Materia Medica

Materia Medica

Thursday, May 1, 2008

A list of herbs, flowers and foods growing on the ashram farm

Dandelion: Taraxacum officinale. [Hindi: Dudal]

Parts used: leaves, roots, flowers

Energetics: leaf: biter/cold; root:

bitter/sweet/cool

Organs/Meridians: leaf: bladder liver;

root: spleen, stomach, kidney, liver

Habitat: Flourishes wild around the

US and Himalayan temperate

Himalayan climates.

Constituents: Leaf: taraxin, ceryl

alcohol lactucerol, taraxacerin,

inosite, choline vitamins A & B,

nicotinei acid, arnidiol and faradiol;

root: lactupicrine, tannin, inuln,

latex-like substance, bitter principle

Properties: general: hepatic, aperient,

diuretic, tonic, stomachic, deobstruent; leaf: alterative, diuretic; root: alterative, cholagogue, diruetic, stomachic, aperient, tonic

Use: young leaves are eaten like any green leafy veggie, steamed or in salad; high in sodium, it purifies the blood and neutralizes blood acids. Helps anemia, urine flow, kidney-, liver- and skin-related issues, diabetes, bowel inflammation, edema, and fever. Helps female organs, pancreas, spleen (enlarged liver and spleen), bile formation, appendicitis. The juice heals warts and blisters

Dandelion’s milky juice contains taraxacin (a hepatic stimulant) and potassium and calcium salts, resinoid, and glutinous bodies. Dandelion root contains inulin, pectin, choline, the sugar lacvulin, photosterols (prevent body from accumulating cholesterols, and potash (diuretic), and is beneficial for liver and visceral diseases. It is a mild tonic, diaphoretic cholagogue and diuretic. The roasted roots make a coffee substitute and help dyspepsia, rheumatism, jaundice, edema, chronic skin disorders and cachetic disorders.

Dandelions begin to grow in the early spring when Ayurveda and other healing traditions suggest the body needs purification that this herb produces. It is considered a wildflower in Switzerland and you can get fined for picking it. In the US, it is generally seen as a weed and millions of dollars are spent trying to kill it, in the process poisoning one’s lawn and possibly water and food supply. Accepting the gift of dandelion when Mother nature grows it is a way of living and staying healthy in nature’s rhythm. It often grows along with Blue Violets - so it seems they are good to taken together.

Formulas: dried root powder, decoction

Blue Violet: Viola odorata [Hindi Banaphsa, Bag-banosa; Tamil: Vayilethe/Vailettu; Benagli: Banosa]

Habitat: US throughout the country; India Kashmir and western Himalayan climates above 5,000 ft

Parts used: entire plant

Energetics: flower & rhizome: sweet, bitter, cool

Constituents: flowers and root contain an emetic, violine. It forms salts by its union with acids. They also contain saponins an alkaloid called odoratine. Flowers contain traces of violite oil and an aromatic called irone, and a blue pigment. The plant contains glucoside, methyl salicylic ester

Organs/Meridians: lungs,

stomach, liver, heart

Properties: flowers:

astringent, demulcent,

diaphoretic, diuretic,

aperient.

Other sources generally

cite: mucilaginous,

laxative, emetic (large

doses), alterative,

antiseptic, antipyretic,

expectorant

Use: leaves: blood purifier, internal ulcers,skin diseases, cancer (taken internally/externally a poultice). It is good for gout, cough, colds, sores, sore throat, bronchitis, syphilis, difficult breathing due to gas and undigested toxins (ama) in the stomach and bowels. It is also excellent for nervousness, general debility (combines with other nerve roots), and relieves headache and head congestion. Flowers: bile, lungs, rectal or uterine prolapse, restraining suppuration, cough, kidney and lifer disorders. Root: emetic

Formulas: Mix flowers with almond oil and senna syrup for demulcent and aperient suitable for children as well. Infusion 2 drachms in pint of warm water for fever (1-2 oz used). Root 1 drachm or more as an emetic

Common Winter Cress: (Barbarea vulgaris Brassicaceae); Mustard family - its high in vitamin C and it may be on tomorrow’s lunch menu.

Field Pussytoes: (Antennaria neglecta Green); Aster or Sunflower family (Asteraceae), but it is unclear to me which part of the plant is eaten to receive the benefits it mentions.

a few days after peak -

flowers were whiter.

Common Wild Strawberry: (Fragaria virginiana); Rose family (Rosaceae).

Leaf: tea is good for a tonic, the bladder, kidney, jaundice, scurvy, diarrhea, stomach aches, gout, and sore throat; high in vitamin C & K; they have diuretic and

astringent properties.

Good for kid’s stomach

aches or diarrhea. Leaves

also make a good mouth

wash, tighening the gums,

or as a gargle for sore

throats. Also good for acne

or eczema as a skin wash.

Berries are good for

scurvy and gout, and

contain magnesium,

potassium, beta carotene,

iron, and malic and citric

acids. They have laxative and lithotriptic (break up calcareous stones in the kidney, gallbladder, and bladder.) properties. Leaves and fruit are cosmetically used to tighten and tone the skin and close pores.

Root tea is good for lungs, diarrhea, gonorrhea, and irregular menses - it is a diuretic.

American Red Raspberry: Rubis wallichii (Sanskrit: Gauriphal) Rosaceae

Parts used: leaf
Habitat: grows wild through the UK, USA, and NW India

Energetics: Astringent, sweet-cold-sweet PK- V+ in excess

Tissues: Blood, muscles, plasma

Systems: Circulatory, digestive, female reproductive

Actions: Alterative, antiemetic, astringent, hemostatic, tonic.

Uses: excellent for female reproductive organs including irregular or excess menstruation, uterine prolapse or bleeding, morning sickness, and toning during labor. Diarrhea and dysentery, prolapsed anus, heartburn, thirst, cholera, hemorrhoids, stomach hemorrhage, inflamed mucous membranes, intestinal flu, kidneys, liver, Pitta disorders, sores, spleen, vomiting, tones lower abdomen muscles. wounds, sore throat, ulcers, summer heat.

Precaution: most varieites promote abortion except American red raspberry; may cause Vayu constipation,

Preparation: hot or cold infusion, powder, paste