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DESCRIPTION
Echinacea
Family: Compositae /
Daisy
Names: Echinacea
purpurea, purple coneflower, black Sampson,
rudbeckia, Missouri coneflower, Echinacea
angustifolia, Echinacea pallida.
Properties:
Anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, increases
sweating, heals wounds, anti allergenic,
detoxifying.
Characteristics:
Cool, dry, bitter.
When buying Echinacea, freshness is very
important. Capsules containing the herb can
become stale and this will minimize its
effectiveness. Look for fresh root tinctures in
health food stores. Tinctures are a mixture of
the herb in alcohol. If you are using the root
for a homemade remedy, check its freshness by
tasting a piece of the root. If the root causes
a tingly effect on your tongue and causes you to
salivate, the herb is still fresh.
Meridians / Organs
Affected: Lungs, stomach, and liver.
History: Named after
the hedgehog (echinus) because of the flower's
prickly, cone like center. Used by the Cheyenne,
Comanche, and other tribes in the Great Plains
for sore throats, toothaches, infections,
wounds, snakebites, skin ailments, mumps,
measles, small pox and cancer. The root of the
plant was used and either sucked on by the
patient or applied to the wounds. Echinacea was
used as a mouthwash for tooth and gum aches.
In the 1870s, H. C. F. Meyer
popularized the use of Echinacea and it became
the most popular herb of that time. Meyer
allowed himself to bitten several times by
rattlesnakes in order to show that his remedy
cured rattlesnake bites. He claimed to have
knowledge of several hundred cases in which
people were cured of snakebite by using his
remedy.
Description: Grows to
a height of 3 feet and a width of 2.5 feet.
Flowers are bright pink-purple, with petals that
are 3 inches long around an orange center. Heads
can be six inches in width. The leaves are
narrow and pointed. The seeds are brown.
Echinacea blooms from July to August.
Constituents:
E. purpurea: humulene, caryphylene,
sesquiterpenes, polyacetylenes,
isobutylalkamines with olefinic and acetylenic
bonds, glycoside, polysaccharide, betaine,
inulin, caffeic acid esters, echinolone.
E. angustifolia: alkamindes, caffeic acid,
esters, polysaccharide, volatile oil,
echinolone, betaine.
Cultivation:
Echinacea is a zone 3 perennial. The seeds
germinate in 10-20 days and need sunlight to
germinate. Spacing is 1.5 to 2 feet apart. Soil
temperature should be 70-75 degrees F. The plant
prefers well-drained soil and full sun. In 3-4
years the roots are large and mature enough for
harvesting.
Medicinal Uses:
Echinacea boosts the body's immune system and is
nontoxic. The plant works with the body's own
defense mechanisms. Echinacea contains
polysaccharides called echinacins, which bind to
the body's cells and prevent pathogens from
entering the body thus reducing inflammation.
Echinacea speeds up the chemical recognition of
a pathogen and destroys the pathogen at an
accelerated rate. Clinical studies have shown
that extracts improve white blood cell count and
activate other favourable immune responses. The
Food and Drug Administration has approved an
extract of the herb as an over the counter
remedy. Experts agree that you should not use
the herb indefinitely but occasional use is
beneficial to keep the immune system strong. Do
not be alarmed if Echinacea is not taken at the
first sign of illness. Echinacea can shorten the
severity and duration of many illnesses. As your
symptoms improve, gradually decrease the dosage
over several days.
Floral Essences: In
floral essences, Echinacea flower essence is
used to awaken the inner self. It is used for
many "soul" illnesses, particularly when the
patient has experienced acute trauma. The soul's
self identity is thought to be restored by using
Echinacea.
Homeopathy: A
tincture of the entire fresh plant has been used
for: appendicitis, bites from rabid animals,
blood poisoning, carbuncles, diptheria, enteric
fever, gangrene, poisoned wounds, pyoemia, rhus
poisoning, scarlatina, snakebites, syphilis,
typhoid, and ulcers.
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