Medicinal Herbs – Part 1
Actions and Indications of Medicinal Herbs – Part 1
By Tracey Wilson
The miraculous healings of medicinal herbs has been around since the beginning of time. I truly believe there is a cure for every thing that ails us on this earth. We just need to find it. Natural medicine is a wonderful gift given to us from God himself. Sometimes we can use it by itself, or combine it with Western medicine. If you have never tried the benefits that natural healing herbs can offer you, why don’t you pick one for an ailment you have been having a lot of difficulties with and see what wonderful things healing herbs can do for you.
Blackberry - is an astringent, especially for the gastrointestinal tract. It allays excessive fluid loss from diarrhea, and when medical intervention is not available may save lives. Hemostatic – it stops bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract.
Black Cohosh - is an antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic and is most useful for its ability to reduce dull aching pain just about anywhere in the body. It has a specific affinity for the reproductive organs. It relieves the aching pains in the reproductive tract of males, but is most often used as a regulator of female imbalances. It helps painful menstruation, but is also very effective for relieving suppressed menstruation. It has a long-lasting tonic effect on the uterus and most likely on the male reproductive organs as well. It is widely used for rheumatism and neuralgia and all cases characterized by that kind of pain known as rheumatic, dull, tensive, and intermittent. Black Cohosh is nervine, hypotensive, having a sedating effect on the perception of pain.
Calendula - (marigold) is anti-inflammatory, vulnerary, lymphatic, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal. It is unsurpassed for treating skin problems that are due to infection, and for treating wounds, burns, bruises, or strains due to physical damage. It is excellent for internal digestive inflammation and ulceration. It’s an antispasmodic, lymphatic, and emmenagogue for normalizing the menstrual process, and cholagogue for aiding in the relief of a gallbladder problem and its accompanying digestive complaints, hepatic.
Cayenne - is a general tonic, but it’s also quite specific to the circulatory and digestive systems. It is the most useful of the systemic stimulants, strengthening the heart, arteries, capillaries, blood flow, peripheral circulation, and nerves. It is also carminative, and sialagogue. Applied externally, it is rubefacient and is most useful for cold hands and feet (sprinkled in socks), and problems like rheumatic pains and lumbago, and for hoarseness as a gargle, anti-microbial for a cut.
Chamomile - is an anti-inflammatory and pain relieving for a wide range of conditions along the entire digestive tract; anti-spasmodic for easing muscle cramps, widely used to relieve mental stress and tension. It is carminative and a mild bitter.
Cleavers - is lymphatic; a lymphatic cleanser which relieves lymphatic swelling, particularly where there is an acute “hot” inflammation; it is a cooling diuretic that soothes an irritable urinary tract; tonic and alterative.
Comfrey - is vulnerary and demulcent, having unparalleled wound, ulcer, and fracture healing action. It is anti-inflammatory and soothing to dry inflamed digestive tract; astringent, able to allay hemorrhaging wherever it occurs; and expectorant as an age-old remedy for dry irritable coughs, especially when accompanied by blood streaked mucous. Comfrey is in question about causing liver damage – so be sure to look into this further before using.
Cramp bark - is an antispasmodic that relieves voluntary and involuntary muscular spasm of the entire pelvic viscera, bladder, womb, ovaries, and the limbs; it allays convulsions, asthma, thigh and back pain, and it’s an anti-inflammatory and nervine, helping to restore sympathetic/parasympathetic balance. Its astringent action helps allay excessive blood loss in menstruation and especially in menopause.
Dandelion - has many healing actions. The root is a general tonic and an effective liver tonic, hepatic, which act to ‘cool’ the liver; its cholagogue action decongests the gallbladder by increasing bile flow; and its choleretic action promotes bile production. It is anti-rheumatic, as it stimulates cell metabolism in the body, assisting the body to dump metabolic waste into the blood to be cleansed by the liver. It is alterative, relieving skin disorders and degenerative joint disorders, lowering blood cholesterol. It is a mild laxative, bitter. The leaf a highly effective diuretic, the best natural source of potassium, avoids potassium depletion. Young leafs can be eaten raw in salads: they are best mixed with other greens.
Echinacea - is an immune stimulant, assisting the body to resist infection more efficiently; it is anti-microbial and increases cellular resistance to virus, and activates the macrophages that destroy both cancerous cells and pathogens; it is anti-catarrhal and alterative.
If you have any chronic illnesses, or are nursing or pregnant, please check with your doctor before taking.
Actions and Indications of Herbs – Part 2
About The Author:
Tracey Criswell Wilson is an author on www.Writing.Com which is a site for Writers. Many of Tracey’s writings that include non-fiction, fiction and poetry can be found on this interactive site.
Nothing in this essay is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
