The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables (70 page)

A report from Virginia, in 1687, stated that the Indians called the plant Englishman's Foot, due to the plant's habit of growing wherever the White Man created a settlement, giving the plant two of its common names.
  Longfellow noted in his "
Hiawatha
" that
wherever the English have taken possession of the soil, the Plantain springs up
.Native Americans used Plantain widely and referred to it as "Life Medicine." 

The Shoshones employed it for wounds, diarrhea, and dysentery, and the herb was an antidote for venomous snakebites and a worm remedy in early American domestic medicine.It should be noted that Plantain is not related to the cooking banana of the same name, even though it is a corruption of a Spanish word,
plantano
, which means "banana or plant/plane tree."  It is one of the large families of
plantagos
. The young leaves are a tasty addition to salads, but once again, it must not be confused with another plant, the poisonous foxglove, which has a very similar appearance. 

Medical
Uses:

Plantain leaves contain tannins and is considered an astringent that is able to draw tissues together (both internally and externally). As such, they can help to stop bleeding (including bleeding from mucous membranes) and control excess menstrual flow.
  It has also been used to relieve colitis, hemorrhoids, diarrhea, dysentery, vomiting and bed wetting in children and incontinence in the aged.

As a diuretic, Plantain increases urine flow, and its potent antiseptic properties make it effective in easing uterine infections, urinary tract infections, syphili and bladder infections.
  It is beneficial for female disorders with fluent discharges and internal problems symptomatic of the urinary tract, including cystitis and leucorrhoea.  Plantain may also slow the growth of tuberculosis bacteria and staphylococcus infection.  The increased urine flow also helps to rid the body of excess mucus and fluids, which is useful in cases of edema (the accumulation of fluid in tissues that cause swelling) and excess water weight.

Treatments:

Plaintain's diuretic properties are also believed to help kidney, liver, spleen and bladder function by flushing impurities with the increased urine flow.By removing obstructions from the liver, it is beneficial in cases of jaundice.

Plantain may be able to control cholesterol. The seeds contain soluble fibers that swell in gut when wet and fill the intestinal tract, preventing cholesterol and lipid absorption, and the increased bulk also has a mild laxative (not purging) action that helps to rid the intestines of excess cholesterol.Added to the diet before meals, Plantain may cause a decrease in triglycerides and beta cholesterol (bad), and reduction of cholesterol, of course, may contribute to a reduction in heart disease.

As an expectorant, Plantain is thought to loosen and expel phlegm from the lungs and respiratory system.  Because of its high mucilaginous qualities (that are really not equaled by other mucilaginous herbs), it is also soothing to the lungs and protects damaged and sore tissue as it expels mucus.  It relieves dry coughs, chronic bronchitis, coughing, wheezing and irritation.

An Italian study found that Plantain served effectively in contributing to weight loss in conjunction with a prescribed dietary regimen.
  When Plantain, with its high mucilage and fiber content, was added to the diet, it has been conjectured that it works by filling and coating the stomach, which limits caloric intake by reducing the absorption of fats, as well as providing a feeling of fullness and reducing the appetite.

Plantain contains salicylic acid, the natural forerunner of synthetic aspirin, and as such, has been effective in relieving pain, including neuralgic pain.

Plantain's mucilage is said to soothe the stomach and ease indigestion and heartburn, as well as soothe the inflamed tissues of the lower intestinal tract.  The increased bulk in the intestines acts as a mild laxative that promotes normal bowel function and the fiber is thought to absorb toxins from the bowel and rid the body of poisons.

Used externally, Plantain has a long and venerable history.
  The tannins tighten tissues, but the mucilage acts as a demulcent and help to balance the astringent actions and heal and soothe bee stings, bites, and poison ivy.  The astringency also has a styptic effect when used topically and acts to stanch hemorrhage and ease wounds and bleeding cuts by contracting blood vessels.It makes a fine eyewash for pink eye; and it is also believed to help those who wish to "quit the habit" to stop smoking by including Plantain in a gargle.

Precautions:

None

Dosages:

For Botanical Powder:
Take two (2) capsules, three (3) times each day with water at mealtimes.

For Botanical Extract:
Take two (2) capsules, one (1) to two (2) times each day with water at mealtimes.

* * * * *

Pleurisy Root
is considered one of the
finest plant expectorant
s that have been used to
ease pleurisy, pneumonia, and other pulmonary and respiratory ailments.
It also has been used to promote sweating, which will help to cool the body and reduce eruptive and burning fevers.

Plant Description:

Pleurisy Root is an herbaceous milkweed that is native to North America, and unlike other milkweeds, it does not produce a milky, latex-like sap. It is a handsome, fleshy-rooted perennial that may grow to a height of three feet and bears beautiful clusters of deep yellow and orange flowers. The plant is sensitive and difficult to establish and thrives in dry, sandy, neutral-to-acid soil in full sun, but when cultivated, Pleurisy Root does not like to be disturbed and prefers good peat soil.

It is considered rare and protected in some states. Pleurisy Root is an important nectar source for bees and other insects and a larval food source for monarch butterflies, thereby giving rise to one of its common names, Butterfly Weed. The seed pods in the plant contain soft filaments that are known as "silk," which suggests another of its common names, Silkweed, and this material is considered a fine insulation that may be superior to down feathers. Its botanical name,
Asclepias
(sometimes spelled
Aesclepias
) is derived from the Greek god of healing, Aesclepius, because of the plant's many medicinal applications; and the name, Pleurisy Root, is an obvious reference to its historical use to treat pleurisy and other pulmonary ailments.

History:

Early Western tribes enjoyed the high dextrose content in Pleurisy Root as a natural sweetener, and Canadian tribes considered it a fine vegetable for the pot.
  The Natchez people employed Pleurisy Root as a remedy for pneumonia, and the Catawbas used it for dysentery. It is interesting to note that Native Americans used Pleurisy Root in their medicines (mostly for lung ailments) for over one thousand years before the herb entered European pharmacopoeias of the eighteenth century or was listed in the
United States Pharmacopoeia in
the nineteenth century (1820-1920). It is a bitter, acrid, nutty-flavored tonic herb, and its dried roots are used in herbal medicine. Some of the constituents in Pleurisy Root include alpha- and beta-amyrin, resins, amino acids, volatile oil, flavonoids (rutin and quercetin), glucosidal principal (asclepiadin), kaempferol and lupeol.

Medical Uses:

Pleurisy Root, as its name suggests, has been a very valuable herb in the treatment of pleurisy. It not only eases the pain associated with the illness (which helps to make breathing easier), but most importantly, it is also considered an effective expectorant that encourages, loosens and removes phlegm from the respiratory tract. The herb is said to reduce inflammation of the pleural membranes of the lungs, enhance secretion of healthy lung fluids and stimulate the lymphatic system. Its specific action on the pulmonary and respiratory system is said to help break up colds, ease consumption, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, dry cough, clogged nasal passages, catarrhal affections of the lungs and throat and virtually all bronchial complaints.

Treatment:

Pleurisy Root is thought to be good for the digestive system, although not often used for this purpose. It has been used to relieve indigestion and a "gassy stomach" and for flatulent colic.

As a diaphoretic, Pleurisy Root is said to promote perspiration and sweating, and herbalists have used it to cool the body and reduce eruptive fevers. It has been utilized to ease the feverish stages of colds and flu, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, bilious fever, low typhoid states, measles and other burning fevers.

Several of Pleurisy Root's historical applications have included treatment for dysentery and diarrhea, and have been called an effective antispasmodic.

Precautions:

Pregnant and nursing women should not use Pleurisy Root. Overuse (many times the recommended dosage) may cause diarrhea and vomiting.

* * * * *

Pokeweed
is said to exert a positive influence on the lymphatic system, stimulating glandular action and
relieving swollen glands, goiter, enlarged thyroid glands, lymphadenitis and mumps
. It is a
very potent herb
, and its unique chemistry is believed to
enhance immune function
and act as an
antiviral and anti-inflammatory
. Pokeweed also acts as a powerful
purgative.

Plant Description:

Pokeweed is a North American native and one of many species of
Phytolaccas
that are distributed worldwide. It is an erect weed that may be found in damp fields, open woods and waste places, reaching a height of twelve feet, and thriving in rich, moist, well-drained soil in sun.

The herbaceous perennial produces a branched, purplish, succulent stem that bears large, pointed leaves and upright spikes of small, greenish-white flowers that develop into hanging clusters of purple-to-black berries, which contain a deep red juice. The botanical genus,
Phytolacca
, is derived from the Greek word,
phyton
, meaning "plant" and the Latin,
lacca
, meaning "lacquer."

History:

The English name, Pokeweed, is believed to be a derivative of the Native American words,
pocan,
referring to any plant yielding a red dye, and
pak
, meaning "blood." Pokeweed was utilized by the First Nations of North America as a purgative, emetic and anti-rheumatic, and it was officially listed in the
United States Pharmacopoeia
from 1820 to 1916 as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory.

It has also played a long and important role in herbal medicine as a treatment for cancer and is, in fact, one of the constituents in the Hoxsey Formula (unapproved by the orthodox medical community) for the management of many types of cancer, alluding to one of the plant's common names, Cancer Root. Other common names, Ink Berry and Red Ink Plant refer to the rich color of the berries that were used in the ink that penned the United States Constitution (it would, in fact, make a wonderful dye, but is rather unstable). Although most parts of the plant are poisonous, very young shoots and young leaves have been eaten like asparagus after being boiled in many, many changes of water.

Pokeweed is cultivated as a popular ornamental in Europe and was once used in Portugal to color port wines. The dried roots and berries of Pokeweed are used in herbal medicines, but it is important to understand that all parts, notably the leaves and berries, are toxic if eaten fresh, and must be processed before being used medicinally. Some of the constituents in Pokeweed include alkaloids (betanine, betanidine, phytolaccine, etc.), triterpene saponins, bitter resin, tannin, glycoprotein lectins (sometimes called Pokeweed mitogens), esculentic acid, jaligonic acid, phytolaccagenic acid, GABA, histamine, PAP (Pokeweed antiviral protein), spinasterol, sterols, starch, saccharose and potassium salts.

Medical
Uses:

Pokeweed is considered an "
alternative," or agent that helps to gradually and favorably alter the course of an ailment or condition. It helps to modify the process of nutrition and excretion, restoring normal bodily function, as well as acting to cleanse and stimulate the efficient removal of waste products from the system. As such, it not only cleanses the intestinal tract and blood, but it is also thought to cleanse the liver by encouraging bile flow and releasing accumulated toxins.

The result of cleaner blood is a great help for many skin diseases, and Pokeweed is said to be excellent for alleviating scrofula, eczema, psoriasis and lingering infections.

As an antiviral, Pokeweed (or Pokeroot) has an unusual chemistry. The glycosidase, PAP (Pokeweed antiviral protein has been shown to inactivate ribosomes in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells and has demonstrated potent antiviral activity against many viruses, including HIV, in vitro. It is also currently being researched for possible use in anti-AIDS drugs.