Internet Info 1997 December/Internet_Info_CD-ROM_Walnut_Creek_December_1997.iso/faqs/alt/answers/medicinal-herbs/part1

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From: [e-mail] (Henriette Kress)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs,alt.answers,news.answers
Subject: Medicinal herbFAQ (v.1.27b) Part 1/7
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Date: Wed, 24 Sep 1997 17:46:21 GMT
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Summary: What you have always wanted to know (and ask on a newsgroup)(more often than once a month) about medicinal herbs
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Archive-name: medicinal-herbs/part1
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Last-modified: 1997/09/24
Version: 1.27b
URL: http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed/mediherb.html

Available by ftp: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp
 /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/faqs/

==========
Contents

Part 1:
   * 1 Introduction
        o 1.1 Contributors
        o 1.2 Wishlist
   * 2 Frequently asked questions and other useful stuff
        o 2.1 Single herbs
             + 2.1.1 Valeriana
                  + 2.1.1.1 Valeriana is not derived from Valium
             + 2.1.2 Yohimbe
                  + 2.1.2.1 Yohimbe is a MAO inhibitor, yohimbine isn't
             + 2.1.3 Absinthe FAQ pointer
                  + 2.1.3.1 More on Absinthe
             + 2.1.4 St. John's Wort (Hypericum) and photosensitivity
                  + 2.1.4.1 St. John's Wort (Hypericum) and MAO inhibition
Part 2:
             + 2.1.5 Ginseng
             + 2.1.6 Stevia Leaf - Too Good To Be Legal?
                  + 2.1.6.1 Changed legal status of Stevia Leaf
             + 2.1.7 Poison Ivy / Oak / Sumac
                  + 2.1.7.1 Impatiens
             + 2.1.8 Echinacea - uses
                  + 2.1.8.1 Echinacea - poaching and extinction
             + 2.1.9 Feverfew and migraine
Part 3:
             + 2.1.10 Ginkgo
             + 2.1.11 Kava kava
             + 2.1.12 Pau d'arco
             + 2.1.13 Wild yam and contraception
             + 2.1.14 Red raspberry and pregnancy
             + 2.1.15 Green tea (and caffeine)
             + 2.1.16 Comfrey hepatotoxicity
             + 2.1.17 Pennyroyal
             + 2.1.18 Cat's Claw
             + 2.1.19 Golden Seal appeal - and Goldthread too
             + 2.1.20 Ma Huang or Ephedra
Part 4:
        o 2.2 Herbs for specific things
             + 2.2.1 Herbs for mosquitoes and other bothersome bugs
             + 2.2.2 Herbs for migraines
             + 2.2.3 Herbs for vivid dreams
             + 2.2.4 Herbs and weight loss
             + 2.2.5 Herbs to make you sleep
             + 2.2.6 Aphrodisiacs
             + 2.2.7 Herbal Abortives and Birth Control
                  + 2.2.7.1 Herbal Abortives and Common Sense
             + 2.2.8 Herbs and female infertility
             + 2.2.9 Herbs, ADD, and replacing Ritalin
             + 2.2.10 Herbs for Sunburn
             + 2.2.11 The gall bladder flush
             + 2.2.12 Herbs for cough
Part 5:
        o 2.3 Processing herbs
             + 2.3.1 Distilling things
             + 2.3.2 Pointer to the How-to of Tinctures
             + 2.3.3 Herbal oils
             + 2.3.4 Balms and liniments
        o 2.4 Pointers to related documents
             + 2.4.1 Tinnitus FAQ pointer
             + 2.4.2 Plants by Mail FAQ pointer
             + 2.4.3 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome WWW page pointer
             + 2.4.4 Hint for Kombucha posters
             + 2.4.5 Hint for Essiac posters
             + 2.4.6 Thinking of growing herbs for sale?
             + 2.4.7 Saw Palmetto and Prostata problems: Newsgroup/FAQ
               pointer
             + 2.4.8 Natural high FAQ pointer
             + 2.4.9 Natural vision FAQ pointer
             + 2.4.10 Smoking herbs document pointer
             + 2.4.11 Gout FAQ pointer
             + 2.4.12 Pointer to herbal-medical glossary
        o 2.5 Other topics that are frequently discussed
             + 2.5.1 Melatonin
   * 3 General Info
        o 3.1 Introduction to side effects, safety and toxicity of
          medicinal herbs
        o 3.2 Wildcrafting Ethics and similar things
             + 3.2.4 United Plant Savers
Part 6:
        o 3.3 Different schools of Herbal Healing
             + 3.3.1 Traditions in Western Herbal Medicine
             + 3.3.2 Ayurveda - an introduction
             + 3.3.3 Pointers to homeopathy sites etc.
             + 3.3.4 What is Traditional Chinese Medicine?
             + 3.3.5 Bach (and other) Flower essences
        o 3.4 Commercial posts and how to get rid of them
        o 3.5 The Ames Test
        o 3.6 Trying out the placebo effect
Part 7:
   * 4 Good Printed Sources
        o 4.1 Good Books on herbal medicine
        o 4.2 Good Books for further studies
        o 4.3 Good Periodicals
   * 5 Other sources
        o 5.1 Napralert - on-line commercial database
        o 5.2 Medline - on-line commercial database
        o 5.3 Demo or shareware Herbprograms
        o 5.4 Commercial Herbprograms
   * 6 Teachings etc.
        o 6.1 Apprenticeships offered lately
        o 6.2 Pointers to schools
             + 6.2.1 ND degrees and accreditation
        o 6.3 Correspondence courses in the UK
        o 6.4 Etc.
   * 7 Check these sites
        o 7.1 FTP sites with info on medicinal herbs: Sunsite Herb archives
        o 7.2 Interesting WWW pages
        o 7.3 Herbal online discussions on the WWW
   * 8 Mailing lists
        o 8.1 The Medicinal Herblist
        o 8.2 The Aromatherapy List
        o 8.3 The Holistic List
        o 8.4 The Kombucha List
        o 8.5 The Paracelsus List
        o 8.6 The Chinese Herblist
        o 8.7 The Homeopathy List
        o 8.8 The Phytopharmacognosy List
        o 8.9 The Culinary Herblist
        o 8.10 The Napronet
        o 8.11 The Altmed-res List
        o 8.12 The HerbMed -List
        o 8.13 The HerbInfo -List
   * 9 Related newsgroups

==========

1 Introduction

-----
Hi all,
This is the (umpth + n) edition of the FAQ / Resource list. (I've lost
track).
Feel free to send additions, corrections and comments.

[e-mail].

==========

1.1 Contributors

-----
FAQ Keeper: Henriette Kress, [e-mail].

Contributors so far (listed alphabetically): ;)
Aine Maclir <[e-mail]>
Al Czap <[e-mail]>
Alex Standefer <[e-mail]>
amethyst <[e-mail]>
Andy + Sharon <[e-mail]>
Anita Hales <[e-mail]>
August West <[e-mail]>
Barbara Heller <[e-mail]>
Callie <[e-mail]>
Carolyn Mohney <[e-mail]>
Cathy Weigl <[e-mail]>
Christopher Hedley <[e-mail]>
Clarke Hoover <[e-mail]>
Colette Gardiner <[e-mail]>
Coyote Osborne <[e-mail]>
Craige Roberts <[e-mail]>
Dale Kemery <[e-mail]>
David Powner <[e-mail]>
Dennis McClain-Furmanski <[e-mail]>
Dorene Petersen <[e-mail]>
Duane Weed <[e-mail]>
Elizabeth Perdomo <[e-mail]>
Elizabeth Toews <[e-mail]>
Eric Yarnell <[e-mail]>
Eugenia Provence <[e-mail]>
George M. Carter <[e-mail]>
Gloria Mercado-Martin <[e-mail]>
Howie Brounstein <[e-mail]>
James Mally, N.D. <[e-mail]>
Jim Bardon <[e-mail]>
Jonathan Treasure <[e-mail]>
Julia Moravcsik <[e-mail]>
[e-mail]
Kathjokl <[e-mail]>
Kay Klier <[e-mail]>
Kenneth R. Robertson <[e-mail]>
Kevin Jones <[e-mail]>
Kris Gammon <[e-mail]>
Lawrence London <[e-mail]>
Lupo LeBoucher <[e-mail]>
Mark D. Gold <[e-mail]>
Mary Jo Gilsdorf <[e-mail]>
Maven <[e-mail]>
Michael Moore <[e-mail]>
Michael M. Zanoni <[e-mail]>
Noel Gilmore <[e-mail]>
Patricia Harper <[e-mail]>
Paul Bergner <[e-mail]>
Paul Iannone <[e-mail]>
Penny <[e-mail]>
Peggy Wilbur <[e-mail]>
Peter Gail <[e-mail]>
Peter L. Schuerman <[e-mail]>
P. Mick Richardson <[e-mail]>
Rene Burrough <[e-mail]>
Rob McCaleb <[e-mail]>
Robert Gault <[e-mail]>
Robert Hensley <[e-mail]>
Robyn Klein <[e-mail]>
Ron Rushing <[e-mail]>
Roy Collins <[e-mail]>
Roy Upton <[e-mail]>
Rusty Taylor <[e-mail]>
Samson <[e-mail]>
Sara Klein Ridgley, PhD <[e-mail]>
Satin <[e-mail]>
Shannon Brophy <[e-mail]>
Sharon Rust <[e-mail]>
[e-mail]
Suzanne E. Sky <[e-mail]>
Tim Birdsall <[e-mail]>
Tim Keenan <[e-mail]>
Todd Caldecott <[e-mail]>
vicki <[e-mail]>
_urban shaman_ (can be reached over <[e-mail]>)

==========

1.2 Wishlist

-----
Actually there isn't much important stuff missing anymore. The following
topics are currently up for grabs:

Wanted for chapter 2.1 (Single herbs):

   * Guarana

Wanted for chapter 2.2. (Herbs for specific things):

   * Herbs for asthma
   * Herbs and diarrhoea / constipation - taken
   * Herbs for flu - taken

Wanted for chapter 3.3 (Different schools of herbal healing):

   * Aromatherapy - an introduction - taken

Wanted in addition:

   * Anything else you see posted every so often, but that I haven't
     included in the FAQ or on the wishlist.

If you wish to contribute send me a short note; I'll keep track of who
promised to do what, and if you can't find the time to put something
together in two months your topic will be up for grabs again.
Your contribution can be as long as you wish to make it; but it should be
GOOD (like all the entries in this FAQ - thanks, folks).

Also, if you really know what you are talking about I'd like to hear your
comments on any entry in this FAQ.
(Strange folks- all I ever get is 'Good Show. Keep it up.', but no-one ever
tells me if they found any errors.)

==========

2. Frequently asked questions and other useful stuff

==========

2.1 Single herbs

=====
2.1.1 Valeriana
-----
Also see Herbs to make you sleep (2.2.5).
-----
> Valeriana - uses? pros? cons? safety? dosage?

From Todd Caldecott ([e-mail]):
Valerian is an excellent herb to use, in combination with other herbs, or
used alone. The active constituents are the volatile oil
(isovalerianic/enic acid) and valepotriates. Valerian depresses the central
nervous system, similar to GABA (which occurs naturally in the brain and
inhibits nerve impulse transmission.) There are no cons to taking valerian
other than if you use it other than in a capsule it can smell up your house
as a tea. Or if you have cats they may rub up and down your leg (they like
it, similar to catnip) while you are drinking you tea, causing you to
stumble and fall, spilling hot liquid all over yourself. For Valerian to be
effective you must take it in sufficient quantities to work e.g. 1-2 tsp.
of the tincture (alcohol extract) before bed, or 6-10 capsules of the dried
plant. Onset is typically 1 hour. You may awaken a little muddleheaded,
which is quickly relieved as soon as you move about. For a daily dose, 5 ml
(1 tsp.) of the tincture 3 times a day between meals is the standard dose.

About 20% of the population respond to Valerian as a stimulant, so if you
take it and have insomnia or buzzed out, try hops, chamomile,
passionflower, skullcap or Avena, which are all excellent herbs to relieve
stress, anxiety and insomnia.

=====
2.1.1.1 Valeriana is not derived from Valium
-----
From Michael Moore ([e-mail]):

>Valerian is the parent of Valium isn't it?

There is absolutely NO connection between Valerian and Valium...believe
me...just an accident of circumstance...Valeriana is a classic Roman Latin
reference...Valium is an invented trade name...a copycat name from a
pharmaceutical manufacturer to aid in making a conscious or unconscious
connection with "Librium", a successful tranq whose market Valium was
originally aimed at.

Valerian HAS had some anecdotal use for ADD...the only problem is that
extended use of enough Valerian to have value has ALSO brought about
emotional lability in some folks. Using herbs as drug substitutes has
value, but with Valerian having SO many different physiologic effects
(depressant for CNS, stimulant to gastric, pulmonary and cardiovascular
functions) it is a botanical that is best used within a constitutional
framework...i.e. evaluating the PERSON metabolically to find out if the
profile of effects from Valerian is complementary or antagonistic.

-----
From Colette Gardiner <[e-mail]>:

Re the name Valium and its relation to the name Librium. For some weird
reason I actually remember reading an article in the newspaper on the new
drug Valium. There was a quote from the inventor basically saying he had
been trying to invent something similar to Librium only better. He went on
for a paragraph or so about comparing the various sensations and effects,
and concluded that yes Valium was "nicer".

=====
2.1.2 Yohimbe
-----
From _urban shaman_, reached over [e-mail]:

If people wanted to obtain a legal hyperalert sexually aroused state, they
might find some yohimbe and brew it up by simmering a quart of water with 1
gm of ascorbic acid to 5 gm yohimbe until there's only 50% of the original
water volume left. Add a lot of sugar afterward. Mixes synergistically with
sassafras and Pau d'arco if you're adventurous and would like to cure your
ills and get a hard-on at the same time. However, most people who have
tried yohimbe have been disappointed. They didn't know you need to brew it
20 to 30 minutes at approx. 200x with an organic acid to release the
alkaloid components.

The active alkaloid, yohimbine bitartrate, is the component of the only
allopathic medicines known to cause erection in impotent males and
approaches the concept of an aphrodisiac. Yohimbine bitartrate particularly
affects nerves and changes blood flow regulators in the genital area. The
medical texts never mention that it does the same thing to women, showing a
typical disregard for female erection.

In the best case scenario this decoction will cause many users get a
melting spinal sensation and extreme epidermal sensitivity with high
interpersonal perception and melding. It can be extremely sexually
arousing...or at least all the signs and signals are there...

And the worst case scenario for yohimbe? - well, you have to remember
ethnographic reports documenting cases of some African tribes drinking it
in copious quantities in pre-raid rituals to suppress fear and jack up
physical aggressiveness. After getting to the point where they were
bouncing up and down so much they looked like a mosh pit full of spears,
they'd run 10 miles over to the next village and kill off most of the
neighboring tribe, stopping only to rape the dogs, cattle, women, children,
surviving males, dead bodies, water jugs and tree boles before running back
home. I'm not sure this is something we need downtown on Friday night.

Yohimbe Caution: it will keep both partners up all night. In the male of
the species this becomes really inconvenient and irritating as after a few
hours an erection becomes more of a liability than an asset - especially as
this aspect continues long past the point - as long as 8 hours - where
you'd like to go to sleep and there's this turgid log attached to you that
won't go away and is just beginning to ache.

Note on the Caution: A warm bath can help with the log-on problem, as can
gentle massage. However this should be avoided for at least four hours
after ingestion because of the effect of raised body temperature on
metabolism of the alkaloid - i.e., heat could intensify the stimulant
effects.

Females are not exempt from this - it has the same effect on them, although
it is easier to sleep on.

A possible downside of this erectile effect in high doses is the danger of
blood vessel damage and gangrene in the penis resulting from the localized
poor circulation condition known as penile erection.

More from _urban shaman_ on the subject:

There are a number of caveats re yohimbe - it shouldn't be taken with MAO
inhibitors or by persons with high blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, or a
history of mental disturbance, especially including bipolar disorder.

A good dose prepared using methods as I described can have profound
psychological effects - enough so that 'set' and 'setting' can become
issues if the concentration/quantity is sufficient. This condition can
easily be entered into by simply acquiring relatively recently
gathered/dried/imported specimens of the herb and using enough of it.
Botanicals are very wiggly in the potency dept. - a primary breakdown in
the process occurs when practitioners have never seen a 'good' specimen of
the herb in question. There are no low cost analytical methods for
determining the active compound density of herbal materials gathered in the
wild. It totally depends on recognition by experts - and sometimes even the
best of them may have to compromise, as there just may not be any high
quality material to be had.

-----
Still more from _urban shaman_ on the subject:

I'm still looking for the medical abstracts I have about the action of
Yohimbe. The "approved" alkaloid is Yohimbine Hydrochloride. Herbal Yohimbe
extracts are sold by a number of health food companies including I believe
Michaels and Herb Pharm. Yohimbe bark and powder may be available from
"...of the Jungle" in Sebastopol CA. Please remember, if you're considering
making extracts - Yohimbe is strongly synergized by alcohol. It is also
easily extracted in alcohol/water - but the alcohol should be evaporated
off after extraction unless you're looking for a real wowwow effect. There
could be high blood pressure complications from ingesting strong
concentrations of Yohimbe. Dayton Laboratories sells the prescription
preparation Dayto Himbin in tablet and liquid form. The tablets contain
about 5.5 mg hydrochloride. The liquid contains phenylalanine as well and
should be used with caution. Total daily doses run on average between 20-30
mg of the hydrochloride.

The medical action is to increase penile blood inflow and decrease penile
blood outflow. The action is cited as having an erectile function without
increase in libido. I have not taken the hydrochoride so don't speak from
direct experience.

Although the caveats state that Yohimbine exerts no cardiac stimulation, it
is later noted that Yohimbine is an unpredictable CNS stimulant and may
cause elevated blood pressure and cardiac rates.

From this information I hazard we are to take it that in the same manner
that yohimbine causes erections without raising libido, it also causes
cardiac rate increase without stimulating the heart? (I love the guys who
write this hype - they're so wise)

Buried deep in the caveats for the dayto himbin product is language saying
you should not give this to people with a history of mental instability,
and that it causes recipients to express a range of curious behaviors at
doses lower than those required to cause erection - among which are
tremors, irritation, dizziness, flushing (note that Niacin causes a body
flush at sites almost identical to those of a sexual flush.

Horse breeders administer large doses of niacin to both parties of a horse
breeding "to get them in the mood". I would not suggest, however, that
taking niacin along with yohimbe would have a parallel effect. If you don't
know what a "sexual flush" is - take 200 mg of niacin and stand naked in
front of a 3 panel mirror and watch your face, neck, "loins", and chest.

=====
2.1.2.1 Yohimbe is a MAO inhibitor, yohimbine isn't
-----
From Michael Moore:

The alkaloid yohimbine is NOT an MAO inhibitor. The herb yohimbe IS.

The whole plant is potentially so evil and insidious BECAUSE it's complex
chemistry contains both adrenergics AND cholinergics...with effects that
substantially mimic both sympathetic adrenergic, sympathetic cholinergic
AND parasympathetic neuroreceptors all at the same time. It contains both
yohimbine alkaloid groups (stimulating and hypertensive) and several potent
reserpinoid (Rauwolfia) alkaloids (tranquilizing and hypotensive) ...a
warlock's brew.

Consistent use will, because of it's wildly opposite effects, find and
widen metabolic chinks in almost ANYBODY.

==========
2.1.3 Absinthe FAQ pointer
-----
If you really are serious about Absinthe go get the alt.drugs FAQ on the
subject from ftp://hyperreal.com/drugs/faqs: FAQ-Absinthe. Or get it from
the WWW: http://alpha.rollanet.org/library/absfaq.html/

Be warned - thujone IS dangerous, no matter what that FAQ says. Comments
about this statement follows:

=====
2.1.3.1 More on Absinthe
-----
Dale Kemery wrote
>I've been puzzled by absinthe for a long time. My recent reading has only
intensified my curiosity. Is/was absinthe a true psychedelic beverage? Or
what were/are its effects? For a long time I relied on the traditional
reports about absinthe turning the brain to mush.
>However, considering the hysterical disinformation campaign of Howard
Anslinger aimed against marijuana, I've become very suspicious of any
official strictures. What *is* the story about wormwood/absinthe?
Where can I learn more?

From [e-mail] (Christopher Hedley):

This is from R.F.Weiss, Herbal Medicine. Weiss was an MD who taught herbal
medicine in medical schools in Germany, so I suppose he counts as fairly
impartial and reliable:

"The plant contains 0.25-0.5% of a volatile oil the main constituent of
which is thujone as well as bitters. The bitter action predominates.
Wormwood is a typical aromatic bitter. The volatile oil is remarkably
effective against worms. It is however toxic, whilst the bitter principle
is largely non-toxic. Absinthe is made with wormwood oil, but in Germany
its manufacture has been banned since 1923. The usual wormwood preparations
contain so little of the oil that there is no risk of toxic effect. In some
Mediterranean countries, where absinthe is consumed in large quantities,
the seriously damaging effects on the central nervous system which have
given the plant its bad name may develop and even lead to seizures. This
shows that wormwood also has central stimulant properties that are no doubt
of benefit in the small quantities normally used.

Wormwood herb, for tea, 1 teaspoon to a glass of boiling water, leave to
infuse for 10 minutes.

Wormwood tincture. 10-20-30 drops three times daily in water."

Comment; so the story is the same one as coffee, i.e. abuse/ overuse of a
perfectly good and useful herb.

Wormwood is Artemisia absinthium, it is used a lot in aperitif wines and
spirits in Europe, but only in small amounts or it dominates the taste.

It is mostly used for intestinal parasites, 'weak digestion', liver and
gall bladder troubles and as an emmenagogue. I always recommend it as a
prophylactic for folk traveling to hot countries, 15 drops of tincture
three times daily usually does the trick. The American spp of Artemisia,
incl. sagebrush and mugwort, have pretty much the same properties.

- No Artemesias should be taken during pregnancy.

I trust this is useful info. Christopher Hedley

-----
From Howie Brounstein <[e-mail]>:

>>Be warned - thujone IS dangerous, no matter what that FAQ says.

The reason this line is attached to the Absinthe Pointer is because the
Absinthe FAQ is slanted.

Most sources say that long term use of Absinthe is dangerous and
debilitating. I was under the impression that many people became addicted
to it and suffered mental and physical deterioration, thus it became
outlawed. I would stress that this is long term use. Wormwood, Artemisia
absinthium is pretty nasty stuff, you would have to drink a lot of tea to
feel its narcotic like effects, but by then you'd be retching from its foul
taste. Of course, you could try to hide the flavor with other stuff ...
thus Absinthe.

Personally, I don't like it, don't feel its worth the havoc on your body
for the effect. I like the smell of it, and would keep it around for that.
The Absinthe FAQ, however, takes the point that it may be harmless, that
the debility was caused by alcohol addiction, or Absinthe impurities, and a
marihuana - like political scare tactics. I am not sure what to make of it,
but the warning does remain that thujone is dangerous when taken in large
enough quantities, and that the Absinthe of history did hurt a generation
of people no matter what the specifics.

>If thujone is so dangerous, what are we to make of it as the primary
constituent of Artemisia? Are we endangering ourselves whenever we inhale
it?

Firstly, the chemistries of Artemisia absinthium and Mugwort, Artemisia
vulgaris or douglasiana are different. Some of the contraindications are
different; the uses are different; their histories are different. Also, it
may be a bit premature to say that one chemical, thujone, is THE active
ingredient in either. That would be a bit too reductionist for my tastes.
We can't even assume that because a plant contains some small amount of a
poison, that the plant is poisonous, or we'd have to give up onions,
spinach, mustard. The difference between food and poison is often dosage;
the difference between poison and medicine is dosage. So let's focus on
thujone. A brief list of plants containing thujone includes:

Salvia officinalis L. - Sage (Leaf)
Salvia triloba L. - Greek Sage (Plant)
Artemisia dracunculus L. - Tarragon (Shoot)
Mentha x rotundifolia (L.) HUDSON - Applemint (Leaf)
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium SCHRAD. - Slenderleaf Mountain Mint (Shoot)
Mentha pulegium L. - European Pennyroyal (Plant)
Thymus orospedanus H. del VILLAR - Orosped Thyme (Plant)
Achillea millefolium L. - Yarrow (Plant)
Capsicum frutescens L. - Cayenne (Fruit)
Carum carvi L. - Caraway (Fruit)
Glycyrrhiza glabra L. - Licorice (Root)
Juniperus sabina L. - Sabine (Plant)
Matricaria recutita L. - Annual Chamomile (Plant)
Mentha arvensis L. - Cornmint (Plant)
Sassafras albidum (NUTT.) NEES - Sassafras (Root)
Satureja hortensis L. - Summer Savory (Plant)

This list, and others like it is available free from the Phytochemical
databases (links on my home page
(http://www.teleport.com/~howie/howie.html) and many other places)

So as you can see, many plants that are very safe (in normal dosages)
contain this chemical. So smell your Mugwort, drink Mugwort tea, smoke it,
smear the juice all over your body on a vision-dream quest, just don't
extract pure thujone from it and snort it.

>Someone on another list suggested smoking Artemisia because there's a
strong connection with MJ--both affect the same (or similar) receptors in
the brain, and are apparently similar botanically (I don't know what that
means technically). Additionally, a book called *Absinthe, History in a
Bottle* by Barnaby Conrad III mentions thujone-enol's structural similarity
to THC.

Smoking Artemisias? Hmm, for me Mugwort is a flavor, used in small amounts
as not to be too overwhelming. Kind of mentholly. Or perhaps for it's
dreaming effects. But once again folks are implying a generalization: This
one constituent (or group of constituents) is shaped like THC, and perhaps
affects the same receptor sites as THC, so it must make you feel like you
smoked THC. Oops, flawed logic again. Just because the shape of two
molecules are similar doesn't mean that they have similar biological
effects.

They might, but its not guaranteed. My take on this: Ingesting Mugwort, or
any Artemisia I've tasted, does not make you feel like you've ingested
Marihuana.

So enjoy the smells, drown your concerns, and a happy, aromatic holiday
season to all you netters out there.

Howie Brounstein
[e-mail]

-----
From Dale Kemery, [e-mail], to above:

I thought you might be interested in more complete information about
absinthe, wormwood and thujone, after our recent exchange on the subject.
I've come across a comprehensive summary about it in Jonathan Ott's superb
"Pharmacotheon." (Although using his name with any glowing adjective is
redundant because everything I've seen of his is so complete, exhaustive
and thoroughly researched and studied.)

"Absinthe was prepared by distilling alcohol over mashed leaves of
wormwood, and other common ingredients were Angelica root, Acorus calamus
rhizome (which may contain the psychoactive asarones;...), cinnamon, fennel
seed, star anise (both of which contain anethole, another potentially
psychoactive compounds...) and other plants. The characteristic and
much-desired green color of the liqueur, which was supposed to whiten when
mixed with water, was sometimes artificially enhanced by addition of indigo
and other plants, or toxic metal salts like copper sulfate and antimony
chloride...

He chronicles the history of the banning of absinthe and a recent renewal
of interest in absinthe, then says:

"It is commonly assumed that the thujones were the neurotoxic principles of
absinthe, although alcohol also is a potent neurotoxin (absinthe contained
from 68-85% alcohol) and significant quantities of copper and antimony
salts used as adulterants (particularly in cheap imitation absinthe for the
poorer classes) may have been present and responsible for the
neurotoxicity...While large doses of injected thujones are unquestionably
toxic, modern toxicological studies of thujones, in the quantities present
in absinthe, without the copper and antimony adulterants, are needed before
concluding that the neurotoxicity associated with absinthism was a
consequence of thujone content. I suspect the copper and antimony salts, as
well as the unusually high alcohol content had more to do with absinthe
toxicity than the thujone content. Non-thujone essential oils commonly
present in absinthe have also been shown to have convulsant properties and
are probably neurotoxic."

The obvious inference is that thujone is unlikely the culprit in
"absinthism." And even though he acknowledges the toxicity of "large doses
of injected thujones," the operative words are "large" and "injected." It
may be assumed (without any evidence to support this statement) that
swallowing thujone in some form (tea, for example) would subject it to the
chemical rigors of digestion, a pathway that is much different from
intravenous or even intramuscular injection. Whether the same can be said
for, say, smoking a thujone-containing plant is another matter since
inhalation effectuates a much more direct transfer into the blood without
the intervention of hydrochloric acid, pepsin and other digestive enzymes.

-----
From [e-mail] (Christopher Hedley):

A note.. Sage (Salvia officinalis) essential oil is 30% thujone and good
sage has up to 2.5% essential oil. Wormwood contains 1% essential oil, I
don't have a figure on the % of thujone but if we assume it to be less than
half then it is possible to consume more thujone in Sage tea than in
Wormwood tea and no one has suggested that long term use of sage is toxic.

Distilling alcohol over Wormwood would extract mostly the volatile oil.
Weiss says that the pure volatile oil was also used in the making of
absinthe - this is still an ingrained habit in food and drink manufacture
and one that should be condemned. Flavouring with volatile oils is NOT the
same as flavouring with plants.

Thujone has been given bad press but I still don't think that consuming
large amounts of volatile oil for long periods has anything to recommend
it. Also the thujone has strong stimulating effects, noticeable when
smoking wormwood - which as Howie says is nothing like smoking Mugwort.
Presumably absinthe had the same degree of stimulation and thus people were
encouraged to drink more and abuse it.

The comparison between thujone and THC is an interesting example of just
how far theory can lead people astray. Always try for yourself I say.

----
From Howie Brounstein <[e-mail]>:

> Also the thujone has strong stimulating effects, noticeable when smoking
wormwood- which as Howie says is nothing like smoking Mugwort. Presumably
absinthe had the same degree of stimulation and thus people were encouraged
to drink more and abuse it.

Hmmm. Did I say that. Oh yes, so I did. It is hard to put into words.
Mugwort can be used like Wormwood for worms, warming, female reproductive
system effects, and it has similar contra-indications. Yet wormwood has
something else, a more overtly drugged feeling it produces that I have
never experienced with other Artemisias. I don't know what chemical is
responsible for it, it may be thujone unrelated, for all I know. But I know
the feeling.

=====
If you still want to try it here's one how-to, and a vivid description of
the experience:

-----
>Making Absinthe is extremely easy, as long as you don't require the full
alcoholic content. Just take Pernod, pour off about an ounce and cram
wormwood herb in the top. Let it set for a week or two. That's it. Pernod
is Absinthe without the wormwood and about half the alcohol.

From [e-mail] (Lupo LeBoucher):

This is unlikely to absorb much thujone; for a really horrible and
ridiculously potent absinthe, buy a fifth of 100proof vodka, pour it over
an ounce of wormwood, and a quarter ounce of anise seeds, and let it steep
for a month or two. After straining the liquid, the resulting decoction
will be a horrible looking liquid with approximately the color and
psychoactivity of 1970s gasoline, though gasoline tastes better (long
story).

To ingest (one cannot drink it), pour over a lump of sugar into a strong
mixture of water & lemon juice, hold nose, and swallow before you taste the
bitter horror. Be sure to do this in the vicinity of a sink with running
water; one may need to wash the awful stuff down or provide your absinthe
with a convenient place to rest should it decide to come up for a breather.

Effects reportedly include, audio-visual hallucinations similar to the
opiates, with a bit o nitrous; numb mucus membranes; dizziness, nausea,
picking up the ugliest member of the opposite sex one has ever encountered
and vomiting green bile over oneself while asleep (experts disagree whether
or not the latter was an effect of the previous, rather than an effect of
the thujone -ask Heysoos, I didn't do it).

The above recipe was taken from a book called "The Magical and Ritual Uses
of Herbs" (by Richard Allen Miller) which described Absinthe as "an
excellent after-dinner liqueur" which makes one wonder what types of
dinners Mr. Miller has at his place.

-----
From [e-mail] (Lupo LeBoucher):

>Anise has no effect; the active ingredients in absinthe are just wormwood
and alcohol.

The anise went in the mix in a misguided attempt to kill some of the bitter
flavor (since it was what the standard recipes used). All I succeeded in
doing was killing some of the wormwood "flavor" *retch* upon burping.

>The plain wormwood probably could be swallowed as a tea followed by the
booze as a chaser. The plain infusion used to be prescribed as a "tonic".

I don't know if it would have the same effect; the essential oils in the
wormwood, which contain the active ingredients, are not likely to be water
soluble.

-----
From [e-mail] (Coyote Osborne):

> Anise has no effect; the active ingredients in absinthe are just wormwood
and alcohol.

Ah, but anise does have an important effect here. It keeps the
wormwood/absinthe from irritating your stomach so much. I would recommend
fennel and perhaps peppermint or basil for this also.

> The plain wormwood probably could be swallowed as a tea followed by the
booze as a chaser. The plain infusion used to be pre-scribed as a "tonic".

Actually, most of the things in wormwood are damaged or destroyed if added
to hot water. Warming it gently (like brandy) works, but not making an
infusion with water that is boiling. I suspect that a good rule of thumb is
that if it is hot enough to destroy alcohol, it is also hot enough to make
the wormwood lose it's efficacy.

>From reading that book or other, somehow I got the idea to make absinthe
by mixing a whole ounce of wormwood in a half fifth of whiskey and
for-getting about it for a few months. That shit is impossibly bitter. It's
one of the most bitter herbal substances you know.

Yes. Not even the worms like it. : )

It does have some interesting properties, though, and prepared properly can
even taste... well I won't say nice... but it will taste such a way that it
is desirable.

Acquired taste perhaps? Good for the sensually indulgent? Weird?

==========
2.1.4 St. John's Wort (Hypericum) and Photosensitivity
-----
Also see http://www.hypericum.com.

Here's the question (on the herblist (see 8.1 below) in November 1994):
-----
As to Hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort) causing photosensitivity in
humans, I have been unable to find a single study that verifies this in
vivo. Lots of research on the effects of hypericin on cattle and insects,
but humans? This may be an example of assumptive jumping from mammalian lab
results to humans. Anyone know a study that indicates photosensitivity in
humans do to Hypericum?

Cheers-
Peggy

-----
Here's the answer:

-----
From Howie Brounstein:

I don't know of any, Peggy. I have not heard of one case of human
photosensitivity, even in the blond, blue-eyed, fair skinned ones, from
standard dosages of tincture. Now I haven't asked any albinos doing
truckloads of hypericum a day - maybe they'd have a problem.
I've known a few folks who definitely did not like the feeling they got
from St. John's Wort, but being slightly saner than the average bear, they
stopped taking it. Perhaps they've shunned the sun if they continued. But
albino cows definitely have a problem with St. John's Wort.

And so the authorities that be in charge (of cows and bugs, anyway) in
Northern California has waged a war against the poor St. John, hapless
victim of human transport from Europe. By releasing bugs from afar, they
strive to rid our pasture of this scourage from the old country. Alas, for
I wonder - when there are only small populations left in the area, will St.
John become a rare and protected plant??

I do know that some common psychiatric pharmaceuticals DO cause
photosensitivity in humans...

And when you hold the leaves of the hypericum perforatum the light of the
sky you will see little holes, actually compartments (perforations), that
trap and use the energy of the sun to run a biochemical factory, making
hypericin, the red colored constituent assumed to be one of the active
ones. Squueeezze that unopened flower bud - just a hint of yellow petals
peaking so cautiously from its sepal safety - sqqqueeeezze and you will
delight to find a drop of redness so strong as to dye the fingers.

Now when I teach my students about this Wort, we general use flower buds
and the stems and small leaves attached to them to prepare oils and
tinctures. This appears to work just fine, producing extracts of wondrous
redfulness. But those who wish for an herbal nectar of delight of greater
strength, they sit for hours collecting just flower petals in some Zen like
quest. Well, what good's an herbalist without patience :) ...Certainly they
are rewarded with extract of unequaled value (not found in Cheapside).

Now I'm not one to believe new herbal scientific data until I see the
experiment reproduced by other researchers (especially if they have
different sources of funding). Recently I saw an article (was it Medical
Herbalism?) that stated two research teams at about the same time released
results of this Wort being antiviral against enveloped virus that include
herpes, etc. But of interest to me was the notion that sunlight increased
the Wort's anti-viral effects - that sun again - somehow, in some
mysterious way linked to this plant and it's effects. Without exposure to
sunlight the herbs anti-viral effect dropped markedly.

I don't have all that much experience with bipolar and other mental
disorders and Hypericum, although I believe that consistent dosages long
term is the way to go ...and careful with self medication. With many of
these kinds of problems you may not be able to tell if it's working,
especially since you started taking it and you feel great, I mean really
good, as you swing up into a manic phase and over one edge or the other.
Have someone who can help you gauge your illness objectively (ha) or at
least tell you if you've fallen off the fence. It can be hard to tell from
the inside.

So ideally the Wort would take away the highs and lows and make the
emotional rollercoaster of todays hectic society more even. As opposed to
the muscle relaxing tranquilizing effects of Valerian, Skullcap,
Pedicularis, and such. I don't know about clinical studies, but in my
experience the Wort works for some and not others for simple depression and
light rollercoaster rides that do not incapacitate the riders. And it even
works as a muscle relaxant in some people. Not the "sure and steady" herb
that works effectively for everyone (like that bitter Hore Hound that makes
everyone gag ...I mean cough.)

And this even tempered plant grows in disturbed places, roadsides, lots,
loves it when its been bulldozed a year or so ago. A calming herb that
grows all over disturbed areas ...hmmmmm. Perhaps one shouldn't focus on
the oddities and quirks of nature and coincidence, but I think it's cool.

The Wort Oil is good for skin irritations and such. I seen it help when the
calendula, comfrey, penstemon and other herbs won't work. It also helps
cuts and external physical injuries in general. But in my eyes it seems to
have an affinity for the nerves, and it seems to be specific for injuries
accompanied by nerve trauma, like I cut my arm and my finger goes numb. I
wouldn't claim it reconnects severed nerves, but it will aid in healing
them if traumatized. But don't be mislead by symptoms - put the oil on the
arm injury, not the numb finger.

Howie Brounstein
C&W Herbs
Eugene, Oregon

-----
From Peggy to above:

>But of interest to me was the notion that sunlight increased the Wort's
anti-viral effects... (snip) Without exposure to sunlight the herbs
anti-viral effect dropped markedly.

Yes, and another really neat thing is that the hypericin (and its
phototoxicity in predator insects) is activated, in the presence of oxygen,
at the same wavelength that is given off by the Hypericum leaves in the
sun. (540-610 nm). Some insects that ingest Hypericum have adapted by tying
together leaves and feeding inside the ties, therefore protecting
themselves from the effects of the hypericin.
(Sandberg, SL, et al. "Leaf-tying by tortricid larvae as an adaptation for
feeding on phototoxic Hypericum perforatum." JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ECOLOGY,
1989 15(3):875-886.)

Cheers-
Peggy

-----
From Jonathan Treasure:

Phototoxicity of Hypericum in a small proportion of the (blonde) population
has been clinically noted especially with topical application whether
published or not. Here is an extract from a report from this years'
Convention of Naturopathic Physicians in the US which adds some interesting
information about the incidence of Phototoxicity in Puerto Rican AIDS
sufferers

begins
One doctor at the conference who treats a lot of AIDS patients said she had
seen frequent cases of phototoxocity in dark skinned Puerto Ricans,
especially with higher doses and long term administration. AIDS patients
started taking hypericum when is was found that the hypericin had an
anti-HIV effect in mice. Use has persisted in spite of later discovery that
it doesn't help HIV in humans. Most AIDS patients feel much better when
taking hypericum, probably because of the antidepressant effect --
depression is probably the least often mentioned symptom of AIDS.

Another doctor showed us her legs at the conference -- she had used a
hypericum ultrasound gel to treat a sprained ankle. The ultrasound drives
the contents of the gel directly into the tissues. She later worked in the
direct sunlight, and soon had second degree burns, complete with blisters,
whenever the sunlight fell on the gel-treated skin. Six weeks later we
could still see the shadow on the back of the leg where the sunlight didn't
fall, and the shadow of a sandal strap across the front of the ankle. There
was scarring from the blisters. By the way, she said the only thing that
would help the severe pain was aloe vera gel.
end

Jonathan
([e-mail])

-----
From Peggy to above:

Thank you for the reply. I suspected that incidents of phototox could be
found somewhere, just couldn't come up with them. I understand that
Hypericin's anti-viral activities (in vitro) are dependent on "light-dose"
(wavelength and duration), drug-dosage, and the presence of oxygen. It
makes sense, then, that phototoxicity was found at the higher, long-term
usages (in addition to other factors). Thank you, again.

Cheers-
Peggy

-----
From Howie Brounstein to above:

Still, I believe that the average user treating depression shouldn't shy
away from trying this Wort. The chemical alternatives have their dangers,
too, including photosensitivity. I'll avoid ultrasound/ hypericum
treatments.

Howie

-----
From Michael Moore:

I have retailed and wholesaled herbs for 20 years and have taught and
written about green stuff for 16 years (...and breathed and micturated for
almost 54), and I have only run across 1 person to have shown signs of
photosensitization from Hypericum. He was a student of mine in an 8-month
program a few years ago. He was what my grandma used to call "Black Irish"
(I guess as opposed to a Dirty-Blond Irish like myself) and had the
semi-transparent skin and jet-black hair of people like Liam or Patrick
Clancy. Since he suffered from some mild hereditary neuropeptide imbalances
that showed up as a fairly classic long-cycle bipolarity, he was quite
taken with the use of the fresh tincture of both Hypericum perf. and H.
formosum which we gathered during a couple of field trips.

As he related a year later, he took a fly-fishing vacation after the class,
returning to a place in the San Juans of Colorado (8,500 feet) that the
class had visited. He had been going through a depressive period ("Got
Those OLD Relationship Blues...scooby do-WOP...
(beat>...(beat>...scooby-dooby...do-WOP!"), and was taking up to an ounce
of the Hypericum tincture (1:2, fresh plant) a day...a truly excessive
amount (it's an Irish thing, y'know?). He broke out in hives that lasted
nearly a month. He casually announced that he had been taking a
pharmaceutical anti-depressant for nearly a decade...I hadn't even noticed.
I guess I am too likely to take people as they are without a second
thought.
(snip)

I figure the photosensitivity resulted from
A. Racial sensitivity
B. High altitude
C. VERY high dosage
D. (he was a Pisces)
--and especially--
E. Synergy with antidepressant meds (that he declined to identify)

Several years later another man (a customer) had a lip herpes outbreak,
possibly the result of playing tennis in the sunlight while using Hypericum
to help some back pain. He had had sun reactions before, so it is hard to
speculate further.
He too was Black Irish.

In both instances the herbs were taken internally and the media was a fresh
tincture...appropriate, since the dry herb is nearly inert. The student was
using high quantities along with medication and the customer showed little
more than passing and perhaps serendipitous symptoms, and I have had
GALLONS of my Hypericum tincture and oil go through my grubbies over a
couple of decades (usually used by folks going through a stretch of
somato-psychic flakiness and often manifesting a peculiar, if temporary,
lack of judgment regarding emotions, dosages, and self-monitoring). I
consider Hypericum to be safe...this is based on personally observing
hundreds of people who have used quality Hypericum preparations (...mine).
I would need a BIG study to convince me otherwise...or I would need to
start getting negative feedback.

This is not an idle statement. Like the Wandering Homeopath, travelling the
world seeking provings (you mean you haven't heard THAT legend? Well, the
way I hear it, old Dr. Kent had retired to practice in Montana and one day
this Basque sheepherder came into his office...) I have always tried my
best to keep track of potential side-effects of herbs. I use herbs
constitutionally, and any synergy or contraindication I encounter helps me
to understand the secondary effects of a remedy so I can try to fit herbs
and people together more reliably.

Secondary effects are my grist (am I mixing metaphors again??). I can't
work on Susun Weed's precepts level, that the body takes what it needs from
what you offer it, anymore than I can work with a phytopharmaceutical model
that ignores the multi-systemic effects of a plant while focusing only on a
specific band of pharmacokinetics ... better even (they say) to refine
(reduce) DOWN to single constituents so as to better exaggerate the band
and diminish the "unwanted" whispers. Sort of like taking a lovely image
and running it through Photoshop plugins until you only have some raggedy
and stark black-and-white outlines that bear little resemblance to the
source. As most herbs, only using Hypericum for its anti-anxiety effects is
to ignore the subtle shades and colors it causes as it moves INTO, THROUGH
and OUT of the body. This three-dimensional hologram of effects is what
makes herbs superior to drugs... in a wholistic model...and makes drugs
superior to herbs in a medical model. To view herbs primarily as safer
"little sister" analogs to drug therapies developed FOR the medical model
is to be blind to the greater value they have in vitalist wholism, and to
avoid the greater task and difficulty (and even glory) we face trying to
build (rebuild) models of health and disease derived from balance and
imbalance.
(snip)

Michael
[e-mail]

-----
From Jonathan Treasure:

Well... I just got 88 pages of bumpf from NAPRALERT on Hypericum and there
isn't a single mention of phototoxicity - so it seems that apart from a
couple of anecdotal cases its not an issue as Michael Peggy Howie et aial
say ... just keep away from the ultra sound gel in the solarium.

Further to the Wort being a lover of roadsides etc. Howie, it was widely
distributed through Europe in Roman times by marching legionaries, who also
used it soothe their sore feet. (another anecdote not in NAPRALERT)

jonathan
([e-mail])

=====

Two years after above was included in the FAQ:

In recent discussions on a high-quality herbal mailing list the conclusion
was that yes, some very few people can have problems with photosensitivity
and Hypericum; that it might manifest a tad more often with topical
application of oil on skin which is exposed to sunlight; but that actually,
in very sensitive people, it might be enough to just take sensible amounts
of tincture internally for photosensitivity to appear (even without synergy
with meds).

=====
2.1.4.1 St. John's Wort (Hypericum) and MAO inhibition
-----

>>St John's Wort does in fact work like an MAO inhibitor and likewise
causes the same dangerous side-effects.
>He used the wrong term. They're not "side effects"; they're food or drug
interactions. But if SJW is an MAO-inhibitor then they're certainly
"dangerous".

From [e-mail] (Samson):

Yes, they would be if SJW really _were_ a MAOI. But it's not. That was a
theory that was floating around for a while without much support, and it
has since been disproven.

See eg.

   * Thiede HM; Walper A: Inhibition of MAO and COMT by hypericum extracts
     and hypericin. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol, 7 Suppl 1:1994 Oct, S54-6
   * Bladt S; Wagner H: Inhibition of MAO by fractions and constituents of
     hypericum extract. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol, 7 Suppl 1:1994 Oct,
     S57-9

"Using pure hypericin as well as in all ex vivo experiments, no relevant
inhibiting effects could be shown. From the results it can be concluded
that the clinically proven antidepressive effect of hypericum extract
cannot be explained in terms of MAO inhibition."

Hypericin does show some MAO-inhibition in vitro at _very_ high
concentrations. At regular human doses, though, virtually nil.

==========
End of part 1 of 7
==========

--
Henriette Kress             [e-mail]            Helsinki, Finland
http://sunsite.unc.edu/herbmed FTP: sunsite.unc.edu or sunsite.sut.ac.jp
      /pub/academic/medicine/alternative-healthcare/herbal-medicine/
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