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Herb Uses - A, B Herbs
perspiration, and keep bacterial infections in check. Colds, flu, coughs, and sore throats benefit from treatment with
this herb as a hot decoction. It helps to strengthen local resistance to infection and to tighten and dry mucous
membranes. An infusion is helpful for strengthening spongy gums, and a gargle is used for sore throat. Bayberry’s
astringency helps intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and mucous colitis. It increases circulation to
the area while acting to tone tissues involved. An infusion can also help treat excess vaginal discharge. A paste of the
powdered root bark may be applied onto ulcers and sores. The powdered bark has been used as a snuff for
congested nasal passages. It has been used to treat post-partum hemorrhage and taken internally and used as a
douche is recommended for excessive menstruation and leucorrhea. It is used as a poultice to soothe varicose veins.
Myricadiol has a mild effect on potassium and sodium levels. Myricitrin is antibacterial and encourages the flow of
bile. The powder is strongly sternutatory and excites coughing. Water in which the wax has been 'tried,' when boiled
to an extract, is regarded as a certain cure for dysentery, and the wax itself, being astringent and slightly narcotic, is
valuable in severe dysentery and internal ulcerations. The leaves have provided vitamin C for curing scurvy.
Bearsfoot (Polymnia uvedalia) Regarded as a valuable aid for quick pain relief. It is also a gentle laxative, especially
good for the aged, and a stimulant. The root is taken internally as a treatment for non-malignant swollen glands and
especially for mastitis. The root is thought to have a beneficial effect on the stomach, liver, and spleen, and may be
taken to relieve indigestion and liver malfunction.
Belladonna (Atropa belladonna) A belladonna derivative, atropine is used to dilate eyes prior to eye operations and
for some eye exams. It has been official in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia since 1820. The tropane alkaloids inhibit the
parasympathetic nervous system, which controls involuntary body activities. This reduces saliva; gastric, intestinal
and bronchial secretions as well as the activity of the urinary tubules, bladder, and intestines. It is the tropane
alkaloids that increase the heart rate and dilate the pupils. It is prescribed to relax distended organs, especially the
stomach and intestines, relieving intestinal colic and pain. It helps peptic ulcers and it relaxes spasms of the urinary
tubules. The herb can also be used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, reducing tremors and rigidity, and
improving speech and mobility. The smooth muscle relaxant properties of deadly nightshade make it useful in
conventional medicine as an anesthetic, particularly when digestive or bronchial secretions need to be kept to a
minimum.
Ivan Raeff, a lay practitioner in Schipka, a village in Bulgaria, discovered that a total extract of belladonna root
was successful in treating encephalitis. And the whole extract was better tolerated than the pure alkaloid atropine. A
proprietary preparation resulting from this research is Tremoforat. Belladonna leaves applied externally are
used as a treatment and possible cure for cancer by both Western herbalists and in Chinese folk medicine.
Bergamot (Bergamot didyma) Bergamot tea is soothing and relaxing and makes a good night-time drink. Add a
handful of fresh leaves to your bath to sooth tired and aching limbs (in a net bag). Native Americans used the leaves
of monarda as a poultice and compress on skin eruptions, as a tea for colds and flus and inhaled as a steam to relieve
sinus and lung congestion. Scientific evidence shows that bergamot may inhibit the herpes simplex and the related
chicken pox viruses. It is also combined with other herbs to treat urinary tract infections and indigestion.
Bethroot (Trillium erectum ) Is said to have been in use among the aborigines and early settlers of North America.
It is a plant that contains a natural precursor of the female sex hormones, which the body may use if it needs to or
otherwise leaves unused, an example of the normalizing power of some herbs. It is antiseptic, astringent and tonic
expectorant, being used principally in hemorrhages, to promote parturition, and externally, usually in the form of a
poultice, as a local irritant in skin diseases, or to restrain gangrene. The leaves, boiled in lard, are sometimes applied
to ulcers and tumors. The roots may be boiled in milk, when they are helpful in diarrhea and dysentery. Bethroot is a
valuable remedy for heavy menstrual or intermenstrual bleeding, helping to reduce blood flow. It is also used to treat
bleeding associated with uterine fibroids. Bethroot may also be taken for bleeding within the urinary tubules and, less
often, for the coughing up of blood. It remains a valuable herb in facilitating childbirth. A douche of bethroot is useful
for excessive vaginal discharge and yeast infections. The acrid species are useful in fevers and chronic affections of
the air-passages. Merely smelling the freshly-exposed surface of the red Beth roots will check bleeding from the nose.
Betony (Stachys officinalis) The drug is largely concentrated in the leaves, though the root is regarded as specific
for the liver with a gentle laxative action. Betony’s real value is as a remedy for headaches and facial pain. The plant
is also mildly sedative, relieving nervous stress and tension. In herbal medicine, betony is thought to improve nervous
function and to counter overactivity. It is taken to treat “frayed nerves,” premenstrual complaints, poor memory, and
tension. Taken daily with boiled warm milk, it is good remedy for chronic headaches. The plant has astringent
properties and in combination with other herbs such as comfrey and linden flowers, it is effective against sinus
headaches and congestion. Betony may be taken alone or with yarrow to help staunch nosebleeds. If applied
externally, it stops bleeding, promotes healing and draws out boils and splinters. It is also mildly bitter. The French
recommended the leaves for lung, liver, gallbladder and spleen problems. It stimulates the digestive system and the
liver, and has an overall tonic effect on the body. Trigonelline, one of its constituents has been shown to lower blood
sugar levels.
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus): Medicinal Uses: A drink of the fruit and roots steeped in gin is an old remedy to stop diarrhea
and relieve nausea and indigestion though large amounts of the whole berries eaten with their seeds and skin provide a laxative
bulk. Normally the dried fruit is markedly binding and has an antibacterial action. They can decrease intestinal inflammation and
help protect the digestive tract lining. The berries are also said to be a refrigerant that lowers body heat. Studies show an effect on
heart contractions and blood vessels that is thought to be caused by the berries stimulating the production of prostaglandins. There
is evidence that they also help prevent blood clots. Bilberry’s high anthocyanin content makes it a potentially valuable treatment
for varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and capillary fragility. Bilberries are incorporated into European pharmaceuticals that are used to
improve circulation. Several scientific studies support this use. In Russia, berries and leaves are used to treat colitis, stomach
problems and sugar diabetes. The leaves are also found in folk remedies of other countries to treat diabetes. The glucoquinine in
the leaves does show a weak ability to lower blood sugar. Clinical studies have been proposed to back the hypoglycemic effects
found in animals. German researchers have also suggested that the quinic acid produced from a tea of dried bilberry leaves is a
potential treatment for rheumatism and gout. A decoction of the fruit is used as a mouthwash.
Modern research shows that the fruit contains compounds known as anthocyanosides which contribute to
visual acuity. Italian researchers shows that a mixture of anthocyanosides from bilberry plus vitamin E halted the
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