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Herb Uses R, S, T Herbs
Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus (Spathyema foetida)) The roots are a traditional folk remedy for
tight coughs, bronchitis and catarrh. It acts as a mild sedative and has been employed to treat nervous
disorders. As employed in respiratory and nervous disorders, rheumatism, and dropsy, the rootstock was
official in the US Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1882. Skunk cabbage may be used whenever there is a tense or
spasmodic condition in the lungs. It will act to relax and ease irritable coughs. It may be used in asthma,
bronchitis and whooping cough. As a diaphoretic it will aid the body during fevers. Less commonly, skunk
cabbage is used as a treatment for epilepsy, headaches, vertigo, and rheumatic problems and as a means to stop
bleeding. The leaves can be used fresh as a vulnerary.
Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva) A tea of the moist inner bark was taken for digestive problems, particularly
diarrhea, since it is rich in a soothing mucilage. It will soothe and astringe at the same time. After the inner
bark has been soaked in warm water, it produces a mucilage that has been used to soften the skin and protect it
from chapping and to hasten the healing of skin wounds. It makes a soothing and nourishing food and
herbalists consider it one of the best remedies for healing inflammations of the gastro-intestinal tract. It may be
used in gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, enteritis, colitis and the like. It is a useful remedy for urinary
problems such as chronic cystitis. Slippery elm has been used to treat all manner of chest conditions and has a
soothing effect on everything from coughs and bronchitis to pleurisy and tuberculosis. The powdered bark,
commonly known as slippery elm food, may be sold commercially as a nourishing drink for convalescents and
those recovering from gastro-intestinal illnesses. Externally the bark makes an excellent poultice for use in
cases of burns, boils, abscesses or ulcers. It works very well as a “drawing” poultice for boils and splinters.
Native Americans used the bark, beaten to a pulp, to treat gunshot wounds and help remove bullets. They also
used it to treat fever, diarrhea, and respiratory infections, and made a tea from boiled roots to assist women in
childbirth.
Smartweed (Polygonum hydropiper) Water pepper is a vasoconstrictor. The flowering heads and leaves are
mostly used but occasionally the fresh roots too. Principally it is used as an infusion to stem bleeding and
relieve menstrual pain. A cold water infusion used to be prescribed for gravel, dysentery, coughs, sore throats,
colds, and gout. A fomentation is good for chronic ulcers and bleeding tumors. Some of the old herbalists
thought it effective in nervous diseases like vertigo, lethargy, apoplexy and palsy. Dried leaves and tops were
boiled in water to make a wash used for sore mouth in nursing mothers. The plant was also used for internal
bleeding and uterine disorders and to promote menstrual flow. In combination with tonics and gum myrrh, it is
said to have cured epilepsy - probably dependent on some uterine derangement. The infusion in cold water,
which may be readily prepared from the fluid extract, has been found serviceable in gravel, dysentery, gout,
sore mouths, colds and coughs, and mixed with wheat bran, in bowel complaints. Antiseptic and desiccant
virtues are also claimed for it. The fresh leaves, bruised with those of the Mayweed (Anthemis cotula), and
moistened with a few drops of oil of turpentine, make a speedy vesicant. Simmered in water and vinegar, it has
proved useful in gangrenous, or mortified conditions. The extract, in the form of infusion or fomentation, has
been beneficially applied in chronic ulcers and hemorrhoidal tumors, also as a wash in chronic erysipetalous
inflammations, and as a fomentation in flatulent colic. A hot decoction made from the whole plant has been
used in America as a remedy for cholera, a sheet being soaked in it and wrapped round the patient immediately
the symptoms start.
Smooth Pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus ) The leaves are considered useful for reducing tissue swelling, and have
a cleansing effect. The plant has been used to treat dysentery, diarrhea, excessive menstrual flow, ulcers and
intestinal hemorrhaging. A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of intestinal bleeding, diarrhea, excessive
menstruation etc.
Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum (syn Helenium tenuifolium) ) The plant has been used to cause sneezing and
thus clear the nasal passages of mucus. A decoction of the entire plant can be used in a sweat bath to treat dropsy
and swellings. It is also a strong fish poison
Soap Tree (Quillaja saponaria ) Soap bark tree has a long history of medicinal use with the Andean people who
used it especially as a treatment for various chest problems. Its strong expectorant effect is reliable for soothing and
relieving chronic bronchitis, especially in the early stages. Also one of the strongest known sternutatories—it produces
sneezing. Like other plants that contain saponins, soap tree stimulates the production of a more fluid mucus in the
airways, facilitating the clearing of phlegm through coughing. It is useful for treating any condition featuring congested
mucus within the chest, but should not be used for dry, irritable coughs. It is one of the best aids to hair growth, when
applied as an infusion to the scalp and appears in the formulations of dandruff shampoos. Soap bark tree is used as a
source of compounds for the pharmaceutical industry.
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) Soapwort’s main internal use is as an expectorant. Its strongly irritant
action within the gut is thought to stimulate the cough reflex and increase the production of a more fluid mucus
within the respiratory passages. Consequently, the plant is prescribed for the treatment of bronchitis, coughs
and some cases of asthma. Soapwort may be taken for other problems including rheumatic and arthritic pain.
A decoction of the root and, to a lesser extent, an infusion of the aerial parts of the herb make soothing washes
for eczema and other itchy skin conditions. It is also effective when applied to poison ivy and poison oak,
especially in combination with other herbs, such as mugwort. It was once taken internally to help eliminate
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