratory problems.

By the 8th century, it was a favorite in India and Indonesia.

The Dutch East India Company first brought it to Holland in 1610, and by 1640, black tea had become popular with the English upper class. They drank it as an afternoon stimulant around 4 o’clock, which is still known as tea time.

The Chinese called black tea pekho, and the British adopted the term as pekoe. They considered the beverage so divine, they named it tea from the Greek thea, meaning goddess.

Tough Time for Tea

Demand for tea spurred England’s colonization of India, Ceylon, and Hong Kong. By the late 18th century, tea was an integral part of English culture, and around the world, the English simply would not tolerate any threat to their tea supply. In 1773, the British Parliament levied a tax on tea imported into her North American colonies. Outraged by this price hike, the residents of Massachusetts rioted. They stormed tea ships in Boston harbor and dumped enormous quantities of the herb overboard. The Boston Tea Party helped trigger the American Revolution.

In Europe and North America, tea has always been used primarily as a stimulant beverage. Herbalists also adopted all of its Chinese medical uses. Folk healers still recommend tea for headache, diarrhea, colds, coughs, and respiratory problems.

Ironically, few contemporary herbals even mention the world’s most popular Healing herb. In fact, most people don’t even consider tea an herb. They typically ask, “Would you like coffee, tea, or herbal tea?” Of course, coffee and tea are herbs, so all these beverages are herbal teas.

Tea contains three stimulant chemicals-caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline-that help account for scme of its uses in herbal Healing.

Colds, Congestion, Asthma - All the stimulants in tea are bronchodilators that ease breathing by opening the bronchial passages, thus supporting its traditional use in respiratory problems. Physicians often prescribe pharmaceutical preparations of theophylline to treat asthma.
‘
Diarrhea - Tea contains astringent tannins, which help account for its binding action in diarrhea.

Tooth Decay - Tea is also a good source of fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay. Both green and black teas contain more fluoride than fluoridated water, according to a report published in the University of California, Berkeley, WeI/ness Letter. The tannins in tea also may help fight the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Radiation - Among the tannins in tea are substances called catechins that may help prevent tissue damage from radiation. One study shows tea helps keep radioactive strontium 90 out of bone marrow. This means it may help prevent cancer in people who have been exposed to nuclear fallout and some experiments show tea helps prevent leukemia in animats exposed to radiation.

Intriguing Possibility - Coffee may raise cholesterol, but an animal study published in the Journal of Nutrition Science shows tea may [ower it The herb may have a similar effect in people.

Tannins have some antiviral action, and Chinese reports claim tea helps treat hepatatis. Hepatitis is a serious disease that requires professional care, but during convalescence, tea does no harm, and it might do some good.

Rx for Tea

For a pleasantly bitter infusion that may prevent tooth decay, help ease breathing, or help treat diarrhea, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day.

Weak tea preparations may be given cautiously to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

A cup of tea contains about half as much caffeine as a cup of brewed coffee. Caffeine is a classically addictive drug that causes nervousness, restlessness, insomnia, and many other potentially problematic effects.

Many studies show tannins have both pro- and anti-cancer effects. Tannins’ role in human cancers, if any, remains unclear; however, population studies show unusually high rates of throat cancer among some peoples who drink large amounts of tea. On the other hand, the tea-loving British show no increased risk of throat cancer. Authorities generally agree that the British custom of adding milk to tea exerts a protective effect. The milk neutralizes the tannins. So you might want to do as the Brits do-take your tea with milk.

Other Cautions

For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, tea is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

Caffeine has been linked, however, to an increased risk of birth defects. Pregnant women should not consume it. Large amounts of tea may cause gastrointestinal upsets.

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

Always Imported

Tea is not a garden herb in North America. It is cultivated primarily in India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. Tea is a small evergreen tree that grows to 30 feet in the wild. In cultivation, however, it is pruned into a bushy shrub. Its leaves are processed into both green and black (pekoe) tea. Green tea is simply the dried leaf. Black tea is dried and then fermented.

Toothache Treatment

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

Genus and Species: Artemisia Dracunculus

Also known as: French or Russian Tarragon, Estragon, Dragon Herb

Parts used: Leaves

Tarragon is best known as the main seasoning in bearnaise sauce, but like all aromatic herbs, it also has a long history in herbal Healing. Unlike most other aromatics, however, it fell from Healing fashion in the 17th century and has only recently been rediscovered as an oral anesthetic with some potential for the prevention of heart disease.

Pilgrim’s Plant

The ancient Greeks knew chewing tarragon numbs the mouth and used it to treat toothache. They also figured that its anesthetic power-not to mention its wide-ranging root runners made it the herb of choice to relieve the discomforts of traveling.

Roman naturalist Pliny wrote that the herb prevents fatigue on long journeys. And during the Middle Ages, pilgrims placed tarragon sprigs in their shoes.

Oddly enough for an herb that numbs the mouth, around the 10th century, Arab physicians recommended tarragon as an appetite stimulant.

Under the Doctrine of Signatures-the medieval belief that an herb’s appearance reveals its medicinal value-tarragon’s serpentine roots were considered a sign it could cure snakebite. Over the centuries, the belief expanded to include the bites of rabid dogs. But by the 17th century, this belief had faded.

Later, herbalists virtually abandoned tarragon because it loses most of its aromatic Healing oil as it dries Even America’s 19th-century Eclectic physicians, who prized botanical drugs, had no use for it.

Few contemporary herbalists value tarragon except in French cooking. Those who do recognize it reiterate its traditional uses as a diuretic, appetite stimulant, digestive aid, and treatment for toothache.

Tarragon is no wonder herb, but it deserves a place in herbal Healing. Its active component is its oil; however, drying largely destroys it, so either fresh or frozen leaves or comparatively large amounts of dried leaves must be used.

Anesthetic - Tarragon oil contains an anesthetic chemical, eugenol, which is the major constituent of anesthetic clove oil, supporting its age-old use for toothache. Tarragon provides only temporary relief of oral pain, however. If toothache persists, consult a dentist.

Infection Prevention - Like many culinary herbs, tarragon oil fights disease-causing bacteria in the test tube. For garden first aid, press some fresh crushed tarragon leaves onto wounds on the way to washing and bandaging them.

Intriguing Possibilities - Tarragon oil contains a chemical (rutin) that strengthens capillary walls. Animal studies show rutin helps prevent the artery-narrowing plaque deposits closely associated with heart disease and some strokes. Tarragon’s impact on plaque prevention in human arteries is a matter of conjecture, but it just might help.

An animal study published in the lournal of the National Cancer Institute suggests rutin also has some antitumor activity.

Rx for Tarragon

For temporary relief of oral pain, chew fresh leaves as needed.

For garden first aid, apply fresh, crushed leaves to the affected area.

For a pleasant. licorice-flavored infusion that may help in the prevention of heart disease, use I to 2 teaspoons of fresh or frozen herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day.

In a tincture, use ½ to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. Medicinal doses of tarragon 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.

Tarragon contains another chemical, estragole, that in large amounts produces tumors in mice. Tarragon has never been associated with human cancer, but until its effects are clarified, those with a history of cancer should probably not use medicinal amounts.

Otherwise, the medical literature contains no reports of tarragon causing harm.

Tarragon is included in the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant. non-nursing adults, tarragon is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

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

Go for the French

Tarragon comes in two varieties, Russian and French. The former has less oil-and therefore, less flavor and medicinal value-so tarragon almost always implies the French plant.

Russian tarragon may be grown from seeds, but the more desirable French variety must be propagated from cuttings or root divisions. Divide the roots in spring and plant l-inch pieces of their tips. Or take cuttings in summer. Thin plants to 2-foot spacing.

French tarragon is a perennial with a creeping, serpentine root, and stems that reach 2 feet. Its leaves look like a larger version of rosemary. This herb rarely flowers, and if it does, the fruits are sterile.

Tarragon grows best in rich, well-drained soil under full sun. Make sure the roots do not become waterlogged. If your winter temperatures drop below the teens, mulch well each fall. Divide tarragon roots every few years to retain plants’ vigor.

Tarragon leaves bruise easily. Harvest them carefully in early summer. Because tarragon loses medicinal value when dried, freeze the fresh herb or preserve it in vinegar.

An Early American Favorite

Family: Ulmaceae; (includes Nettles)

Genus and Species: Ulmus Tubre, U. Fulva

Also known as: Red elm, Indian Elm

Parts used: Inner bark

No food or drug of today comes close to matching the place of honor slippery elm held in l Sth- and 19thcentury America. Great elm forests covered the East and even in cities, the versatile bark was always close at hand.

A Bark for All Reasons

Soaked in water and wrapped around meats, the bark retarded spoilage in the days before refrigeration. Coarsely ground and mixed with water, it turned into a spongy mass and was molded into bandages to cover wounds and made into pill-like coverings for unpleasant-tasting medicines. Ground and mixed with water or milk, slippery elm bark turned into a soothing, nutritious food similar to oatmeal, which was used to treat sore throat, cough, colds, and gastrointestinal ailments and to feed infants and hospital patients. Slippery elm sore throat lozenges were a fixture in home medicine cabinets, and the herb was the nation’s leading home remedy for anything in need of soothing.

Slippery elm is still listed in the National Formulary, the pharmacists’ reference, and health food stores still sell lozenges containing the herb. But our once-great elm forests have been decimated by Dutch elm disease, and both our landscape and our herbal Healing heritage are poorer as a result.

Bark for Broken Bones

First-century Greek physician Dioscorides prescribed bathing in a European elm bath to speed the Healing of broken bones. His prescription survived more than 1,500 years. In the 17th century, English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper wrote: “The decoction being bathed in, heals broken bones … [and] is excellent [for] places … burnt with fire. The leaves bruised, applied, and being bound thereon with its own bark heal wounds.” Culpeper also claimed elm root decoction restored hair on bald scalps.

Colonists found the Indians using American slippery elm bark as a food and treatment for wounds, sore throat, cough, inflamed nipples (mastitis), and many other ailments. The colonists adopted these uses and developed many more, including applying slippery elm poultices to bring boils to a head.

America’s early 19th-century Thomsonian herbalists recommended slippery elm tea as a laxative gentle enough for children, and Thomsonian midwives lubricated their hands with the slippery bark before performing internal examinations.

Elm Stick Law

Indian women inserted slippery elm sticks to induce abortion, and white women adopted the practice, which caused many deaths from uterine infection and hemorrhage. As a result, several state legislatures passed laws forbidding the sale of slippery elm bark in pieces longer than 1½ inches.

By the Civil War, slippery elm was being used to treat syphilis, gonorrhea, and hemorrhoids. America’s Eclectic physicians called it “very valuable” and suggested “a tablespoon of the powder boiled in milk affords a nourishing diet for infants newly weaned, preventing the bowel complaints to which they are subject. Some physicians consider the constant use of it, during and after the seventh month of gestation, as advantageous in facilitating an easy delivery.”

Contemporary herbalists recommend slippery elm bark externally to cover wounds and soothe skin problems and internally as a tea to treat sore throat, cough, diarrhea, ulcers, colitis, and other gastrointestinal complaints.

Even the Food and Drug Administration calls this herb “an excellent demulcent” (soothing agent).

Wounds - Slippery elm bark contains special cells that expand into a spongy mass in the presence of liquid. Applied to thoroughly cleaned wounds, it dries to form an herbal bandage.

Cough, Sore Throat, Digestive Complaints - Slippery elm decoction helps soothe the throat and digestive tract.

Women’s Health - Slippery elm decoction has a long history of use by pregnant women, and the medical literature contains no reports of problems. The active constituent, mucilage, should not harm the fetus. If you have a history of problematic pregnancy, however, consult your physician before using it.

Myth - Slippery elm has never been shown to speed the Healing of broken bones.

Rx for Slippery Elm

For a poultice to bandage wounds, stir enough water into powdered bark to make a paste and apply to the affected area.

For a soothing decoction, use I to 3 teaspoons of powdered herb per cup of water. Blend a little water in first to prevent lumpiness. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. Slippery elm has only a slight taste and a mild aroma reminiscent of maple.

Slippery elm may be given cautiously to children under age 2.

Allergic reactions are possible. Otherwise, the medical literature contains no reports of slippery elm causing harm.

For otherwise healthy adults, slippery elm is safe in amounts typically recommended.

Slippery elm should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks. If wounds become increasingly warm, red, painful, or inflamed, consult a physician.

A Tree That Shades and Soothes

Slippery elm is a stately tree that reaches 60 feet. Its trunk bark is brown, but its branch bark is whitish. Its leaves are broad, rough, hairy, and toothed. Check local nurseries to see if this tree can be grown in your area.

All-American Tranquilizer

Family: Labiatae; (includes Mints)

Genus and Species: Scutellaria Lateriflora

Also known as: Skullcap, Virginia Skullcap, Quaker Bonnet, Hoodwort, Helmet Flower, Mad Dog Weed

Parts used: Leaves

For an herb reputed to calm people down, skullcap has caused considerable controversy. One respected herbalist calls this blue-flowered North American native “perhaps the most widely relevant tranquilizer” in medicine. But skeptics dismiss it as “nearly worthless and essentially inactive.”

The truth is, skullcap’s traditional use as a tranquilizer may have some merit.

Mad Dog Weed

For centuries, Chinese physicians have used Asian skullcap (S. baikalensis) as a tranquilizer/sedative and treatment for convulsions.

Skullcap was first brought to the attention of physicians in the West in 1772 as a cure for rabies. A New England physician claimed that his experiments proved the herb prevented and cured the much dreaded “hydrophobia.” Over the next hundred years, herbalists used skullcap as a digestive aid and tranquilizer.

America’s 19th-century Eclectic physicians recommended the herb primarily as a tranquilizer/sedative for insomnia and nervousness, and for treatment of “intermittent fever” (malaria), convulsions, and delirium tremens of advanced alcoholism.

Skullcap entered the U.S. Pharmacopoeia in 1863 as a tranquilizer. It remained there until 1916, when it moved to the National Formulary, the pharmacists’ reference, where it remained until 1947.

Contemporary herbalists recommend skullcap as a tranquilizer for insomnia, nervous tension, premenstrual syndrome, and drug and alcohol withdrawal. Some say it treats fever and convulsions.

American scientists are almost unanimous in their condemnation of skullcap. They’ve never gotten over those old, mistaken claims that it treats rabies. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) current official assessment echoes the 1943 edition of The Dispensatory of the United States, which stated: “Skullcap is as destitute of medicinal properties as a plant may be. When taken internally it produces no obvious effects and probably is of no remedial value.”

Tranquilizer - Sedative. Of course, 1943 was a long time ago.

Since then, some European and Russian researchers have lent support to skullcap’s traditional use as a tranquilizer. European medical experts now accept skullcap’s potential usefulness as a tranquilizer and sedative, and it is used in many commercial sleep preparations that are widely available in Europe.

Intriguing Possibility - Two Japanese animal studies showed skullcap increases levels of “good” cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins or HDLs). As HDLs increase, the risk of heart attack decreases. These findings suggest the herb may potentially help prevent human heart disease and some strokes.

Chinese physicians claim to have treated hepatitis successfully with the herb. It’s too early to tout skullcap for this potentially serious liver disease, but the herb deserves further research.

Rx for Skullcap

For a tranquilizing infusion, use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink up to three times a day. Skullcap tastes bitter; adding honey, sugar, and lemon or mixing it with an herbal beverage blend will improve flavor.

Skullcap 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.

There are no reports of toxicity from skullcap infusions, but large amounts of the tincture can cause confusion, giddiness, twitching, and possibly convulsions.

The FDA lists skullcap as an herb of “undefined safety.” For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, skullcap is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.

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

Sedatives from the Garden

Many skullcap species grow in Europe, but the American herb is the one used in herbal Healing. It’s sometimes called Virginia skullcap, but it grows all over the United States and southern Canada.

Skullcap is a slender, 2-foot, branching, square-stemmed perennial with opposite, serrated leaves. The flowers have two lips. The upper lip includes an elongated caplike appendage, which is the source of most of the herb’s popular names.

Skullcap may be propagated by seeds or root divisions planted in early spring. Thin seedlings to 6-inch spacing. Skullcap grows in any well-drained soil under full sun and requires little care. Although it is a perennial, skullcap rarely lives longer than three years.

Harvest the leaves in midsummer.

Not Exactly Empty

Family: Cruciferae; (includes Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower)

Genus and Species: Capsella Bursapastoris

Also known as: Lady’s Purse, Rattle Pouches, Rattle Weed

Parts used: Leaves and flower tops

Shepherds never get much respect. In the ancient world, theirs was a humble calling. And in the Old West. cattle ranchers looked down on “sheep herders.” So perhaps we should not be surprised that the herb named for shepherds has shared a similar fate.

Sadly Rejected

More than 300 years ago, Nicholas Culpeper wrote: “Few plants possess greater virtues than this, and yet it is utterly disregarded.” And as recently as 1988, the British scientific herb guide, Potter’s New Cyclopaedia of Botal1ical Drugs, bemoaned the lack of research into its effects. No one is interested, some authorities say, because this common weed is medically worthless. But the few scientific studies done to date have revealed some intriguing possibilities fortreating bleeding and inducing labor.

Ancient Greek and Roman physicians recommended shepherd’s purse seeds as a laxative. But it was not widely used until the 16th century, when an Italian physician promoted it to stop bleeding, particularly to eliminate blood in the urine. Some physicians adopted the plant, but most others dismissed it as worthless.

The Pilgrims introduced shepherd’s purse into North America, where it quickly became a weed. Folk herbalists used it to stop bleeding, while physicians generally dismissed it as useless.

Fresh or Dried?

The Eclectic text, King’s American Dispensatory, attempted to explain the shepherd’s purse controversy by observing “the fresh herb is decidedly more active than the dried.” King’s called it “very efficient” for treating bloody urine and recommended it to stop excessive menstrual flow, and to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and bleeding hemorrhoids.

During World War I, when other blood stoppers were in short supply, wounded soldiers were given shepherd’s purse tea.

Contemporary herbalists recommend dried shepherd’s purse- not the fresh herb–internally for bloody urine, nosebleeds, bleeding after childbirth, and diarrhea, and externally as an astringent to treat wounds and hemorrhoids.

This herb won’t set the herbal Healing world on fire, but it may help some people with gastrointestinal disorders, women with heavy menstrual flow, or pregnant women waiting to go into labor-if they can stomach its taste.

Bleeding - Shepherd’s purse contains substances that hasten the coagulation of blood, according to an article in the British journal Nature. German medical herbalist Rudolph Fritz Weiss, M.D., writes it “definitely has haemostatic [blood-stopping] properties … [but they are] not very great.”

First-aid authorities recommend treating bleeding with sustained pressure on the wound. Blood in phlegm, urine, or stool requires prompt professional treatment. Shepherd’s purse is no substitute for standard treatments. However, people with ulcers, colitis, Crohn’s disease, or bleeding disorders or women with heavy menstrual flow might try shepherd’s purse in consultation with their physicians, and see if it helps.

Labor Inducer - Shepherd’s purse also contains some substances that may help stimulate uterine contractions as effectively as the drug oxytocin (Pitocin). Oxytocin is often given to trigger labor. Pregnant women should not use shepherd’s purse, except at term and in consultation with their physicians.

Astringent - The herb also has some minor anti-inflammatory astringent action, lending some credence to its traditional uses for wounds and hemorrhoids.

Rx for Shepherd’s Purse

To possibly help stop bleeding or hasten labor, use I teaspoon of dried herb per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Drink up to 2 cups a day. The taste of shepherd’s purse is biting and unpleasant. Add sugar. honey, and lemon, or mix it with an herbal beverage blend to improve flavor.

In a tincture, use ¼ to ½ teaspoon up to twice a day. Shepherd’s purse should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with lowstrength preparations and increase strength if necessary.