Medicinal Herbs
Our planet with its endless depths is a perfect source to keep health good and live long life. The ancient science knowledge of the world around them, of the mysteries of water, land, air and plants had been started by our forefathers, for whom knowledge of useful properties of the planet were not only useful and good, but the only way to survive.
Today, traditional and alternative medicine go through life hand in hand. Now non-traditional therapies and traditional medicine are complementary and very often high specialist recommend complex methods of medical treatment. Just look at medicine’s shop windows, you can see the wide range of herbs and fees herbal and conventional chemical-based medicines together. In addition, in the increasingly popular drugs include components of plant origin. And it is not only the victory of traditional medicine! When the forces of science combined with the forces of nature, it helps to give a fitting rebuff to the forces of disease, we all are to gain the victory.
Aconite has anodyne, diuretic and diaphoretic properties. Its tincture and liniment are used in general purposes. Its preparations are used for outward application to the skin in neuralgia, lumbago and rheumatism. It is extremely poisonous.
Africa pepper has antiseptic, antibacterial and carminative properties. It has beneficial antioxidant and cardiovascular effects and it benefits gastrointestinal functions. It is used in bursitis, diabetic neuropathy, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and in a number of other diseases.
Aghada has diuretic, expectorant and purgative properties. The juice of its leaves is used in fever, cough, diarrhoea, dysentery, dropsy and other diseases. Decoction prepared using the herb is used in stomach ache and bowel complaints, piles, boils, skin eruptions etc.
Agrimony is believed to cure jaundice and other liver complaints. Agrimony is also considered as a very useful agent in skin eruptions and diseases of the blood, pimples, blotches, etc. The herb is effective to cure scrofulous sores when a strong decoction of its root and leaves, mixed with honey or sugar is taken two or three times a day continuously for several months.
Akarakara root is used to relieve toothache. Its gargle is used in partial paralysis of tongue and lips. It is used to cure chronic catarrh of the head and nostrils.
Akebia is used as an antibiotic, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, diuretic and galactagogue substance. Its stem, when taken internally, cures bacterial and fungal infections and treats urinary tract infections. It induces menstruation and lactation too. Its root is used as an antipyretic.
Alder Buckthorn is a slender shrub and grows up to a height of 25 feet. The plant bears branches which are green in earlier stages of its life but turns to brownish-gray as they grow. Its oval shaped leaves are olive-green in colour and are alternately arranged. Its fruit is a three-seeded berry. Alder Buckthorn is used as a tonic, laxative and cathartic. Its bark is used to cure chronic constipation.
Alfalfa has been used traditionally for treating infections resulting from surgical incisions, bedsores and inner ear problems. Early Americans used alfalfa to treat arthritis, boils, cancer, scurvy, and urinary and bowel problems.
Amalaki is used as an aperient, carminative, diuretic, laxative, astringent and refrigerant substance. It is used to cure anaemia, diabetes, jaundice, haemorrhage disorders, asthma, bronchitis and insomnia. It is a rich source of vitamin C.
The seeds and leaves of Amaranth are used as an astringent substance. It is used to cure diarrhoea, bloody stools and excessive menstruation. It is used to treat acne, eczema and psoriasis.
American Cranesbill is a hairy plant that can reach a height up to 2 feet. Its leaves are 3 to 6 inches in width and are palmately divided into three or five divisions. The plant bears rose-purple, pale or violet-purple flower that appears in April to June and are 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Its fruit capsule consists of five cells each containing one seed. American Cranesbill has astringent, anti–haemorrhagicm and anti-inflammatory properties. It is used in diarrhoea, dysentery and hemorrhoids. The herb is used to treat menorrhagia and metrorrhagia.
American Ginseng is a perennial herb with a fleshy tuber-like root and grows to a height of 8-24 inches. The plant bears three compound leaves, each composed of five toothed leaflets. Its flowers are greenish white in colour and appear in June-July. The fruits are in the form bright red berries that appear in late summer. American Ginseng has anti-fatigue and energy giving properties. The plant is used as a demulcent, panacea and stimulant. It increases resistance of the body to infections and improves energy metabolism.
American Poplar is a deciduous tree with a pale yellowish bark that grows to a height up to 100 feet. Its leaves are nearly round, 3-7 cm long, 4-8 cm in diameter and possess small rounded teeth. Its flowers are 4-6 cm long and are born before the leaves. The fruits are in the form of capsules, each containing about ten seeds. American Poplar is used as an astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory substance. It is effective in intermittent fevers, chronic diarrhoea, rheumatoid arthritis and in urinary affections.
Amlika is a creeping herb that grows up to 50 cm in length. Its leaves are present in the form of leaflets which are 3 in numbers with 5 cm long petioles. Flowers are yellow in colour and possess a length of nearly 1 cm. Its fruits are 1 to 1.8 cm long possessing numerous black seeds. Amlika is used as an antipyretic, blood refrigerant and tranquilizer. It is used to treat cold-fever, enteritis-diarrhoea, infection of the urinary tract and neurasthenia. Its fresh sap is used as external wash.
Terminalia arjuna is a deciduous tree found throughout India growing to a height of 60-90 feet. The thick, white-to-pinkish-gray bark has been used in India’s native Ayurvedic medicine? The bark is used in certain herbal combinations as a powerful, soothing tonic for the heart. It is good for both the physical heart as a muscle, as well as for the emotions associated with the heart. Arjuna is used for loneliness, sadness and frustration. It strengthens the emotions to decrease excessive response to stress and trauma. It helps strengthen the body’s natural rejuvenative processes, hastening the replacement of dead or weak cells with fresh, vital ones. In proper combinations, Arjuna helps stabilize an erratic heartbeat.
The leaves form a flat rosette Arnica, from the center of which rises a flower stalk, 1 to 2 feet high, bearing orange-yellow flowers. The rhizome is dark brown, cylindrical, usually curved, and bears brittle wiry rootlets on the under surface. A tincture made from the plant material can be used in the treatment of heart failure and coronary artery disease. It can be used as a mouthwash and gargle when fighting inflammation of the mucus membranes. It helps to prevent bruising and swelling after traumatic skin injuries and prevents the blood platelets from gathering to the site of injury.
