Comprehensive men's sexual health information, tips and news about men's sexual health.

posted by admin on Mar 30

Breast Feeding

For insufficient milk, the following herbs can be used:

Anise seed

Fennel seed

Marshmallow root

Vervain leaves

Infusion of any of the above, alone or in combination: 1/2 ñèð as required, up to 3 cups per day

Anise and Fennel are well known for their ability to stimulate milk flow and have been used by nursing mothers for centuries.

Both herbs also relieve colic and, when taken by a nursing mother, this action extends to the baby too.

Vervain, as well as being a galactagogue, is also useful for post-natal depression.

To dry up milk flow:

Sage leaves

Infusion: 3 cups per day, starting with a mild infusion and increasing the strength each day until normal dosage is reached (results are usually obtained within a week or so)

For cracked nipples:

2 parts Marigold flowers

1 part Marshmallow root

Poultice, compress or ointment: apply several times each day

Colic in Babies

For colic in young babies:

Anise seed

Fennel seed

Caraway (Carum carvi) seed

Dill (Anethum graveolens) seed

Infusion of any of the above, alone or in combination: give 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls from time to time (e.g. every hour or so) until the colic subsides

Dill seed forms the basis of many gripe waters available commercially, and any of the other carminative seeds listed above works equally well.

An infusion of Catnip, Chamomile, Lemon Balm or Vervain, given in doses of 1 or 2 teaspoons, is a mild but effective remedy for most digestive problems in young babies. For acute or persistent conditions, seek professional advice.

Note that herbal remedies can be sweetened with honey as desired, this sometimes being of particular benefit with babies and children.

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posted by admin on Mar 30

Perspiration

To increase perspiration diaphoretic herbs are used. This may be done to increase elimination via the skin, or to ‘sweat out’ a cold, flu, fever or eruptive disease.

Elder flowers

Yarrow herb

Peppermint leaves

Lemon Balm leaves

Catnip herb

Infusion of any of the above, alone or in combination: 1-2 cups taken hot

The diaphoretic action is increased by drinking the infusion as hot as possible and keeping well covered.

To decrease perspiration, and for night sweats:

Sage leaves

Infusion: 1-3 cups per day for 1-3 weeks

Sprains and Fractures

If there is the slightest chance that a bone is fractured, seek professional attention immediately. Once the condition has been properly diagnosed and treated, herbs may be used to reduce the pain and swelling and promote rapid recovery.

To promote the healing of sprains, and to help fractured bones knit together, Comfrey is the principal herb used:

Comfrey root or leaves

Poultice of the fresh plant: apply to the affected area 2- 4 times per day

In some cases a compound formula with additional properties may be more appropriate:

4 parts Comfrey root or leaves (emollient/vulnerary)

2 parts Marigold flowers (antiseptic/vulnerary)

2 parts St John’s Wort herb (analgesic/antiseptic/vulnerary)

1 part Ginger root (rubefacient)

Poultice, compress or ointment: apply to the affected area 2-4 times per day

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posted by admin on Mar 30

Rosmarinus officinalis

Action: Tonic, aromatic, stomachic, carminative, cholagogue, diuretic, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, astringent, antiseptic.

Systems Affected: Nerves, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, gall-bladder, kidneys, bladder, uterus.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Fresh or dried leaves, dose 1-5 grams by infusion.

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean coast and both the common and generic names are derived from the early Latin ros maris (dew of the sea), from its habit of growing close to the sea. From the earliest times its medicinal benefits were recognized and it has always been popular as an aromatic and culinary herb.

In the late fourteenth century it became famous as the principal ingredient of the Queen of Hungary’s Water. Donna Izabella, Queen of Hungary, aged seventy-two and severely afflicted with gout, received a single brief visit from a hermit who left behind a herbal formula for treating her condition. Based on Rosemary and taken every morning for a year, it led to her full recovery, so much so that, in the words of Donna Izabella herself, ‘I recovered my health and regained my strength, and on beholding my beauty, the King of Poland desired to marry me; which I refused for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, believing that the Receipt had been given to me by an Angel . . .’

Rosemary has been used to treat an almost bewildering variety of ailments, hence its attribution as a general tonic. Particularly high in calcium, it stimulates the brain, kidneys and nervous system and is good for nervous depression.

The infusion, used internally, has been applied to such problems as colds and flu, physical and mental overstrain, anaemia, debility following severe illness, dyspepsia, flatulence and colic, hepatic insufficiency, jaundice, cirrhosis, cholecystitis, gall-stones, rheumatism, gout, renal insufficiency, retention of urine, oedema, obesity, painful menstruation, nervous palpitations, dizziness, fainting, loss of memory, nervous headache and migraines. It is considered by some to be of great benefit in relieving headaches and as a substitute for aspirin.

Externally Rosemary is used to treat rheumatism, gout and neuralgia. It is applied as a compress, or as an ointment which is massaged into the affected area (the essential oil being the most effective). The infusion, used once or twice a day as a lotion, acts as a skin tonic and will remove puffiness beneath the eyes. Renowned as a tonic for the hair and scalp, it is sometimes used to prevent falling hair: a strong infusion, cooled, is used as a rinse after shampoo. Rosemary is smoked with Coltsfoot leaves to relieve asthma and congestion of the throat and lungs.

Cautionary Notes: Allowing for all its possible uses, Rosemary should be used with some discretion. The essential oil should not be used internally. Extremely large doses of the leaf are toxic, possibly causing abortion, convulsions and, very rarely, death.

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posted by admin on Mar 30

Zingiber officinale

Action: Aromatic, stimulant, diaphoretic, sialagogue, carminative, stomachic, anti-emetic, antispasmodic, rubefacient.

Systems Affected: Stomach, intestines, circulation, general effects on the whole body.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Fresh or dried rhizome, dose 0.5-2.0 grams by infusion.

Ginger is a perennial plant indigenous to south-east Asia. It is now cultivated commercially in most tropical and subtropical countries, including Australia. The rhizome is the part used and, when dried, it keeps almost indefinitely.

The plant has a long history of culinary and medicinal use: it was imported from the east by the ancient Greeks and it has been a part of daily life for centuries in the Far East, where it remains one of the important drugs of Chinese medicine.

Ginger is a versatile herbal stimulant. It is often combined with other remedies for its general tonic and stimulant properties, and with laxatives to prevent nausea and griping. It also helps to distribute other herbs throughout the body. It is stronger than Peppermint and is more diffusive than Cayenne, for which it can be used as a substitute. (Many herbal formulas include a stimulant herb to reinforce the action of the other herbs. The three herbs most frequently used for their stimulant properties are Cayenne, Ginger and Peppermint.)

Ginger is of particular benefit to the stomach, intestines and circulation. Its warming, antispasmodic qualities are useful in flatulent colic, dyspepsia, atony of the digestive organs, nausea, cramp, spasm and period pain. It is also sometimes used for treating diarrhea and dysentery.

Ginger is of specific benefit where the stomach is under-active and there is difficulty secreting adequate hydrochloric acid to digest food. Ginger stimulates saliva secretion which in turn stimulates gastric acid production.

In colds and flu it is a valuable diaphoretic with stimulant and tonic properties. For deficient circulation, and any condition relating to cold or chills, it is a reliable remedy.

Externally it is used as a compress or in ointments to relieve pain, inflammation and stiff joints.

In all formulas calling for Ginger, either the fresh or dried rhizome may be used unless specified otherwise. The amount used, by weight, is the same.

Cautionary Notes: Large doses should be avoided by those suffering from any skin complaint.

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posted by admin on Mar 30

Action: Alterative, diuretic, diaphoretic, tonic demulcent.

Systems Affected: Blood, kidneys, general effects on the whole body.

Preparation and Dosage (thrice daily): Dried root, dose 2 – 6 grams by infusion.

Native to Europe, Burdock is now naturalized as a weed in many parts of the world. It prefers roadsides and wasteland on rich loamy soil but adapts to all kinds of soil. It is distinguished by its height (up to 2 meters), its purple flowers and its huge dock-like leaves which are whitish on the underside. Its stout root (up to 5 or 6 centimeters in diameter) extends vertically into the ground sometimes up to a depth of one meter.

Its seed-heads, covered with hooked spines or burrs, readily attach themselves to the coats of passing animals, by which means the plant is spread. Farmers consider it a nuisance on account of its tendency to invade pasture.

The plant has wide medicinal use, particularly for skin complaints, and is eaten as a vegetable in France, Italy, the Scandinavian countries and Japan (where the plant is cultivated commercially).

Burdock contains inulin (a form of starch commonly found in plants of the Compositae family), mucilage, a volatile oil and several antibiotic substances.

It is considered one of the finest alternatives or ‘blood purifiers’ in the herbal system. It increases resistance to infection and is an excellent remedy for all skin problems, especially psoriasis and eczema. It may be taken alone or combined to best effect with other alternatives such as Yellow Dock, Red Clover and Dandelion.

Its diuretic/alterative action, employed over an extended period, is useful in the treatment of rheumatism, gout, sciatica and lumbago. Its diuretic/demulcent action is used in the treatment of kidney and bladder complaints (especially cystitis). Its diaphoretic action is utilized to clear fevers and ‘hot conditions’ (boils, styes, carbuncles, rashes, infections and eruptive diseases such as measles). Burdock is a stimulant to the gustatory nerves and is sometimes used in the treatment of anorexia nervosa.

Externally, Burdock is highly effective in the treatment of skin complaints. The root, leaves or seeds are applied, fresh or dried, as a compress, poultice or ointment to boils, abscesses, acne, pimples, bruises, inflammation and skin eruptions. Burdock is also applied as a tonic to the hair and scalp.

The one-year-old root is preferred for medicinal purposes. The fresh or dried seeds and leaves are sometimes used, most commonly for external application.

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