Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Materia Medica Lesson 4-12: Baptisia, Thermopsis and Amorpha

 Indigo has a long history of being a cash crop in the Siuth, having been pioneered by a lady in South Carolina about 200 years ago.... But, there are the false indigos. They can be fermented to make a similar dye. MM uses foliage, mostly. Tincture is energetic. Good for skin or muco-epithelial infection, with immunological depression and low energy/chi. Especially good for when your immunity has become so weak that the natural bacteria in your system gets out of balance. Indicated for infection, with purple/dusky hue to mucosa.... purple, swollen tongue, grey and ashen complexion. Particularly good for lingering infections that can cause blood poisoning or tissue damage. Good for auto-toxicity or resistance due to low immunity. Good for congestive heart failure, because that is often caused by systemic infection. Good topically for gangrene or slowly healing wounds. Circulatory and liver tonic. Helps to clean out congestion. Baptisia is hot and irritating, astragalus is better as long term tonic. Thermopsis and Amphora can be used as substitutes for Baptisia. Thermopsis has a similar reproductive effect as blue cohosh. Amorpha is good as a tea if you are tired and sick. Good for viral infections. Baptisia is hot and exciting, Amphora is mild... Thermopsis is in between. Baptisia can make you puke.

Just an aside. At this point, MM no longer considered himself a trumpet player... after 25 years of being an orchestra musician, and could not even play the instrument. That is not surprising. Every retired classical musician I've known (except, maybe piano) has been the same. Classical music has an adrenalin intensity. You can get a sort of an obsessive, energetic high from playing classical music. That energy is an all or nothing sort of thing. You grind and practice obsessively to play that piece perfectly, and then all the fireworks go off! When you stop playing at that level, it is very hard to eve care about it enough to practice. I a jazz, blues and country musician, but I play some classical... and I can definitely identify that intense energy in the music - intense highs and lows. But, jazz and country players are more laid back, playing for fun... like breathing and talking and "laughing in rhythm". We don't play music for that obsessive intensity. We just play music for fun and passion.... not perfectly, rarely intensely... the music is just who we are. The obsessive, adrenalin personality can turn that focus to anything and do anything from science to math or gastronomy... they just need something to drive them and to obsess over to be happy. Guys like me just can't be happy without an instrument in hand for an hour or 12 a day. We can't forget how to play any more than we can forget how to talk... both are an expression of what is inside.... for guys like MM, the music doesn't come from inside, it is more like chemistry than poetry.. or catching a wild horse and jumping on... learning the skills to hold on.. its "a hell of a ride".

BAPTISIA (Wild Indigo Root) ROOT. Tincture [1:5, 65% alcohol], WHOLE PLANT. Fresh Tincture [1:2], both taken 10-25 drops, to 3X a day. USE WITH CARE; better long term in formulas STATUS : W/A

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

BAPTISIA Tongue full & deeply red with systemic infection; foul breath with cracked lips and phlegmy mouth. Inflamed gums from general immunosuppression. Purulent laryngitis with systemic effects. Chronic sinusitis with necrotic, foul discharge. Chronic tonsillitis with necrosis. Cardiovascular edema with vascular stasis and sepsis. Septic diarrhea. Bacillary dysentery with suppurations (with Echinacea). Shigellosis, supportive to primary therapy (with Echinacea). Abscess, with septicemia, swellings (with Echinacea). Abscess, as a moistening agent for stimulating poultice w/Althea pwd. as a base. Skin ulcers with septicemia, edema, fever (with Echinacea). Suppuration with necrosis, in weak individuals (w/Echinacea, externally). Endometritis/metritis, with fever (with Echinacea). Septicemia with ulceration, decay, swollen tissue; or w/weak immunologic vitality. Endogenous infections, in feeble individuals (with Echinacea and Phytolacca). Septic fevers (with Echinacea). To stimulate innate immunity. Extended immunosuppression, with congestion, edema (with Echinacea). Lymphadenitis, in chronic debility (with Ceanothus). 

THERMOPSIS (T. montana, Mountain Pea) ROOT or WHOLE PLANT. Same as above USE WITH CARE; better long term in formulas STATUS : W/A

AMORPHA (A. canescens, A. fruticosa, Lead Plant, False Indigo, Indigo bush) FLOWERING HERB. Standard Infusion, 2-4 ounces, 2 or 3 times a day STATUS : W/A


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

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

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