| Herbs for General Health and HealingFor people who | | | | Angustura, Asafetida, Balmony, Balm of Gilead, |
| are leery of the alarming side effects of many drugs | | | | Bamboo Brier, Barberry, Berberis, Beth Root, |
| and medicines on the current market, or just | | | | Blackberry, Boneset, Box Leaves, Bugle, Catnip, |
| concerned about taking too many pills, there is | | | | Celery, Chamomile, Culver's Root, Dandelion, |
| another option: herbal remedies. The use of herbs for | | | | Eyebright, Gentian, Golden Seal, Juniper Berry, Lemon, |
| healing has been recorded as early as 2500 B.C. Herbs | | | | Mistletoe, Nux Vomica, Peruvian Rhatany, Rosemary, |
| were widely used as medicines prior to the advent of | | | | Snake Root and Tansy.Herbal Tonics for specific |
| science with its developments in chemicals, drugs and | | | | areas are the Heart Tonics made from Butterbur and |
| medicines. Before modern science there were only | | | | Mescal Buttons, Intestinal Tonics made from Cascara |
| two basic options for healing - the various plants with | | | | Sagrada, Nerve Tonics made from Damiana and |
| known healing properties and the spiritual, including | | | | Oats, Stomach Tonics made from Burdock and |
| prayer, the laying on of hands, magic and voodoo. | | | | Sassafras, Strengthening Tonics made from Lucerne |
| For our purposes, we'll concentrate on the world of | | | | and Simaruba and Weight-adding Tonics made from |
| healing plants and leave the spiritual up to the | | | | Lucerne.Herbs having a mostly diuretic (causing |
| individual.What is an herb? How is it different from a | | | | urination) effect are Agrimony, Arenaria Rubra, |
| spice? An herb is a seed-producing plant of the type | | | | Asafetida, Asparagus, Belladonna, Bilberries, American |
| that does not develop persistent woody tissue, such | | | | Bittersweet, Black Currant, Black Haw, Blue Flag, |
| as that of a shrub or a tree, but remains more or | | | | Boldo, Boneset, Bryony, Buchu, Burdock, Butterbur, |
| less soft or succulent (having thick or fleshy stems | | | | Caroba, Celery, Coffee, Black Cohosh, Couchgrass, |
| or leaves which can hold a large quantity of water). | | | | Damiana, Dandelion, Figwort, Garlic, Goat's Rue, |
| Some examples of common herbs would be catnip, | | | | Jambul, Jewel Weed, Juniper Berry, Kelp, |
| chamomile, hyssop and spearmint. A spice is any of | | | | Lily-of-the-Valley, Night-Blooming Cereus, Onion, |
| the various vegetable plants that are also fragrant or | | | | Paraguay Tea, Pitcher Plant, Queen's Delight, Soap |
| aromatic and are pungent to the taste. Allspice, | | | | Tree and White Bryony.The herb with a mostly |
| cumin, paprika and rosemary are all spices. So an herb | | | | diaphoretic (causing perspiration) effect is American |
| may also be a spice, like cinnamon or mace.Most | | | | Bittersweet. Many other herbs have this effect in |
| herbs and spices are sun-dried or cured in their | | | | addition to their main use.Herbs having a laxative |
| indigenous environment. For example, the ginger root | | | | (causing bowel movements) effect are Agar, |
| is harvested then cleaned before it is dried and | | | | American Black Alder, Asafetida, Ash, Asparagus, |
| exported. Sometimes ginger root is also peeled and | | | | American Bearsfoot, Benne, Blue Flag, Boneset, |
| sometimes the ginger root is boiled in sugar and | | | | Burdock, Cleavers, Culver's Root, Damiana, Dandelion, |
| preserved before its exportation. Cloves are the | | | | Fig, Hartstongue, Honeysuckle, Horehound, Olive, |
| dried unopened flower buds of the Syzygium | | | | Pitcher Plant, Queen's Delight and Rhubarb which has |
| aromaticum, a tree of the Myrtle family, while | | | | the mildest laxative effect.Herbs that affect the |
| peppercorns are the dried berries of the Piper nigrum | | | | nerves are Black Willow Bark, which eases |
| plant. The nutmeg is the hard, aromatic seed of an | | | | inflammation of the nerves, Passion Flower, which |
| evergreen tree called Myristica fragrans. The seed is | | | | eases nerve pain, Asafetida, which is a nerve |
| dried and ground or grated and used as a spice.Herbs | | | | stimulant, Gentian, which is another Nerve Tonic and |
| can act as astringents (something that slows or | | | | Black Currant, which restores the nervous system. |
| stops the flow of blood or other secretions), | | | | For nervous disorders, use Arrach, Belladonna, |
| alkalinizers (something that raises the pH above 7.0), | | | | Caroba, Chamomile, Gelsemium, Gentian, Golden Seal, |
| acidifiers (something that lowers the pH below 7.0), | | | | Kelp, Lobelia, Mistletoe, Muira-Puama, Oats, Passion |
| tonics (something that refreshes, invigorates or | | | | Flower, Rosemary or Scullcap.Various parts of the |
| strengthens), diuretics (something that promotes the | | | | herb are used - the flowers, leaves, buds, stems and |
| flow of urine), diaphoretics (something that promotes | | | | also the root. Preparations vary as well. Sometimes |
| perspiration), laxatives (something that promotes | | | | the part or part used will be steeped and used as a |
| bowel movements) and also as nervines (something | | | | tea, sometimes as a wash, sometimes as a tincture, |
| which excites or relaxes the nerves). Many herbs act | | | | where alcohol is the activating agent and other ways |
| as more than one of these, such as Acacia, which | | | | as well.Consult an herbal professional or |
| has a soothing or softening effect on mucous | | | | documentation before using herbs. While most herbs |
| membranes, an astringent effect, limiting secretions | | | | are completely safe to use, some herbs are OK just |
| of glands and nutritive qualities as well as nourishing | | | | in small doses, but sometimes harmful in larger doses. |
| the tissues to which it is applied.The herbs with | | | | Learn as much as you can about the herb and follow |
| mostly astringent (causing blood or other secretions | | | | dosing instructions carefully, especially if using them |
| to slow or stop) effects are Acacia, Acorn, Agaric, | | | | for children.Luckily, we have much information |
| Agrimony, English Alder, Amaranth, Trailing Arbutus, | | | | available on the Internet, on herbs and other topics. |
| Balm, European Birch, Bistort, Blackberry, Black Willow | | | | There are libraries in most towns and cities where |
| Bark, Cinnamon, Black Cohosh, Eyebright, Fireweed, | | | | one can find specific information on herbs and herbal |
| Fluellin, Houseleek, Jambul, Pilewort, Red Root, Red | | | | remedies. Health stores that carry herbs and herbal |
| Sage, Peruvian Rhatany, Rhubarb, Rosemary and | | | | preparations are more plentiful than they used to be |
| Scullcap.Herbs with a mostly alkalizing (raising the pH) | | | | and there are more and more healing practitioners |
| effect are Dandelion and Kelp.The general tonic | | | | versed in using herbs, so gathering beneficial and |
| (nourishing, invigorating, strengthening or refreshing) | | | | comprehensive information should not be a problem. |
| herbs are Agrimony, English Alder, Alstonia Bark, | | | | |