The Earthwise Herbal Repertory

by Matthew Wood

  Acne: • Achillea (sebaceous cysts; red, irritated acne; lukewarm tea or facial ointment) • Allium ursinum • ARALIA NUDICAULIS (androgen normalizer) • ARCTIUM (big, single pimples) • Baptisia (chronic) • Berberis • BETULA (inner birch bark compress) • CALENDULA (sebaceous cysts) • CENTELLA (scar tissue) • Chelidonium • Cichorium (tea) • Citrus limonum (juice, in mask with vitamin E and mayonnaise) • Daucus (domesticated carrot poultice) • Echinacea (associated with boils; with GI imbalance) • Eleutherococcus • Fragaria • Galium (blackheads; juice) • Guaiacum • Humulus (androgen excess) • Iris • Juglans (leaf; tea) • LACTUCA (androgen normalizer; chronic, pitting, scarring; juvenile acne) • LILIUM LONGIFLORUM (androgen normalizer; cyst-like acne; zygomatic arch) • Juglans nigra (back, neck, buttocks) • Mahonia (skin dry, rough) • Mentha piperita (hot packs alternated with cold packs) • PAEONIA OFFICINALIS (androgen normalizer; sore-like pimples on chin near outer lip crease, related to ovulation or PMS) • Panax quinquefolius • Phytolacca • Rumex crispus (back, neck, buttocks) • Sambucus (opens pores on cheeks) • Scrophularia (acne red and bluish) • SMILAX (androgen normalizer) • SOLIDAGO (sheets of small pimples on checks) • Taraxacum (root tea) • Thuja (external) • Urtica (tea) • Vitex (male and female).

  Note: Acne is frequently due to androgens stressing the liver, and therefore is more common during puberty or menopause, under stress, or at different times in the female cycle.

  Acne Rosacea: (“This is a tough disease and takes a longer period to cure”—Bhattacharya) • Achillea (Susun Weed) • Crataegus • Malus (feels unclean; bark or flower essence) • Rosa.

  Note: Coconut oil is a good medium for external application.

  Age Spots (Senile Keratosis): • Calendula (external) • Galium (external) • Rosa mosqueta (seed oil) • Thuja (external).

  Allergies (Skin Rash, Hives, Heat Rash): • Althaea (external) • Apis (homeopathic) • Chamomilla (wash) • Equisetum (wash) • Juglans nigra (leaf wash) • Lamium (tea) • Plantago • Stellaria (external) • Taraxacum (stems, internal) • Tribulus • Urtica (tea, external) • Veronica.

  Athlete’s Foot: • Calendula (external) • Symphytum (leaf; external).

  Birthmarks: • Calendula (external) • Galium (external) • Thuja (external).

  Blisters on the Feet: • Calendula • Plantain.

  Bruises: See “Injuries, First Aid” or “Face and Complexion.”

  Burns: See “Injuries, First Aid.”

  Cellulite: • Aesculus hip. • Fucus • Glechoma • Lycopodium (spore powder, externally, absorbs water out of skin) • Petroselinum.

  Chilblains (unbroken): See “Injuries, First Aid.”

  Cradle Cap (crusta lactea): • Arctium • CHAMOMILLA (tea) • Iris (external) • Juglans nigra (leaf wash) • Quercus (oak bark wash) • Viola tricolor.

  Dandruff: • ARCTIUM (external) • Arnica (external) • Rosmarinus (in water; hair rinse) • Valeriana (external).

  Decubitus Ulcers (Bedsores): • Calendula • Commiphora myrrha • Echinacea • Quercus • Thuja.

  Diaper Rash: • Calendula (do not use Symphytum, as it can seal the vaginal lips of very young baby girls).

  Dry, Scaly: • Achillea (dry; incomplete, oily sweat) • Alnus rubra • Arctium • BORAGO • Crataegus (dry on backs of wrists) • Hypericum • Hyssopus • Iris (dry, thick, rough; rash, ulcerative) • MAHONIA • Pilocarpus jaborandi • Rosmarinus (dry cheeks) • Salvia (“lichenification,” fine, dry wrinkling, usually in menopause) • Sambucus (red and dry) • Solidago (dry, scaly; red spots) • Trigonella.

  Erysipelas: • Echinacea (external—Bergner) • Centella (needs confirmation) • Galium • Passiflora • Rhus tox. (homeopathic) • Sambucus (infusion of leaves; with Galium) • Veratrum viride (homeopathic).

  Exudative Skin Eruptions: • Juglans cinerea • Juglans nigra • Quercus (skin cracking open) • Rumex (yellow serum discharges) • Stillingia (irritation, lymphatic involvement) • VIOLA TRICOLOR (“eczema and skin eruptions with serous exudate, particularly when associated with rheumatic symptoms”—BHP).

  Flesh-Eating Infection: • Aristolochia serpentaria (low-grade, septic fever; small or homeopathic dose) • Plantago (will digest corrupt flesh and “incarnate” new flesh—Gerard).

  Formication: • Mentha pulegium.

  Oily: • AJUGA (regulates sebum production; for glossy sheen of health) • Allium sativa • ARCTIUM (excess or deficient of oily sweat) • Helianthus (seed) • Hydrastis • Iris versicolor • Stillingia.

  Note: excessive oil on the skin gives a “tacky” sensation, while excessive watery perspiration gives a moist, cool, or clammy sensation.

  Cool, Clammy, Moist (Excessive, Spontaneous Perspiration): • ASTRAGALUS (this is not an astringent but a slightly warming nutritive for the periphery; spontaneous perspiration from weakness of the periphery; poor muscular tone) • CINNAMOMUM CASSIA (warming astringent; skin fair, firm, moist, easily sweats) • Citrus limonum (fresh juice in water) • Lavandula • Ledum (needs confirmation) • MELISSA (nervousness; damp palms) • MONARDA FISTULOSA (sympathetic excess; cool, clammy sweat over whole body) • Rhus spp. (profuse fluid loss from skin, kidneys, colon, lungs, menses) • Rosmarinus • Salvia • Senecio aureus • Taraxacum.

  Eczema: • ALNUS RUBRA (pustular) • ALNUS SERRALATA • Ampelopsis (vesicular rash like poison ivy) • Angelica (with chronic poor fat digestion, dry, pale skin) • ARCTIUM (dry, red skin near joints; stubborn; seeds or roots; for long-term use) • Aristolochia (dry, hot skin; tissue depression) • Asclepias tuberosa (obstinate) • BETULA (birch; compress of the inner bark) • Chamomilla (bath) • Echinacea (sticky exudate, from dirty system) • Fouquieria • Fumaria (chronic) • Galium • Grindelia (itching rash like poison ivy; external) • Hydrastis (eczema of external auditory canal) • Iris (chronic itch; psoriasis) • Juglans nigra (with constipation, flatulence) • Larix • Larrea (chronic dry skin) • MAHONIA (dry; combines well with Arctium) • Oplopanax (specific for eczema after emotional crisis, drama) • Phytolacca (scaly; fissures, corners of mouth) • Rumex crispus (dry, irritable, rusty patches turning to running eczema) • Quercus (running eczema; external) • Sambucus (dry, red skin over meaty areas) • Scrophularia (chronic) • Smilax (eczema and psoriasis) • Solidago (scalp, lower extremities) • STELLARIA (causes and cures itching of eczema; external) • Stillingia • Thymus serpyllum (exudative) • TRIFOLIUM • Veronica officinalis • VIOLA TRICOLOR (exudative).

  Note: Echinacea “is of great service in skin diseases, locally as well as internally. It seems to act in any form of eczematous conditions, but especially in the moist forms, with glutinous exudation associated with asthenic condition of the system” (Massinger).

  Eruptive Fever, Exanthema: • Agrimony (erysipelas) • Arctium • Asclepias tuberosa • ATROPA BELLADONNA (homeopathic; scarlet fever) • Calendula (measles; tea) • CARTHAMUS (low, septic fever with rash) • CHAMOMILLA (external) • Cimicifuga (chickenpox; to bring out the rash) • CROCUS SATIVA (formerly the main remedy for exanthema) • DROSERA (measles) • ECHINACEA (erysipelas; scarlet fever; putrefaction; prevents side effects of putridity) • Eupatorium perfoliatum (chickenpox) • GALIUM (measles) • Inula (warm decoction) • Iris versicolor (chronic eruptive and ulcerative conditions, lupus, tuberculosis) • Juglans nigra (impetigo; hull) • Juglans nigra (pus-filled eruptions, stubborn rashes; leaf) • Lithospermum (brings out the rash) • Lycopus (scarlet fever) • Malus (feels unclean; flower essence) • Nepeta (brings out rash) • Phytolacca (putrefaction) • Plantago • Platanus (scarlet fever, with slow, tardy, or receding eruptions; heartwood for fever; twigs and bark for measles) • Potentilla • Pulsatilla (chickenpox) • Rhodiola • Sambucus (toxic heat) • Sassafras (slow, tardy, receded eruptions) • Scutellaria (chickenpox) • Taraxacum • Teucrium • Trifolium (measles) • Viola tricolor (in children) • Zanthoxylum (capillary engorgement) • Zingiberis.

  Fissures: • Alchemilla (rectal; external) • Anemopsis (
rectal; sitz bath) • Borago • Calendula (external) • Coptis (rectal; sitz bath—only if not infected) • Hydrastis (cf. Coptis) • Hypericum (pain) • Phytolacca (corners of mouth, vagina) • Symphytum (external).

  Freckles: • Calendula (external) • Citrus limonum (juice) • Galium (external) • Thuja (external) • Urtica (tea).

  Frostbite: See “Injuries, First Aid.”

  Ganglions (External): • Galium (ganglions, lipomas) • RUTA (ganglions).

  Hair, Unwanted: • Calendula (external) • Equisetum (sitz bath) • Hypericum (oil) • Primula (juice) • Urtica.

  Note: Also recommended are medications that reduce androgens, or help the liver break them down.

  Herpes, Shingles: • Anemopsis (external) • Commiphora myrrha (external) • Coptis (external) • Glycyrrhiza (deglycyrrhized licorice; external) • Echinacea (topical) • Helianthemum canadensis (shingles) • Hydrastis (external) • Hyssopus • Iris (shingles) • Krameria (external) • Larrea • Lavandula (internal) • Leonurus (nerve irritation before the outbreak appears) • Lithospermum (external) • Lysine (external) • MELISSA (oil, external) • Monarda fistulosa • Olea (external) • Osmorhiza longistylis (herpes, shingles; external) • Plantago (herpes, shingles; external) • Prunella • PRUNUS SEROTINA (specific when pustules do not point up in watery vesicles but are red) • RANUNCULUS BULBOSUS (homeopathic; nearly specific for red, water-filled vesicles) • Rhus glabra • Scutellaria (nerve irritation, anticipation, before the outbreak) • STAPHYSAGRIA (homeopathic; eye) • Tilia.

  Ichthyosis: • Oenothera (pruritus).

  Inflammation of Skin: • Calendula • Cucurbita pepo (stewed flesh—applied hot to skin) • Plantago • Polygonum hydropiperoides.

  Insect Bite: See “Injuries, First Aid.”

  Insect Repellent (on the skin or as noted): • Achillea • Allium sativa • Chrysanthemum • Citronella • Eugenia (oil, external) • Eupatorium cannabinum (smudge) • Hedeoma (for mosquitoes, ants; external) • JUGLANS NIGRA (simmer a thick decoction on a stove or campfire, to fill the air; hull) • Lavandula • LEDUM (flowers; external) • Mentha piperita (flies) • NEPETA (external) • STAPHYSAGRIA (homeopathic; mosquitoes) • Tanacetum parthenium • Thuja • Thymus.

  Itching (Pruritus): • Achillea (pruritus senilis) • Alnus (bark) • Calendula • Chelidonium • Juniperus • Lithospermum (genital itching, herpes) • Marrubium (continual irritation) • Oenothera (ichthyosis) • Scrophularia • STELLARIA (external) • Taraxacum • Urtica • Veronica (pruritus senilis).

  Leprosy: • CENTELLA (indolent ulcers; traditional).

  Lichenification: • SALVIA.

  Lipoma (nonmalignant fatty tumor): • Polymnia • Salvia • STELLARIA (external).

  Lupus: • Centella (microorganisms, lupus, scleroderma, dermal tuberculosis, leprosy, psoriasis; acts on the matrix) • Codonopsis • Helianthemum (corrosive and dirty conditions of the skin) • Iris • Rumex acetosa • Stillingia • Tilia.

  Poison Ivy/Oak: See “Injuries, First Aid.”

  Pregnancy Mask: • Potentilla • ROSA MOSQUETA (seed oil, external).

  Proud Flesh: • INULA (hence the common name “scabwort”) • Thuja.

  Note: Another old remedy is to dice a raw potato and cover a wound with it.

  Psoriasis (often difficult to treat): • Achillea • Alnus • ARCTIUM (root; alternate with Galium; “few cases can resist”—Parton) • Astragalus (strengthens the periphery) • Berberis • Calendula • Centella • Chelidonium • Cinnamomum spp. • Curcuma • Fouquieria • Galium • Iris • MAHONIA • Polygonatum • Quercus • RUMEX CRISPUS • Salix alba • Scrophularia • SMILAX (irritated, with heavy desquamation [flaking]) • Stellaria • Taraxacum • Thuja • TRIFOLIUM • Veronica • Urtica.

  Ringworm: • Azadirachta (external) • Berberis • Chelidonium • HYDRASTIS (powder mixed with Calendula cream) • Juglans nigra (leaf; wash).

  Scabies (external): • Calendula • Fumaria • Juglans nigra (leaf; wash) • Melaleuca (oil) • Phytolacca • Pimpinella • Polygonum aviculare (wash) • Tanacetum parthenium.

  Scars: • Achillea (post-operative) • Artemisia absinthium (wash) • Calendula (post-operative) • CENTELLA • Dipsacus (wash, and internally) • Equisetum (keloids) • Galium (fibrous tissue) • Ichthammol (black ointment) • LACTUCA (acne) • Monarda fistulosa (burns) • Ricinus (oil; rub in; use for 4–6 months) • Rosa (seed oil, with castor oil; rub in, use for 4–6 months) • Withania.

  Note: Vitamin E oil lessens the scar temporarily.

  Scleroderma: • Artemisia vulgaris • Caulophyllum • Centella • CIMICIFUGA • Fucus • Glycyrrhiza • Iris • Scolopendrium • Symphytum • Zanthoxylum.

  Scorpion Sting: • See “Injuries, First Aid.”

  Sebaceous Cyst: • ACHILLEA • ARCTIUM • CALENDULA.

  Snakebite: See “Injuries, First Aid.”

  Suppuration, Purulent Discharge (external): • Arctium (with pyogenic membrane) • Baptisia • Calendula (external) • Commiphora myrrha • Echinacea (with necrosis) • Eupatorium purpureum • Plantago • Scrophularia • Thuja.

  Tinea: • Phytolacca • Thuja (tinea versicolor; fresh leaf tincture).

  Ulcers, Sores (External): • Agrimony (thighs, legs, colon, tongue, mouth; internal and external) • Ajuga • Alchemilla (“incurable ulcers”—Cech) • Alpinia • Aloe vera (internal and external) • Anemopsis • Arctium • Astragalus (weakness of the periphery; chronic ulcers, watery, clear discharge, nonsuppurative) • Baptisia (ointment on indolent ulcers) • Calendula • Centella (indolent) • Commiphora myrrha • Coptis (goldenseal’s little brother) • Cornus florida • Daucus (advanced, deteriorative) • Echinacea (bedsores) • Eucalyptus (fetid) • Grindelia (old, indolent; feeble circulation) • HYDRASTIS • Lamium (dressing) • Liatris (indolent) • Myrica (aphthae; indolent; poor peripheral circulation) • Phytolacca • Potentilla (root) • Ricinus (burns and wounds; oil, external) • Rubus canadensis (sweet, nutritive astringent) • Rumex crispus (running sores, yellow discharge) • Scrophularia (if scrofulous, hence the name) • Stellaria (cooling; fresh plant; poultice or salve) • Symphytum (external, but be careful—this can seal foul matter inside) • Thuja (bedsores) • Trifolium (skin cancer) • Trillium (indolent) • Tussilago (dressing) • Ulmus (dressing) • Usnea • Vaccinium myrtillus.

  Underarm Odor: • Arctium • Calendula.

  Note: This condition is usually associated with lymphatic congestion.

  Veins, Prominent (Face, Forearms): • ACHILLEA (blue veins showing through red skin) • ANGELICA (yellow/gray/blue/green around veins) • QUERCUS (veins blue and black, with yellow around them; swollen, like grapes).

  Note: Also see “Varicose Veins” in “Heart/Vasculature” section.

  Warts (External): • Allium sativa (with Zingiberis) • ALOE VERA (yellow sap to dissolve warts; clear gel to tone skin) • Asclepias syriaca (milkweed sap) • Betula (inner bark) • Calendula (fresh juice) • Chelidonium (fresh juice or tincture) • Citrus limonum (fresh peel, externally, at night) • Juniperus (itching and burning warts; anal, genital) • Sanguinaria (very irritating, but effective) • Taraxacum (apply fresh sap to wart) • THUJA (plantar warts; in moist places; constitutional tendency) • Zingiberis.

  FORMULARY

  Althaea—leaf, with Ulmus, in fomentation, poultice, or ointment (wounds, ulcers, boils, eczema). BHP 1983, 22.

  Arctium leaf—with Plantago leaf (boils). This is an ancient Roman formula from Pliny. Sambucus leaf makes a good addition.

  Arctium root—with Mahonia, Sassafras, Fumaria, Mahonia, Smilax, Scrophularia, and/or Trifolium (dry eczema).

  Arctium root—with Stillingia, Iris, Rumex crispus, Fumaria (strong alterative cleansing formula). BHP 1983, 200.

  Echinacea—with Arctium, Iris (boils). BHP 1983, 81.

  Hydrastis—with Passiflora, Hamamelis leaf (pruritus). BHP 1983, 114.

  Larrea—with Curcuma (stimulating salve for chronic skin lesions).

/>   Mahonia—with Arctium (moistening, cleansing internal or external combination for eczema).

  Rumex crispus—with Scrophularia (chronic skin disease). BHP 1983, 193.

  Viola tricolor—with Rumex crispus (exudative skin disorders).

  LAMIUM GALEOBDOLON (YELLOW ARCHANGEL)

  “Most commended, for old, filthy and corrupt sores or corrupt Ulcers, yea, although they grow to be fistulous or hollow, and to dissolve tumors.”

  —JOHN PARKINSON (QUOTED IN BRUTON-SEAL AND SEAL)

  Mucosa

  The mucous membranes of the body have to handle some pretty harsh materials (hydrochloric acid, enzymes, bile, feces, urine, etc.), as well as extremely delicate ones (sperm, eggs), and although they are very tough they can suffer some awful insults. Fortunately for them, many herbs act strongly on the mucosa to cleanse, cool, stimulate, astringe, or moisten it. The herbalist needs to learn to think of the mucosa as a membrane that needs attention, even in babies (so prone to poor mucosal tone). He or she needs to learn to imagine what the mucosa may look like, even if it is not visible. I don’t know how many times I heard some of the late, great teachers of herbal medicine, like William LeSassier or Michael Moore, use the term “mucosa” in their lectures. I would like younger students, who never heard them, to know that.