This plant has a long history of use in American Herbal Medicine, but it can be confusing because the name keeps changing. Botanists, or “taxonomists” enjoy confusing people. What is now known as Isotrema macrophyllum was, until recently, called Aristolochia macrophylla and before that was called Aristolochia durior…. And I usually say that learning the Latin names makes things clearer! There is also a closely related variety that is a bit less common in most areas, Isotrema tomentosum (Wooly Dutchman's Pipe).
Plants for A Future states:
Medicinal use of Pipevine: The plant contains the antiseptic and antitumor compound aristolochic acid. A decoction of the root has been used externally to treat "swelling of feet and legs". A compound infusion of stalk chips has been used in the treatment of "yellowish urine".
Peterson Field Guides Eastern and Central Medicinal Plants tells us only that, “Ironically, farmers spray A, macrophylla (sic) as a weed. It contains the antiseptic, antitumor compound aristolochic acid.”
Lycium is not native to my region, but two varieties have been naturalized, Lycium barbarum (Common Matrimony Vine) and Lycium chinense (Chinese Matrimony Vine or Chinese Boxthorn).
Dioscorides wrote:
Lycium (also called pyxacantha) is a thorny tree with stems of three feet or longer around which the leaves grow thickly, similar to box. It has a black fruit similar to pepper — bitter, thick, smooth; a pale bark also similar when moistened, and many winding and woody roots. It grows abundantly in Cappadocia, Lycia and many other places. It loves rough places. The juice is drawn out of the leaves and shrubby stuff, pounded together and steeped for many days. Then it is boiled, the woody matter of it removed, and the liquid boiled again until it becomes the consistency of honey. It is counterfeited by the sediment of oil being mixed with it when boiled, or the juice of wormwood, or an ox gall. The froth which swims on top during boiling is taken off and bottled for eye medicines, but the rest is used for other purposes. Similarly, juice is made from the fruit pressed out and left in the sun. The best lycium takes fire and as it is quenched has a red foam. It is outwardly black but when it is cut yellow, without a stinking smell, astringent with bitterness, the colour of saffron — such as the Indian which is better than the rest and more effective. It is astringent and removes things that darken the pupils. It heals scabs on the eyelids, their itching and old discharges. Rubbed on it is good for pus-filled ears, tonsils, ulcerous gums, chapped lips, cracks in the perineum, and affritus [chafing] of the perineum. It is good for those troubled with colic and dysentery either taken as a drink or given as a suppository. It is given in water to those who spit-up blood, and those troubled with coughs, and is swallowed down like pills or taken as a drink with water for one bitten by a mad dog. It makes hair look yellow. It heals hangnails, whitlows, shingles and putrefying ulcers. It stops the menstrual flows of women. It helps those bitten by mad beasts, taken as a drink with milk or swallowed down like pills. It is said that the Indian lycium is made of a shrub called lonchitis. But it is a kind of thorn that has many upright stems, three feet long or more, growing out of the bottom, thicker than the bush, the broken bark looking red but the leaves similar to those of the olive tree. Boiled in vinegar and taken as a drink it is said to cure inflammation of the spleen and sickness of the head, and to expel women’s flows. Given raw (pounded into small pieces) and taken in a drink it is said to have a similar effect. One half-wineglass of the seed (taken in drink) purges out watery matter, and is an antidote against deadly medicines.
Gerard wrote:
A. Lycium cleareth the sight, saith Dioscorides, healeth the scurvy festered sores of the eyelids, the itch, and old fluxes, or distillations of humours; it is a remedy for the running of the ears; for ulcers in the gums, and almonds of the throat, and against the chaps or gallings of the lips and fundament.
Botany in A Day tells us:
A tea of the leaves is taken to dry leaves in pleurisy. A tea of the berries is taken as an eye tonic to improve vision.
Plants for A Future states:
Medicinal use of Box Thorn: A sweet tonic decoction made from the fruits is used to lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. It acts mainly on the liver and kidneys. The fruit is taken internally in the treatment of high blood pressure, diabetes, poor eyesight, vertigo, lumbago, impotence and menopausal complaints. The fruit is harvested when fully ripe and is dried for later use. The root bark is a bitter, cooling, antibacterial herb that controls coughs and lowers fevers, blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. It is taken internally in the treatment of chronic fevers, internal haemorrhages, nosebleeds, tuberculosis, coughs, asthma etc. It is applied externally to treat genital itching. The bark is harvested in the winter and dried for later use. Diuretic, purgative, . The plant has a long history of medicinal use, both as a general, energy restoring tonic and also to cure a wide range of ailments from skin rashes and eyesight problems to diabetes. A tonic tea is made from the leaves. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers.
Medicinal use of Chinese Boxthorn: Chinese boxthorn is a major Chinese tonic herb with a history of almost 2,000 years of medicinal use. Both the berries and the root are used and traditionally the plant is believed to promote long life. The fruit is one of the most popular tonics used in Chinese herbal medicine. A decoction is used to clear the vision, strengthen the kidneys, restore semen and nourish the liver. The fruit protects the liver from damage caused by exposure to toxins. It is also used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, vertigo, nocturnal emissions and aching back and legs. The fruit of many members of this genus is a very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C and E, flavanoids and other bio-active compounds. It is also a fairly good source of essential fatty acids, which is fairly unusual for a fruit. It is being investigated as a food that is capable of reducing the incidence of cancer and also as a means of halting or reversing the growth of cancers. The seed is used as a haemostat for the control of bleeding, with a special action on the kidneys and sex organs. The root bark is antibacterial, antipyretic, hepatic, hypoglycaemic and vasodilator. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls involuntary bodily functions such as digestive secretions. The root is used in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia in small children, chronic febrile disease, night sweats, cough and asthma, tuberculosis, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The root can be harvested at any time of the year but traditionally it is harvested in the spring and can be dried for later use. The root bark contains betaine. This can increase the rate of growth of farm animals and increase the weight and amount of eggs, it is used in the treatment of achlorhydria, atherosclerosis and hepatic diseases. Haemostatic
This article is an excerpt from
Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast An Herbalist's Guide
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The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use any herb I, or anyone else, mentions you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, sensitivity or underlying condition that no one else shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices and not to blame me for anything, ever.
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