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Herb Uses -F, G, H Herbs
as a breast enlarger.
Anethole, the main constituent of the oil, has demonstrated anti-microbial activity. Dissolve a total of
25 drops of thyme, eucalyptus and fennel oils in 25 ml sunflower or almond oil as a chest rub. Fennel should
not be used in high doses as it causes muscular spasms and hallucinations.
America’s 19 th century Eclectic physicians prescribed fennel as a digestive aid, milk and menstruation
promoter. Latin Americans still boil the seeds in milk as a milk promoter for nursing mothers. Jamaicans use it
to treat colds. And Africans take fennel for diarrhea and indigestion.
A decoction of the seeds is used in Chinese medicine for abdominal pain, colic and stomach chills.
Enters the Liver, Kidney, Spleen, Stomach channels. Spreads the Liver qi, warms the Kidneys, expels cold and
alleviates pain: used to warm and encourage movement in the Liver channel or the lower burner as in cold
hernial disorders or any kind of lower abdominal pain due to cold. Use with caution in cases of yin deficiency
with heat signs.
One study suggests fennel has oddly contradictory effects on the liver. It aggravates liver damage in
experimental animals but spurs liver regeneration in animals with parts of their liver removed
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) Uses have been an aid to digestion and treat inflammations. Medicinal
use and commercial cultivation is at present on the increase. Its seeds are high (40%) in mucilage, an emollient
soothing to the skin and used as an emulsifier in drugs and food. The seeds also contain diosgenin, a steroid that can
be converted to pregnenolone (a steroid formed during the synthesis of hormones) and progesterone, the
anti-estrogen hormone secreted by pregnant women. The seeds are reported to contain chemicals that inactivate
trypsin and chymotrypsin, enzymes making it possible for your body to digest protein. But there is no evidence that
fenugreek used to season food has any such effect. Seeds are high in protein and contain trigonelline, a nitrogen
compound found in many legumes. When trigonelline comes in contact with acids or is heated, it yields nicotinic acid
(niacin), the B vitamin that prevents pellagra. Grind seed coarsely, infuse and drink as a tonic tea to stimulate
digestion and milk flow, ease coughing, flatulence and diarrhea. Make a mushy poultice of crushed seed and hot milk
for inflammation, ulcers, swollen glands, sciatica and bruises. Said to be effective in treating fevers. The seeds have
galactogenic and anthelminthic properties; the ancients believed them to be aphrodisiac.
Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium also Chrysanthemum parthenium): When the wife of a Welsh doctor
ended her 50-year-old history of migraine with a course of feverfew, a detailed scientific investigation of
feverfew got underway and in clinical trials in Britain during the 1980s the herb was demonstrated to be an
effective remedy for migraine. 20 headache patients eat fresh feverfew leaves daily for 3 months and stop using
headache-related drugs during the lasst month. After they were given capsules of .37 grains of freeze-dried leaf
every day, they experienced less severe headaches and fewer symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, than a
placebo group. As an added benefit, their blood pressure went down. Despite extensive research, the exact
nature of its action is not yet understood, but the constituent parthenolide appears to inhibit the release of the
hormone serotonin, which is thought to trigger migraine. The parthenolides in feverfew do not work by the
same method as salicylates. While many herbalists feel the fresh leaves, or an extract made from them, are
preferred, results have been seen with fresh, freeze-dried, and air-dried leaves, although boiling feverfew tea for
10 minutes instead of steeping it did reduce its activity in one study. As a preventative it should be taken in
small quantities (3 leaves a day) regularly. The herb can help arthritic and rheumatic pain, especially in
combination with other herbs.
The herb has been used since Roman times to induce menstruation. It is given in difficult births to aid
expulsion of the placenta. It has not been shown to cause uterine contractions, but because of its history in
promoting menstruation pregnant women should probably not use it.
In South America where feverfew is naturalized, it has been effective for colic, stomachahe, morning
sickness and kidney pains. In Costa Rica, it has also been employed as a digestive aid and emmenagogue.
Mexicans have used it as a sitz bath to regulate menstruation as well as an antispasmodic and tonic.
Feverfew is useful for cats as an alternative to aspirin, which is toxic to felines. Use a glycerin-based
tincture or a cooled tea with a dose of 12-20 drops of the tincture or ½ tsp of a strong tea for each 20 pounds of
the animal’s weight, twice daily. Pets can be bathed in a cooled tea as a flea rinse.
Figwort (Scrophularia nodosa): Powerful medicines whenever enlarged glands are present including
nodosities in the breasts. Figwort is used to cleanse and purify the body. Figwort is used to treat skin diseases
such as eczema, acne and psoriasis. It has been called the Scrofula Plant, on account of its value in all
cutaneous eruptions, abscesses, wounds, etc., the name of the genus being derived from that of the disease for
which it was formerly considered a specific (tuberculosis of the lymph glands in the neck). It has diuretic and
anodyne properties. A decoction is made of it for external use and the fresh leaves are also made into an
ointment. Of the different kinds of Figwort used, this species is most employed, principally as a fomentation
for sprains, swellings, inflammations, wounds and diseased parts, especially in scrofulous sores and gangrene.
The leaves simply bruised are employed as an application to burns and swellings. Figwort is used for lingering
and congenital illnesses of the lymphatic system and the skin. It has a stimulating and strengthening effect on
the bladder and kidneys. The glycosides it contains make it suitable for treating mild heart conditions that call
for stimulating the metabolism and eliminating water retention in the body. For this purpose, use figwort as a
tea or tincture.
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