Subject: Alt.folklore.herbs - medicinal herb FAQ (v.1.12) Part 2/4

From: [email-masked] (Henriette Kress)
Date: 20 Jul 1995 15:33:57 GMT

Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part2
SunSITE-archive-name: medicinal-herbs.faq.part2.v1.12
Posting-Frequency: monthly (on or about 20th)
Last-modified: 1995/07/20
Version: 1.12

==========
2.1.7  Poison Ivy / Oak / Sumac
-----
What helps

First a word of caution:
Robert Gault wisely told me to tell you this: the recommendations 
listed here are without medical foundation and, if actually used, are 
at the sole risk of the reader; the author refuses any responsibility 
or liability for mishaps.

This is true. I'll abide with it. I was also reminded that mugwort is 
a strong allergen (have I told you they keep track of how much mugwort 
pollen is in the air over here? soo many hayfever and asthma people 
are allergic to mugwort. To quote Robert Gault: 'Can you imagine the 
result if the poison ivy sufferer is also allergic to Mugwort?! '  
Ouch - yes, I can.

1.  Jewelweed, Impatiens pallida, I. capensis, I. biflora, or similar 
    species. AKA Touch-me-not, silverweed.  The plant produces both 
    cleitogamous (self-fertilized), and chasmogamous (cross-
    fertilized) flowers.  Mature seed pods will build tension as they 
    dry, and can "shoot" seeds 5 feet away when activated by a slight 
    disturbance.
 a. Jewelweed, fresh
    Crush some leaves and a bit of the stem and rub the resulting 
    juice on the rashy area.  Repeat frequently. 
 b. Jewelweed decoction
    Take one part Jewelweed (or stronger as needed), and twenty parts 
    water.  Boil water in non-metallic container, add jewelweed, boil 
    for fifteen minutes, strain and store in jar in fridge or freeze 
    as ice cubes.  Apply frequently.
 c. Jewelweed juice
    From <[email-masked]> (Robert King):
  - Gather the entire plant, leaves, stems, and all; the plant is very 
    succulent and juicy... I have never had a need to add extra water, 
    but if you do, use distilled. Don't be greedy, either trim tops & 
    outer branches, or selectively take entire plants from the center 
    of a crowded stand.  One large (4-foot) plant should be adequate  
    for the largest rash on one person.  Plants will lose turgor and 
    wilt quickly after cutting, this is OK, just makes it easier to 
    emulsify.
  - Liquify the plants in a blender at the highest speed possible.  
    Then extract the juice by filtering thru cloth, common strainer, 
    or fruit press... a little pulp in the mix won't hurt, this will 
    settle out after a couple hours, anyway.  Use immediately, or 
    refrigerate... this stuff spoils rapidly at room temperature..!!
  - Apply the juice to the infected area with a common paint brush...
    I've found 1 to 2" size works best. Blow-dry the area as you apply 
    it with a hair dryer on low heat... after several coats of 
    'paint,' an orange-colored "skin" will develop.  This "skin" will 
    protect un-infected areas against the poison ivy allergen.
  - Repeat this procedure as needed, especially first thing in the 
    morning, and before bedtime.  Be sure to use common sense in 
    keeping any fluid that happens to come from blisters away from 
    unprotected areas... yourself AND others.  Keeping the infected 
    area as dry as possible will hasten the healing; continue 
    application until no more blisters are present... usually about 3 
    days.
  - Ironically, jewelweed favors growing in areas of similiar habitat 
    as poison ivy, therefore it can often be found nearby, prefering 
    moist ground, near water, or often, even in shallow water.  It 
    grows rapidly in ideal environs, but usually doesn't reach 
    significant size until mid-summer; therefore, it might pay to keep 
    a bit frozen in the fridge from the previous year for early-season 
    use.  The extract tends to spoil rapidly, even at cooler 
    temperatures, so I wouldn't recommend keeping it for much more 
    than a week without freezing... the fresh solution works best,
    anyway.
2.  Catnip
    Rub fresh catnip leaves on the affected area.
3.  Mugwort (Jilara [[email-masked]])
    Pick two large handfuls of fresh mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) and 
    let infuse in 1 cup alcohol for overnight.  Apply to affected area 
    with a clean sponge/washcloth/q-tips/whatever every four hours.  
    Dries it up quickly.
4.  Aloe vera (Jilara [[email-masked]])
    Take a large leaf from the aloe vera plant you keep on your 
    windowsill for burns.  (If you don't have one, get one!) (NOTE: 
    "aloe vera gel" sold commercially does NOT work!) Slice lengthwise 
    to expose the juicy interior of the leaf.  (This will give you an
    upper and lower leaf, with a juicy side to each.)  Trim off leaf 
    edges.  Apply directly to affected area, juicy side against the 
    sores.  Bandage in place.  Apply a new leaf every day until 
    healed.  This works phenomenally well, but you have to put up with 
    bulky slabs of aloe vera leaf against the area.  Which would you 
    rather have: oozing sores or a succulent slab of leaf?  Thought 
    so.  ;-)  I can't laude this one enough!  It works faster than any 
    other remedy! And relieves the dreadful *itching*, too!
5.  Goldenseal
    Liberally dust powdered goldenseal on top of Jewelweed/Aloe juices
    juices before they dry onto the lesions; this will promote rapid 
    healing.
6.  Mixed poultice, with (1) (4) and (5):
    Mash leaves and stems of comfrey, plantain leaves, and the remains 
    of the jewelweed and aloe leaves/stems you used in (1) and (4).
    Make a poultice or compress and put it on top of the goldenseal 
    dusted on the lesions; hold poultice in place with a bandage of 
    some sort, if possible.
    After four hours or so remove poultice and clean the lesions with 
    water.
    Repeat this entire procedure every four hours as needed until 
    itching is reduced and lesions begin to heal.
7.  Boric acid
  Caution:  this might not be wise.  The skin is no place to try
    chemical reactions on.  Quoting Robert Gault: 'I would be wary of 
    this as both boric acid and urushiol are acids.  You don't treat 
    acid exposure with more acid.'
  Try dissolving some boric acid (a mild acid) in water and soaking 
    the infected areas in it.  It dries them out.
8.  Gumweed Plant(Grindelia)
    Indians used the resin from the gumweed plant (Grindellia) to 
    treat poison ivy, but since it is almost winter, this won't work.
9.  Baking Soda
    I swear by baking soda paste for poison oak. It not only soaks up 
    the oozing mess, it completely stops the itching throughout the 
    day.
10. Mixed alcohol liniment
    Take sweetfern, jewelweed, witch hazel, rubbing alcohol... Zip it 
    all up in a blender until it's green and mushed, let it sit for 
    two weeks (ouch! I know...not for THIS outbreak, sorry), strain it 
    and voila, a marvy linament.
11. Poison Ivy leaf
  Caution: from [email-masked] (K. R. Robertson):
    Eating a leaf of poison-ivy may have disastrous results.  One may 
    surpass his normal level of immunity by the first bite; in this 
    case he is in for an internal case of poison-ivy, occasionally 
    known to be fatal.
  - From: [email-masked] (Soaring Bear), May 1994:
    Actually, this is just the time of the year to build up your 
    immunity by nipping off a very tiny piece of poison ivy leaf (size 
    of a head of a pin) and put in a capsule and swallow.  Do 1-2 
    times a week.  Stop if you start breaking out.
12. Salt (from [email-masked])
    For the little initial blisters, I rub salt and burst them and 
    leave the salt on to dry.  They're history. Also salt worked on 
    the moist areas of my face and under my nose where lye soap lather 
    couldn't stay dried out long enough to dry out the rash.  Works 
    well on large surface rashes in case the blister stage grew 
    untreated (but it didn't work on the "mini-mountain" reaction to 
    p.i. that my mom got).  MOST essential, leave the salt on to dry, 
    adding more salt moistened with water to help create a paste that 
    will stick as it dries, thus drying out that nasty, annoying p.i.  
    The worse the spread, the longer the duration of salt/soap 
    treatment alternated 12 hours to 1) dry out the present fresh 
    redness, and 2) dry out *new* fresh red.
    Yep, you guessed it... the salt falls off everywhere. That's 1 
    reason I used the lye soap during bed hours.  The other reason was 
    that neither treatment, in a prolonged battle (1 1/2 wks) stayed 
    effective by itself, i.e.continuous dry-out, but alternating them 
    did it. I've wondered why? 
13. Lye soap ([email-masked])
    - initially from a pioneer reenactment lady. The older/yellower 
    the bar got, the less effective it seemed. Now, I've found it at 
    the grungiest grocery store in town, a soap called Oxygon.  Wet 
    the bar and lather it up on the rash into a paste and let dry.  
    Easier than the salt but since discovering salt, I tend to believe 
    salt is more effective for me, at least with my initial tiny 
    blisters, which is all I ever have to deal with now.

-----
How to get rid of poison ivy in your yard
(suggestions from rec.gardens/alt.folklore.herbs):

1. Planting catnip should get rid of poison ivy.
2. Goats. They are very effective, but in the end will be a bigger 
   bother than the poison ivy. (Be suspicious if someone offers you 
   free goats!)
3. Poison ivy again: buy the super concentrated form of Round-Up and 
   dilute to 3 times the recommended strength. (Well, hot damn!  It 
   killed off nearly every piece of PI in one application and only a 
   few (about a dozen) plants returned a year later.)
4. Pull it, but protect yourself (big plastic bag, disposable suit...)
   Immediately wash all clothes you used two-three times. Do not touch
   the plastic bag / disposable suit from the outside. Do not touch 
   your clothes / boots / whatever from the outside before washing.

==========
2.1.8  Wild Yam and contraception
-----

This topic is up for grabs. Any takers?

==========
2.1.9  Feverfew and migraine
-----  by Eugenia Provence

It's not at all unusual for people interested in using herbs to 
replace over the counter medications with simple herbal counterparts.  
What has been unusual enough to generate headlines, though, is the 
conventional medical community's research and acceptance of a 
traditional European folk remedy, Feverfew, in preventing migraine 
headaches.

Migraines are believed to be caused by an upset in serotonin 
metabolism, causing spasms of intracranial blood vessels, which then 
causes dilation of extracranial blood vessels.

In the 1970s an English research group sought volunteers already using 
Feverfew before beginning a study of its efficacy.  Their 
advertisement in a London newspaper brought more than 20,000 
responses.  Since then, several well-documented double-blind, placebo 
studies in England confirm its value.

An interesting one reported in The Lancet (July 23, 1988; 2(8604):189-
192) followed 72 volunteers.  After a one-month trial using only a 
placebo, half of the group received either one capsule of dried 
Feverfew leaves a day (or a matching placebo) for four months.  
Neither the group nor the researchers knew which group was receiving 
the Feverfew.  The group kept diary cards of their migraine frequency 
and severity.  After four months, the groups switched medications, and 
the trial continued for an additional four months.  60 patients 
completed the study, and full information was available on all but 
one.

The study found Feverfew to be associated with reducing the number 
and severity of attacks (including vomiting), with the researchers 
concluding that there had been a significant improvement when the 
patients were taking Feverfew.  There were no serious side effects. 

Feverfew is currently classified as Tanacetum parthenium, a member of 
the Asteracea (or Compositae) family, and was formerly named 
Chrysanthemum parthenium, where you'll still find it listed in some 
references.  Feverfew is a corruption of Febrifuge, based on its tonic 
and fever-dispelling properties.  It's been called Maid's Weed, 
referring to its emmenagogue qualities, which are also reflected in 
its Greek name, Parthenion ("girl").

Its primary actions are anti-inflammatory, bitter, emmenagogue and a 
vasodilator.  Aside from migraine relief, long-term users report 
relief from depression, nausea and inflammatory arthritic pain.  Drunk 
in cold infusion, it can relieve the cold, clammy sweats associated 
with migraine. 

Additionally, it's  been used externally as an insect repellant, and 
topically for insect bites.  Perhaps the insect-repelling quality 
accounts for the tradition of planting it around the house to ward off 
illnesses and to purify the air. 

The tea, drunk cold, has been used for sensitivity to pain, and for 
relief of face-ache or ear ache (all migraine-like symptoms).  The 
Eclectic physicians of the 19th century called it one of the 
pleasantest of the tonics, influencing the whole intestinal tract, 
increasing the appetite, improving digestion, promoting secretion, 
with a decided action on kidney and skin.  

John Gerard's Herbal in 1663, said it to be "...good against summer 
headaches to inhale crushed Feverfew blossoms.  Dried and taken with 
honey or sweet wine good for those as be melancholic, sad, pensive or 
without speech."  Culpepper used in it poultice form for head ache.

Feverfew in blossom is easily identified by its flat or convex yellow 
disk and numerous short, broad 2-ribbed white rays.  The leaves are 
alternate, petiolate, flat, bi or tripinnate with ovate, dentate 
segments.  It quickly escapes cultivation, and has become naturalized 
in many areas of the U.S. and Europe, in some places regarded as a 
nuisance weed.

Among its constituents are a volatile oil, containing pinene and 
several pinene derivatives, bornyl acetate and angelate, costic acid, 
B-farnesine and spiroketal enol ethers; Sesquiterpene lactones, the 
major one being parthenolide); and Acetylene derivatives.

Pharmacologists say it is likely that the sesquiterpene lactones in 
Feverfew inhibit prostaglandin and histimine released during the 
inflammatory process, preventing the vascular spasms that cause 
migraines.  It appears to regulate the serotonin mechanism. 

To attain the maximum benefit from Feverfew, it should be taken daily 
as a preventive.   For migraine prevention, parthenolide plays an 
important role.  The parthenolide content in Feverfew is highly 
variable in different populations grown in different locations or 
harvested at different times of the year. 

Recent Canadian tests of U.S. Feverfew products found all of them to 
be low in parthenolide. Canada, which has recently recognized Feverfew 
products as official, over the counter drugs for migraine prevention 
and relief, will require that they contain a minimum of 0.2% 
parthenolide.

So, this is one of the few cases where a standardized extract may be 
more desirable than the whole plant, with a lot to be said for fresh 
or freeze-dried preparations.  If you want to use the fresh plant, the 
flowers have a higher parthenolide content than do the leaves.  If you 
are picking the leaves, they are best just before flowering.

In one of those magical bits of synergy that herbalists love, the 
isolated parthenolides used alone don't work on migraines, nor does 
the whole plant with the parthenolides removed.  The parthenolide is 
bioavailable only in the whole plant.

PRECAUTIONS:   I know of nothing, whether allopathic or herbal 
medicine, that I would feel free in saying to have absolutely no 
unpleasant side effects.  We're all unique individuals when it comes 
to body chemistry.  Some unfortunate people are allergic to chamomile.  
They may also be allergic to Feverfew.

A few recent studies of parthenolide in vitro point to toxicity 
involving smooth muscle tissue.  However, no side effect resembling 
this has ever been reported in human use.  Feverfew's safety and 
usefulness are historic.

Pregnant women should never take Feverfew.  Its traditional use as an 
emmenogogue underlines the risk here.  

The bitter tonic qualities, so useful for indigestion, can cause 
gastric pain in people with gall stones or gall-bladder problems, by 
making the gall bladder try to empty.   Likewise, the increased 
production of stomach acid would make it highly aggravating to anyone 
with a gastric ulcer or esophogeal reflux.

Some people have developed mouth ulcers from eating the fresh leaves.

DOSAGE:  Feverfew is most effective fresh or freeze dried.  Take the 
equivalent of 1 fresh leaf or 125 mg. freeze-dried herb once a day 
(0.2% parthenolides) 1-3 times daily (don't chew the leaf).  

In addition to Feverfew on its own as preventive herbal therapy, one 
would want to look at one's individual migraine triggers or pattern 
and add herbs whose actions complement Feverfew's anti-inflammatory, 
bitter and vasodilator actions to  support the affected body systems.

-----
Please also check the 'Herbs for migraine' entry (2.2.2) below.

----- on alt.folklore.herbs June 1995:
From: [email-masked] (Julia Moravcsik)

I looked up feverfew in Medline and would like to report what I found 
there. If you aren't interested in medical experimentation as it 
applies to herbs, you will probably not be interested in what follows.

The good news (for migraine sufferers):  I found two double blind 
experiments looking at the effectiveness of feverfew on migraines:  
The first one used 72 migraine sufferers.  Half got a capsule per day 
of feverfew, the other half got a placebo.  There was a significant 
reduction in the mean number and severity of migraine attacks.
The other experiment looked at 17 migraine sufferers who normally ate 
feverfew to control headaches.  They gave placebos to some and 
continued the feverfew with others.  The placebos increased frequency 
and severity of migraines.

The bad news:  Feverfew affects the smooth muscles of the body.  These 
are muscles that control much of your involuntary muscular processes, 
such as the vascular system (blood vessels), digestive system, 
internal organs, aorta, etc. From what I can gather from some of the 
abstracts in Medline, feverfew PERMANENTLY affects the ability of 
these smooth muscles to contract and relax.
Here are some snippets from the abstracts which looked at this:

"(Feverfew)...inhibits smooth muscle contractibility in a time-
dependent, non-specific, and irreversable manner."

"(Feverfew)...affects smooth muscles...may represent a toxic 
modification of post-receptor contractile function in the smooth 
muscle...effects are potentially toxic"

"...inhibition of eicosanoid generation is irreversable"

"...irreversable loss of tone of precontracted aortic rings... 
inhibited ability of acetylcholine to enduce endothelium dependent 
relaxation of tissue."

What does this all mean for the long term health of those who take 
feverfew? That does not seem to have been looked at yet; these 
articles were very recent. However, I think that people who take 
feverfew should know that they may be permanently affecting the smooth 
muscles in their bodies and may want to take this into account when 
deciding whether or not to continue taking it.

----- And, in reply to above:
From: Jim Heath <[email-masked]>

I sent a copy of Julia Moravcsik's Medline findings about feverfew to 
Reader's Digest (who published an article in their Feb 1995 issue 
advising that feverfew can help prevent migraines.)

I've had a letter back from Elizabeth Craig, a RD researcher. She 
confirms that none of their sources when they researched the article 
(late 1994) showed any side-effects from feverfew. She also said that 
after she got my letter (dated 21 June 95) she contacted a migraine 
research scientist who is studying the effects of feverfew.  The 
researcher is familiar with Medline and says that "research has shown 
the dosage taken by migraine sufferers has no side effects at all."

Whew -- that's good.  (Or maybe, feverwhew.)

Jim Heath

==========
2.1.10 Fo Ti and Fo-Ti-Tieng - clearing up the confusion
-----  
Sorry folks - I'm waiting for permission before including this one.

==========
2.2  Herbs for specific things

==========
2.2.1  Herbs for mosquitoes and other bothersome bugs
-----
Actually this isn't medicinal - if you don't count doing something for
the bites.  But it's asked every year come bug time, so I include it
anyway.

----- 
>i'd heard rumors of vitamins and herbs that naturally repel insects,
>though i'm not sure which ones...any help is greatly appreciated

courtesy Aine Maclir ([email-masked]):
There are a couple of things that I know of.
1. Wear Citronella essential oil (which isn't the greatest smelling
   stuff around, but I guess it beats Off).
2. Take the equivalent of 1500 mg of fresh garlic clove (a 15 mg 
   capsule of garlic powder or 3 x 5 mg capsules) orally every day. 
   Taking garlic will cause your skin to secrete a natural insect 
   repellent.
For best results, do both.  Don't wear perfumes or scented deodorants 
  and wear light-coloured clothing as darker colours attract 
  bugs...this is particularly true of blue denim jeans.  To make 
  sleeping more comfortable, burn either an insect coil or a couple of 
  sticks of citronella incence in your cabin before going to bed, 
  making sure that all the doors and unscreened windows are closed, so 
  no more of them get in.
If you do get bitten, applying a small dab of ammonia to the bite 
  immediately after being bitten can help ease the itching.  And 
  there's always the old favorite...calamine lotion...if you're not 
  going to be anywhere that being coated in pink polka dots will be 
  unfashionable <g>.  Aloe vera and witch hazel will also soothe 
  insect bites. 
If you are going to be in an area that's also known for tics, just be 
  on the lookout for them whenever you've been in a wooded area and if  
  you find one stuck to you, use rubbing alcohol to make it let go and  
  carefully remove it with a pair of tweezers.  Salt applied to a 
  leech will get rid of it (in case you're around water that has any 
  of those  "suckers" <g>).

I think that should about cover every blood-thirsty creature you're 
  likely to run into at a summer camp, recalling my own experiences. 
  I've been on canoe trips through Algonquin Park, Ontario (known for
  having some of the biggest and thirstiest mosquitos, blackflies and 
  leeches in Canada) and I live in Saskatchewan, where we could make 
  mosquitos our provincial bird!

courtesy [email-masked] (amethyst):
I've had good results taking B-complex supplements daily. Seems the 
  bugs like the odor of B-1 about as much as I like the taste of it. 
  ;P

==========
2.2.2  Herbs for migraines
-----  by Eugenia Provence

What are migraines?  A whole variety of headaches associated with 
vascular constriction and dilation make up the unpleasant world of 
migraines.  The two most common are classic migraine and common 
migraine.  They may first appear in childhood, but usually in the late 
teens or early twenties.  More women than men are subject to them, and 
they frequently end after menopause.

Classic migraines start with warning signs (called the aura by medical 
folks).  Before the headache begins, you may temporarily lose some of 
your vision, see flashing lights and feel very strange altogether, 
maybe even feeling a burning sensation or muscle weakness.  

The pain usually begins on one side of the head, but can spread.  The 
headache may take hours to develop and several days before it goes, 
leaving a desire to sleep (replacing the desire to die!).  You may 
experience nausea and sensitivity to light and noise.  

I've had only one of this kind and never want another.  I thought I 
was losing my vision (along with my wits and my lunch).  Other 
symptoms may include muscle numbness, tingling, scalp tenderness, 
dizziness, dry mouth, tremors, sweating and chilliness.

Common migraines don't begin so dramatically, but a few hours or days 
before onset, you may feel tired, depressed (or paradoxically) have a 
burst of energy, be anxious or feel hyper.  The common migraine may 
begin more slowly and last longer than the classic type.  Except for 
the aura, the symptoms are the same.

What causes migraines?  The exact range of mechanisms producing 
migraines isn't well understood, but is believed to be an upset in 
serotonin metabolism that causes dilation of cerebral arteries, 
followed by vascular spasm in extra-cranial blood vessels. 

Migraine triggers are as varied as the individuals afflicted by them. 
About 70% of sufferers have family histories of migraine.

Food triggers are common, and can be nearly anything.  Some of the 
most frequent food triggers are anything aged, canned, cured, pickled 
or processed or that contain tyramine or nitrites.  Aged cheese, 
bananas, caffeine, chicken livers, MSG, alcohol (especially red wine,) 
yeast products (including bread), chocolate, red meat, shellfish are 
common, but the list is extensive and individual.  Try eliminating 
these first.  If that doesn't work, see if you are sensitive to 
citrus, lentils, nuts, any kind of green beans or peas, vinegar or 
yogurt.

Stress, strong emotional reactions and fatigue may be triggers, in 
addition to compounding the symptoms.  Weather or altitude changes may 
contribute to them.  There's a hormonal trigger for some women, 
causing migraines prior to or during menstruation or when using birth 
control pills or estrogen replacement therapy.  There seems to be an 
association with sluggish liver function from eating too much fatty 
food or heavy drinking.

How can they be prevented or treated?  If you can catagorize your 
migraines as being related to physical stress or emotional upheaval, 
stress reduction techniques, meditation and biofeedback have been 
found to be helpful, as have acupuncture and bodywork.  Chiropractic 
or Osteopathic treatment may help if there is a structual problem in 
the neck.  Again, it's very individual and complex issue, and you may 
need the assistance of a professional conventional or complementary 
practioner. 

HERBAL THERAPIES: 

--To ease pain, David Hoffmann suggests that at the first sign of 
attack equal parts of Black Willow, Meadowsweet, Passion Flower, 
Valerian and Wood Betony may be helpful.

--For migraine associated with stress, use equal parts of Hawthorne 
berries, Lime Flowers, Wood Betony, Skullcap and Crampbark.

--Nervine tonics, such as Oats and Skullcap are appropriate long-term 
therapy, accompanied by Siberian Ginseng as an adaptogen.

--Massage Lavender oil into the temples at first sign of an attack.

--If the migraine is accompanied by nausea or vomiting, Chamomile, 
Meadowsweet or Peppermint may help.

--If migraine is associated with hormonal problems, long-term 
treatment should include herbs to try to balance the hormonal system. 
Vitex, Black Cohosh, or Wild Yam may be useful.

--European herbalists emphasize the importance of liver support in 
migraine treatment.  Herbs like Burdock, Dandelion root or Milk 
Thistle would be ideal.

The following delicious Migraine Tea from Ana Nez Heatherly of 
Gatesville, Texas, appears in the July 1995 Mother Earth News.  She 
prepares a cold infusion of:
    6 parts Rosemary leaves     4 parts Peppermint leaves
    4 parts Lemon Balm leaves   4 parts Sweet Violet
    3 parts Feverfew          1/2 part sweet Violet Flowers

-----
Please also check the 'Feverfew and migraine' -entry (2.1.9) above.

==========
2.2.3  Herbal abortives, safety, dangers and effectiveness
-----  Construction site

==========
2.3  Processing herbs
-----

==========
2.3.1  Distilling oil
-----

The safest and cleanest method of extraction is with an alembic still. 
   It's nice if you can buy one (try Edmund's Scientific) but you can 
   also put one together from pieces of lab equipment or even kitchen 
   pots. The idea is to simmer the organic matter in water so that the 
   oils are released in the steam, then trap the steam so that it 
   condenses. Typically this will yield a more dilute product than a 
   pure essential oil - what you will usually get are herbal "waters" 
   such as rosewater, lavender water, etc. The best quality oils are 
   steam distilled but the apparatus and technique may be beyond the 
   home hobbyist. (from the old herbfaq)

==========
2.4  Pointers to related documents

==========
2.4.1  Tinnitus FAQ pointer
-----
The tinnitus FAQ is found at http://www.cccd.edu/faq/tinnitus.html.

==========
2.4.2  Plants by Mail FAQ pointer
-----
Here you'll find lots and lots of catalogs to get living plants, and
some seeds, too:
http://seidel.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PBM-FAQ/

==========
2.4.3  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome WWW page pointer
-----
Take a look at the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Home Page at
http://www.netaxs.com/~iris/cts
and specifically, at http://www.netaxs.com/~iris/cts/compfort.html

==========
2.4.4  Hint for Kombucha posters
-----
Please subscribe to the Kombucha list (see 8.4).  Do not post on
alt.folklore.herbs about Kombucha.

==========
2.4.5  Hint for Essiac posters
-----
You can find a wealth of info on Essiac at this web location:
http://werple.mira.net.au/sumeria/sumeria.html

==========
2.4.6  Thinking of growing herbs for sale?
-----
Visit this site first:
  http://newcrop.hort.purdue.edu/

It's the Gateway to the NewCrop Resource Online Program at the
Indiana Center for New Crops and Plant Products at Purdue University;
It has lots of information about different plants.

Then go get the 'herb-growing.faq' at sunsite (see 7.1 below).

==========
2.4.7  Saw Palmetto and Prostata Problems Newsgroup/FAQ pointer
-----
Try newsgroup alt.support.prostate.prostatitis, where they also have an 
excellent FAQ posted periodically.

==========
3  General Info

==========
3.1  Introduction to side effects, safety and toxicity of medicinal 
     herbs
----- by Jonathan Treasure ([email-masked])

This introduction concerns WESTERN medical herbs and their clinical 
use.  Some herbal agents are common to different traditions but the 
indications and methods of use may vary between eg TCM, Ayurvedic and 
Western practices.

The purpose of these notes is to provide a general understanding of 
the actions of herbal medicines, and hence a background for 
understanding questions of safety and toxicity - NOT to provide a list 
of problematic herbs.  A brief bibliography gives sources of reliable 
information on the safety of herbal medicine and further reading.

-----
Conventional medicine considers that if a drug is to be effective, it 
will inevitably have side effects.  The medical establishment 
considers herbal medicines as drugs, and as such, they must either 
have side effects - or ergo be ineffective.

Paradoxically tens of thousands of people every year turn to herbal 
medicine because they regard plant remedies as being free from 
undesirable side effects.  Herbal medicines are considered to be 
generally safe AND effective agents.

Although there is a spectrum of viewpoints in western herbal medicine, 
most herbalists reject the view that plant medicines are naturally 
occurring analogues of the pharmaceuticals used in orthodox clinical 
medicine i.e. drugs.

This is ultimately a rejection of the dominant paradigm of orthodox 
clinical science.  It is necessary to outline the elements of the 
alternative paradigm shared by most herbalists, before questions of 
toxicity and safety can be discussed in context of clinical herbal 
therapeutics, rather than of orthodox medical science.

-----
I.  MEDICINAL PLANT ACTIONS CANNOT BE REDUCED TO THE EFFECTS OF THEIR 
    ISOLATED "ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS"

There ARE a few plants that are almost "drug like" and whose action 
approaches that of pharmaceuticals.  Digitalis is the classic example.  
Herbalists use these plants in near allopathic treatment strategies if 
at all, and in some countries e.g. UK, their availability is 
restricted by law.  The number of herbs in this category is relatively 
few.

The vast majority of medicinal herbs contain dozens of different 
compounds, often of great complexity, mucilages, tannins, 
polysaccharides etc. that buffer, modulate and modify the effects of 
any "active principles".  Study after study has shown that effects 
produced by extracts of whole plants cannot be mimicked by 
administering isolated purified constituents of the plant.

(It is ironic this proposition even has to be asserted given that 
biological sciences have for some time used a systems theory model in 
which the whole being greater than the sum of the parts is axiomatic - 
this simply reflects the inherent conservatism of the medical 
establishment.  However for most herbalists the view of the whole 
being greater than the parts is derived from vitalism, not systems 
theory!)

-----
II.  MEDICINAL HERBS ACT "MULTI-SYSTEMICALLY"

Pharmaceutical drugs are designed to elicit very specific reactions.  
Their associated "side effects" are undesired actions, usually traded 
as a "risk" against the "benefit" of the primary effect.  Herbs tend 
to have several broad actions on a number of whole physiological 
systems at the same time.  These actions are usually oriented in the 
same general therapeutic direction, and are usually complementary or 
synergistic, often non-specific, and very rarely adverse.  Herb 
actions cannot be adequately described using the vocabulary of "drug" 
action terms, e.g. diuretic etc. - they are too complex.  The clearest 
example of this is the coining of the term "adaptogenic " used to 
describe the multiple non-specific effects of herbs such as Ginseng.

-----
III.  HERBS ACT ON THE HEALING PROCESSES IN THE BODY.

A pharmaceutical drug addresses symptoms caused by specific disease 
mechanisms as understood by scientific pathology.  Herbal medicines 
are directed towards aiding the body's own healing processes.  These 
approaches are diametrically opposed.  Herbal medicines act gently, 
usually attempting to "nudge" or "support" systems and processes that 
have become deficient or help remove excesses that have become 
preponderant.  Symptom relief is only a component of herbal 
therapeutic strategy.

This is a crucial difference.  For example, serum arthritic conditions 
are conventionally treated with steroid anti-inflammatory drugs.  
These have widespread and disturbing side effects, which at sustained 
high doses become intolerable and potentially dangerous if not lethal.  
The herbal approach to these conditions uses dietary modification of 
metabolism; facilitation of elimination via kidneys and hepatic/ 
biliary routes; stimulation of circulation in the affected regions, 
moistening of dry synovia, etc. Topical treatments for acute joint 
pain or systemic anti-inflammatory herbs that help joint pain are used 
as required, but this is not the thrust of the treatment strategy.  
Lay persons often make the related mistake of seeking a "natural 
alternative" to a pharmaceutical they have been prescribed rather than 
challenging the diagnosis and therapeutic strategy.

-----
IV.  HERBS ACT MULTI- DIMENSIONALLY

Herbal medicine is a wholistic therapy, it integrates mental, 
emotional and spiritual levels seamlessly into its understanding of 
both human function and of the plant remedy, while respecting the 
planetary and ecological dimensions of natural medicine provided by 
plants.  Although subject to differing interpretations this view is 
held in one form or another by most herbalists .

Life style, mental, emotional and spiritual considerations are part of 
any naturopathic approach, herbalism included.  Flower essences, 
homeopathic preparations and drop doses of standard herb extracts all 
demonstrate that herbal agents can produce consistent and powerful 
effects at subtle levels in ways quite inexplicable by the 
pharmacokinetic model underlying orthodox pharmacology.

Centuries of medicinal plant usage overarch even the Graeco - Roman 
heritage of medical thought, itself already forgotten by its amnesiac 
infant technological medicine, extending into magical, esoteric and 
religious domains of prehistory.  The great Asian systems of medicine 
have continued uninterrupted for thousands of years to today, 
integrated into profound cosmological and philosophical systems.  From 
any serious study of the application of herbs to healing a perspective 
emerges that reveals modern doctors to be tragi-comically "like 
educated peasants running around pretending to be chiefs" 
(Grossinger).

-----
V.  SIDE EFFECTS VS CONTRAINDICATIONS

Many herbalists would tend toward the radical homeopathic view that 
the "side effects" of orthodox medicine are in fact iatrogenic 
developments of the very disease for which the pharmacological 
intervention was intended.  The symptoms simply change, and the real 
underlying dysfunction is further obscured - or driven further into 
the interior to manifest in deeper and more intractable ways.

Notwithstanding this iatrogenic view of side effects, we have seen 
that the use of herbs anyway does not generally involve "drug" actions 
or adverse effects.  Of course, if the body processes are nudged in 
the wrong direction for long enough, then imbalances can worsen rather 
than improve.  Hence the need for informed knowledge of the effects of 
herbs as well as a clinical training to understand their appropriate 
medical application. Herbalists learn about the CONTRAINDICATIONS as 
well as the indications for using a herb.  This term is more useful 
and appropriate than "side effects".

CONTRAINDICATIONS are incongruences between the metabolic/systemic 
predisposition (constitution) of the individual - and the spectrum of 
multi-systemic actions of a given herb agent or class of agents.  
Essentially, herbalists use their in depth knowledge to devise a 
mix'n'match prescription tailored precisely to fit an individuals 
unique profile.  This approach is most sophisticated in the tonic 
energetics of the Oriental medical traditions, but is empirically 
applied by most herbalists.

Contraindicated remedies can account for apparently idiosyncratic "bad 
reactions" to a herb.  Valerian is a classic example, its powerful 
autonomic effects can make it "disagree" with stressed adrenergically 
hyperactive individuals, who paradoxically are often those seeking 
sedative treatment for insomnia.  Anyone experiencing such reactions 
to a herb for more than a couple of days should stop taking it and 
seek further advice.  However a second and vital aspect of 
contraindications especially today is the question of DRUG 
INTERACTIONS.

Many people seeking herbal medical treatment are already involved in 
pharmaceutical therapies.  Herbal remedies may act either as agonists 
or potentiate some drug therapies, and an understanding of 
conventional drugs is an essential prerequisite for effective herbal 
therapueutics.  In many cases, herbalists would not treat the primary 
presenting symptom undergoing drug treatment - be it ulcers treated 
with Zantac or cardiac arrythmia treated with Digoxin - but rather 
concentrate on supporting other systems and functions stressed by the 
primary symptom.  This allows the body to recover its strength and 
healing potential so it can then direct these capabilities toward 
repairing the presenting condition.  In other cases, it can be a 
priority to wean someone off drugs, eg steroids, in which case 
supportive therapy to restore adrenal function is vital.

-----
VI.  SAFETY AND TOXICITY OF HERBAL MEDICINES

The definition of *toxic* is a ultimately a matter of viewpoint. Many 
ordinary foods contain constituents that could be regarded as 
poisonous, such as the alpha gliadin produced by gluten in wheat oats 
and rye, the cyanogenic glycosides in many fruit seeds, the 
thiocyanates of the brassica vegetables, alkaloids of the Solanaceae 
and lectins of many pulses including soya and red kidney beans.  
Nonetheless these foods are generally regarded as safe.  Similarly, 
both water and oxygen - can kill in excessive amounts, so quantity is 
often an important consideration.  In practice however, three groups 
of herbs can be identified from a safety point of view.

Firstly there are a handful of herbs that contain near pharmaceutical 
concentrations of poisonous constituents which should on no account be 
taken internally by unqualified persons except in homeopathic 
potencies.  Examples are Atropa belladonna, Arnica spp, Aconitum spp, 
Digitalis spp.  In many countries availability of these herbs is 
limited by law.  Regulations vary from country to country and the 
appropriate regulatory authorities or Herb Organisations can be 
consulted for details.  Wildcrafters should be unshakeably confident 
in their identification of the local variants of these species, and 
children warned to avoid them.  Fortunately this is a numerically tiny 
category.

Secondly, are herbs with powerful actions, often causing nausea or 
vomiting, (that usually were traditionally prized for this action).  
They are perfectly safe used under appropriate conditions.  Some of 
these herbs are restricted in some countries but freely available in 
others.  Lobelia and Eonymus spp are examples.  There is some 
inconsistency here, for example Ephedra is restricted, perhaps with 
justification, in the UK, but is freely available in the US.

Finally, there is an idiosyncratic grouping of herbs which have been 
alleged, with some scientific support, to exhibit specific kinds of 
toxicity.  The best known is the hepatotoxicity of pyrrolizidine-
alkaloid-containing plants such as Comfrey (Symphytum).  Other 
examples are Dryopteris (Male Fern), Viscum (Mistletoe) and Corynanthe 
(Yohimbe).  Although much of the evidence is contentious (see below), 
lay users would be advised to avoid internal consumption of these 
herbs.

The vast majority of medical herbs are safe for consumption, but for 
those without specialised knowledge, it would be prudent to follow 
simple but sensible guidelines in self treatment:

- Use only herbs recommended in respected herb books, especially in 
  countries like the US where there are few restrictions on 
  availability.

- Avoid new or unproven *wonder remedies*.

- Do not persist with a remedy if no benefit or result obtains after a 
  moderate period, and if adverse reactions take place, stop the 
  treatment and seek experienced advice.

- Do not persist with a treatment that has brought improvement without 
  testing to see if continued further consumption is necessary to 
  maintain improvement.

- Do not engage in self treatment for complex conditions without 
  experienced advice.  Drug interactions and contraindications must be 
  considered on an individual basis and herbal treatment strategies
  are often involved and multifaceted.

Unfortunately,training and licensing of herbalists is not 
internationally consistent.  In the US the situation is especially 
complex - no recognised herbal licensing exists.  ND's are licensed in 
a few states, but their herbal training could theoretically be less 
than that of an unlicensed but experienced herbal practitioner.  In 
the UK, the NIMH accredits herbalists who have trained at approved 
courses: practitioners are recognised by MNIMH or FNIMH 
qualifications.

-----
VII.  PREGNANCY

It is axiomatic that pregnancy should be a time of minimal medical 
intervention, and herbalists in particular regard pregnancy as a 
"contraindication" to taking herbal medicines. Nutritive "food herbs" 
such as nettle, and uterine tonics such as raspberry leaf are 
encouraged, and perhaps gentle treatments against typical symptoms 
such as constipation or morning sickness are in order.  There is NO 
evidence of teratogenicity in humans arising from herbal remedies, but 
since such evidence would be hard to come by, erring on the side of 
caution is regarded as prudent.

-----
VIII.  UNDERSTANDING TOXICITY RESEARCH - POLITICS AND IDEOLOGY

Medical orthodoxy at best does not understand herbal medicine, and at 
worst, sees it as a threat which it attempts to rubbish, regulate or 
ridicule.  Quackery has a fascinating role in the history of medicine 
and its institutions, but much of the hostility towards herbal 
medicine comes from its apparently greater proximity to orthodoxy than 
say acupuncture or homeopathy.  This is the unfortunate political 
context in which toxicity and safety of herbal medicines are debated.

Additionally, both professional herbalists and regulatory authorities 
exhibit differing degrees of education, organisation and aptitude in 
different countries.  In the United States, the situation is 
particularly lamentable, with scare mongering stories regularly aired 
in medical, scientific and popular press, whilst the lack of 
accredited professional herbalist training means that well intentioned 
self-appointed spokespersons for herbalism can cause more harm than 
good, and the quixotic federal regulatory stance on herbs as 
foodstuffs means that the potential of lay self-iatrogenesis with 
freely available OTC herbal products is a serious possibility.

Toxicity of herbal medicines needs to be seen in context however. As 
Paul Bergner, Editor of the journal Medical Herbalism and author of 
several articles on herbal toxicty recently pointed out:

*Approximately 8% of all hospital admissions in the U.S. are due to 
adverse reactions to synthetic drugs.  That's a minimum of 2,000,000.  
At least 100,000 people a year die from them.  That's just in the 
U.S., and that's a conservative estimate.  That means at least three 
times as many people are killed in the U.S. by pharmaceutical drugs as 
are killed by drunken drivers.  Thousands die each year from 
supposedly "safe" over-the-counter remedies.
Deaths or hospitalizations due to herbs are so rare that they're hard 
to find.  The U.S. National Poison Control Centers does not even have 
a category in their database for adverse reactions to herbs.*

Similar figures apply in the United Kingdom, and even hepatoxicty, 
where perhaps the stongest case against some herbs lies, the 
statistics are horrendously clear - over 80% of cases of fulminant 
hepatic failure presenting for liver transplant (or death) over ten 
years inthe UK were due to poisoning by freely available OTC non-
prescription NSAID's, such as paracetomol and aspirin.  Not one case 
was due to ingestion of medicinal herbs.

For the lay person, analysis of so called "scientific evidence" about 
toxicity is clearly problematic.  Some of the most useful sources of 
information are to be found in review presentations made by 
representatives of the herbalist community to regulatory authorities 
such as the FDA or MCA.  Informative reviews of the literature in 
defence of Comfrey and Mistletoe have been made in this way.

Herbalists justifiably point out that scientific studies with isolated 
compounds, on non human or even non mammalian organisms, or in vitro, 
with doses tens or even hundreds of times the equivalent medicinal 
dose, simply have no arguable extrapolation to the clinical situation 
using whole herb at appropriate medicinal doses.

Lack of herbal knowledge knowledge by some scientific investigators 
(let alone journalists or self appointed defenders of the public) 
leads to often ludicrously misleading results - one of the commonest 
mistakes being the failure to verify the actual identity of plant 
material used in their experiments, let alone the detection of 
contaminants!

These points beg the question of what paradigm can be used for 
research into the safety and efficacy of herbal therapies.  That 
shibboleth of orthodoxy - the double blind placebo controlled clinical 
trial is open to a range of criticsms from the paradigm employed by 
herbalists - but that, as they say, is another story.

-----
FURTHER READING

HERBAL /MEDICAL CONTRAINDICATIONS:
Synergistic and Iatrogenic Potentials when some herbs are used 
concurrent with Medical Treatment or Medical Health Care by Michael 
Moore, 1995, on line at
  http://www.crl.com/~robbee/herbal.html

HERB INFORMATION RESOURCE:
The Information Source book of Herbal Medicine: David Hoffmann,
Crossing Press 1994.  This excellent book is reviewed at
 http://www.crl.com/~robbee/herbal.html

TOXICOLOGY:
Brinker F : An Introduction to the Toxicology of Common Botanical
Medicines, NCNM 1983
AMA Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants AMA, Chicago 1985
NAPRALERT database at UIC.

Example REVIEWS OF PROBLEMATIC HERBS:
In Defence of Comfrey:  EJHM1.1.1994 11-17
The Case For Mistletoe: EJHM1.1 1994 17-22
EJHM = European journal of Herbal Medicine

HISTORY:
Planet Medicine - Richard Grosssinger, North Atlantic Books 1990
The Magical Staff, Matthew Wood North Atlantic Books, Berkely 1992

GENERAL HERB BOOKS:
(as in 4.1 below):
J.A. Duke, CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs.
C. Hobbs, many booklets.
D. Hoffmann, The Herbal Handbook.
S. Mills, Out of the Earth: The Essential Book of Herbalism.
M. Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountains West.
M. Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Desert West.
M. Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West.
R.F. Weiss, Herbal Medicine.

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