The guide to herbs

CORN SILK
 Zea mays
Combined with agrimony and made into a tea it is used to treat bed-wetting; alone it treats cystitis.
COUCH GRASS
Agropyron repens
Possessing antibiotic qualities, it acts as an antiseptic diuretic.
CRANESBILL (AMERICAN)
Geranium maculatum
Useful in cases of diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, and haemorrhaging in the digestive tract. It can be used as a mouthwash for mouth ulcers and sore throats. It is also used in treatment of thrush.
DANDELION
Taraxum officinale
Dandelion affects the kidneys, gallbladder, liver, pancreas and blood and contains the actives taraxcin, the monohydric alcohols taraxasterol and homotaraxasterol, fatty acid, sugar and insulin.
Dandelion would be one of the most prescribed herbs today, and its main use would be for liver complaints or as a diuretic. Dandelion stimulates the liver increasing its detoxifying action. Because of this action Dandelion is a valuable blood purifying herb and may be used in some skin diseases. Dandelion is also a very useful diuretic being much safer than juniper berry as it is non-irritant to the kidneys. The dandelion leaves can be eaten as part of a salad and will help prevent liver problems and gallstones. The dried roots are used to make a coffee substitute.
DEVIL'S CLAW
Harpagophytum procumbens
Devil's Claw in used to treat inflammation of joints, as in arthritis, and also for mild analgesic properties. It is used to treat tennis elbow and when anti-inflammatory medicine is needed.
DILL
Anethum graveolens
Used fresh as a flavouring with potatoes, eggs, chicken, and fish, the seeds can be made into a tea to ease indigestion and in particular babies' colic.
DONG QUAI
Angelica sinensis
Dong quai can be used in the treatment of most female gynaecological ailments, in particular menstrual cramps, irregularity, a delayed flow during menstrual period. It also can be successfully used to treat hot flushes that often accompany menopause. It is nourishing to the blood, being rich in vitamin E and vitamin B12 and is also useful in the treatment of anaemia as well as being a valuable blood purifier.
Dong quai is also very useful in combination with other herbs such as black cohosh, queen of the meadow, red raspberry and bless thistle. I have found this combination excellent in the treatment of hormone imbalance and menopause problems.
ECHINACEA
Echinacea augustifolia
This herb is used both internally and externally, for boils, acne, abscesses, severe bites, septicaemia, fevers, and in some cases it has been used to treat cancer. A dilator of peripheral blood vessels, it can also be used in prevention of viruses.
ELDER FLOWER
Sambuccus nigra
The flowers of the black elder are used as an ingredient in eye lotion and for skin complaints. They are mainly used to treat colds, sinus, chronic nasal catarrh with deafness, throat infections, and in combination with other herbs, it is used to treat constipation, diarrhoea, bronchitis, cystitis, and fluid retention.
EPHEDRA
Ephedra silica
Used in bronchial asthma, hayfever, skin complaints, purifying the blood, urticaria. It contains the alkaloid ephedrine.
EUCALYPTUS
Eucalyptus globulus
The Tasnunian blue gum's oil is used externally for burns, cuts, ulcers, and sores. Inhaled, it clears the nose and lungs, aids bronchitis and asthma, and as a lozenge it relieves sore throats. It has a strong aroma, and acts as an antiseptic and disinfectart.
EUPHORBIA
Euphorbiahirta
Relaxes the bronchi and is used to treat asthma. The latex is used to treat warts.
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General Health

News

EPILEPSY AND PREGNANCY

Women with epilepsy are quite often concerned about getting pregnant. There appear to be five reasons for this concern. They wish to know:
if they are likely to hand their epilepsy on to their children;
whether their fits will get worse during pregnancy;
whether it is safe for the baby that the mother should take anticonvulsants drugs during pregnancy;
if there will be any problems in the newborn baby from these drugs;
if they can safely breast feed the baby.
With regard to handing on epilepsy to one’s children – as mentioned earlier, if one parent has epilepsy, the chances of one of the children having epilepsy are no greater than in the population at large. If both parents have epilepsy, it would appear that the risk of a child having epilepsy is about 10 per cent. So in fact the chance of a child inheriting epilepsy, particularly idiopathic epilepsy, is negligible.
As far as seizures during pregnancy are concerned, the situation is not as clear as it might be. There is evidence that for some women, seizure control may deteriorate, while for others there may in fact be no change or even an improvement. A patient told me recently that “she would like to remain pregnant forever” as she had not had a single fit during her pregnancy, compared with six fits in the preceding nine months!
As a general working rule, it is suggested that people who have more than one grand mal fit a month are those who are most likely to have a deterioration in seizure control during pregnancy. The deterioration, if it occurs, is most likely during the first three months of pregnancy. There are a number of theories why this may happen, but none has been proved. It may be of value to check the blood anticonvulsant levels during pregnancy, especially if there is a deterioration in seizure control. The blood levels may fall, necessitating an increase in dosage during the pregnancy.
The main concern for parents is whether the anticonvulsants can harm the unborn baby (foetus). It is known by most people with epilepsy that this is a potential hazard. The effects include physical abnormalities in the baby, a process known as teratogenesis. Abnormalities have been reported in the offspring of mothers on all the commonly used anticonvulsants with the exception of carbamazepine. This is particularly applicable to phenytoin, barbiturates and sodium valproate. Babies born to mothers who have been on carbamazepine have not been shown to have any physical abnormalities, but have a smaller head size than other babies. This has not been shown to be any handicap to the babies who have been followed up for five years.
The risk of abnormalities in the baby is difficult to assess, but it seems to be most common in mothers on polytherapy (receiving numerous drugs), especially if they are on three or more anticonvulsants. The risk in mothers on phenytoin, with or without other medications, appears to be about a 10% chance of the baby showing features of the ‘foetal hydantoin’ syndrome. This syndrome consists of cleft palate, abnormalities of the fingers, possible heart abnormalities and mild mental retardation. Thus, at present, if it is possible, it would seem wise to try to change patients over to carbamazepine before conception. This may not be possible in all patients and, of course, many women will first visit their doctor when already pregnant, at which time there is no purpose in making the change.
Anticonvulsants taken by the mother during pregnancy may have some effects on the baby immediately after birth, as they are transmitted to the baby across the placenta. These include the possibility of a mild bleeding tendency and some drowsiness. In mothers who have been taking barbiturates, the infant may occasionally show features of a withdrawal reaction with irritability, jitteriness and poor sucking. None of these features is [...]

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Articles

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION SYMPTOMS

Most patients have a combination of two or more of these problems. They are usually first given a thorough medical history and examination to determine the extent of the prob­lem and to hopefully pinpoint a cause. I want to briefly outline the nature of these four symptoms so that your problem will make more sense to you as a patient if you are experiencing any of them.

PRESCRIBED DRUGS

Taking prescribed medications with most vitamins is safe as is taking herbal complexes that are available through health food stores. However, you should always check with your doctor, your pharmacist or your naturopath. They are all trained to know what can go with what.

Weight loss

Overweight is most commonly a result of overeating and lack of exercise. Overweight and fluid retention often go together with people who have glandular problems or under-active thyroids. In such cases an iodine and phosporous deficiency may be the cause.