Swamp-Root
What is Swamp-Root good for? Dr. Kilmer blended the fifteen herbal ingredients of Swamp-Root, coming from South Africa, North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Tibet, and North-west China, into a balanced formula that benefits the digestive, respiratory, and nervous systems. Here are these herbs listed in order of relative percentage.
XII : Juniper (Juniperus Communis) also called Ardij Aghaji, Common Juniper, Enebro, Havrest, Sabino Macho, and Yoshu-Nezu is found in Britain, Canada, Europe, Kurdistan, Malaya, North Africa, North Asia, and the USA on Chalk downs, but only where there is least sunshine and most rain, heaths, moors, pine and birch woods, on acid peat, often dominant on chalk, limestone and slate. Juniper fruits are commonly used in herbal medicine, as a household remedy, and also in some commercial preparations. They are especially useful in the treatment of digestive disorders plus kidney and bladder problems. The fully ripe fruits are strongly antiseptic, aromatic, carminative, diaphoretic, strongly diuretic, rubefacient, stomachic and tonic. The chief use of juniper is as an adjuvant (agent which modifies the effect of other agents while having few if any direct effects when given by themselves, roughly analogous with a chemical catalyst) to diuretics in dropsy depending on heart, liver or kidney disease. Oil of Juniper is given as a diuretic, stomachic, and carminative in indigestion, flatulence, and diseases of the kidney and bladder. The oil mixed with lard is also used in veterinary practice as an application to exposed wounds and prevents irritation from flies. Juniper berries are used in the treatment of cystitis, digestive problems, chronic arthritis, gout and rheumatic conditions. They can be eaten raw or used in a tea, but some caution is advised since large doses can irritate the urinary passage. Externally, it is applied as a diluted essential oil, having a slightly warming effect upon the skin and is thought to promote the removal of waste products from underlying tissues. It is, therefore, helpful when applied to arthritic joints. The fruits should not be used internally by pregnant women since this can cause an abortion. The fruits also increase menstrual bleeding so should not be used by women with heavy periods. In France the berries have been used in chest complaints and in leucorrhoea, blenorrhoea, scrofula, etc. When made into an ointment, they are applied to exposed wounds and prevent irritation by flies. The fruit is readily eaten by most animals, especially sheep, and is said to prevent and cure dropsy in the latter. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute. A tea is made by boiling leaves and stems. A tea made from the berries has a spicy gin-like flavor. A decoction of the branches is used as an anti-dandruff shampoo. The essential oil distilled from the fruits is used in perfumes with spicy fragrance.
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