The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [13]
When using Baneberry root (Actea rubra), which is recommended as a substitute for Black Cohosh for relieving pain, use a reduced dosage, as noted in the latter part of Chapter Twelve, “Tincturing by Maceration.”
Calendula (Marigold) is anti-inflammatory, vulnerary, lymphatic, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal. It is unsurpassed for treating local skin problems that are due to infection, and for treating wounds, burns, bruises, or strains due to physical damage. It is excellent for internal digestive inflammation and ulceration. Calendula is antispasmodic, lymphatic, and emmenagogue for normalizing the menstrual process, and cholagogue for aiding in the relief of a gallbladder problem and its accompanying digestive complaints; hepatic.
Cayenne (Capsicum) is a general tonic, but it’s also quite specific to the circulatory and digestive systems. It is the most useful of the systemic stimulants, strengthening the heart, arteries, capillaries, blood flow, peripheral circulation, and nerves. It helps in conditions of debility, especially of the elderly, and wards off colds and catarrh. It is also carminative, and sialagogue. Applied externally, it is rubefacient and is most useful for cold hands and feet (sprinkled in socks), and problems like rheumatic pains and lumbago, and for hoarseness as a gargle; anti-microbial and an ouchful! but very effective styptic (s & m variety).
Chamomile is anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving for a wide range of conditions along the entire digestive tract; antispasmodic for easing muscle cramps; nervine. Chamomile is probably the most widely used relaxing nervine tonic. It is also used to relieve mental stress and tension. It is carminative and a mild bitter.
Cleavers is lymphatic; a lymphatic cleanser which relieves lymphatic swelling, particularly where there is an acute “hot” inflammation; it is a cooling diuretic that soothes an irritable urinary tract; tonic, and alterative.
Comfrey (Knitbone) is vulnerary and demulcent, having unparalleled wound, ulcer, and fracture healing action. It is anti-inflammatory and soothing to dry inflamed digestive tract; astringent, able to allay hemorrhaging wherever it occurs; and expectorant as an age-old remedy for dry irritable coughs, especially when accompanied by blood streaked mucus.
Comfrey has been praised throughout history as a premier healing plant used extensively in folkloric Herbalism internally and externally for the repair of innumerable body wounds and illnesses. However, in the past few years reductionist science has proclaimed Comfrey (in particular, the root and the early spring leaves) to be the possessor and conveyer of certain toxic components called pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are said to cause damage to the liver of human beings. Many herbalists have accepted this as truth and a number of us have not. Therefore, in order to provide full disclosure in this printed manual concerning the use of Comfrey, I feel it prudent to inform the reader of this debate and give current standard precautions: It is recommended that pregnant women, young children, and persons with manifest liver disease avoid the consumption of Comfrey (external use is no problem). Others are advised to use Comfrey root and leaf on a short-term basis and preferably avoid the use of the spring leaf, but instead use the leaf that appears on the latter (second) growth of the year. There are available in the marketplace pyrrolizidine-free Comfrey tinctures in which the suspect alkaloids have been removed.
Crampbark is an antispasmodic that relieves voluntary and involuntary muscular spasm of the entire pelvic viscera, bladder, womb (anti-abortive), ovaries, and the limbs; it allays convulsions, asthma, thigh and back pain, and it’s an anti-inflammatory and nervine, helping to restore sympathetic/parasympathetic balance. Its astringent action helps allay excessive blood loss in menstruation and especially in menopause; emmenagogue.
Dandelion (also see Chapter One, “A Field Trip”) has many healing actions. The root is a general tonic