Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria (59 page)

Pulmonaria
(lungwort).
Tincture, fresh flowering herb, 1:2. Dosage: 30–90 drops as needed.

Pygeum africanum
(African prune).
Tincture, dried bark, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 40–80 drops up to 3x daily.

Pyrola
(false wintergreen).
Tincture, 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Dosage: 20–40 drops up to 3x daily.

Quercus
(oak).
Tincture, dried root, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol, 10 percent glycerin. Dosage: 30 drops to 1 tsp up to 4x daily. Decoction: 1–4 fluid ounces up to 4x daily.

Rhamnus californica
(California buckthorn, coffeeberry).
Tincture, well-dried bark, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 1–2 tsp.

Rheum officinale
(rhubarb).
Tincture, dried root, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol, 10 percent glycerin. Dosage: 15–30 drops up to 4x daily. Note: Vitamin C powder is a much better solution for constipation.

Rhodiola rosea, R. integrifolia
(rhodiola, golden root, rose root).
Tincture, dried root, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol (some people use a 1:3). Dosage: as a tonic, 30–40 drops 3–4x daily; in acute
conditions, ½–1 tsp 3x daily for 20–30 days, then back to the tonic dose. The tincture is usually taken in water—the plant is extremely astringent.

Rhus aromatica
(sweet sumac).
Tincture, dried root bark, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol, 10 percent glycerin. Dosage: 20–40 drops up to 4x daily.

Rhus glabra
(smooth sumac).
Tincture, dried leaf or fruit, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol, 10 percent glycerin. Dosage: 20–40 drops up to 4x daily.

Rosmarinus
(rosemary).
Tincture, dryish leaf, 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–60 drops up to 3x daily.

Rubus idaeus
(raspberry).
Infusion, dried leaf: as often as needed. Excellent for diarrhea.

Rubus villosus
(blackberry).
Infusion or decoction, dried root bark: 2–4 fluid ounces. Really excellent for diarrhea. If it just won't quit, use this. I don't know why more people don't.

Rumex crispus
(yellow dock).
Tincture, dried root, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–75 drops up to 3x daily.

Rumex hymenosepalus
(canaigre, red dock).
Decoction, dried root. Dosage: not a lot. World-class astringent; it will suck the moisture out of your body starting at your toes and then go all the way up. Great topically as either powder or cooled decoction for any kind of seeping wounds. Tincture, dried root, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol, 10 percent glycerin. Great in gum toner combinations.

Ruscus aculeatus
(butcher's broom).
Tincture, fresh root, 1:2. Dosage: 30–60 drops up to 3x daily.

Salix
(willow).
Decoction, dried bark: 2–4 fluid ounces to 4x daily. Evaporative concentrate for topical use.

Salvia
(sage).
Tincture, fresh herb (in flower), 1:2; dried herb, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–60 drops as needed. Decoctions and infusions are also useful.

Sambucus
(elder).
Tincture, fresh flower, 1:2. Dosage: 30–90 drops up to 3x daily. Tincture, fresh leaf, 1:2. Dosage: 10 drops, not more than once per hour (good nervine). Tincture, dried berry, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 20–40 drops up to 3x daily. If nausea occurs back off on the dose.

Scoparius
(broom).
Tincture, dried flowering top, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 20–40 drops up to 4x daily.

Scrophularia
(figwort).
Tincture, fresh herb, 1:2. Dosage: 30–60 drops up to 3x daily.

Scutellaria
(skullcap).
Tincture, fresh plant, 1:2. Dosage: 20–60 drops or more to 3x daily. Some people are highly responsive to it, others—nothing. Would skip the dried herb unless very recently harvested; fairly useless otherwise: 1:5, 50 percent alcohol.

Serenoa
(saw palmetto).
Tincture, dried berry, 1:5, 80 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–90 drops up to 3x daily. Yuck. Fetid soap.

Sida
(sida).
Tincture, fresh leaf, 1:2; dried leaf, 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Dosage: 20–40 drops up to 4x day; in acute conditions, ½ tsp–1 tbl, 3–6x daily, generally for less than 60 days.

Silybum marianum
(milk thistle).
Tincture, dried seed, 1:3, 70 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–60 drops up to 5x daily minimum; or 1–2 tsp 3x daily in liver disease. For liver disease, though, the standardized capsules are much better, 1,200 mg daily. In tonic liver mixes, the powdered seeds are good in larger doses.

Smilacina racemosa
(false Solomon's seal).
Tincture, fresh root, 1:2. Dosage: 10–20 drops up to 3x daily. The dried root is very good in syrups.

Smilax
(sarsaparilla).
Tincture, fresh root, 1:2; dried root, 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–90 drops up to 3x daily.

Solanum dulcamara
(bittersweet).
Tincture, fresh stem, 1:2; dried stem, 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Dosage: 10–20 drops 1–2x daily. The plant is a lot milder than its reputation.

Solidago
(goldenrod).
Tincture, fresh plant in flower, 1:2. Dosage: 20–60 drops up to 3x daily.

Stachys officinalis
(European betony).
Tincture, fresh flowering herb, 1:2; dried herb, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 3 drops to 1 tsp up to 4x daily.

Sticta
(lobaria pulmonaria, lungwort moss).
Tincture, lichen, 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Dosage: 20–30 drops up to 4x daily.

Stillingia sylvatica
(queen's root).
Tincture, fresh root, 1:2; recently dried root, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 10–30 drops daily.

Swertia radiata,
a.k.a.
Frasera speciosa
(green gentian, cebadilla).
Powdered root, recently dried: mix with petroleum jelly and place on skin cancers, cover with bandage, leave 72 hours, remove.

Symphytum
(comfrey).
Tincture, dried root: 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–60 drops up to 3x daily for up to 30 days. Root powder for ulceration in GI tract: 1 tsp 3x daily for 30 days.

Tabebuia
(pau d'arco).
Tincture, dried bark, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: ½–1 tsp up to 4x daily.

Tanacetum
(feverfew).
Tincture, fresh plant, 1:2; dried plant, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–60 drops up to 4x daily. Cold infusion, fresh plant in flower: 2–4 fluid ounces.

Taraxacum
(dandelion).
Tincture, fresh root, 1:2; fresh leaf, 1:2. Dosage: ½–1 tsp up to 4x daily. Don't take the leaf before bed; it's a strong diuretic.

Thuja
(arborvitæ, red or yellow cedar).
Tincture, fresh herb, needle, or leaf, 1:2. Dosage: 5–15 drops in water up to 4x daily.

Thymus
(thyme).
Tincture, fresh herb, 1:2; dried herb, 1:5, 45 percent alcohol. Dosage: 20–40 drops up to 3x daily.

Tribulus
(puncture vine).
Tincture, dried seed (and herb if you must), 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–40 drops up to 2x daily.

Trifolium pratense
(red clover).
Infusion or decoction, flowering herb: 4–6 fluid ounces daily.

Trillium
(beth root).
Tincture, fresh plant, 1:2. Dosage: 15–25 drops up to 3x daily.

Turnera diffusa
(damiana).
Tincture, fresh flowering herb, 1:2. Dosage: 20–30 drops up to 3x daily (yum). The dried plant isn't really worth it, but it would be 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Fresh plant is the way to go.

Ulmus pumila
(Siberian elm).
Cold infusion, powdered or shredded bark. Dosage: as needed for GI tract problems, debility. Note:
Ulmus fulva
, slippery elm, is endangered. Siberian elm is the primary elm that is an exact substitute for slippery elm. It is an invasive and should be used with abandon. It is really good, plus the fresh seeds are highly edible and tasty, especially if lightly cooked in butter. The dried seeds make a great flour.

Umbellularia
(California bay, Oregon myrtle).
Tincture, fresh leaf, 1:2; recently dried leaf, 1:5, 65 percent alcohol. Dosage: 10–20 drops up to 3x daily.

Uncaria tomentosa
(cat's claw).
Tincture, dried root bark or vine inner bark, 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Dosage: 40–60 drops up to 3x daily.

Urtica
(nettles).
Infusion, whole herb: as needed.

Usnea
(old man's beard).
Tincture, dried herb, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–60 drops up to 4x a day. Herb should be well ground, moistened with a little alcohol, then added to the proper amount of water to be used in the tincturing process, brought to a boil, slow-boiled, covered, for 30 minutes, then allowed to cool, still covered. Then the alcohol should be added, the whole mess put in a jar and allowed to macerate for 2 weeks, decanted, and bottled. A slow cooker can also be used instead of the boiling; let cook on the low setting for a couple of days.

Valeriana
(valerian).
Tincture, dried root, 1:5, 70 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–90 drops up to 3x daily. Old sock special.

Verbascum
(mullein).
Tincture, fresh flowering head stalk, 1:2. Dosage: 20–40 drops up to 4x daily.

Verbena
(blue vervain).
Tincture, fresh flowering herb, 1:2; dried flowering herb, 1:5, 60 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–90 drops up to 4x daily.

Viburnum
(cramp bark, black haw).
Tincture, root bark, and bark, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–90 drops up to 4x daily.

Vinca major
(periwinkle).
Tincture, fresh herb, 1:2; dried herb, 1:5, 50 percent alcohol. Dosage: 20–40 drops up to 2x daily.

Vinca minor
(periwinkle).
Same as for
V. major
.

Viola odorata
(violet).
Tincture, fresh plant in flower, 1:2. Dosage: 1–2 tsp up to 2x daily.

Vitex agnus-castus
(chaste tree).
Tincture, dried berry, 1:5, 65 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–60 drops in the morning. Michael Moore suggests using the tincture or the tea in the 2-week period before menses as it strengthens the progesterone phase of the cycle.

Withania somnifera
(ashwagandha).
Tincture, dried root, 1:5, 70 percent alcohol. Dosage: 30–40 drops up to 3x daily. Tincture, fresh leaf, 1:2. Dosage: 10–30 drops up to 3x daily. Tincture, dried seed, 1:5, 65 percent alcohol. Dosage: 15–30 drops up to 3x daily. Tincture, fresh fruit, 1:2 (grind the whole mess well). Dosage: 15–30 drops up to 3x daily.

Xanthoxylum
(prickly ash).
Tincture, bark/berry, 1:5, 65 percent alcohol. Dosage: 10–30 drops up to 3x daily.

Zea mays
(corn silk).
Tincture, fresh silk, 1:2. Dosage: ½–1½ tsp in water. Excellent in UTI combinations.

Zingiber
(ginger).
Fresh juice of the root, stabilized with 20–25 percent pure grain alcohol. Add ¼ cup fresh juice of gingerroot to 8 ounces hot water, and add 1 tbl wildflower honey,
⅛
tsp cayenne, and a squeeze of ¼ lime (then drop the peel in). Drink up to 6 cups daily. Fresh root tincture, 1:2. Dosage: 10–60 drops in warm to hot water up to 6x daily.

Underestimating the evolutionary potential of living organisms is the single most important mistake made by those who use chemical means to subdue nature…. Such vehement antipathy toward any corner of the living world should have given us pause. Through our related mistakes in the world of higher animals, we should have gained the evolutionary wisdom to predict the outcome.

—
Marc Lappé, PhD

One of the most important lessons from our ancient legends and myths is that the gods take a dim view of human arrogance.

Ancient versions of this message are to be found in the story of Arachne, a mortal weaver who boasted that she could weave better than Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and crafts. After losing the contest, she was turned into a spider for her presumption.

Another is the legend of Achilles, whose mother dipped him into water that made him invulnerable—except of course for the heel by which she held him. To this day an “Achilles' heel” serves to remind us of the foolishness of thinking ourselves invulnerable.

An even more recent warning to us is Mary Shelley's book
Frankenstein
. The message in her book is the same as that of the ancient legends and myths; in this instance, it specifically addresses the arrogance of medical science in thinking it can take upon itself the capacities of the gods.

In spite of all the accomplishments of our technological civilization, these ancient warnings are still relevant to our species. As Václav Havel once so eloquently put it, there are powers in the universe against which it is advisable not to blaspheme. Perhaps it is fitting that the lowly bacteria will be the ones to teach us humility.

Chymia egregia ancilla medicinae; non alia pejor domina.

(Chemistry makes an excellent handmaid but the worst possible mistress.)

1.
Sarah White, “The Empowered Patient,”
Medhill Reports
, December 8, 2010.