Herbs for Tincture Use G

HERBS G - I

If you are making liquid herbal tinctures the following may be of use to you:

Created thousands of years ago by our herbal ancestors who originally crafted extracts by batching plant material with water; liquid herbal extracts have found an almost permanent place to call home within our cupboards. Among the advantages of herbal extracts are their ability to preserve the active constituents, ease of use and their long shelf life. From here we can effortlessly and conveniently add herbal extracts to our water, tea, juice, or they can be taken directly. This is a great way to administer the healing power of plants to our seemingly excited and aggravated lives.

Ginger Root (Zingiber officinale)

Also known as

African Ginger
Ardraka
Black Ginger
Chiang
Gan-jiang
Nagara
Race Ginger
Shen-jiang
Sunthi

Introduction

Ginger maybe used as a stimulant of the peripheral circulation in case of bad circulation, chilblains, and cramp. In feverish conditions, ginger acts as a a useful diaphoretic, promoting perspiration. As a carminative, it promotes gastric secretion and is used in dyspepsia, flatulence and colic. Ginger is a natural blood thinner. At least 70 per cent of patients in a trial in China, who were given herbal ginger remedies, recovered from the bacillary dysentry - thus the herbal remedy was extremely effective in treating such disorders.

Parts used: root

Constituents:

volatile oil (inc. borneol, citral), phenols, alkaloid, mucilage.

Precautions: Not recommended for long-term use during the pregnancy as regular use can trigger side effects.

Dose: .5 -1 ml 3 times daily.

Golden Rod (Solidago virgauria)

Also known as

Blue Mountain Tea
Sweet Goldenrod

Introduction

The Latin name of the goldenrod plant, “Solidago” - solido, which means to make whole - is an allusion to the employment of the herb as a wound healing remedy in the ancient world. The beneficial effects of the goldenrod herb are due to the presence of primary active principles including compounds such as the saponins, all kinds of floral pigments, as well as tannins. Herbal remedies made from the plant are employed in the treatment of all kinds of inflammation problems affecting the kidneys and the intestines. The goldenrod possesses diuretic, anti-oxidant, and astringent properties. The goldenrod is considered to be the most effective herbal treatment for urinary tract disorders of all kinds. Goldenrod is employed to treat or alleviate severe ailments like nephritis as well as more common disorders such as cystitis - it is used as an herbal remedy in most urinary tract problems. Goldenrod remedies are also reputed to aid the body in eliminating kidney and bladder stones. The compound called saponins found in the goldenrod herb are specifically effective against infection from the Candida fungus, which induces all kinds of yeast infections and oral thrush in the human body. Remedies made from the goldenrod herb are also effective in the treatment of chronic sore throats, in alleviating chronic congestion in the nasal passages as well as in treating problems such as digestive disorders. It is a first choice for upper respiratory catarrh and influenza.

Parts used: aerial parts

Constituents: saponins, essential oil, bitter principle, tannins, flavonoids.

Dose: 1-3 ml x three daily.

Combination potential: Cudweed, echinacea, poke root, wild indigo, ribwort plantain.

Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)

Also known as

Man-t'ien-hsing

Introduction

Best known as a wound-healer, this herb acts to maintain the health of the skin and underlying connective tissue. Has been found helpful in scleroderma. Traditionally the people of Sri Lanka have observed that one of the longest living mammals, the elephants fed extensively on the plant in the wild. This may have been the initial cause for the use of this plant and its subsequent reputation as a promoter of longevity in people who eat it. It is commonly held that the consumption of a few leaves of the gotu kola every day will "strengthen and revitalize worn out bodies and brains." At the same time, traditionally, herbalists have used the gotu kola in treating people affected by all sorts of mental troubles, by high blood pressure problems, by the presence of abscesses, by rheumatism, and it has also been used in the treatment of fever, bronchitis, asthma in treating ulcers, in treating cases of leprosy, problems like skin eruptions, all sorts of nervous disorders, as well as jaundice. A considerable reputation that the herb has acquired in recent times, is as an “aphrodisiac ”- a chemical agent that has an ability to stimulate and promote sexual desire as well as heighten sexual ability in people.

History: In the ancient Indian system of medicine known as ayurveda, the gotu kola has been used for thousands of years and has a prominent position in all ayurvedic medicine. In this ancient system, remedies made from the gotu kola are used especially for the treatment of leprosy, all kinds of skin ulcers, and all skin problems in general. The anti-bacterial properties of the plant assist in healing of these conditions.

Parts used: aerial parts

Precautions:

There is rarely any problem or side effect with gotu kola usage, with the rare exception of people who are allergic to the herb; the only known problems which have been encountered are an occasional case of nausea if the doses of the herb are excessively high. At the same time, breast feeding women and pregnant women must avoid the use of any gotu kola based remedy in all cases.

Combination potential: mix with lavender or chamomile, for calming. Do not use for more than 4 weeks without a break.

Dose: 20 -40 drops 2 times daily.

Gravel Root (Eupatorium perpureum)

Also known as

Joe Pye Weed

Introduction

As its common name indicates, gravel root is a valuable herb for urinary tract problems. Gravel root helps to prevent the formation of kidney and bladder stones and may diminish existing stones. Gravel root is also useful for cystitis, urethritis, and for rheumatism and gout. The root is thought to help the latter two conditions by increasing the removal of waste by the kidneys.

History

: It was a favorurite with Native Americans and Mithridates Eupator, King of Greece used it in the first century B.C. The plant's alternative name, Joe Pye weed, is in honor of the Native American said to have used it to cure New Englanders of typhus. Native Americans used gravel root as a diuretic and for conditions affecting the genitourinary system. Gravel root was listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the United States from 1820 to 1842.

Parts used

: Rhizome, root.Constituents: tannins, bitter principle, flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones.

Dose

: 1-2 ml 3 times daily.

Combination potential:

For kidney stones or gravel gravel root combines well with parsely, piert, pellitory of the wall or hydrangea.

Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

Also known as

Alehoof
Cat's-foot
Creeping Charlie
Field Balm
Gill Run Over
Haymaids
Hedge Maid
Wild Snakeroot

Introduction

Ground ivy is tonic, diuretic, and a decongestant, and is used to treat many problems involving the mucous membranes of the ear, nose, throat, and digestive system. A well-tolerated herb, ground ivy can be given to children to clear lingering congestion and to treat chronic conditions such as "glue-ear" and sinusitis. Throat and chest problems, especially those due to excess mucus, also benefit from this remedy. Ground ivy is also a valuable treatment for gastritis and acid indigestion. Further along the gastrointestinal tract, its binding nature helps to counter diarrhea and to dry up watery and mucoid secretions. Ground ivy has been employed to prevent scurvy and as a spring tonic, and is considered beneficial in kidney disorders.

Ground ivy found its way to America and became a part of the pharmacopoeia of the settlers. Because of its high vitamin C content, herbalists and doctors found ground ivy helpful in treating scurvy. American physicians in the 19th century had a vast range of uses for the herb. They administered the sap or a tea to treat asthma, coughs, consumption, and ulcers in the lungs, and they recommended ground ivy for intestinal gas and fever as well. Doctors also prescribed the tea to treat painter's colic, or lead poisoning.

History: In the first century A.D. the Greek physician Dioscorides taught that a leaf tea was a remedy for sciatica; so, later, did the 16th-century English herbalist John Gerard, citing Dioscorides as his source. Gerard also mentioned that, boiled in a mutton broth, ground ivy was good for weak backs. But he reserved his highest praise for the plant's effectiveness in treating eye ailments, declaring that, mixed with celandine, daisies, sugar, and rose water, it removed "any grief whatsoever in the eyes. ..it is proved to be the best medicine in the world."

Parts used: Stems, flowers, leaves

Constituents: wax, acid, choline, glucides, lipids, protein (glechomine), essential oil, lactone, bitter principle (marrubin), saponins, resin, tannins, vitamin C.

Dose: 1-3 ml 3 times daily.

Combination potential: For coughs ground ivy may be used with colts-foot, white horehound and elecampane. For sinus catarrh combine ground ivy with golden rod.

Heartease/Pansy (Viola tricolor)

Also known as

Field Pansy
Johnny-jump-up
Ladies'-delight
Wild Pansy

Introduction

Although it has several advantages, the pansy herb is primarily used to treat disorders in specific areas - the skin, lungs and the urinary system. The herb may be used to cure eczema and supplementary skin problems, where there is exudate eczema, also known as weeping. In fact exudate eczema is a condition where a substance such as sweat or a cellular waste product is given out from a cell or organ in excess. Functioning as an anti-inflammatory expectorant, the herb is extensively recommended to cure whooping cough (a bacterial infection that leads to aggressive coughing seizures followed by sharp, strident gasps) as well as heightened bronchitis. In such conditions, the common pansy offers comfort, aiding the body to heal itself alongside. In case of urinary disorders, the pansy is advantageous in curing cyctitis and may also be recommended for treating indications of recurrent and excruciating urination.

History: As pansy derives it name from the French word pensée which literally translated into English denotes ‘thought’. The herb was so popular in Europe that even Shakespeare mentions about it when Ophelia refers to pansies as ‘That’s for thoughts’. Interestingly, in the conventional ‘flower language’, the three colors of the pansy flowers stand for three different things. For instance, purple, while and yellow stand for memories, loving thoughts and souvenirs respectively. And what is noteworthy is the fact that all the three terms bring a sense of comfort and ease to the heavy hearts of separated lovers. Hence, pansy is also often known as the ‘heartsease’. In addition, the juice extracted from the pansy herb was once dished up as an ingredient of love potions or tonics.

Long back, rural herbal practitioners used the pansy tea as a medication to reduce fever. It was also used for multiple other conditions. Pansy has diuretic, laxative, sedative, and expectorant properties, and can be used as gargle and blood purifier to get rid of the noxious substances from the body.

Parts used: Aerial parts.

Constituents: flavonoids, methyl salicylate, mucilage, gums, resin, and a saponin.

Dose: 1-3 ml x 3 daily.

Combination potential: Pansy blended with coltsfoot (a plant with large hoof-shaped leaves) may be used to treat ailments of the lung or the respiratory tract. On the other hand, pansy may be blended with other herbs like red clover,nettles (a plant found in the wild bearing saw-toothed leaves like a stinging nettle) and cleavers to treat skin problems. The pansy may also be used to cure cystitis or the inflammation of the urinary bladder owing to infections by blending it with couch grass and buchu (a bush with leaves that possess diuretic properties).

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Also known as

Common Hyssop
Garden Hyssop

Introduction

Hyssop has an interesting range of uses which are largely attributable to the anti-spasmodic action of the volatile oil. It is used in coughs, bronchitis and chronic catarrh. Its diaphoretic properties explain its use in the common cold. As a nervine it may be used in anxiety states, hysteria and petit mal (a form of epilepsy). Clinical studies have validated some of the traditional healing powers associated with the hyssop. The hyssop contains compounds such as pinocamphone and isopinocamphone, as well as camphene, it also has alpha- and beta-pinene, and alpha-terpinene - these compounds are altogether about seventy percent of the aromatic oil in the plant. It has been found in research that the hyssop has some beneficial effect and can treat mild irritations in the respiratory tract associated with the common cold due to the presence of these compounds. The hyssop has also been regarded as being safe in the scientific community - it is not usually associated with side effects. The presence of the volatile oil in the leaves is likely to be responsible for all the anti-septic properties associated with the hyssop leaves.

History:

In Ancient Greece, Hippocrates prescribed Hyssop for pleurisy. The herb came into its own in the 16th and 17th centuries, when most herbalists would prescribe an herbal preparation of hyssop for the treatment of severe coughs and other acute respiratory distress disorders

Parts used: aerial parts

Constituents:

Hyssop contains terpenes (including marubiin, a diterpene), a volatile oil (consisting mainly of camphor, pinocamphone, and beta-pinene), flavonoids, hyssopin, tannins, and resin. Marubiin is a strong expectorant. Pinocarriphone is toxic, and the volatile oil can cause epileptic seizures.

Combination potential:

liquorice, elecampane and star anise for respiatory distress and bronchitis. Horehound and coltsfoot for coughs. For the common cold mix with boneset, elder flower and peppermint.

Dose: 1-3 ml x 3 daily