Echinacea by Liz

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Another recomended plant to grow....besides being pretty and attracting many butterflies, it is probablly one of the most widely used herbs to boost the immune system.

 

Here's an article I found on suite101.com by Cindy Ausbrooks, tells pretty much everything, medicinal.

 

Echinacea is also known as purple coneflower. - Melanie Burger

Echinacea is a potent healing herb proven to enhance immunity and expedite wound healing. Learn the herb's history, benefits, available forms and dosage recommendations. Echinacea, also known as purple coneflower, is a widely used medicinal herb valued for its ability to strengthen the immune system and combat all types of infections. Throughout the history of the United States, herbalists have extolled the virtues of this remarkable herb, which has become the most accepted and popular herbal remedy for colds and the flu.

Native to the American Great Plains, echinacea grows wild in prairies, along roadsides and in fields, producing purple, daisy-like flowers in mid- to late summer. Some gardeners grow echinacea for its ornamental and medicinal properties. The plant resembles a black-eyed Susan with its stout, hairy stems and pointed, coarsely-toothed leaves, but its purple, cone-shaped flowers and long, black roots set the plant apart.

History of The Echinacea Herb

Native Americans used echinacea as one of their primary medicines for treating snakebites, insect bites, wounds and burns. Echinacea mouthwash was used for painful teeth and echinacea tea was used to treat colds, flu, measles, mumps, smallpox and arthritis. Settlers on the Great Plains soon adopted the herb, but it remained a simple folk remedy until it was prepared and packaged as a drug in the late 1800s.

Dr. H. C. F. Meyer, who learned of the plant's medicinal properties from the Plains Indians, brought his knowledge to the attention of the Lloyd Brothers of Cincinnati, a pharmaceutical manufacturer. Although Dr. Meyer's claim that the herb was an "absolute cure" for rattlesnake bite didn't impress the company, they eventually declared echinacea an acceptable treatment for bites, stings, poisoning, measles, diphtheria, chickenpox, meningitis, malaria, scarlet fever, gangrene, syphilis and influenza.

Lloyd Brothers created several different products made from echinacea, all of which became extremely popular for treating infections from the 1890s through the 1920s. During this time, it was a rare home that didn't have a bottle of echinacea tincture in the medicine cabinet. Unfortunately, the herb's popularity waned when orthodox physicians showed favor toward laboratory-created synthetic drugs and modern antibiotics became available to the public. It was largely forgotten until the herbal revival of the 1970s.

Modern Uses of Echinacea

Today, echinacea is prized by herbalists for its antibiotic and immune boosting properties. Many recommend taking the herb daily as a tonic for the entire system and an immune system enhancer. The plant's roots contain caffeic acid glycoside, a substance that reacts with cells in the body and facilitates the healing process. Numerous studies have confirmed the herb's therapeutic properties, and some of its most common modern uses include:

Enhancing Immunity – According to a study published in Immunopharmacology, echinacea supports the immune system by activating the white blood cells. When microorganisms attack the body, cells secrete chemicals that attract white blood cells, which combat the invaders. The echinacea herb boosts their ability to destroy these microorganisms. While the herb doesn't directly kill viruses, it stimulates the immune system so it can better fight off infection.

Treating Colds and Flu – Echinacea's immune enhancing benefits also make it an effective remedy for treating colds and flu. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Research found that the juice of the above-ground parts of Echinacea purpurea inhibits the full development of infection and expedites recovery time when symptoms are present.

Healing Wounds – Coneflower is also helpful in expediting the wound healing process. Chemicals within the herb promote faster knitting of broken skin by promoting the cells that build new skin to work faster and more efficiently. Poultices of fresh echinacea are often applied to cuts, burns, sores, psoriasis, eczema and cold sores.

Treating Recurrent Yeast Infections – In a German study, women with vaginal yeast infections were treated with standard pharmaceutical yeast cream or the cream plus an oral dose of echinacea. Within six months, 60 percent of the women who did not take echinacea experienced recurrences, compared to only 16 percent who took the herb.

How to Take Echinacea: Dosage Recommendations

To take advantage of the herb's infection-fighting benefits, individuals may take a decoction, echinacea tincture, or capsules filled with the powdered herb. Recommended dosages are as follows:

Decoction – Up to three cups per day until symptoms subside.

Tincture – 1 tsp up to three times per day, as necessary.

Capsules – 300 milligrams every two hours for the first day of illness, and then three times per day for up to 10 days, or until symptoms subside.

 

 

 

 

Magickally speaking, it's used to strengthen spells.