Herbs have been used for their medicinal uses for thousands of years,even some modern day drugs contain herbs.Here i have listed a few herbs showing their medicinal properties.However it is wise to seek medical advice before undertaking any alternative treatments.
ALFALFA
The juice of alfalfa in combination with those of lettuce and carrot, if taken daily, helps the growth of hair as they are rich in elements that are beneficial for the roots of the hair.Alfalfa is an effective remedy for high blood pressure. It contains all the elements necessary for the softening of hardened arteries, which characterize high blood pressure.Alfalfa tea especially made from the seeds is an effective remedy for arthritis. It helps alkalize the food residues in the body.
BAY BERRY
Bay berry is an effective remedy in fevers and colds. A hot decoction of it can be taken in the treatment of fevers, catarrh of the mucous membranes, affections of the chest and typhoid. The powdered bark can be used as a snuff for congested nasal passages, which are relieved by sneezing. The decoction also makes a good gargle for throat infections.Bay berry taken internally can be used to treat post partum hemorrhage. It can also be used as a douche for excessive menstrual bleeding and leucorrhea, or white discharge.It is useful in several diseases like diarrhea, dysentery and chronic gonorrhea. A decoction for the herb can be taken with cinnamon in chronic cough and pilesA compress of bay berry can be used for dressing wounds and ulcers. The powder of its bark can be dusted over putrid soresA paste of the bark made with vinegar can be used for strengthening gums and relieving toothache.
CLOVE
Three to five drops of clove oil mixed with honey and a clove of garlic helps alleviate the painful spasmodic coughs in tuberculosis, asthma and bronchitis. It should be taken once before going to bed. They are effective remedy for asthma. A teaspoon of decoction prepared by boiling 6 cloves in 30 ml of water can be taken with honey thrice daily as an expectorant. The use of cloves in toothache decreases pain. They also help to decrease infection due to their antiseptic properties. Clove oil, applied to a cavity in a decayed tooth, also relieves toothache. A clove sauted in a teaspoon of sesame oil and 3 to 5 drops of this (warm) oil put into the ear can cure earache. Cloves are one of the best remedies for styes which are an inflammation around the eyelash. A clove stub rubbed in water and then applied over the stye gives relief. Muscular cramps are often relieved when the oil of clove is applied as a poultice near the affected portion.
A paste of clove and salt crystals in milk is a common home remedy for headaches. Salt, as a hygroscopic agent, absorbs fluid and decreases tension.
DANDELION
The tea made from the buds, flowers, fresh leaves or even blanched leaves of dandelion, can be very useful in cases of urinary disorders. It is also useful in the treatment of warts. The milk from the cut end of dandelion should be put on the wart twice or thrice a day. It can be used as a general body tonic for its influence in supporting waste functions of bowels, bladder and skin, which are the hard-working eliminating organs of our body.
EAST INDIAN ROSEBERRY
For allaying toothache, the root of the East Indian rosebay is chewed. It is beneficial in the treatment of several eye disorders. A paste of the plant made with water and lime juice or the latex of the plant mixed with lime juice can be applied to clear opacity of the cornea of the eyes. The juice or the milk from the leaves, either by themselves or mixed with charcoal of the plant can be used with beneficial results as a soothing application in opthalmia, that is, inflammation of the eye. The juice of the flowers mixed with some bland oil such as refined coconut oil can be used for sore eyes and inflammation of the cornea. East Indian rosebay is a valuable remedy in treating skin disorders. The juice of the leaves is a soothing application in skin irritation and wounds. The herb is useful as a local anodyne and relieves pain. The latex mixed with the juice makes a soothing dressing for wounds. It also prevents inflammation.
FENNEL
It is a valuable herb for treating colic, for helping the baby to release gas and relieve tummy. It may be used in combination with other herbs like peppermint and crushed caraway seeds or alone. A teaspoon of the herbs is boiled in a cup of water, and allowed to steep in the water for about 20 minutes. This is strained and allowed to cool. This tea, given to the baby in his feed bottle, helps cure colic. Not more than a teaspoon or two should be given at a timeIt is believed that fennel benefits the eyes. Herbalists today recommend bathing the weakened, sore or inflamed eyes with fennel tea. Regular application of the leaf juice boiled with honey is said to cure conjunctivitis. Fennel seeds promote menstruation and regulate monthly periods. An infusion of the seeds can be given in painful menstruation and other menstrual irregularities.
GARLIC
Three cloves of garlic boiled in milk, can be used every night with excellent results in asthma. A pod of garlic is peeled, crushed and boiled in 120 ml pure malt-vinegar. It is strained after cooling and an equal quantity of honey is mixed and preserved in a clean bottle. One or two teaspoons of this syrup can be taken with fenugreek decoction in the evening and before retiring. This has been found effective in reducing the severity of asthmatic attacksIt is an effective remedy for lowering blood pressure. Pressure and tension are reduced because it has the power to ease the spasm of the small arteries. It also slows the pulse and modifies the heart rhythm, besides relieving symptoms of dizziness, shortness of breath and formation of gas within the digestive tract. The average dosage should be 2 to 3 capsules a day to reduce the blood pressure. The anti-inflammatory property of garlic accounts for its effectiveness in the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.It may prevent heart attack. It helps to break cholesterol in the blood vessels, thereby preventing any hardening of arteries which leads to high blood pressure and heart attack. If a patient takes garlic after a heart attack, the cholesterol level comes down. Though the earlier damage may not be repaired, the chances of new attacks are reduced... Garlic is an excellent worm expeller. It has the ability to destroy harmful bacteria in the intestines without affecting the beneficial organisms which aid digestion. Garlic is a useful remedy for the digestive system. It is good for the lymph, and aids elimination of noxious waste matter in the body. It stimulates peristaltis, or movement of the intestine – and the secretion of digestive juices. Crushed cloves of garlic may be infused in water or milk and taken for all disorders of digestion. It has an antiseptic effect and is an excellent remedy for infectious diseases and inflammations of the stomach and intestine. Garlic oil is absorbed into the alimentary tract and is eliminated partly through the urine.
HOLY BASIL
Holy basil leaves are specific for many fevers. During the rainy season, when malaria and dengue fever are widely prevalent, tender leaves, boiled with tea, act as a preventive against these diseases. In case of acute fevers, a decoction of the leaves boiled with powdered cardamom in half a liter of water and mixed with sugar and milk bring down the temperature. Water boiled with basil leaves can be taken as a drink in case of sore throat. This water can also be used as a gargle.
Common pediatric problems like cough, cold, fever, diarrhea and vomiting respond favorably to the juice of basil leaves. If pustules of chicken pox delay their appearance, basil leaves taken with saffron will hasten them.Holy basil promotes the removal of catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes. The leaves are quite effective for the ulcers and infections in the mouth. A few leaves chewed will cure these conditions.
INDIAN GOOSEBERRY
Indian gooseberry is used in various ways. The best way to take it with the least loss of vitamin C is to eat it raw with a little salt. It is often used in the form of pickles and marmalade. It can be preserved for a long period when it is dried and powdered. The berry may also be used as a vegetable. It is boiled in a small amount of water till soft and taken with a little salt.The dried fruit of Indian gooseberry is useful in diarrhea and dysentery. A drink made from amla, mixed with lemon juice and misri – that is, sugar candy – controls acute bacillary dysentery. One tablespoon of the paste of leaves, mixed with honey or buttermilk, can be taken for treatment the condition.
JAUNDICE BERRY
Precaution
This herb should not be used during pregnancy as the alkaloid berberine stimulates the uterus, and may cause abortion. Jaundice berry is useful in menstrual disorders such as painful periods and excessive loss of blood. It has also been found beneficial during labor.Jaundice berry is very useful in the treatment of high blood pressure. Research has shown that it dilates the arteries thereby lowering blood pressure.
KANTAKARI
It is useful in the treatment of constipation and flatulence. It strengthens the stomach and promotes its action. It corrects disordered processes of nutrition by which the organization ingests, digests, absorbs, utilizes and excretes food substances and restores normal function of the system. The drug also possesses anthelminitic (worm destroying) property and is useful in eliminating intestinal worms.It is also effective in throat disorders like sore throat and tonsillitis. An extract of the plant should be used as a gargle in such cases. This is prepared by continuously boiling the plant in about 2 liters of water after washing it thoroughly, till it reduces to half its volume and it should be filtered.
LEMON GRASS
Lemon grass is used locally over rheumatic joints, lumbago and sprains. Lemon grass oil mixed with twice its bulk of coconut oil is a stimulating ointment for rheumatism, lumbago, neuralgia, sprains and other painful affections. In chronic cases, the undiluted oil may be used for better results. It can also be taken internally in the same manner as for fevers.An infusion of the grass, mixed with black pepper is given in painful and difficult menstruation. Raw juice or decoction of the grass may be taken in such a condition. Leaves of lemon grass are valuable remedy in treating ringworm as a local application. A paste of the leaves made with buttermilk should be applied on the affected part.
MARIGOLDThe flowers are valuable remedy for inflamed or ulcerated conditions of the skin when used externally, as in varicose ulcers. A cold infusion of marigold, used as eyewash, gives relief in conjunctivitis. A lotion of the flowers is also a useful wash for inflamed and sore eyes.The herb is useful in the treatment of certain circulatory disorders. A compress of the herb can be applied beneficially in the treatment of varicose veins and chilblains, which is an inflamed condition of the skin of the hands, feet and sometimes ears and nose caused by poor circulation and cold weather.
NUTMEG
It is used beneficially in the treatment of skin diseases like ringworm and eczema. The paste of the herb prepared by rubbing it on a stone slab in one’s own early morning saliva – before cleansing the mouth –is applied once daily as a specific remedy in the treatment of these conditions. The powder of nutmeg, about 5 to 15 grams, mixed with apple juice or banana, is used as a specific remedy for diarrhea caused by indigestion of food. The same quantity of nutmeg powder taken with a tablespoon of fresh amla juice thrice daily is effective for indigestion, hiccups and morning sickness. It has beneficial results in treating dehydration caused by vomiting and diarrhea, particularly in cholera. An infusion prepared from half a nutmeg in half a liter of water given with tender coconut water in doses of 15 grams at a time, is an effective treatment.
In case of a running nose, a paste made from nutmeg with cow’s milk and 75 mg of opium should be applied to the forehead and the nose, it will provide quick relief. A nutmeg coarsely powdered and fried in sesame oil, until all the particles become brown is effective as an external application to relieve any rheumatic pain, neuralgia and sciatica. The oil should be cooled and strained before application.
ONION
Onion is useful in bleeding piles. About 30 grams of onions should be finely ground on a slab with water and 60 grams of sugar added to it. Taken twice daily this brings relief within a few days. Onion is noted for its easily assimilable iron content. They are therefore, beneficial in treating anemia. Cotton wool dipped in onion juice and put into the ear is a popular remedy for noises in the ears. Heated juice dropped in the ear relieves earache.Chewing raw onion for 3 minutes is sufficient to kill all germs in the mouth. Toothache is often alleviated by placing a small piece of onion on the affected tooth or gum.
PARSLEY
Bruised parsley is good as an application to the bites and stings of insects. Likewise, it is beneficial when applied on bruised and inflamed joints. It is a most cleansing suppuration when applied to open wounds. Raw parsley juice, mixed with carrot juice, is useful in all ailments connected with the eyes and the optic nerves. It is good for weak eyes, ulceration of the cornea, cataracts, conjunctivitis and opthalmia or sluggishness of the pupil. It is a useful remedy for bad breath. Boil 2 cups of water with coarsely chopped parsley springs and 2 or 3 whole cloves or a quarter tablespoon ground cloves. The mixture has to be stirred frequently while cooling. It is then strained and can be used as a mouthwash or gargle several times a day. It has also useful in the treatment of boils. It should be steeped in boiled water till it is soft and juicy. It can be applied to the boils when comfortably hot and wrapped with clean muslin or linen.
ROSEMARY
Shampoos and hair lotions containing the pure extract of rosemary rejuvenate the scalp and hair while preventing dandruff and premature baldness. A lotion from leafy rosemary branches can be prepared by simmering them in water for 30 minutes before straining and cooling. It can be used as the final hair rinse.The flowering tops and leaves of rosemary have camphor like odor, which induce copious perspiration. They are used for vapor baths in rheumatism.
SANDALWOOD
Sandalwood paste applied on the temple relieves headache and bring down the temperature in fever.An emulsion or a paste of the wood is a cooling dressing in inflammatory and eruptive skin diseases such as erysipelas, an inflammatory disease of the face and prurigo, an itchy eruption. The oil is useful for scabies too. This oil mixed with twice its quantity of mustered oil is used for removing pimples. In summer, regular application of sandalwood paste on the body, especially for children has a refreshing effect which heals any tiny infected spots.Sandalwood is also effective in gastric irritability. About 22 grams of a watery emulsion of the wood mixed with sugar, honey and rice water should be administered in the treatment of such a condition.
TAMARIND
Tamarind pulp is useful in treating fevers. It is generally taken in 15 gram doses. A sherbet made by boiling 30 grams of the pulp in half a liter of milk with the addition of a few dates, cloves, sugar and cardamoms and a little camphor is effective in fevers. Tamarind pepper rasam, a clear soup – is considered a valuable remedy for cold in south India. It is prepared by boiling very dilute tamarind water in a teaspoon of hot ghee and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder for a few minutes. This steaming hot rasam has a flushing effect. As one takes it, the nose and eyes water and the nasal blockage is cleared.
The tender leaves of tamarind tree are an effective remedy for treating burns. They are put into a pot, covered and warmed over the fire. The burnt ones are finely powdered and sieved to remove any gritty particles. This is mixed in gingelly (til) oil and applied over the brunt part. The wound gets healed within a few days. Its leaves prevent oedema and help in the growth of healthy, normal skin. The oil keeps the affected part well protected against moisture and entry of harmful germs.
VALERIAN
It is particularly useful in treating cases of hysteria, restless and irritable conditions. The drug exercise depressant action on the overall central nervous system. It has gained importance in recent years owing to its beneficial effects in epilepsy. It is also considered useful in cholera, a condition marked by incessant involuntary jerks. Valerian is beneficial in treating insomnia. It reduces excitement, irritation and pain. The fresh juice of the plant can be used as a narcotic to induce sleep.
WORMWOOD
Wormwood is used to expel intestinal worms. The flowering tops are used as a drug to kill intestinal worms. They are usually powdered and administered in 8 to 16 gram doses for roundworms and tapeworms.The oil distilled from the plant also possesses the property to kill worms. Mixed with eight times its weight of olive oil, it can be given in doses of 50 to 100 grams. An infusion of the herb can be given as an enema for killing worms in the rectum.Wormwood is useful in the treatment of bilious melancholia besides dispersing the yellow bile of jaundice from the skin. An infusion of the herb or its powder can be given in small doses.
Precaution
Wormwood should be avoided during pregnancy and if needed, should be taken only for short periods.
ZIZYPHUS
A paste of zizyphus leaves and twigs can be applied with excellent results over boils, carbuncles and abscesses to promote suppuration. It can also be applied beneficially over painful boils and styes. This paste, mixed with a teaspoon of lime juice can be applied as a poultice in the treatment of scorpion sting. Infusion of its leaves can be applied as a lotion to wash the wounds and other ulcers. It is also beneficial in preventing frequent attacks of colds and influenza. A teaspoon of the fresh juice of the fruit can be taken with a pinch of pepper once daily for preventing colds.
The leaves are useful in treating conjunctivitis. An infusion of the leaves should be used as an eye lotion.The bark of zizyphus can be used for treating diarrhea, dysentery and colic. The infusion of the inner covering of the bark is used as a purgative in constipation.Infusion of the fresh and tender leaves, mixed with salt is a useful gargle for sore throat, relaxed uvula, inflammation of the mouth, bleeding from gums and cracked tongue due to excessive consumption of sour fruits.
The paste of zizyphus leaves applied over the scalp and hair can keep them clean and prevents scalp diseases. It also lengthens the hair besides darkening them.Fresh baked leaves of zizyphus are useful in piles. The leaves are baked by placing them over the covered with another plate to prevent steam from escaping. Those baked leaves are pounded with some castor oil. This warm poultice can be applied over the piles. The process should be repeated twice daily for a week.
