Herbal Properties

The subject of herbal properties is the very heart of the matter for anyone wanting to use medicinal herbs for themselves or their families. One has to choose the right herb for the job, and that requires knowing what herbs will do what, and that requires knowledge of herbal properties.

Each herb affects the human body in different ways. All herbs have several primary effects and several secondary effects. Knowledgeable herbalists can thus build formulas which are multi-layered to uniquely address each person's individual needs.

The following information on herbal properties is offered merely as a brief overview. If you are interested in using herbs for yourself, you will want to refer to the two or three *herbals [internal link]* you've purchased for yourself for much more in-depth information.

Note: The example herbs are presented alphabetically, not in order of efficacy for the individual herbal properties. For example, lemon (listed under antipyretic) is actually a refrigerant, and as such a much more powerful coolant than some of the other herbs listed. Again, I'd refer you to the fine herbals you've purchased for more complete information.

Alterative - Purifies Blood. Used where there are infections or other signs of toxicity throughout the body. Alterative herbs include: alfalfa, chickweed, dandelion, echinacea, marshmallow, nettles, oregon grape root, raspberry, red clover, sarsparilla, sassafrass, yellow dock and many others.

Anodyne - Relieves pain. Anodynes include chamomile, ginger, juniper berries, lobelia, mullein, scullcap, valerian, white willow, and many others.

Antihelmintic - Kills parasites. Antihelmintics include black walnut, garlic, tansy, thyme, wormwood and others.

Antibiotic - Inhibits the growth of or destroy bacteria, viruses, or amoebas. Antibiiotics include chaparral, echinacea, garlic, goldenseal, hops, rosemary oil, thyme, and others.

Anticatarrhal - Eliminates mucous conditions. Anticatarrhals include angelica, anise, cayenne, cinnamon, comfrey, ginger, horseradish, marshmallow, sage, wild cherry, and others.

Antiemetic - Relieves and suspends nausea and thus help prevent vomiting. Antiemetics include anise, cinnamon, ginger, goldenseal, lobelia (small doses), peppermint, red clover, spearmint and others.

Antipyretic - Reduce or prevents fevers. Herbs with especially strong cooling properties are called refrigerants. Antipyretics include alfalfa, chickweed, cranberries, elder flowers, lemon balm, lemon, limes, oranges, scullcap, valerian.

Antiseptic - Prevents the growth of bacteria. Antiseptics include black walnut, echinacea, garlic, goldenseal, myrrh, plantain, thyme, white oak bark.

Antispasmodic Prevents or relaxes muscle spasms. Antispasmodics include black cohosh, blue cohosh, lobelia, scullcap, valerian, kava kava, raspberry leaves and others.

Astringent - Has a constricting or binding effect; tones and firms tissues and decreases mucous discharge from mucous tissue or weeping wounds. Astringents include bayberry, calendula, comfrey root, dandelion, elecampane, fenugreek, juniper berries, rosemary, sage, white oak bark, wild cherry bark, yarrow, and others.

Carminative - Relieves intestinal gas, tones the musculature and stimulates peristalsis. Carminatives include anise, caraway, cayenne, coriander, fennel, ginger, murrh, peppermint, sarsparilla, sassafras, spearmint, thyme and others.

Cathartic - Promotes the rapid evacuation of the upper intestines and bowels. Cathartics include aloe, cascara sagrada, rhubarb, senna.

Cholagogue - Promotes the flow of bile into the small intestine (and are thus somewhat laxative). Cholagogues include aloe vera, barberry, Oregon grape root, goldenseal, and others.

Demulcent - Softens and relieves irritation of mucous membranes. Demulcents include chickweed, comfrey, fenugreek, irish moss, licorice root, marshmallow, mullein, slippery elm and others.

Diaphoretic - Promotes and increases perspiration. There are three categories of diaphoretics. Stimulating diaphoretics include angelica, boneset, elder flowers, garlic, horseradish, peppermint, spearmint, yarrow and others. Neutral diaphoretics include horehound, safflower, sarsparilla, sassafrass and others. Relaxing diaphoretics include blue vervain, burdock root, calendula, chamomile, lemon balm, motherwort, mugwort, thyme, white willow and others.

Discutient - Dissolves and removes tumors and abnormal growths. Discutients include black walnut, burdock root, chaparral, devil's claw, garlic, red clover and others.

Diuretic - Increases the flow of urine, usually combined with demulcents to soothe any irritation. Diuretics include black cohosh, burdock root, chaparral, corn silk, dandelian, fennel, gotu kola, gravel root, hawthorn berry, junper berries, kava kava, marshmallow, mullein, sassafrass, stoneroot, uva ursi, white oak bark, white willow bark and others.

Emetic - Induces vomiting and causes the stomach to empty. Emetics include bayberry, chaparral, ipecac, lobelia tincture, false unicorn (large doses) and others.

Emollient - Softens, soothes, protects the skin. Emollients include chickweed, comfrey root, fenugreek, irish moss, lungwort, marshmallow, plantain, slippery elm.

Expectorant - Facilitates the expelling of mucous from the lungs and throat. Expectorants include chaparral, comfrey, elecampane, fenugreek, horehound, lobelia, mullein, nettles, plantain, verfain, wild cherry bark, and others.

Febrifuge - Reduces fevers. Febrifuges include boneset, catnip, dandelion, peppermint, white willow, yarrow and others.

Hemostatic - Arrests internal bleeding or hemorrhaging. Hemostatics include bayberry, blackberry, cayenne, horsetail, mullein, nettles, white oak bark, witch hazel, yarrow.

Hepatic - Strengthens, tones and stimulates the liver. Hepatics include aloe vera, barberry, bayberry, buckthorn, carrot, dandelion, yellow dock.

Laxative - Promotes bowel action. Laxatives include boneset, buckthorn bark, cascara sagrada, cleavers, flax seed, goldenseal, mortherwort, safflower, senna, yellow dock and others.

Lithotropic - Dissolves and discharges urinary and gall bladder stones and gravel. Lithotropics include barberry, cascara sagrada, chapparal, corn silk, dandelion, gravel root, horsetail, juniper berries, marshmallow, Oregon grape root, uva ursi, and others.

Lymphatic - Stimulate and cleanse the lymph system. Lymphatics include black walnut, chapparal, dandelion, echinacea, garlic, oregon grape root, yellow dock, and others.

Nervine - Acts as a tonic to the nerves, relieves pain and regulates the nervous system. Nervines include catnip, crampbark, hops, lady's slipper, lobelia, mugwort, oats, passion flower, pleurisy root, scullcap, St. John's Wort and others.

Nutritive - Contains large quantities of nutrients, thus supports building and toning the body. Nutritives include alfalfa, comfrey root and leaves, horsetail, irish moss, kelp, marshmallow root, mullein, nettles, red clover, yellow dock.

Parasiticide - Kills parasites in digestive tract or on the skin. Parasiticides include black walnut, cinnamon oil, chaparral, echinacea, garlic, gentian, rue, thyme.

Rubefacient - Increases the flow of blood to the surface of the skin. Rubefacients cayenne, mustard seed, peppermint oil, rosemary oil, thyme oil and others.

Sedative- Quiets the nervous system. Sedatives include catnip, hawthorn berries, hops, hyssop, lemon balm, passion flower, red clover, scullcap, valerian, and others.

Sialagogue - Promotes the increased flow of saliva (thus aiding digestion of starchy carboyhydrates). Sialagogues include black pepper, cayenne, echinacea, ginger, licorice, and others.

Stimulant - Increases the energy of the body, drives the circulation, breaks up obstruction and warms the body. Stimulants include angelica, cayenne, cloves, elder flowers, elecampane, fennel, fo-ti, garlic, ginger, horseradish, oats, pennyroyal, peppermint, raspberry, red clover, rosemary, sassafrass, spearmint, valerian, yarrow, and others.

Stomachic - Strengthens the stomach and its functions. Stomachics include agrimony, blessed thistle, dandelion, ginseng, hops, juniper berries, rosehips, wormwood, and others.

Tonic - Increases energy and strengthens the body. Different herbs are specifics for various body systems (e.g., hawthorn berry is a specific for the heart, lungwort is a specific tonic for the lungs, etc.) There are many fine herbal tonics.

Vulnerary - Encourages the healing of wounds by promoting cell growth and repair. Vulnerary herbs include aloe vera, comfrey root and leaves, horsetail, marshmallow, mullein, plantain, slippery elm, yarrow, and others.