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Herb Uses -O, P, Q Herbs
boiled in milk, will prove beneficial in treating diarrhea and dysentery. It will also enrich the milk of nursing mothers,
and at the same time increase milk flow. Combining both Blessed Thistle and Marshmallow for enriched milk is
especially effective. Marshmallow’s ability to bind and eliminate toxins allows the body to cleanse itself. For this
reason, it is added to arthritis, laxative, infection, female tonic, vermifuge and other cleansing formulas.
Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus): Stimulant, diuretic. It has many of the properties of the coniferous turpentines and was
formerly greatly used in medicine. Of late years it has chiefly been used for filling carious teeth, either alone or in
spirituous solution, and for varnishes, and in the East in the manufacture of sweets and cordials. In the East it is still
used medicinally in the diarrhoea of children and masticated to sweeten the breath. The most effective oil for treating
varicose veins is mastic (Pistacia lentiscus), but it is very expensive and ill smelling. A good substitute is cypress oil. A
blend for external use can be made by combining several essential oils: 10 drops cypress or 5 drops mastic; 10 drops
lavender or geranium; 5 drops rosemary or juniper; and 5 drops chamomile. A massage oil can be made by adding 15
drops of this essential oil blend to an ounce of carrier oil, which should be rubbed gently into the legs several times
each day. Always massage above the varicose area. For hemorrhoids, mix one tablespoon KY jelly to 10 drops of the
essential oil blend, then apply.
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum ) In New England the root was used to stimulate glands and for gastrointestinal
disorders. The root was also used as a tonic for liver, lung, and stomach ailments. A decoction was made by boiling
the roots in water and was used to treat rheumatism. This was also used on chickens who had diarrhea. Years ago it
was used as a poison for eliminating chipmunks. Taken internally it is a powerful stimulant to the liver and intestines.
It is a very strong glandular stimulant and useful for treating chronic liver diseases, promoting bile flow and digestion,
and in the elimination of obstructions and skin problems.
The wart-removing drugs are produced from podophyllotoxin—found in mayapple rhizomes. Its application
must be restricted to abnormal tissue only. The compound is thought to interfere with the wart’s development and
blood supply. The podophyllotoxin in mayapple has been found to stimulate the immune system while suppressing
lymph cells. It is more toxic to leukemia cells than to normal cells. The tumor inhibitor was actually discovered in
1958, but the compound created digestive-tract irritations too severe to make it practical. Now a semisynthetic
derivative, etoposide, is being used for chemotherapy in Europe to treat lung cancer and cancer of the testicles. It has
been shown to restrict the activity of an enzyme necessary for the reproduction of cancer cells. It was introduced in
1985 under the trade name Vepeside®.
Traditionally, podophyllotoxin has been collected from the roots of podophyllum emodi. It is a wild plant that
grows only in the Himalayan Mountains. However, the plant has been declared endangered because too much of it
has been collected in India. Decreasing supplies of the plant in India have resulted in export restrictions. Attempts to
make copies of the cancer-fighting substance have proven costly. Now, researchers from the United States
Agriculture Department and the University of Mississippi have developed a way to get podophyllotoxin from the
mayapple plant. The researchers believe that both the mayapple and podophyllum emodi produce the substance as a
form of protection against insects and other plant-eating creatures. The plants store the substance until they are
attacked.
The American researchers say their method is successful because it makes the mayapple think it is being
attacked. This results in the release of large amounts of podophyllotoxin. They say their system to remove
podophyllotoxin from the mayapple is fast, effective and low cost. The researchers say the mayapple plant provides a
plentiful and renewable supply of the substance. And they add there may be increased demand for the mayapple plant
as a crop if the method becomes widely used.
Meadow Rue (Thalictrum aquilegifolium) Meadow rue is a purgative and diuretic. It is a bitter digestive
tonic that contains berberine or a similar alkaloid. The leaves were sometimes added to spruce beer in the
19 th century as a digestive tonic.
Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria ) Meadowsweet is used to treat rheumatism, fevers, and pain in much the same
way as aspirin is used, but it contains buffering agents that counter the drug’s side effects, such as gastric bleeding. In
fact, it prevents overacidity in the stomach and is considered one of the best herbal treatments for heartburn. It would
seem that reducing acidity within the stomach can help to reduce acid levels in the body as a whole, thereby helping
joint problems (which are associated with acidity). It also improves digestion and helps to heal ulcers. An antiseptic
diuretic that promotes uric acid excretion, it is used for urinary tract problems. Meadowsweet is also occasionally used
for cystitis. It was once the treatment of choice for children’s diarrhea. The cleansing diuretic effect has given
meadowsweet a reputation for clearing the skin and resolving rashes. Given its mild antiseptic action it makes a good
remedy for cystitis and urethritis, fluid retention and kidney problems. The salicylate salts are said to soften deposits in
the body such as kidney stones and gravel, as well as arteriosclerosis in the arteries. Meadowsweet reduces fevers
by suppressing the sympathetic temperature regulation center.
Melilot (Melilotus officinalis) As with horse chestnut, long-term use of melilot—internally or externally—can help
varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Melilot also helps reduce the risk of phlebitis and thrombosis. The plant is mildly
sedative and antispasmodic, and is given for insomnia (especially in children) and anxiety. It has been used to treat
gas and indigestion, bronchitis, problems associated with menopause and rheumatic pains. The infusion prepared
with the dried parts has digestive and carminative properties. The dried leaves have a scar-forming action and also
repel moths. Yellow melilot is used in poultices and salves for boils, swellings, arthritis, rheumatism and headaches.
For centuries there was a salve called simply Melilot. It was compounded of the juice of young green Melilot plants
boiled with rosin, wax, sheep tallow, and a little turpentine. It was used to draw and heal all kinds of wounds and sores
and remained popular for centuries. A similar Melilot plaster can still be purchased today in many parts of Europe.
The tea is used to wash sores and wounds and as an antinflammatory eye wash. For headaches and joint pains, try
making melilot into an herb pillow. In Germany, powdered melilot is mixed with an equal amount of water to make a
poultice for treating hemorrhoids.
In Chinese medicine, it is considered sedative and astringent. When taken internally, it imparts its sweet
fragrance to the body.
Mexican Marigold Mint (Tagetes lucida): internally for diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, colic, hiccups, malaria, and
feverish illnesses. Externally for scorpion bites and to remove ticks.
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