The Earthwise Herbal Repertory

by Matthew Wood

  Of all herbs acting on the autonomic and the vagus probably none is as sudden and powerful, but unpredictable and fleeting, as Lobelia. It acts throughout the ANS, from one corner to another. A good preparation, placed on the skin, will be felt as a prickle in the back of the throat in seconds. The great discovery of Samuel Thomson, Lobelia is like a powder keg: when administered to the body, even in single drop doses, it will shoot through the ANS like electricity, relaxing whatever is tense, and empowering whatever is too relaxed. It goes where it is needed, and it acts! For this reason, Dr. Christopher used to say that Lobelia “had brains”—a statement that is virtually a proverb in herbalism today. It knows what needs to be done, and where, and it sends other herbs there; so it functions as probably the best synergist in herbal medicine. Tis Mal Crow used to tell us, “Lobelia likes to be planted where it can hear people talking, like along the path, or under the window where the TV is on all day.”

  Because of its dynamic nature, Lobelia never acts the same way twice. The needs of the autonomic are different, literally from second to second. When it was taken out of the US Pharmacopeia in 1951, the reason given was that its action was considered “fleeting and capricious.” Wow, I thought, even those guys in the white coats really understood this plant! (Wood 2010).

  Although the autonomic deserves a chapter on its own, our tradition has not developed a materia medica specific to the subject. Therefore, no repertory follows this section.

  Intestines and Lower Gastrointestinal

  The upper gastrointestinal tract breaks up large chunks of food into smaller pieces, so that they can be presented to the lower gastrointestinal tract in a slurry of independent pieces ready to be worked over by the digestive enzymes specifically geared to each major food group—carbohydrates, lipids, proteins. The lipids still need to be further reduced in size, so they are met in the upper small intestine with bile that emulsifies them (makes them both water- and oil-soluble) so that enzymes can reach them.

  The first portion of the small intestine, the duodenum, receives the digestate from the stomach while, at the same time, bile and digestive enzymes from the gallbladder and pancreas squirt into it from the common bile duct. Here in the duodenum, the digestion really gets serious, with carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins meeting the ferocious little pancreatic enzymes specific for each of these three types of food. All the ingredients for successful digestion are present.

  The remainder of the small intestine is a long tube consisting of the jejunum and ileum. This portion is elongated—and stretches out even longer when filled with digestate (up to twenty-five feet)—in order for the food/toxins and enzymes to be rolled and mixed and exposed to each other, so that every single particle of digestible material can be processed. The free enzymes in the intestines are helped by stationary enzymes and white cells studded along the gut walls. The stationary immune cells are called GALT—gut-associated lymphoid tissue.

  Digestion is followed by absorption through the gut wall, for assimilation into the body. The area for absorption in the small intestine is vastly increased by the presence of villi, or minute, finger-like projections. The villi are covered with cells through which the food/toxins enter the body. Each one has a capillary and a lymphatic duct (called a lacteal); the hydrophilic carbs and proteins enter the capillaries, and the oil-soluble lipids go into the lymphatic ducts.

  It is said that if the surface area of the small intestine, including all the villi, were smoothed out to make a flat surface, it would cover an area about the size of a football field. So imagine throwing a meal the size of a large bowl across the surface of a football field! And imagine, furthermore, that even with all this area, some of us have the ability to rip apart and absorb every last morsel, while others have a much more limited capacity, so that they don’t get as much out of their football field! As Michael Moore so often said, some of us have “digestion a lion would envy.”

  As we move down the small intestine, the number of nutrient-receptor sites in the cells increases, so that more assimilation and less digestion lakes place. (The process of assimilation will be discussed in the next section.) There are, however, increasing patches of lymphoid tissue on the intestinal walls, culminating in “Peyer’s Patches” in the ileum, just before the ileocecal valve that separates the small intestine from the large. This, obviously, is intended to head off problems caused by a backwards reflux of feces from the colon, should the valve function inappropriately.

  The jejunum and ileum are completely under autonomic governance, without any input from the central nervous system. That means their functions are completely unconsciousness, without any conscious oversight. Under ANS impulse, the intestinal movements (peristalsis) continually move digestate down the tract. Supposedly, also, the digestate is completely sanative—all unfriendly bacteria not already killed is destroyed in this “dark continent” of digestion. However, a brand-new problem has recently been acknowledged in medicine, called SIBO (small-intestine bacterial overgrowth).

  Due primarily to the overuse of antibiotics, the biome—natural bacterial colonies in the large intestine and even throughout the whole organism—has in many cases become pathological, occupied by alien, unhealthy bacteria. These weaken the gut walls and derange metabolic functions. It is believed that this causes “leaky gut syndrome,” or holes between the cells where incompletely digested food/toxins can get into body, forcing even stronger immune reactions and pathological fluctuations in thyroid, liver, and blood-sugar levels as the body attempts to cope with these intruders. Blue flag (Iris) is an excellent remedy for these side-effects.

  Through inattention, we are destroying our gut walls. One of my students recently asked a butcher whether they still make sausages out of intestinal casings. “No,” he replied. “The intestines of pigs today are so thin, they rip like tissues and can’t hold anything.” That leads to an unpleasant question: are our foods any better than pig food? Do we know?

  In Man’s Presumptious Brain (1962), Albert Simeon argued that regulation by the autonomic is so complete in the small intestine that enteric functions should be completely unconscious. It is only when something is wrong that we become aware of the small intestine; it is the most hidden from us of any developed organ. Unfortunately, many people imagine that something is wrong and attempt to over-regulate what is going in this dark, invisible continent. In a sense, therefore, there is no healthy emotion for the small intestine. However, the unhealthy emotion is hypochondriasis, or imagining ill where there is none.

  Back to squishing along through the ileocecal valve with our happy digestate: suddenly we find ourselves inside a new organ—the large intestine. Here we find bacteria that are helpful to us; the symbiotic bacteria that reside in the colon assist us by breaking down the leftovers that our small intestine was not meant to deal with. They are able to release certain nutrients, such as vitamin K, that we just can’t digest on our own. These are picked up by the bloodstream around the colon. Recent research also shows that the symbiotic bacteria detoxify substances in the bloodstream of the colon, so that they exert an influence inside the body itself! That makes the colon, like the kidneys, liver, and lungs, an organ of detoxification.

  The main function of the colon otherwise is to maintain the appropriate water/solid balance in the stool, so that it is neither too runny nor too hard—making expulsion easy and complete. In the final segment of the large intestine, the hegemony of the ANS is lost; joint regulation with the CNS resumes so that the rectum can function appropriately (under conscious control), waiting for a good bush behind which to defecate.

  The colon is a pretty tough, thick-skinned organ, with a thicker gut wall than the small intestine’s, though thinner than the really tough, muscular stomach. Ulceration of the large intestine, colitis, is therefore serious and potentially life-threatening, but less so than enteritis in the small intestine.

  The most common problems of the colon—constipation and diarrhea—are due to muscular spasm, poor peristalsi
s, crazy food choices, or water control problems in or upstream from the colon. In cases of constipation, use roughage (Plantago psyllium husks and other foods) to exercise the colon. If this doesn’t work, use mild laxatives (Rumex crispus, Rhamnus purshiana) to activate the colon for a short time. If these don’t work, try stronger laxatives (Cassia) with fresh ginger added to eliminate griping. If there is alternating diarrhea and constipation, this is a case of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and needs completely different treatment with nervines, relaxants, and coolants. The correct use of laxatives and cathartics is aimed at re-engaging peristalsis in a weak, atonic colon. Atonicity can be associated with atrophy, relaxation, or torpor. Very small to small doses of laxatives and cathartics should be used, as large doses can actually cause atonic colon.

  The major serious problem with the colon is a poisoned or deficient symbiotic colony. It turns out that babies born through cesarean section lose out on some of this bacteria, which they would otherwise pick up in the birth canal. Modern midwives and physicians are now reenacting traditional midwifery—rubbing some of the mother’s fluids on the newborn.

  Even after it is established, however, we can still lose our helpful symbiotic colony through food and antibiotic abuse. Recent research shows that a course of antibiotics will impact the colony for several years—possibly even a decade. Antibiotics negatively affect weight and height gains in children. Therapy for this imbalance is complex, and beyond the scope of this book. Mild cases require probiotics, severe ones fecal implants.

  Atonic Colon: • Aloe barb. (unsatisfied with self; weakness of descending colon; tiny or homeopathic doses) • Aloe vera (anal prolapse) • Asclepias tuberosa (marbly, hard feces, with no inflammation) • Berberis (with halitosis and skin problems) • Capsicum (stimulant; atonic debility, especially in senescence) • Cassia (atonicity without inflammation; hard, formed feces; small dose) • Cinnamomum (slow digestion, cold abdomen) • Euonymus (liver hypofunction; anorexia) • Gentiana • Hydrastis (mucus in feces; prolapse) • Juniperus (“weakness of the intestinal muscle”—Powell) • Mahonia • Myrica (mucus in feces) • Ptelea (after intestinal infections) • Rhamnus purshiana (difficult expulsion, mucus; small dosage; avoid using with fissures or inflammation) • Rheum (difficult expulsion of stools; with inflammation, cramp) • Rumex crispus (constipation or diarrhea with difficult expulsion, inflammation, atonicity; tongue red, elongated, coated) • Zanthoxylum (lack of secretion in upper GI).

  Septic Colon (Appendicitis, Typhoid, and Peritonitis): • Agrimonia (relaxant; appendix painful but not ruptured) • Angelica (stimulating astringent; appendicitis) • Asarum (stimulant; peritonitis) • Asclepias tuberosa (moistening; peritonitis) • Baptisia (antiseptic; typhoid) • Dioscorea (relaxant; pain) • ECHINACEA (antiseptic; acute appendicitis) • Epilobium (ulceration of bowels; Civil War remedy for dysentery) • EUPATORIUM PURPUREUM (peritonitis—effective in several diagnosed cases—Wood) • Monarda fistulosa (pain, no rupture) • OLEA (leaf) • POLYGONUM HYDROPIPEROIDES • Ricinus (oil pack) • TARAXACUM • Veronicastrum.

  Note: Medical attention is also required in cases of septic colon.

  Spastic Colon, Colic: • Achillea (pain, spasm, inflammation) • ACORUS (flatulence; umbilical region, in children) • Agrimonia (different parts of the GI are not coordinated—Hall) • Aletris • Anemopsis (chronic, catarrhal) • ANETHUM (for infantile flatus and colic, taken by mother; increases breast milk, which “carries antispasmodic effects to the infant”—Hershoff/Rotelli) • Angelica (flatulence) • ANTHEMIS (flatulent, griping colic, umbilicus downward) • Asclepias tuberosa (infants and adults) • Asafoetida (flatulent intestinal colic) • Asarum (flatulence in depressed tissue state) • Capsicum (distention) • CARUM (bloating) • CHAMOMILLA (irritable, restless, sleepless, flatulent; if the baby has been nursed while the mother is angry, drinking coffee, and/or taking drugs) • Chelidonium (stomach distention, gallstone colic, better from heat) • Chelone (cecum; uneasy, distressing pain) • CINNAMOMUM SPP. (tea) • CNICUS • Colocynthis (homeopathic; sudden, gripping, agonizing pain; drops to the floor) • Curcuma (from cathartics; irritable mucosa; combine with pepper, bromelain) • DIOSCOREA (continuous pain; twisting, sharp, cutting pain, with rumbling and passage of flatus) • Epilobium (chronic, non-inflammatory diarrhea; pains before passing stool) • FOENICULUM (flatulence; babies and children) • Fumaria (biliousness; spasm; poor coordination of GI functions) • Gentiana • Glechoma (lead poisoning) • Glycyrrhiza (inflammation) • Humulus • Hydrastis (chronic, catarrhal) • Juglans cinerea (chronic; tincture of green hull) • Juniperus • Lavendula (flatulence; small intestine) • Levisticum • Liatris (small intestine) • Lobelia • Melilotus • Melissa (anxiety, stress, with stomach tension, spasm) • MENTHA PIPERITA (flatulence, spastic constipation; for short-term use; long-term use is mildly paralytic) • MENTHA PULEGIUM • Mentha spicata (flatulence; preferred over M. piperita for babies) • NEPETA (babies, children; flex legs to torso) • PETROSELINUM (flatulent dyspepsia with intestinal colic, tormina) • PIMPINELLA (nausea, indigestion, bloating, poor appetite; infants, children) • PIPER METHYSTICUM (spasm, anxiety, sleeplessness, tension, sensitivity to pain) • Rheum (indigestion, gas, constipation, overeating) • SAMBUCUS • Sinapis alba • Solidago (flatulence) • Thymus serpyllum • Valeriana (stress-related; cramps and diarrhea after eating) • Verbena • VIBURNUM OPULUS (painful cramps, neuralgia in stomach, abdomen, uterus, bladder, lower back) • ZINGIBERIS (cramps anywhere; fresh rhizome).

  Duodenum: • ALTHAEA (ulcer) • CALENDULA (ulcer) • Chionanthes (duodenitis) • Geranium (ulcer) • GLYCYRRHIZA (ulcer) • Symphytum (ulcer) • ULMUS (ulcer).

  Colitis, Enteritis, Crohn’s Disease: • ACACIA (mucous colitis) • ACHILLEA (bleeding) • Acorus • Agrimonia (colitis, ileocolitis, proctitis; ulcerative) • Alchemilla (bleeding) • Allium sativa (mucous colitis) • ALOE VERA (soothing, restorative) • ALTHAEA (widely applicable, but usually palliative) • Anemopsis (mucus secretion) • Amygdalus (celiac disease, inflammation) • Artemisia vulgaris (Crohn’s disease) • Asarum (warming stimulant, antiseptic) • Baptisia (ulcerative) • Berberis (giardia—Stansbury, Wood) • Bidens (ulcerative) • Borago • BOSWELLIA • CALENDULA • Capsella • Centaurium • Chamomilla (with Glycyrrhiza) • Chelone (“from intestinal putrefaction and liver or portal dysfunction”—M. Moore) • Cinchona (hectic and passive inflammations) • Commiphora myrrha (irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s; catarrhal mucosa) • Cnicus • CURCUMA (anti-inflammatory and regenerative; inflammation from tissue depression; combine with a little pepper, bromelain) • Echinacea • Epilobium (gut inflammation; colic, green diarrhea, no fever) • Erigeron (ulcerative bleeding) • EUPATORIUM PURPUREUM • Foeniculum • Fouquieria • Geranium maculatum (bleeding; ulcerative) • Geum spp. (aromatic; diarrhea, catarrhal and ulcerative colitis) • Glechoma (diarrhea) • Gnaphalium (celiac disease) • HAMAMELIS • Humulus • HYDRASTIS (soothing, toning to mucosa, antihemorrhagic, antiulcerative) • Hypericum (chronic inflammation of the bowels) • Iris • Juglans cinerea • Linum (flaxseed oil) • Mentha piperita (enteric-coated oil preferred) • Mitchella (catarrhal) • MYRICA (chronic; mucous) • OLEA (antimicrobial) • PLANTAGO PSYLLIUM • Polygonatum • Polygonum bistorta • Polygonum aviculare (tea) • Potentilla (stress-related, nervous; ulcerative, hemorrhagic) • Prunus serotina (celiac disease) • Rhamnus spp., especially purshiana (chronic constipation; ulcerative colitis) • Rheum • RUMEX CRISPUS • Quercus • Sanguisorba (ulcerative) • Scolopendrium • Stellaria • Symphytum • Tabebuia (candida) • Taraxacum (root preferred) • Trigonella (irritable bowel, diarrhea and constipation) • Tsuga • Ulmus (ulcerative) • Urtica (mucus and blood in stool) • Usnea (salmonella, typhoid—Weiss) • Valeriana • Verbascum.

  Constipation: • Allium sativa (persistent constipation, with irritation; low dose—Weiss) • Alnus rubra (alternating diarrhea and constipation) • Aloe barb. (homeopathic or very small dose) • Aloe vera (constipation, fullness
on right side; very small amount of the yellow part of the rind) • Apocynum cannabinum (with debility, cardiorenal edema) • Arctium (dry stool; poor secretion and lubrication) • Aristolochia (poor fat absorption, sluggish portal circulation) • Berberis • Cannabis (the seed is oily, nourishing laxative for dry, deficient persons) • Carthamus (infantile) • CASSIA (take with sugar and ginger to prevent tormina in acute conditions; chronic use causes laxative dependence) • Cetraria • Chelidonium (from inactive gall bladder) • Chelone (lack of bile) • Chionanthus • Cichorium • Euonymus (lack of bile; post-febrile, poor appetite) • Fouquieria (poor fat absorption, sluggish portal circulation) • Frasera • Glycyrrhiza (dry feces, scanty secretions) • Heracleum • Hydrastis (sedentary life; chronic) • Iris (dry, grey feces) • JUGLANS CINEREA (torpor; overloaded intestine causes lumbar pain; or from gall-bladder insufficiency) • JUGLANS NIGRA (the astringent leaf as a tea is used in chronic, atonic gastric functions) • Juniperus (“weakness of intestinal muscle”—Powell) • Linum (fresh-ground seed oil for dry colon; chronic and persistent—Weiss) • Lycopodium (homeopathic; dry constitution) • Mahonia (habitual; dry constitution, light-colored feces) • NEPETA (infantile colic and constipation) • Olea (atonic, impacted bowels; oil) • Plantago psyllium (seed is a stool softener; hull is a peristaltic stimulant) • Podophyllum (gall-bladder stagnation; puffy, yellow complexion; sluggish portal circulation; very small dose) • Prunus (dried fruit) • Ptelea (dry feces, light color, poor appetite, post-febrile) • Rhamnus frangula, R. cathartica (dry feces, tenesmus; chronic atonic, hence a substitute for its relative—see following; small dose) • RHAMNUS PURSHIANA (“the tonic laxative par excellence; daily use will create no laxative dependency”—Tierra) • RHEUM (constipation, hemorrhoids, portal congestion, worms, bloody stool, skin eruptions from faulty elimination and heat in the blood; internal heat) • RICINUS (indurated feces; post-surgical; this is probably the safest and one of the most effective laxatives; oil, externally applied to abdomen) • RUMEX CRISPUS (sluggish bowels with lower-back pain) • Sambucus (acute constipation and fluid retention; bark, dried for a year) • Sesamum (seed is an oily, nourishing laxative) • Stillingia • Taraxacum • Ulmus (weakness) • Vaccinium myrtillus (fresh berry) • Veronicastrum (hepatic stagnation, flatulent distention; very small dose) • ZINGIBERIS (antispasmodic adjuvant, for use with strong purgatives to ease their effects).