Catalog of Herbs
James A. Duke in Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, 2018
Tagalogs of the Philippines use a decoction for cancer of the stomach.4 The mucilaginous seeds are used for emollients and demulcents. Seeds, pulverized and made into a paste with milk, are used to treat prickly heat and itch. They are used for hysteria and other nervous disorders. For internal use, seeds are antihystenc, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, carminative, diuretic, litholytic, stimulant, stomachic, and tonic, and are used for gonorrhea, nervous disorders, prickly heat, spermatorrhea. Seeds are inhaled for dryness of the throat. Trinidad people steep the seed in rum or water for asthma, chest congestion, cold, flu, snakebite, and worms.42 Roots and leaves are used for poultice. Poultices are recommended for boils, cystitis, fever, headache, rheumatism, swellings, and varicose veins. The roots and leaves are decocted for gonorrhea and rheumatism.16 Chinese use the plant for headache.
Certainty? Maybe, Maybe Not: 1950 to 2000
John K. Crellin in A Social History of Medicines in the Twentieth Century, 2020
The Newfoundland record suggests a physician's need for personal experience, or that of close colleagues, before validating claims, despite questions raised elsewhere about the validity of personal experiences and the need for independent studies.141 This is suggested by two talks delivered (in May and June 1939) to the small St. John's Clinical Society on a new sulfa medicine, M&B 693 (sulfapyridine). Introduced in 1938 by British pharmaceutical company May and Baker, it aroused excitement because of its value in treating pneumococcal pneumonia—for a long time dubbed "Captain of the Men of Death"—a condition untouched by the earlier sulfonamides.142 The first of the St. John's talks noted two months of "work" in cases of pneumonia, "although we used it in one case of vaginal discharge which it cleared up." Local findings were said to "correspond" with those reported in the English journals.143 Two noteworthy comments in the talk signaled the particular impact to the island. One referred to the lack of medical services in rural Newfoundland, an issue, of course, that existed elsewhere: "the advantage of this drug to us in Newfoundland where hospital accommodation is so inadequate, is easily seen, especially to the men in the outports where no accommodation is available at all." The second comment reflected the particular popularity of poultices among Newfoundlanders: "We have used no poultices [as an adjunct treatment to sulfapyridine] which, we think, has been a great boon. The patients have not been nearly so distressed." To put this comment in perspective and to indicate the dramatic change ultimately brought about by sulfonamides (and, soon, penicillin and other antibiotics), the extensive use and popularity of poultices in the island needs appreciating.144
Aromatherapy
Hilary McClafferty in Integrative Pediatrics, 2017
Tea tree oil is obtained from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a tree indigenous to Australia. It has a long history of use for treating wounds, cuts, and burns. Early use included crushing and soaking of the leaves to make poultices and steaming leaves for use in treating coughs and sore throats. Tea tree oil was developed in the 1920s and 1930s, when awareness of its antibacterial properties became recognized (Carson, Hammer, and Riley 2006).
Rationale and evidence for the incorporation of heparin into the diclofenac epolamine medicated plaster
Published in Current Medical Research and Opinion, 2019
K. D. Rainsford, Michael S. Roberts, Alessandro Nencioni, Clarence Jones
The medicated plaster is prepared by mixing the active ingredient with a viscous base of hydrophilic polymers (such as gelatin, carmellose sodium, sodium polyacrylate and povidone), sorbitol and water. The mixed base is spread on a backing cloth, the surface is covered with polypropylene plastic film (the “release liner”) and the molded cataplasm is cut to an appropriate size. Although the composition does not contain a true adhesive, the plaster is effectively adherent because of the presence of hydrophilic polymers and sorbitol, with the result that the plaster can be simply applied on the skin of the affected area. The medicated plaster contains abundant water, allowing the drug substance to be dissolved in an aqueous phase which helps to impart a cooling effect after application. The manufacturing and distribution of the poultice are performed in two steps following the manufacturing process.
Synergistic immunosuppressive effect of hispidulin and nepetin mixtures on human T lymphocytes
Published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, 2022
Premrutai Thitilertdecha, Varangkana Tantithavorn, Poonsin Poungpairoj, Nattawat Onlamoon
Hispidulin (4′,5,7-trihydroxy-6-methoxyflavone) and nepetin (3′,4′,5,7-tetrahydroxy-6-methoxyflavone) are flavonoids abundantly found in a Thai medicinal plant named Clerodendrum petasites S. Moore (English name: One Root Plant; Thai name: Thao-Yai-Mom) [9] which has been widely prescribed in Thai traditional medicine for treatment of inflammation [10] and is a potential medicinal plant as a complimentary medicine and a good source for new drug development from phytochemicals found within [11]. The plant is often formulated into poultices for skin diseases, such as rash, abscess, urticaria, snakebites, and insect bites [12,13]. Hispidulin was quantified as a predominant compound, being present at 39 µmol (11.7 mg)/g in a dried ethanolic extract, followed by nepetin with 15 µmol (4.7 mg)/g in a dried ethanolic extract from five batches of extraction [9], assuming the composition around 3:1. Because of their appropriate physicochemical properties, hispidulin and nepetin are also qualified as good candidates for skin penetration [9,14]. These provide advantages in using the compounds not only as oral but also topical dosage forms for skin diseases, such as allergic contact dermatitis.
Toxicity and anti-prolific properties of Xysmalobium undulatum water extract during short-term exposure to two-dimensional and three-dimensional spheroid cell cultures
Published in Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods, 2018
Carlemi Calitz, Josias H. Hamman, Alvaro M. Viljoen, Stephen J. Fey, Krzysztof Wrzesinski, Chrisna Gouws
One of the most widely used traditional herbal medicines in Southern Africa and indigenous to sub-Saharan Arica is Xysmalobium undulatum (L.) W.T. Aiton (Apocynaceae) known as Uzara (Bester 2009; Schmelzer and Gurib-Fakim 2013). Traditional uses of either a water decoction or poultice, depending on application, include the treatment of indigestion and stomach aches, diarrhea, dysentery, malaria, colic, headaches, sores, wounds and abscesses, afterbirth cramps, hysteria as well as food poisoning (Steenkamp et al. 2004; Reid et al. 2006; Van Wyk 2011; Vermaak et al. 2014). The chief pharmacologically active constituents from Uzara root include the cardenolide cardiac glycosides uzarin (5.6%), xysmalorin (1.5%), and the isomers allouzarin (0.4%) and alloxysmalorin (0.1%). Minor constituents are the cardenolideaglycones uzarigenin and xysmalogenin, as well as allouzarigenin, alloxysmalogenin, ascleposide, coroglaucigenin, corogluaucigenin, alloxysmalogenin, ascleposide, coroglaucigenin, corogluacigenin-3-O-glucoside, pachygenol, pachygenol-3β-O-glucoside, desglucouzarin, smalogenin, desglucoxysmalorin, uzaroside, pregnenolone, and β-sitosterol (Vermaak et al. 2014). As the use of Uzara extract is mainly connected with traditional medicine, very little is known about Uzara hepatotoxicity in scientific literature, however, a toxic digitalis-like action on the heart has been reported when administered in extremely high concentrations (Vermaak et al. 2014). Since the liver is the major site for xenobiotic bio-transformation and detoxification, hepatotoxicity is specifically of concern.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Inflammation
- Pain
- Devil'S Club
- Salve
- Chemical Burn
- Abscess