Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Materia Medica Lesson 1-5 Acorus

 Calamus is one of my favorite herbs - been using it for over 20 years. I use it as a bitter herb, for bad intestinal issues, chew on a piece for endurance/stamina and mental clarity... and I've recently begun smoking it for asthma and muscle relaxation. Some herbs just seem to work well for certain people in a variety of ways. Many herbalists call that an "ally". Calamus is an ally for me.

Calamus is usually sterile. It originated in Siberia and was taken by peoples and planted wherever it grows. Eur-Asian calamus contains a carcinogen that could be a problem in very large amounts. The American does not. The leaves have a vanilla like flavor. Makes a warming, aromatic tea.

Tea or tincture is antispasmodic. Good for lower intestinal cramps, menstrual cramps, diarrhea or dysentery.

Acorus calamus, Acorus americanus - Sweet Flag, Calamus ACORUS CALAMUS (Calamus, Sweet Flag) RHIZOME/ROOT. Tincture [FRESH 1:2,DRY 1:5,60% alcohol], 15-45 drops, to 4X a day. The dried leaves make a tasty simple tea. STATUS : W/C

From  SPECIFIC INDICATIONS FOR HERBS IN GENERAL USE Third edition Michael Moore:

ACORUS CALAMUS Anorexia nervosa, in stressed adolescents. Anorexia from chemotherapy. Flatulent colic. Gastric colic with flatulence. Dyspepsia with flatulence from overeating and digestive abuse. Atonic dyspepsia. Flatulence with inflammation. Cancer, supportive in upper GI neoplasias. Anorexia from cancer therapy.

Here is the link to the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine Course

https://www.swsbm.com/school/

No comments:

Post a Comment

Medicinal Ferns and Fern Allies: 2 Short Entries

Blechnum spicant I have found very little information on the fern, but Plants for A Future states: The leaflets have been chewed in the...