Herb of the week: Eyebright

 

Euphrasia officinalisEyebright is an annual herb that is common to dry fields and pasture lands in Britain and the USA.The name Euphrasia is taken from the name of one of the three Greek Charities, Euphrosyne, meaning gladness and joy. According to legend, the linnet, a bird whose Greek name comes from the same root, first used this plant to clear the sight of its young and then passed the knowledge on to mankind.Gender: MasculinePlanet: SunElement: AirFolk Names: Euphrosyne, Augentrostkraut, Euphrasiae herba, Herba, Euphrasiae and Herbe d’Euphraise.Parts Used: Arial PartsEye bright has been used for hundreds of years, but wasn’t referred to in texts until 1305 CE, when it was assigned the sign Leo by Nicholas Culpeper. In the Elizabeth era it was used in ales and wine, as it was believed to add cheer to one’s spirit.Eyebright made up in an infusion, can be dabbed on the eyelids aid in clairvoyance. When used this way during the day some say it can make what is usually unseen, visible. When used at night it can help to induce prophetic dreams.Use dried in spells and mojo bags for truth when you need to see things clearly and remove deception from a situation. Eyebright can also be used in spells which allow you to see a situation ina more positive way.Add eyebright to a mojo bag with peppermint or rosemary to boost memory while studying or to find something that has been lost.Use eyebright to enhance divination, add a sprinkle of the herb to a scrying bowl or mirror. It can also be used to see the fae.Burning eyebright in an incense may also aid in clairvoyance, would be good to use during any celebrations as its name means gladness and joy.
Contraindications 
Potential Eyebright side effects

Eyebright has been used in alternative medicine as an aid in treating nasal congestion, sinus pain, cough, breathing problems and other symptoms of allergies or the common cold. However, eyebright use in these conditions has not been proven with research to be effective.

Other uses not proven with research have included using eyebright in an eyedrop to treat "pink eye" (conjunctivitis). Eyebright is thought to be possibly unsafe when applied directly to the eye.

It is not certain whether eyebright is effective in treating any medical condition. Medicinal use of this product has not been approved by the FDA. Eyebright should not be used in place of medication prescribed for you by your doctor.

Eyebright is often sold as an herbal supplement. There are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for many herbal compounds and some marketed supplements have been found to be contaminated with toxic metals or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination.

Eyebright may also be used for purposes not listed in this product

Caution 

Ask a doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider if it is safe for you to use this product if you have:

• diabetes (eyebright can lower your blood sugar).

It is not known whether eyebright will harm an unborn baby. Do not use this product without medical advice if you are pregnant.

It is not known whether eyebright passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this product without medical advice if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Avoid using eyebright in your eyes or you could develop an eye infection that could lead to serious vision problems.

Avoid using eyebright together with other herbal/health supplements that can also lower your blood sugar. This includes alpha-lipoic acid(APA), devil's claw, fenugreek, guar gum, ginseng, and horse chestnut.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using eyebright and call your doctor at once if you have:

• vision problems;

• eye redness or swelling;

• watery or itchy eyes; or

• increased sensitivity of your eyes to light.

Common side effects may include:

• headache, confusion;

• sneezing, cough, trouble breathing;

• nausea, constipation;

• tooth pain;

• sweating; or

• sleep problems (insomnia).

Herb of the week; Agrimony

 The herb known as the agrimony is a very pretty looking plant. The herb has spikes that bear rows of tiny yellow flowers-known as church steeples. The agrimony is also characterized by having fruits that are marked by hooked bristles - cockleburs - at the top or towards the tips.

The flower is found growing wild on the side of agricultural fields and by the roadsides, woods also have many agrimony plants growing wild within them. Traditionally used in healing, agrimony is typically used by herbalist as a sleep inducing remedy-though, the herb itself possess no known narcotic properties.

It is believed that when the agrimony is placed under a person's head, it will induce a deep sleep in the person and the sleep will last as long as the herb is kept near the person

.Uses for ariel parts:

The other traditional use of the agrimony in herbal remedy has been as a healing aid for wounds-applications of this herb will staunch bleeding and will promote the formation of clots in the area of the wound, the herb has been used in this role for a very long time. The agrimony is slightly bitter tasting and acts as an astringent on wounds.

The herbal remedy prepared from the agrimony is also used as an effective remedy for the treatment of diarrhea. A gentle tonic prepared from the herb also aids the digestion and is beneficial to the digestive system.

Agrimony is also used in combination herbal formulas along with other herbs such as the corn silk-such a combination herbal remedy helps in treating cystitis and problems related to urinary incontinence in an affected person.

The combination remedy has also been successfully employed in the treatment of kidney stones, common disorders like sore throats and rheumatism, and even disorders like arthritis in many people.

The agrimony has a very long history as far as its use in herbal medicine is concerned, this is besides the folklores connected to its reputed remedial properties. It has indeed been seen as a panacea through the ages, and the English poet Michael Drayton once proclaimed it as an "all-heal" remedy-thus all these remarkable powers were attributed to this herb.

In other cultures, notably the ancient Greeks, all eye ailments were commonly treated using herbal remedies prepared from the agrimony. They also used the herb to make herbal brews as a cure for diarrhea and other internal disorders of vital organs such as the gallbladder, the liver, and the kidneys.

Other societies such as the Anglo-Saxons were also known to prepare an herbal solution from the leaves and seeds of the agrimony to be used in the healing of all kinds of physical wounds on the body.

The herbal use of the agrimony continued all through the Middle Ages and is used even now, in the form of a herbal preparation known as the eau d' arquebusade, or the "musket-shot water."

These days, herbal remedies made from the agrimony herb are suggested in the treatment of athlete's foot in all individuals affected by this disorder.

The herb was extensively used in the treatment of many types of illnesses, and in the United States and Canada, till late into the 19th century, herbal remedies prepared from the agrimony were being used to treat all types of skin diseases, the remedy was also usually prescribed for asthma, to treat persistent coughs, and the remedy was also used in the treatment of gynecological complaints of all kinds.

The herbal remedy was also used as a gargle for treating sore throat in affected patients.

Prepare the herbal agrimony infusion by using a cup of boiling water as a medium to infuse one to two teaspoonfuls of the dried agrimony herb, allow the herb to infuse for ten to fifteen minutes at a time.

The infusion can then be cooled and strained-this infusion can be used thrice every day as an herbal remedy. The herbal tincture can be given to use in dosages of one to three ml of tincture thrice every day during the treatment of the individual.

Side effects and cautions

The herbal remedies made from agrimony must be used carefully, as they are known to cause certain susceptible individuals to experience the symptoms of photo dermatitis, which is a type of skin rash that can develop following the consumption of the herb and which comes on when the person's skin is subsequently exposed to direct sunlight.

It has also been observed in some studies, that remedies made from the agrimony can actually lower the blood pressure of the person using it. For this reason, the herbal remedies made from this herb must not be consumed by those undergoing anticoagulant therapy or those under drug treatment for any high or low blood pressure problems.

The menstrual cycle is also supposedly affected by herbal remedies made from the agrimony. Pregnant women and nursing mothers must avoid the use of these herbal agrimony remedies for this reason.

The moderate consumption of herbal agrimony tea is also advised partly because it has very high tannin content. The harmful effects of the ingested tannins in the herbal agrimony tea can be blunted by adding milk to the herbal agrimony tea.

INFUSION - The remedial actions of infusions made from the agrimony are gentle remedies, ideally suited to the treatment of diarrhea, particularly those which types tend to affect infants and small children. The herbal remedies can also be used by breastfeeding mothers as an herbal dose to treat diarrhea in their babies.

TINCTURE - This herbal remedy is much more potent and has a greater drying effect compared to the herbal infusion, the effectiveness of this tincture also greatly increases if the condition is one which involves the production of excessive phlegm or excess mucus.

This herbal tincture can be used in the treatment of disorders such as cystitis, it can be used in the treatment of all manners of urinary infections, it finds use in the treatment of bronchitis, and in the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding in women.

POULTICE - The herbal poultice made from the agrimony can be applied directly on to the head as a topical relief measure from migraines - this herbal poultice is usually made from the leaves of the agrimony herb.

WASH - The agrimony can also be used in the form of an herbal wash or herbal infusion to cleanse and disinfect wounds, all types of sores, to treat eczema, and in the treatment of varicose ulcers.

EYEWASH - A weakened form of the herbal infusion, usually a mix of 10 gm herb to 500 ml water can be used as eyewash to clear conjunctivitis and related eye infections.

GARGLE - The herbal infusions made from the agrimony can also be used to treat sore throats and nasally accumulated mucus.