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Herb Uses - C, D, E Herbs
Smoked in a pipe with ghee, it is taken to relieve the hiccups. Stimulates the appetite. Still used in veterinary
practice. Cumin mixed with flour and water is good feed for poultry and it is said if you give tame pigeons
cumin it makes them fond of their home and less likely to stray. Basalt mixed with cumin seeds was a common
country remedy for pigeons' scabby backs and breasts.
Curry Leaf (Murraya koenigii): Said to be tonic and stomachic. In India, the young leaves are taken for dysentery
and diarrhea. The leaves and the stem are used as a tonic, stimulant and carminative. An infusion of the toasted
leaves is anti-emetic. A paste of the bark and roots is applied to bruises and poisonous bites. The seeds are used to
make a medicinal oil called ‘zimbolee oil.’ Fresh juice of the leaves mixed with lemon juice and sugar is prescribed for
digestive disorders, and eating 10 curry leaves every morning for 3 months is thought to cure hereditary diabetes. A
few drops of the juice are believed to keep eyes bright. A liberal intake of curry leaves impedes premature greying of
the hair. The leaves, boiled in coconut oil, are massaged into the scalp to promote hair growth and retain color. The
leaves may also be used as a poultice to help heal burns and wounds. Juice from the berries may be mixed with lime
juice and applied to soothe insect bites and stings.
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Daisy (Bellis perennis (English): Flowers are used externally in lotions for skin disease, wounds, varicose veins, sore and
watery eyes and bruises. An infusion of the flower was drunk in the morning and at night for a fever. Daisy is under
investigation for possible use in HIV therapy. The flowers contain compounds similar to those in Castanospermum. It is most
often used as a gentle laxative. Its fresh flowers are anodyne and help heal inflamed swellings and burns. It is also beneficial for
colds and chest problems, coughs and mucous congestion. The tea is good for stomach and intestinal problems where some sort of
internal fermentation is the source, also for catarrh, colic, and liver, kidney and bladder problems. The juice can be used externally
for injuries and suppuration. As a double treatment to relieve stiffness or soreness, wild daisy can be taken internally as a tea and
applied externally in compresses.
Damiana (Turnera diffusa): As an aphrodisiac, damiana works by sending blood to the genital area. It must
be used consistently for several weeks before an effect is noticed. The leaf is infused to treat sexual trauma,
frigidity, and impotence. It also clears the kidneys, helps the digestion, relieves constipation, and benefits lung
problems and coughs. Due to its testosterogenic quality, damiana has always been seen as an herb for men,
helpful in treating premature ejaculation and impotence. It works well in combination with saw palmetto berry
and/or ginseng and was used that way by Native Americans for this purpose.
It is a blood purifier with many of the same properties as parsley. Its essential oil is irritating to
mucous membranes, increasing the production while decreasing the thickness of fluids produced by these
membranes and may account for its success as a diuretic, laxative, blood purifier and expectorant. The effect
is most pronounced in the reproductive and urinary systems. It’s used in the treatment of urinary infections
such as cystitis and urethritis due to the constituent arbutin, which is converted into hydroquinone, a strong
urinary antiseptic, in the urinary tubules.
It is a relaxing nervine and tonic with an affinity for nervous system problems that affect the
reproductive system. It works by increasing blood flow, blood oxygenation, and energy in the affected area
while it relaxes the whole person. It is also used for debility, depression and lethargy. It has mild laxative
properties. It has traditionally been used to treat coughs, colds, enuresis, nephritis, headaches and
dysmenorrhea.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): Dandelion contains much that is beneficial to our bodies: bitter
compounds, choline, inulin, large quantities of minerals such as calcium, sodium, silicic acid, sulfur and, in the
fresh leaves, a high content of potassium. The bitter compounds stimulate the appetite and promote digestion.
Choline affects the gallbladder and the intestines, often stimulating the mucous membranes of the large intestine
in a laxative effect. It also has a relationship to the liver’s lipid metabolism. Our daily requirement of choline is
2-3 grams and a lack of it increases fatty degeneration of the liver. Dandelion can promote bile production in
the liver and its secretion from the liver. Dandelion root is a "blood purifier" that helps both the kidneys and the
liver to improve elimination. It helps clear up many eczema-like skin problems because of this. The root has
also been successfully used to treat liver diseases such as jaundice and cirrhosis along with dyspepsia and
gallbladder problems. Its use as a diuretic is favorable because it replaces the potassium that most diuretics
remove. It's the herb of choice for treating rheumatism, gout and heart disease as well as regulating hormonal
imbalances. Fresh latex removes warts if applied several times daily. The Chinese have prescribed it since
ancient times to treat colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, hepatitis, boils, ulcers, obesity, dental problems, itching, and
internal injuries. A poultice of chopped dandelion was also used to treat breast cancer. Traditional Ayurvedic
physicians used the herb in a similar manner. Recent research shows a wide number of possibilities using
dandelion. It's diuretic property can make it useful in relieving the bloated feeling of PMS and in help with
weight loss. One study shows dandelion inhibits the growth of the fungus responsible for vaginal yeast
infections. It stimulates bile production and prevents gallstones. There is a German preparation Chol-Grandelat
(a combination of dandelion, milk thistle and rhubarb) prescribed for gallbladder disease. Traditional formulas:
dandelion and barberry; dandelion and parsley; dandelion and purslane
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