Lobelia is my go to when I have an asthma attack in the woods. A little Lobelia is anti-spasmodic and relaxing. In fact, I'm smoking some right now mixed with a little burley tobacco, skullcap and Calamus. It smokes easy, relaxes the lungs and feels like a warm pad on the back of my head. It relaxes the bronchioles. In larger doses, it is purgative and emetic- makes you puke and/or have diarrhea. MM used it for kidney and gall stones. I grew up on albuterol.... MM mentions that NC is the worst place for asthma. I used asthma meds until I began having heart problems. Then, I switched to herbs... eventually, my hands stopped shaking. Codonopsis/dang shen helped more than anything. Topically, Lobelia is good for bruises, sprains and strains. Topical to strengthen parasympathetic functions.
LOBELIA CARDINALIS (Cardinal Flower) WHOLE PLANT. Fresh Plant Tincture [1:2], 10-40 drops up to 5X a day. STATUS : W/LA
From SPECIFIC INDICATIONS FOR HERBS IN GENERAL USE Third edition Michael Moore:
LOBELIA INFLATA
Tongue full white coated, especially heavy in the back. Onset of head cold, dry with irritative cough. Extrinsic asthma with dry spastic cough. Asthma with albuminuria. Recuperating bronchitis with congestion, hypersecretion, post-febrile. Chronic bronchitis with profuse secretions. Bronchorrhea. Acute cough, moist, persistent; after pneumonia with difficult expectoration; or after fever, dry. Chronic cough with debility. Dyspnea after bronchitis or pneumonia, perhaps with copious or difficult expectoration. Influenza, dry, hot, asecretory (combine with Capsicum). Angina pectoris - vasomotoria (false) with slow pulse, precordial heaviness, mild general cardiac neuralgia. Convulsions, when other medications may not be necessary. Epilepsy, to reduce force and lessen frequency. Cholecystalgia, general antispasmodic. Antispasmodic strangury. Chronic anorexia with depressed autonomic and myenteric stimulation. Atonic colon without inflammation but marbly hard feces. Labor, rigidity of cervix, thick, doughy. Cervix rigid, thick, doughy. Cough in infants, with acute laryngitis and wheezing; or with spasms. Measles with imperfect or tardy eruption, dry irritable cough. Metabolic debility, with vague, adrenergic- induced depression. Depression with shallow respiration, rapid pulse, dilated pupils. Convulsive hysteria.
LOBELIA INFLATA (Lobelia, Indian Tobacco) FLOWERING PLANT. Fresh Plant Tincture [1:4] 5-20 drops up to 4X a day. Dry Plant Tincture (inferior) is best as an Acetum Tincture [Dry Herb 1:5 in vinegar] 10-20 drops, or used for local application. SEED. Tincture [1:5, 65% alcohol), 3-10 drops. Materia Medica Lesson 8 - page 10 The dry herb as tea is especially nauseating, the fresh herb or seed very little. STATUS : W/LA/C
COLON TONIC (Modified Thomsonian)
Cascara Sagrada.....................2 parts
Oregon Grape .......................2 parts
Cayenne ......... .......................1 part
Ginger Root ... .......................1 part
Lobelia ........... .......................1 part
Rhubarb Root.1 pt.
Stimulates peristalsis for chronic constipation of long duration. 2 “00” caps with water, morning and evening. When feces soften up go to 1 capsule twice a day.
COMPOUND SYRUP OF RED ROOT
Red Root Tops.......................4 ounces
Red Root Rootbark ................4 ounces
Wild Lettuce .. .......................4 ounces
Black Cohosh. .......................1 ounce
Pleurisy Root . .......................1 ounce
Wild Ginger Root ..................1/2 ounce
Lobelia inflata 1/4 ounce
Bloodroot.......1/4 ounce
Tincture 1:2 with 65% alcohol, (30 ounces) put it aside, add water to the percolation and drip another part (15 ounces), then add 1 part Simple Syrup (15 ounces) “Coughs, pulmonary and hepatic affections”
(Kings) K’s SYRIAN RUE FORMULA
Syrian Rue ..... .......................58 parts
Avena fatua (fresh)................58 parts
Panax (uncured).....................58 parts
Rauwolfia....... .......................58 parts
Lobelia (fresh) ....................... 8 parts
Mix as tinctures. 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, 3X a day Antidepressant for adrenergic individuals NOTE: As an Ayurvedic therapist, my friend has access to Rauwolfia serpentina. As a once widely used crude drug (the source of reserpine), it is seldom to be found in herb commerce...and perhaps is illegal. I personally have seldom used the plant, have always considered it, like digitalis, a "True" crude drug best left to medicine. With a body of experential use in Ayurvedic Medicine, wherein my friend has learned it, I would trust the use here. I have never inquired as to his rather peculiar scheme of proportions. I would have thought that the presence of what amounts to nearly a quarter of the tincture of Rauwolfia to be an eccessive amount. In fact the formula is quite effective, and seems relatively safe.
Since I feel perfectly comfortable using toxic herbs that I know personally (I prefer the term "Low Dosage), including such shit as Aconite, Gelsemium and Veratrum, herbs that cause fellow herbalists who aren't familiar with their safe use to cringe and scurry, I guess my reluctant attitude regarding the herbal use of Rauwolfia is similarly the result of only knowing it "by rep" and not as a specific entity
Here is the link to the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine Course
https://www.swsbm.com/school/
No comments:
Post a Comment