Sunday, November 8, 2020

Materia Medica Lesson 7-9: Gelsemium, Veratrum, Skunk Cabbage

 Primary action is to abort fever. Useful when an adult has a "childhood disease" - measles, mumps, etc.. when danger of high fever. Sedative for agitation when very sick, due to spinal chord nerves.... eyes turn pink due to excess blood going to brain.... brain fever.

Gelsemium is Carolina Jessamin.... VERY common in NC! Too much is narcotic/toxic.

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

GELSEMIUM 

Tonsillitis pain. Acute hot dry bronchitis with red face, fever, contracted pupils. Acute influenza, hypersecretory, excitability. Hyperemia w/flushed face and eyes, contracted pupils, restlessness, excitation. Convulsions, when other medications may not be necessary. Trigeminal neuralgia from cold, caries, or gum inflammation. Uterus, colic. Labor, rigidity of cervix, thin, rigid; or with restlessness, fear, excitation. Cervix thin, rigid. Fever, with flushed face, bright eyes, contracted pupils, excitation, hyperemia, not congestion. Mumps with high fever. Headache, from eyestrain. 

Veratrum is for vascular excitability. I'm going to have to really check into this one.... A plant that looks very much like this grows by the creek... and really all over... I've always thought it was poisonous hellebore... kind of a false skunk cabbage

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

VERATRUM VIRIDE 

Hysteria with full, bounding pulse throughout body; arterial tension and bloodshot eyes; especially in full-blooded, plethoric persons. Tongue with red stripe down the center. Bronchitis (supportive in hypertensive mesomorphs with sthenic pulse). Hyperemia with above symptoms. Insomnia with above symptoms. Fever, with flushed face, bloodshot eyes, bounding pulse, vascular excess. Hysteria with full, bounding pulse, bloodshot eyes, throbbing carotids, "Incredible Hulk Syndrome".

Skunk Cabbage, I know.... haven't had the desire to eat it though. I grew up on the Euell Gibbons books.... he did not think it was very tasty, and said it burned the throat. So, maybe I need to revisit all this next spring. MM says it is excellent medicine for coughs and such.

GELSEMIUM (Yellow Jasmine) ROOT. Tincture [Fresh Root 1:2, Dry Root, 1:10, 65% alcohol] 2-10 drops. DANGEROUS IN LARGER DOSES STATUS : W/LA

POST-TREATMENT RELAXER

Skullcap ......... .......................3 parts

Betony............ .......................3 parts

Cimicifuga ..... .......................2 parts

Hypericum ..... .......................2 parts

Gelsemium..... .......................1 part

Mix from the tinctures. Use 30-60 drops (1 or 2 squirts) 2 or 3 times a day To alleviate posttreatment myo- and neurogenic discomfort from body work, and lessen the tendency of the body to immediately revert to patterning

VERATRUM (Green, False or American Hellebore) ROOT. Tincture [1:10, 95% alcohol] 3-10 drops to 3X a day. DANGEROUS IN MODERATE, POISONOUS IN LARGER AMOUNTS. STATUS : W/A

DRACONTIUM (Symplocarpus, Skunk Cabbage) RHIZOME AND ROOT. Tincture [Fresh Root 1:2, Dry Root, 1:5, 50% alcohol], 20-60 drops. Cough Syrup: 1 part by volume of chopped, cleaned fresh root in 3 parts by volume of honey, heat and cool several times for 8 hours, drain and store in cool place or refrigerator. STATUS : W/A

LYSICHITON AMERICANUM (Western Skunk Cabbage) SAME as Dracontium. STATUS : W/A


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

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

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