 Herbs for Healing
History of Herb Use
Herbs have been used throughtout the length of human history
as healing tools. Most ancient cultures recognised the value
of herbs in aiding recovery of various ailments and in promoting
good health. In fact, Herbalism was often the main tool of the
healer. Herbs not only had medicinal uses but spiritual uses as well.
Several herbs were considered invaluable for their ability to
open the doorway to the spirit world. Many herbs have been
used in more modern times for their medicinal propeties.
Herbs and their Properties
Please note that this list will contain information on
many but by no means all herbs in use today and that the
list will periodically be added to.
Warning: It is dangerous to self-diagnose
and as equally dangerous to self-prescribe remedies!
Acacia: (commonly known as Gum Arabic)
Parts Usually Used: Gum
Medicinal Uses: main effect is to form a protective, soothing coating over inflammations in the
respiratory, alimentary, and urinary tracts. It is helpful for coughs, sore throat, and catarrh, eyewash,
diarrhea and dysentry. Sweetened, it is sometimes used for typhoid fever.
Agrimony:(commonly known as Liverwort)
Parts Usually Used: Dried whole plant before flowering, without the roots.
Medicinal Uses: Good for dry coughs, where its effect is gently sedative. Some forms of rheumatism are
helped. Considered a liver tonic. Sometimes known as liverwort. Helps liver, spleen, kidney problems.
In France they drink agrimony as much for its flavor as for its medicinal virtues. Tea believed to be
helpful in diarrhea, blood disorders, fevers, colds, sore throat, indigestion, mucus colitis, gout, hepatitis,
gallbladder and gallstones, jaundice, dropsy, diarrhea, snakebites, pimples, indigestion, conjunctivitis, a
gargle for sore throats and even worms.
A poultice made from fresh leaves and roots can be used to treat bruises, wounds, ulcers, draw out thorns
and splinters, and sores.
It also may be used as a suppository, combining the extract with cocoa butter and inserting into the
rectum for hemorrhoids, tapeworms, and diarrhea.
Alder:(commonly known as Winter Berry)
Parts Usually Used: Bark, leaves
Medicinal Uses: Fresh alder bark will cause vomiting; so use dried bark for other than emetic purposes. A
decoction of the bark makes a good gargle for sore throat and pharyngitis. The powdered bark and the
leaves have been used as a tonic. Boiling the inner bark in vinegar produces an external wash for lice and
for skin problems such as scabies and scabs, psoriasis, rheumatism, inflammations, good for burning and
aching feet, dropsy, shingles, impetigo, pruritis, poultice for swellings of all kinds including enlarged
glands, scrofula. You can use the liquid to clean your teeth and firm gums. An effective worm medicine
for children. Inner bark boiled in vinegar will kill lice, cure the itch, cures old sores, and good for
toothache.
Alfalfa:(commonly known as Lucerne)
Parts Usually Used: Flowering plant, leaves petals, flowers and sprouts.
Medicinal Uses: Alfalfa tea is commonly used as a beverage; it is also used medicinally. Nutritious fresh
or dried leaf tea traditionally used to promote appetite, weight gain, diuretic, stops bleeding.
A source of commercial chlorophyll and carotene, both with valid health claims. Contains the anti-oxidant
tricin.
Experimentally, antifungal, and setrogenic. Unsubstantiated claims include use for cancer, diabetes,
alcoholism, arthritis, etc. High in chlorophyll and nutrients. Alkalies the body and detoxifies the body,
especially the liver. Good for all colon disorders, anemia, hemorrhaging, indigestion, vitamin or mineral
deficiency, laxative, cystitis, blood purifier, gas, edema, diabetes, ulcers, and arthritis. Promotes pituitary
gland function. Contains an antifungus agent.
Allspice: (commonly known as Pimento)
Parts Usually Used: Fruit
Medicinal Uses: Pimento water and oil of pimento are helpful for flatulent indigestion or simple
flatulence; the oil is used for hysteria. Taken with a laxative, the oil lessens the tendency toward griping..
As an ointment or a bath additive, allspice is said to have some anesthetic effects. Also used for
rheumatism and neuralgia.
Almond:
Parts Usually Used: Kernels
Medicinal Uses: Good for facial scrubs and cosmetics. The oil derived from a bitter variety of almond has
sedative properties and is sometimes used in cough remedies. The oil from a sweet variety makes a
soothing ingredient in internal medications and is used externally as an emollient. Almond butter makes a
rich protein substitute for peanut butter and is well tolerated by diabetics. Almond oil may reduce
cholesterol when used instead of saturated fat.
Oil of sweet almonds combined with powdered sugar is good for a dry cough or hoarseness, taken a little
at a time.
The early settlers in the America claimed that if 5 or 6 bitter almonds were eaten before partaking of
alcoholic beverages, intoxication is slowed.
Aloe Vera:
Parts Usually Used: Leaves
Medicinal Uses: Aloe is one of the great healing agents among the herbs. Cleans out the colon. Helps any
kind of sores externally, excellent for kitchen or minor burns and for piles. Because of its nauseating
taste, it is generally used in powder or pill form when taken for a purgative. It also tends to gripe and
cause a constipative reaction, so that it should be combined with a carminative for best results. The fresh
leaves of the aloe can be split to expose the gelatinous juice and then rubbed on the skin for sunburn,
wrinkles, headache, insect bites, skin irritations, and minor cuts, ulcers, sores, herpes, jaundice, bursitis,
canker sores, sore gums, and scratches. The fresh juice is also said to help heal wounds by preventing or
drawing out infection, and for poison ivy. Rub the scalp with aloe and it keeps the hair from falling out. A
tea made from the dried juice makes a good wash for wounds and for the eyes.
Aloes are used widely for their moisturizing and softening properties.
Amaranth: (commonly known as Red Cockscomb )
Parts Usually Used: Leaves
Medicinal Uses: Taken internally for diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhage from the bowels, nosebleeds, and
excessive menstruation. Can be used as a douche for leucorrhea, as a wash for skin problems, and as a
gargle for mouth and throat irritations.
Anise: (commonly known as Aniseed )
Parts Usually Used: Seed
Medicinal Uses: Anise promotes digestion, improves appetite, alleviates cramps and nausea, cough, colds,
and relieves flatulence, bad breath, and, especially in infants, colic (mothers who sip anise tea will relieve
the colic in the breast feeding baby). Is useful as an expectorant for coughs. Anise water promotes milk
production in nursing mothers, and a soothing eyewash. Said to promote the onset of menstruation when
taken as an infusion. Anise oil helps relieve cramping, and spasms and is good as a stomach tonic. For
insomnia, that a few seeds in a glass of hot milk before bedtime. Can be made into a salve to use for
scabies or lice. A tea made from equal parts of anise, caraway, and fennel makes an excellent intestinal
purifier. Because of its sweetness, anise is a good additive to improve the flavor of other medicines.
Anisette, sold in most liquor stores, has volatile oil of anise as part of the preparation. Anisette is
reputedly helpful for bronchitis and spasmodic asthma. Taken in hot water, anisette is said to be an
immediate palliative.
5 to 10 drops of anise oil on top of a tsp. of honey, taken every 1/2 hour before meals, is said to be helpful
in some cases of emphysema. 15 drops of essence of anise added to 1 quart of hot water, used as an
inhalant, will sometimes help stubborn cases of laryngitis.
Anise has a wide variety of applications in cooking as well as medicine.
Apple:
Parts Usually Used: Fruit and bark
Medicinal Uses: Apples regulate the digestive system, preventing constipation and stopping diarrhea;
also neutralizing the effects of rich fatty foods. They help purify the blood, clear gout and rheumatism,
and prevent gallstones. They also help to keep the teeth clean.
Tea made from apple tree bark is an old fashioned remedy. It is said to be a tonic, relieves biliousness and
intermittent fever, helps digestion (too much stomach acid, eat sweet apples; not enough stomach acid,
eat sour apples), dysentery, boils, insect stings, rabid dog bites, and toothache.
Peeled and grated apple relieves flatulence and diarrhea. A fasting diet of 1 or 2 days of unripe apples
should do the job. As a laxative, eat 2 or more apples, very effective. Apple peels can be dried and made
into a tea, recommended for rheumatism, regulates blood sugar in diabetes. Apple wine is an ancient
cure-all, mentioned by Galen in the 2nd century AD. Wine at least 2 years old should be used. Apple juice
will turn to apple cider and if aged will become hard apple cider with alcoholic content.
Studies show that apples can reduce blood cholesterol levels. According to one reference, the ordinary
apple cider is not fit to be used.
Aromatic Wintergreen:
Parts Usually Used: Leaves
Medicinal Uses: The medicinal virtues of wintergreen leaves reside essentially in the oil of wintergreen
which can be obtained by steam distillation. The oil consists mostly of methyl salicylate, a close relative of
aspirin. Not surprisingly, the leaves have long been used for headache and other aches and pains,
inflammations, and rheumatism, rheumatic fever, dropsy, gonorrhea, scrofula, sciatica, lumbago.
Recommended for urinary ailments and for colic and flatulence. Externally, a leaf tea can be used as a
gargle for sore mouth and sore throat, as a douche for leukorrhea, and as a compress or poultice for skin
diseases and inflammations. A cloth soaked with oil of wintergreen has been applied to relieve pain in
joints, but the pure oil can cause irritation and must be used cautiously. Used as a poultice, good for boils,
swellings, ulcers, felons, old sores.
Used as a flavoring for vermouth. Used to flavor toothpaste. It is one of the most commonly used
ingredients, worldwide, in analgesic oils and balms. Essential oil (methyl salicylate) in leaves is
synthetically produced for "wintergreen" flavor. Experimentally, small amounts have delayed the onset
of tumors. Candy and chewing gum flavoring; perfume, liniments.
Ash:
Parts Usually Used: Bark and leaves
Medicinal Uses: The bark is used to reduce fever, ague, and expel intestinal worms. The leaf tea (popular
in Europe) is used as a purgative and for rheumatism, gout, arthritis, dropsy. The old herbalists thought
that 3-4 leaves of the Ash tree taken in wine each morning from time to time makes those lean that are
fat, snakebites, and keep them from eating too much. Many years ago, the decoction of leaves was used
for leprosy, burns, scalds, scabby conditions.
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