cover
title :
Echinacea Keats Good Herb Guide
author :
Upton, Roy.
publisher :
NTC Contemporary
isbn10 | asin :
print isbn13 :
9780879837723
ebook isbn13 :
9780071401333
language :
English
subject
Echinacea (Plants)--Therapeutic use.
publication date :
1997
lcc :
RS165.E4U68 1997eb
ddc :
615/.32355
subject :
Echinacea (Plants)--Therapeutic use.
cover
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Page i
Nature's Immune Enhancer
Echinacea, the beautiful purple coneflower that graces gardens and fields across America, is the most popular medicinal
plant not only among herbalists, health professionals and American consumers today, but also among the Native
Americans who discovered its many uses nearly 400 years ago. And with good reason.
Not only is echinacea an invaluable tool for treating colds and flu, but it can reduce the inflammation of arthritis, assist
in wound healing and enhance the body's immune defenses. Moreover, it possesses antibiotic properties and is effective
in clearing a wide variety of skin conditions. Within these pages a prominent American herbalist tells you everything
you need to know about this versatile herb and how to incorporate it into your wellness program.
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About the Author
Roy Upton, a professional herbalist for the past 15 years, is trained in both Western and traditional Chinese herbal
medicine. He is the founder and executive director of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, an educational organization
dedicated to the development of authoritative monographs on botanical medicine; a founding member and vice
president of the American Herbalists Guild; and a member of the American Herbal Products Association Standards
Committee, a trade organization devoted to establishing quality control standards for herbal supplements. This is his
long-awaited first book.
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A Keats Good Herb Guide
Echinacea
Roy Upton
"There is a lesson in each flower, a story in each stream and bower. In every herb on which you tread are written
words, which rightly read will lead you from Earth's fragrant seed, to hope, holiness and God."
Thomas Osborne Davis, 18141845
Keats Publishing, Inc.
New Canaan, Connecticut
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Echinacea is intended solely for informational and educational purposes, and not as medical advice. Please consult a
medical or health professional if you have questions about your health.
Echinacea
Copyright © 1997 by Roy Upton
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Upton, Roy.
Echinacea / by Roy Upton.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-87983-772-1
1. Echinacea (Plants) Therapeutic use. I. Title
RS165.E4U68 1996
615'.32355 dc20
96-36369
CIP
Printed in the United States of America
Keats Good Health Guides are published by
Keats Publishing, Inc.
27 Pine Street (Box 876)
New Canaan, Connecticut 06840-0876
98 97 96 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
Preamble
1
Introduction
2
Echinacea: 254 Years of Medical Use
9
Modern Uses of Echinacea
18
Commercial Considerations
40
Choosing an Echinacea Preparation
44
Making Your Own Medicines
48
Dosages
53
Echinacea in the Herbalist's Medicine Chest
55
Toxicity, Contraindications and Other Guidelines
62
Echinacea Cultivation for Future Generations
70
Integrating Echinacea into a Total Wellness Program
72
Preservation of Medicinal Plants
76
Conclusion
79
References
80
Resources
85
Index
86
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Dedication
To Leah Lischner Conners, a
wonderful healer, a great teacher and a good friend who introduced
me to the wonderful herb echinacea.
My heartfelt thanks go to Christopher Hobbs who
shared a significant amount of echinacea data
with me and my wonderful wife Mary Moss Upton
who provided awesome editorial support and
made me tea, hot chocolate and toast with yeast
at 3:00 A.M. while I was working on the
manuscript.
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Page 1
Preamble
Echinacea: A Clarion Call to the Herbal Renaissance
A tremendous increase in the popularity of herbal medicines is quickly bringing to light the vast healing potential of
plants. Every day another newspaper or magazine article extols the virtues of a medicinal plant whose traditional use
has been confirmed by modern scientific study. Perhaps no other herb has played a larger role in bringing about this
change than echinacea, the most popular medicinal plant among herbalists, health professionals and American
consumers. In researching and writing about echinacea, a story that brings together traditional Native American history,
the development of American medicine and a renaissance of healing unfolds that clearly illustrates the incalculable
value medicinal plants provide.
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Introduction
Medicinal Plants: An Answer to America's Healthcare Crisis
Much of the increased interest in medicinal plants began amidst the counterculture revolution of the 1960s as young
people began seeking a more natural way to live, eating whole foods, more vegetables and fruits and shedding many of
the more conventional practices of their parents. Along with tofu, yogurt, alfalfa sprouts and organic gardens came
chamomile, peppermint and ginseng tea. These trends evolved into the burgeoning herbal community that we are seeing
today.
In the not-so-distant past, consumers of herbal medicines were primarily motivated by a philosophical belief that
naturally derived plant medicines were better than synthesized laboratory chemicals. Now the motivation is more
pragmatic. People are seeking herbal medicines primarily because they are disenchanted with modern medicine. People
are weary of the side effects associated with the majority of prescribed drugs and want to avoid irreparable surgeries.
They are also looking to nature for help that conventional medicines cannot give such as nontoxic alternatives for
depression, reproductive health, migraine headaches and immune deficiency syndromes. While the herbal renaissance is
relatively new to the United
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States, herbal medicines have been an integral part of the healthcare system of most every other country on the face of
the earth for generations.
The FDA oversees the development of therapeutic products. Besides trying to ensure the safety of our food supply, it
has the responsibility to assure that the drugs and medical devices we use are safe and effective. This drug approval
process has been estimated to cost approximately $300 to $500 million per drug. Because of the astronomical expense
of obtaining drug approval, companies are reluctant to expend such exorbitant amounts of money on an herb, a natural
product that they cannot patent. Without patent protection, anyone could go out and market chamomile or echinacea, for
instance, and the company that researched its effectiveness would have little chance to recoup its investment. Therefore,
little herb research is conducted in the U.S. and few if any data regarding herbs are submitted to the FDA.
Of the numerous drugs used by physicians today, 65 percent were originally derived from plants, and these were
derived from only a small sampling of plant species. We learned of these drugs primarily from traditional peoples who
had mastered their uses, and their effectiveness was subsequently verified by scientific researchers in laboratories and
clinics. Americans are just now beginning to recognize that there is a vast, unexplored world of botanical remedies
waiting to be tapped into. Nature's pharmacy, with all of her roots, flowers, leaves, fruits, seeds and barks, has been
evolving, ripening and maturing for a millennium, and is primed to fill therapeutic niches that researchers in laboratories
have not yet even dreamed about. Echinaceathe beautiful purple conefloweris but one of these valuable medicines.
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Herbs vs. DrugsA Comparison
The word ''drug'' originally was derived from an old Anglo-Saxon word, drogge, which meant "to dry," referring to the
medicinal plants that once lined the rafters of old world apothecaries. In fact, a large percentage of modern day
medicines are still derived from plants. Because of this, and because both herbs and drugs are used therapeutically,
many people do not differentiate between herbs and drugs. However, there are important differences between traditional
herbal medicines and laboratory-derived pharmaceuticals.
Let us consider the safety and effectiveness of herbs vs. pharmaceutical drugs. For the majority of herbal medicines,
there are hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of years worth of accumulated knowledge about how they can be used
both safely and effectively. The literature abounds with knowledge of how herbs should be picked, dried and prepared.
Herbal medicines have survived the test of time because of their relatively wide range of safety and effectiveness. In
some cases the same combinations of herbs have been used for more than 1,000 years. Such a long history of use takes
much of the guesswork out of healing and can give consumers and health professionals a large measure of confidence
that the botanicals they are using have likely been used successfully by a significant portion of the world's population
for a significant amount of time.
When research studies compare the therapeutic activity of herbs with conventional drugs, herbs are found to be safer
than the comparable pharmaceutical. While pharmaceuticals have been subjected to
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a certain amount of scrutiny via the drug approval process, this data pales in comparison to the breadth of knowledge
achieved by cultures that have depended on herbs for a millennium. The evidence of this is clear when the relative
toxicity of herbal medicines is compared with conventional pharmaceuticals.
Nothing is without risk. Even the most benign substance, such as water, can be a deadly toxin if used inappropriately or
if too much is taken. The relative benefit versus the risk of using a drug or an herb must be considered. The majority of
the world's population relies on herbal medicines, yet there have been relatively few documented cases of toxicities due
to herbal medicines. Most of the complaints associated with herbal use are mild, consisting of nausea, diarrhea or
headaches. Occasionally there are more serious problems. In very rare situations, fatalities occur. Serious complications
usually arise only when people take exceptionally high levels of a botanical or have a serious underlying condition prior
to using the herb. However, when used within the appropriate dosage range, the majority of medicinal herbs available
on today's market have a high degree of safety. One of the world's leading pharmacognosists (scientists who study the
medicinal action of plants), Dr. Norman Farnsworth, research professor of the University of Illinois College of
Pharmacy has stated that, "Herbal medicines do not present a major problem with regard to toxicity based on a review
of the scientific literature. In fact, of all classes of substances reported to cause toxicity of significant magnitude to be
reported in the United States, plants are the least problematic."1
In contrast, adverse effects associated with phar-
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maceutical medications are the primary reason for hospital admissions in the United States. Once in the hospital, 35
percent of patients can expect to suffer from some type of side effect and, according to a U.S. General Accounting
Office study, more than 50 percent of approved drugs have been found to possess serious side effects that were not
known at the time of approval. Along with the typical mild side effects of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, these side
effects included respiratory failure, liver disease, heart and kidney failure, birth defects, anaphylactic shock, blindness
and death.2 In total, adverse effects due to approved pharmaceuticals result in approximately 100,000 deaths annually,
the same number of deaths associated with alcoholism every year.3 Many of these problems occur even when the drug
is used properly within its normal dosage range. Because of these startling statistics, Americans should make every
attempt to find less invasive, safer therapeutic alternatives such as herbs.
Another area where herbs have the advantage over comparable pharmaceuticals is their low cost. This is one of the
primary reasons why herbal medicine is embraced by the World Health Organization. As we are finding out very
quickly, high-tech medicine is too expensive. Our healthcare dollars should be focused on preventing disease through
education about diet, exercise, stress reduction and the use of nutritional and herbal supplements as an integral part of a
wellness plan. For example, with an herb less costly and at least as effective, if not more effective than conventional
antibiotics, billions of dollars could be saved in medical expenses each year. Echinacea may be such an herb.
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Introducing Echinacea
Echinacea is called "purple coneflower" because of the beautiful, purple elliptical petals radiating out from its flowering
head. The basis of its name, echinos, comes from the Greek word-root for "hedgehog," referring to echinacea's spiny
seed head. Echinacea is an erect perennial varying in height and breadth from the smallest variety, Echinacea
angustifolia, a very spindly one-half to two feet tall (when growing in the wild) with sparse foliage, to Echinacea
purpurea, a much denser plant, reaching a height of four to five feet. Echinacea's North American growing range
reaches as far south as Texas and as far north as North Dakota and Canada.
The cylindrical tap roots of commercially available E. angustifolia are long and slender, usually somewhat thicker than
a pencil, occasionally larger, and of various lengths, usually five to eight inches in length. However, in the ground they
are much longer, anywhere from 12 inches to almost two feet in length. Much of the thinner portion of the root is
broken off in digging or handling. The roots are grayish to dark brown or blackish with long, wrinkled longitudinal
furrows. They are very pithy, breaking easily, with the inside displaying characteristic medullary rays. The odor is very
faint, but characteristic. The taste is an unmistakable sweetish and acrid flavor followed by a substantial tingling or
numbing sensation. Ideally, the roots should not be picked before they are three to four years old in order to fully
mature. Echinacea pallida roots are typically much larger than E. angustifolia but otherwise share many of the same
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characteristics. The roots of E. purpurea are very different, occurring in a mass of thin, beige-brown rootlets, rather than
a single tap root, approximately 12 inches long. The taste lacks the characteristic numbing sensation associated with the
other species.
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Echinacea: 254 Years of Medical Use
Traditional Native American Uses
Echinacea was one of the most widely used medicinal plants among Native American tribes of the upper Missouri River
and the Plains. It has been reported to have been used for more illnesses than any other plant. Samples of echinacea
have been excavated from Native American archaeological digs dating back 300 to 400 years.4
Many tribes, including the Cheyenne, Lakota and Dakota Sioux, Omaha, Ponca, Crow, Comanche and Kiowa,
traditionally used echinacea for a variety of purposes including its numbing qualities to allay the pain of toothaches and
muscular pains. In addition they utilized it for coughs, colds, swollen glands, tonsillitis, many types of skin diseases and
as an eyewash. Some of its more common and somewhat universal uses were to treat stings, burns and bites, including
the often fatal bite of rattlesnakes. In this case, the root would be used both internally, by having the victim chew the
juice out of the fresh root, and externally, by making a fresh root poultice to help draw the poison out. Some medicine
people took greater advantage of the numbing qualities by mashing the fresh root and rubbing the juice on their hands
with tallow to enable them to handle fire painlessly
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and thus display a supernatural ability. Others chewed the root to numb the mouth in order to hold a hot coal in it, a very
common traditional medical practice among many tribes. It was also used as an anesthetic when performing minor
surgeries. The present-day Oglala Sioux of Pine Ridge, South Dakota continue to use echinacea for a variety of reasons,
including toothache.5,6
With the influx of Europeans to the plains, many new diseases were introduced, including mumps, measles, a wide
variety of other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and smallpox, and a host of sexually transmitted diseases
including syphilis and gonorrhea, all of which Native Americans had never before been exposed to. As civilization
brought new diseases, therapeutic applications of echinacea expanded as a means to try to deal with them, apparently
with some success. Early writers referred to echinacea as a premier remedy for the treatment of gonorrhea and syphilis.
In addition to its medicinal uses, echinacea was also used by Pawnee children in a game in which the stems were twirled
around each other. Many tribes used the spiny seed head as a hair comb and many chewed on the root to stimulate
salivation as a means to allay thirst.
Early Use by Europeans
The earliest written record of non-Native American medicinal use of echinacea was reported in the second edition of
Flora Virginica by Gronovius in 17627 where it was reported to "possess a sharp-tasting root," and was said to be very
effective for the treat-
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ment of saddle sores on horses.8 At this time its botanical designation was Obelisocotheca barbulis pallide rubentibus,
later named Echinacea purpurea. In 1830, noted naturalist and botanist Constantine Rafinesque cited Native American
uses of echinacea in his highly acclaimed Medical Flora. Because of the herb's widespread use in treating rattlesnake
bites and toothaches, among its common names were "Snake Root" and "Toothache Plant." Other names, referring to its
physical characteristics, included such names as "Black Sampson," "Black Root,'' "Comb Flower,'' "Red Sun Rower"
and the previously mentioned name, "Purple Coneflower."
The Most Common Species of Echinacea
There am nine species of echinacea and two varieties that are native to North America. The two species most widely
used appear to have been E. angustifolia and E. pallida, although throughout its medicinal history up until the present
time, proper identification of plants used in commercial products and pharmacological research has been problematic.
Additionally, although there are few written records of its early use, large amounts of E. purpurea must have been used,
since it has disappeared throughout most of its growing range. Most of the other species were used as well. Today, the
most common species used are wild-harvested E. angustifolia and E. pallida and organically cultivated E. purpurea. The
increased demand for the herb is putting a significant strain on wild populations, an important subject that will be
elaborated on later.
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Echinacea's Eclectic History (18351935)
From approximately 1835 to 1935, there was a group of physicians in the U.S. who relied exclusively on medicines
derived from botanicals. These physicians were known as the Eclectics. The Eclectics left us a legacy of clinical herbal
knowledge which is still relied upon by modern-day herbalists and naturopathic physicians. Another of their
contributions was to bring high quality herbal extracts to the medical profession, thanks to the pioneering work of one
of the most influential leaders of the Eclectic movement, John Uri Lloyd. Initially an apprenticeship-trained pharmacist,
Lloyd went on to become one of the greatest figures in modern pharmacy. He authored more than 5,000 papers, several
novels and numerous books and developed and patented numerous techniques and equipment used for the extraction of
medicinal plants.
In the fall of 1885, a German immigrant named H.C.F. Meyer wrote to Lloyd asking for his help in identifying the root
of a plant that Meyer had used in an herbal preparation known as Meyer's Blood Purifier. Sixteen years earlier, "Dr."
Meyer had learned about the use of this plant, presumably from Native Americans, and reported on its almost
miraculous properties,9 including its use for the bites of venomous snakes and mad dogs. Simultaneously, Meyer sent a
sample of the root to another influential member of the Eclectics, Dr. John "Pappy" King, extolling its virtues and
asking for his help in bringing the benefits of his blood purifier to the medical profession. Dr. King replied that he could
not recom-
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mend a medicine made up of a "secret mixture" and could do nothing with a plant that was not properly identified.
In September of 1886, Dr. Meyer shipped samples of the whole plant to Dr. Lloyd. This was subsequently identified as
Echinacea angustifolia by John Uri Lloyd's brother, Curtis Gates Lloyd, who was a trained botanist and mycologist.
Due to the exaggerated claims put forth by Dr. Meyer, such as its use as an antidote in 613 cases of rattlesnake bite,
John Uri did not display much interest in echinacea. In an attempt to convince Dr. Lloyd of its value, Dr. Meyer offered
to come to Cincinnati and, before a committee of physicians, allow himself to be bitten by a rattlesnake of the
committee's choosing and then use only echinacea as the antidote. This initial offer was graciously declined. Thinking it
was because the Eclectics did not have a rattlesnake at their disposal, Dr. Meyer offered to bring with him "a full-sized
rattlesnake possessed of its natural fangs" for the experiment, but again the offer was declined.
Dr. King was not so quick to discount the validity of echinacea's use despite the exaggerated claims, and subsequently
provided the medical profession with one of the first anecdotal reports of its positive effects. At the time, Dr. King's
wife was suffering from ovarian cancer. Treatments he had tried for a number of years provided little comfort. However
a tincture of echinacea, possibly the first pure echinacea tincture made, was one of the only remedies that provided her
with any meaningful relief in that it reduced the pain associated with the disease, and "allayed a purulent discharge."
Though Mrs. King died two years later of breast cancer, her daughter felt that
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though echinacea did not cure her mother, it eased her pain and prolonged her life. She was very grateful for having had
the medicine available.10
Thus, Dr. King was convinced of echinacea's value, incorporated it into his practice, and corresponded with other
physicians who used it. In 1887, King wrote an article for the Eclectic Medical Journal in which he stated, "Should
echinacea be found to contain only one-half of the virtues attributed to it by Dr. Meyer, it will form an important
addition to our materia medica." This was the official introduction of echinacea to the Eclectic medical profession.
Within 11 years it became a standard entry in the writings of Eclectic physicians, and within 20 years it was among the
most popular of all medicinal plants used by the Eclectics.
In the 1905 edition of the now classic American Dispensatory by Dr. King, echinacea was reported to be useful for all
conditions associated with septicemia (blood poisoning), including gangrene, weeping sores and ulcers, inflammation,
cerebrospinal meningitis, and externally as an antiseptic.10 Another Eclectic physician, Dr. H.T. Webster, used it
successfully to prevent convulsions associated with spinal meningitis, and on several occasions used it successfully to
prevent the development of rabies and as a treatment against snake bites. In addition, Dr. Webster used it to treat fevers,
measles and syphilis as well as to resolve skin conditions such as boils, abscesses and gangrene.11 John Uzi reported
that Echinacea was the most widely used American drug since 1885. Many considered that E. angustifolia and E.
pallida could be used interchangeably and used echinacea for a variety of conditions. At this time, an eight ounce bottle
of echinacea extract cost $1.40.9 Its clinical
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application in most of the conditions reported as successfully treated with echinacea is consistent with its use in modern
herbal practices, and many of these applications have since been substantiated through modern pharmacological
investigations.
Medical Use of Echinacea from 1852
Echinacea was included in the United States Dispensatory under the old botanical name, Rudbeckia purpurea, for its
treatment of syphilis. Similarly, it was described as an aromatic and carminative in the Transactions of the American
Medical Association (AMA) in the same year.7 In 1909, the AMA excluded echinacea from its list of new and
nonofficial remedies based on "a lack of scientific scrutiny" regarding its use. The AMA had little respect for the
Eclectics and considered most of Eclectic medicine as inferior to the bleeding techniques and mineral-mercury
compounds used by the AMA allopathic physicians. Similarly, echinacea was deemed to be an ineffective medicine in
1921 by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.12 Although another researcher contested the author's
conclusions,13 the Lloyd brothers decided to suspend all advertisements of echinacea for at least one year until they
could survey physicians to determine echinacea's true worth. Hundreds of physicians, including Dr. S.M. Sherman,
President of the Ohio State Board of Medical Examiners, responded in vigorous defense of echinacea. Universally, the
physicians responded favorably to its effectiveness in all types of systemic infections, supporting the majority of the
traditional uses ascribed to echinacea by the Eclectics.9
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EchinaceaDiscuse to Rebirth
The widespread use of echinacea continued until the 1940s. The only official recognition given it by the predominant
medical establishment was its inclusion in the National Formulary of the United States from 1916 to 1950. However,
with the decline of Eclecticism and subsequent diminished interest in herbal medicine, interest in echinacea similarly
declined. It was not until the 1970s that herbalism and echinacea made their return on the coattails of the "back to
nature" movement of the 1960s and the work of a number of herbalists, in particular, Michael Tierra and Herbal Ed
Smith, two of this country's most well-respected herbalists.
My Introduction to Echinacea
I was first introduced to echinacea in 1981 by an elderly nurse named Leah Lischner Conners. At the time, Leah was 82
years old and owned a health food store in Clearlake, California, the biggest community of senior citizens in the state.
She had been a nurse most of her adult life, and was brought into the world in 1899 by a homeopathic physician named
Dr. Imodene Wilcox. Her older brother was already a physician practicing homeopathic medicine in New York. Leah
was never supposed to have been born as her mother had pernicious anemia and was told to not have any more children.
Leah was extremely emaciated and frail as a child, but was nursed to health by Dr. Wilcox and her brother, Dr. Hyman
Lischner, by using cod liver oil, alfalfa and echinacea. She was
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never vaccinated, and attributed her immune resistance predominantly to the use of echinacea.
Leah provided natural healthcare to thousands of Clearlake residents over a period of 25 years. On any given day, her
storefront, which was stocked with a basic array of nutritional supplements, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, a handful of
herbal extracts, and a good selection of homeopathics, equaled any bustling medical clinic in volume of people seen and
variety of conditions treated. She would spend hours, days and weeks educating people about the basic do's and don'ts
about diet and lifestyle; she would outline a basic vitamin and herbal program to follow, and then send them on their
way. Over a period of 10 years, I observed her successfully treat numerous cases of acute and chronic diseases including
infections, asthma, heart disease, cancers and crippling rheumatoid arthritis. Echinacea was the staple of her herbal
protocol. She recommended adding 10 drops of the fluid extract (1:1 concentration) to four ounces of water, three to
four times daily.
At age 89, Leah could be seen in front of the Santa Cruz County building and governmental offices holding a sign
protesting the federal FDA attack against vitamins and herbs. The sign read:
Born a homeopath
Raised on vitamins
Raised on herbs
At 89, still going strong!
At 97, Leah is still alive and feisty in a nursing home in Santa Cruz, California.
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Modern Uses of Echinacea
Foundations of Natural Medicine
The popular use of Echinacea has primarily been stimulated through the 10,000+ health food stores that have become
an, integral part of America's communities. The first health food store was opened in the early 1900s by a gentleman
named Dr. Benedict Lust. Dr. Lust was a German immigrant who was given up to die from pneumonia. His physicians
recommended that he go back to Germany and die with his family. Lust did return to Germany. However, he was put
into the care of a monk renowned for his knowledge of healing, Father Sebastian Kneipp.
Not only did Lust not die, but he became one of Father Kneipp's most ardent followers. Kneipp instructed the young
Lust to bring his "Nature Cure" system of medicine to America, which he faithfully did. These teachings subsequently
became the foundation of today's naturopathic physiciansfully trained medical practitioners who specialize in using
natural therapies for the treatment of disease. At the time, Americans were becoming overdependent on refined grains,
consumed excessive amounts of animal fats and meat, and were quickly becoming reliant on the newly introduced,
highly purified medicinal compounds that the chemical revolution was bringing. Lust had a difficult time finding the
supplies he
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needed, and opened the first retail health food store as a means to supply his patients with the goods necessary for a
natural health care regimen.
Integral to Father Kneipp's philosophy was that healing comes from within and that it must be approached holistically
from many different perspectives including diet, lifestyle, stress reduction, rest, exercise, fresh air, plenty of sunlight,
hydrotherapy and simple herbal remedies. Health food stores have historically promoted preventive health care through
these principles, in contrast to the overreliance on powerful synthetic drugs and highly invasive surgeries which are the
foundation of modern medicine. With a renewed interest in phyto-chemicals, the so-called "active constituents" of
plants, many of these principles are being lost, supplanted by a magic bullet, allopathic approach to using herbal
medicines.
Echinacea fits into Father Kneipp's philosophy quite nicely. For example, unlike numerous conventional antibiotics
which tend to weaken the immune system, the primary action of echinacea is to stimulate the body's own immune
response so as to mobilize one's internal defenses to fight off disease. While not a panacea for all of the ills of modern
society, it does hold an extremely important place within the therapeutic armamentarium of today's modern herbalists,
naturopathic physicians and health food stores. Echinacea was equally important with European homeopathic
physicians, who primarily used a 1:10 concentration "mother tincture" made from the entire fresh plant. Originally it is
believed that E. angustifolia was used. However, obtaining seeds was difficult so interest shifted to E. purpurea, which
subsequently became the focus of much modern German
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chemical and pharmacological research. Today there are more than 280 echinacea products found in pharmacies
throughout Germany, and hundreds more on the American market where it is sold singularly and is included as an
ingredient in herbal formulas and multivitamins.
Immunity
Each cell of the body has a specific function. The primary work of the cells is carried out by chemical reactions which
synthesize new substances for growth, energy and repair and break down used-up or damaged tissues. In order to
protect itself, the body has various defense mechanisms. These include the skin and mucous membrane, the macrophage
system and the inflammatory response. Each are components of the immune system, the actions of which are numerous
and complex. They exist to maintain homeostasis or physiological balance in order to maintain health.
Echinacea has a marked effect on many of these defense systems. It is an invaluable tool for minimizing bothersome
symptoms of the cold and flu, reducing inflammation associated with arthritis or trauma, promoting the healing of
tissue, helping to prevent opportunistic infections in cancer and AIDS patients and temporarily enhancing the body's
immune defenses and detoxification mechanisms. Because of its widespread actions, it is clinically applicable for the
treatment and management of many diseases, both as part of a self-healing program and when prescribed by a health
professional.
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Wounds and Skin Conditions
Early written reports of echinacea's role in helping to heal wounds led to a significant amount of research to determine
the actions responsible for this effect. In the 1940s, researchers confirmed that echinacea, applied topically, stimulated
the healing of suppurative wounds. Beginning in the 1950s, numerous researchers determined that echinacea inhibited
the production or activity of an enzyme known as hyaluronidase, a finding that has since been well-established.
Hyaluronidase stimulates the breakdown of hyaluronic acid which is the ''intercellular cement'' that keeps tissues
together. Hyaluronic acid serves several functions with regard to wound healing. First, it regulates the flow and content
of water in some tissues, which can help to alleviate swelling associated with inflammation; second, it provides the
backbone by which molecules necessary for the formation of connective tissue form; third, it positively affects the
activity of T-lynaphocytes and enhances phagocytosis, thereby helping to fight inflammation which can otherwise slow
the healing of wounds.
Since then, other wound-healing mechanisms of echinacea have been identified, including its ability to help in the
implantation of fibroblasts, stabilize collagen and increase clotting time and phagocytosis. Fibroblasts are specialized
cells that aid in the repairing of damaged tissue. In conjunction with the inhibition of hyaluronidase described above,
echinacea is able to minimize the damage caused by acute inflammation while simultaneously aiding in the regeneration
of connective tissue and epidermal (skin) cells.8
Collagen is the main protein building block of
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skin, bone, tendons, cartilage and connective tissue. Constituents of echinacea, most notably the caffeic acid derivatives,
protect collagen from the oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are the class of substances responsible
for leaves turning different colors in the fall; they cause metal to rust and cause oxidative damage to the arterial walls
and cells, which can lead to cardiovascular disease, premature aging and cancer. The most common form of oxidative
damage associated with the skin is sunburn. The caffeic acid compounds in echinacea have been found to help in the
prevention and treatment of damage associated with ultraviolet light, such as in sunburn and radiation therapy, by
scavenging free radicals.14 Conversely, echinacea has also been shown to increase the internal production of reactive
oxygen intermediates, a mechanism by which the body fights off opportunistic infections.15 In addition, echinacea has
been shown to reduce the rate of necrosis in damaged skin tissue significantly, thereby facilitating a speedier heating of
wounds.16
Phagocytosis is the process by which specialized immune cells known as macrophages wander through the blood and
tissue engulfing microorganisms, foreign particles and bacteria. They are also present in the mucous membranes.
Macrophages are like little "pac-men" which go about eating up pathogens, allergens and damaged cells such as those
occurring in inflammation and infection. The ability of echinacea to stimulate phagocytosis has been well-established,
and this is one of the mechanisms primarily responsible for its wound-healing and infection-fighting properties.
There have been many studies conducted over the last 50 years regarding the effects of echinacea on
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various skin conditions. A database review of some of these studies outlines the following chronology. In 1953, it was
observed that echinacea could cause infection from streptococcus to remain localized rather than spreading. This action
was attributed to echinacea's ability to inhibit hyaluronidase and increase fibroblasts. In 1954, German researchers used
injectable preparations of echinacea fractions in conjunction with conventional topical treatments for psoriasis. When
used with echinacea, the incidence of psoriasis reoccurring was reduced as compared to conventional therapy alone. In
1976, other German researchers observed that echinacea produced a rapid and complete restoration of skin tissue in
bacterial skin infections in humans. In 1978, a study involving 4,598 German patients with skin conditions was
conducted. The ointment contained the juice extracted from the fresh flowering heads of E. purpurea. Over 500
physicians were responsible for reporting the findings. The author of the study concluded that the ointment was highly
effective for several types of wounds, burns, eczema, inflammatory skin conditions, herpes simplex and varicose ulcers.
In 1979, a study involving 109 patients with burns, minor skin injuries and leg ulcers reaffirmed the anti-inflammatory
activity and wound-healing properties of a topical application of echinacea. The most impressive results were observed
in the application of echinacea preparations to abrasions. Complete healing without complications was achieved in 87
percent of cases. First-degree burns and minor injuries were observed to heal quickly.17
In 1985, Italian researchers began looking at the anti-inflammatory effects of topical echinacea applications. One such
preparation made up of a specific
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echinacea constituent (Echinacein B) was found to be more effective than a common nonsteroidal anti-nflammatory for
reducing edema and inflammation.18 The same researchers, in 1987, demonstrated a significant anti-inflammatory
activity in reducing edema and the infiltration into tissue of inflammatory cells using a polysaccharide fraction obtained
from E. angustifolia.19 Again, in 1988, these researchers confirmed that several polysaccharide fractions obtained from
E. angustifolia are at least partly responsible for the topical anti-inflammatory effects of echinacea preparations.20
Other German researchers have confirmed the wound healing effects of E. purpurea.21 Combination products which
include echinacea have been used successfully to lessen the swelling and itching associated with mosquito bites.22
There is some direct evidence as to the potential efficacy of echinacea for the treatment of snakebite. Some of the
caffeic acid derivatives contained in most species of echinacea have been shown to possess some anti-venom activity.23
Considering its documented pharmacological activities and widespread Native American use for snakebites, it is likely
that echinacea would be an effective herb to include in a snakebite kit, although appropriate emergency care should be
sought immediately.
Because of these effects, echinacea is commonly used externally in antiseptic washes, cosmetics, salves and ointments,
and can be used for all of the conditions mentioned above as well as in the treatment of vaginal candidiasis, trichomonas
and herpes simplex.24,25 In addition to the positive effects on tissues using external echinacea applications, when used
internally echinacea can help to increase tissue resis-
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tance against the invasion of pathogens such as streptococcus and listeria infection, and it has also been used internally
and externally for ulcers caused by bed sores, diabetes and varicose veins.8
Effects of Echinacea Purpurea Ointment on Afflictions of the Skin
Condition
Nwnber of Patients
Success Rate
Inflammatory skin conditions
212
87.4%
Wounds
1,453
91.5%
Eczema
628
82.3%
Burns
626
96.3%
Herpes simplex
222
91.4%
Varicose ulcers
900
71.1%
The most common way to use echinacea for the purpose of healing wounds is to apply it externally as a compress, wash,
powder, ointment or salve. After washing with an echinacea solution, the sore or burn should be dusted with a freshly
ground echinacea powder (or powder not more than a few months old), or covered with an echinacea ointment or salve
and properly dressed. Initially, the dressing should be changed two to three times daily or as needed, depending on the
severity of the wound, each time allowing a little exposure to air and sunlight, but taking care to prevent infection.
However, some studies have shown that adding an internal administration of echinacea is more effective than using a
topical application alone, emphasizing that it is ideal to treat wounds and most other conditions both internally and
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externally. Likewise, chronic problems such as gangrenous sores due to diabetes must be addressed systemically as well.
Echinacea tea can be used to wash a cut to help prevent infection, but it is not very practical since it is difficult to get the
necessary freshly harvested roots. Echinacea loses its potency very quickly, especially once powdered. I have kept
echinacea powder in my first aid kit for many years and have applied it to wounds on numerous occasions, sprinkling
the powder onto a sterile gauze pad or Band-Aid and applying it directly to the wound. Simultaneously, I would have
the person begin taking an echinacea alcohol extract at approximately one to two droppersful (1/41/2 teaspoon) every
few hours for the day. I have used it for cuts and puncture wounds and have never seen a wound treated with echinacea
become infected. With puncture wounds I always try to squeeze a little bit of blood out as soon as possible and then
wash and dress the wound. Monitoring the wound afterwards is very important, especially in puncture wounds. If black
streaks are observed under the skin coming from the wound or if a mild fever occurs, medical attention should be sought
immediately. Now I use a mixture of several herbs, including echinacea, as my primary first-aid powder.
In absence of the echinacea powder or root, a compress can be made using the alcohol extract by adding one teaspoon
of the extract to one-half cup of water and washing the wound; alternatively, put the extract directly on the gauze or
Band-Aid and apply it to the wound. It will sting initially, but will subside momentarily as echinacea's local anesthetic
activity kicks in.
In vaginal yeast infections and trichomonas, both
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an ointment and/or a douche may be used. A douche can be prepared by adding one-half to one teaspoon of echinacea
tincture to one pint of water or douching solution. I recommend adding one-half tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the
solution as well.
Increasing Macrophage Activity
As mentioned above, echinacea has the ability to enhance macrophage activity. Macrophages are relatively large cells
that line the blood vessel walls and organ tissue and are present in the mucosa. They become highly active with
inflammation. Their primary function, as previously discussed, is to destroy invading pathogens by eating them. They
also stimulate the formation of antibodies, sensitize lymphocytes to invading pathogens and are actively involved in
host defenses against bacterial or viral infection, seeking out and destroying invaders.
If the skin is broken, macrophages are mobilized to the area to combat infection. In the lymph system, macrophages in
the nodes filter out and eat up invading bacteria. In the lungs, macrophages along the alveoli either destroy or trap
pathogens. The liver is an especially huge reservoir of tissue macrophages known as Kuppfer cells. One of the liver's
primary blood supplies originates from the gastrointestinal tract. Because of this, huge amounts of pathogenic bacteria
are carried from the bowels into the liver. Before the blood makes it into the primary circulation it has to pass through
the sinuses of the liver, which are lined with Kuppfer cells. These sinuses represent such a sophisticated filtering system
that almost no bacteria can make it into the blood via this route.
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The spleen and bone marrow are also reservoirs of macrophages which deal with pathogens that make it into the blood
supply.
A number of echinacea's polysaccharides strongly activate macrophages, resulting in pronounced extracellular
cytotoxicity against tumor cells and certain microrganisms such as Leishmania enrietta, a parasitic protozoa responsible
for often severe skin conditions. The polysaccharides have also been shown to enhance production of specific forms of
interleukin and interferon, internally produced substances that increase resistance against pathogens.26 The majority of
this research has been conducted using highly purified isolated polysaccharide fractions administered via injection. This
has raised questions and concerns about relating such specialized research to the use of "crude" products administered
orally. However, additional research using orally administered ethanol extracts of the three primary echinacea species
were all found to significantly enhance phagocytosis. In E. angustifolia and E. pallida the fat-soluble constituents
displayed greater activity than the water-soluble fractions, while in E. purpurea, the activity of the water-soluble
constituents was more pronounced.27 This, in conjunction with the long-term, seemingly successful traditional use of
echinacea provides significant evidence that many of the uses ascribed to echinacea by Native Americans and the
Eclectics regarding its effectiveness in treating skin conditions are valid.
Anti-Inflammatory Activity
Inflammation is one of the body's responses to the adverse conditions which occur when tissue is damaged
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by an external trauma. It is a sequential reaction to cell injury designed to neutralize the inflammatory agent, remove
dead' tissue and establish an environment suitable for healing and repair. However, inflammation can also be
endogenously mediated, generated internally in response to negative chemical reactions that can occur as a result of
poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle and other similar factors. There are various mechanisms at play in the inflammatory
response. Echmacea has a mediating effect on many of them.
Much of echinacea's anti-inflammatory activity is due to its ability to inhibit hyaluronidase, the enzyme that breaks
down hyaluronic acid as previously described. Various authors have described echinacea as having "cortisone-like
activity," presumably related to its anti-hyaluronidase effect.8 There are two other key enzymes involved with
inflammatory responses, one is cyclooxygenase, the other is 5-lipoxygenase. Both enzymes utilize arachidonic acid to
create powerful inflammatory mediators known as prostaglandins (PGE2). Inflammatory prostaglandins are associated
with a wide variety of chronic inflammatory conditions including migraine headaches, certain forms of arthritis, irritable
bowel syndrome and some nervous disorders.
German researchers found that the alkymide fractions common to most echinacea species have an inhibitory effect on
both 5-lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase, while the isobutylamide fraction of E. angustifolia was slightly less potent.28
Some Italian researchers have focused on the anti-inflammatory activity of the water-soluble polysaccharides in external
preparations,1820 while others have identified antihyaluronidase activity in several caffeic acid derivatives (chicoric
acid, cynarin, caffaric acid and chlorogenic
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acid) obtained from E. angustifolia. The strongest effect was elicited by chicoric and caffaric acids.29 In addition, Dr.
Rudolf Bauer, one of the world's leading researchers on the pharmacology and chemistry of echinacea, has identified a
group of alkaloids from E. angustifolia which also have an inhibitory effect on cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase.30
Echinacea has been used clinically for a large number of inflammatory conditions, usually in combination with other
herbs, but often alone. In investigations of echinacea's anti-inflammatory activity, a topical application of a crude
polysaccharide mixture from E. angustifolia roots has been shown to reduce swelling and edema similar to that
experienced by those with arthritis, while an alkylamide fraction from the roots of E. purpurea and E. angustifolia was
also shown to possess a similar anti-inflammatory activity. The activity was reported to occur by inhibiting 5-
lipoxygenase.28
Other pharmacological research has substantiated that echinacea is effective in the treatment of inflammatory conditions
associated with the genito-urinary tract (specifically the prostate, urethra and epididymis) and inflammation of the ear,
nose and throat. Each of these studies substantiate the use of echinacea by modern herbalists, many of whom rely on it
as their primary botanical for inflammation associated with systemic infections. Echinacea has also proven effective in
the treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease, a serious infection of the pelvic area that can result in sterility.7
Echinacea as Alternative
The primary use of echinacea historically has been as an "alterative," a substance that helps in the res-
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toration of normal bodily functions, usually in the areas of digestion, assimilation and elimination. Detoxification and
cleansing therapies have always been a cornerstone of many systems of natural health care. As the alterative herbs were
widely used in these therapies, alteratives became commonly known as ''blood purifiers,'' although in actuality this is
somewhat of a misnomer.
Some of the primary indications for using echinacea as an alterative are for the treatment of a wide variety of skin
conditions including weeping eczema, boils, herpes simplex, some forms of hives and certain types of acne. Singularly,
or in combination with other alterative herbs, echinacea is very effective for these conditions, especially when used
internally as well as externally as a wash, as previously described. The pharmacological mechanisms associated with
some of these alterative actions have been discussed and include echinacea's ability to stimulate phagocytosis,
specifically through the Kuppfer cells of the liver, its direct and indirect antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral activities,
its ability to increase the resistance of connective tissue against the invasion of pathogenic microbes, and its ability to
stimulate the regeneration of tissue.
Antimicrobial Activity
The antibacterial activity of echinacea was first identified in the 1950s. It was found that the caffeic acid derivative
known as echinacoside, possessing mild antibiotic properties,47 was predominantly responsible for this action.
Subsequent to this initial research, other compounds from E. purpurea and E. angusti-
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folia were found to possess bacteriostatic and fungistatic activity including inhibitory effects against Escherichia
coliform and pseudomonas. Extracts of both E. purpurea and E. angustifolia also exhibited mild inhibitory activity
against trichomonas.8
Echinacea and AIDS
Considering that echinacea possesses a wide variety of constituents with immune-stimulating properties, it would
appear likely that it would be a natural therapeutic agent to use in the treatment of immune deficiency syndromes such
as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). However, with few exceptions, many herbalists consider that
echinacea is not appropriate as the primary botanical medicine for the long-term treatment and management of this
disease. The German Commission E monographs concur with this opinion and state that the use of echinacea is
contraindicated in AIDS.
AIDS is a complex disease which is stimulating new research and understanding regarding immune activity. It is
characterized by a dramatic decline in T-lymphocytes (CD4s) that significantly decreases immune resistance, thereby
increasing one's susceptibility to opportunistic infections. New data suggests that the decline in absolute numbers of
CD4s is only part of the picture associated with the progression of the disease, but that the level of activity of the CD4s
is a more specific marker of disease progression.
Normally, an immune-stimulating herb such as echinacea would be considered appropriate. However there is also a
hypersensitive, autoimmune component of AIDS that brings into question the use of
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immune stimulants and immune tonics because of the concern that increasing the activity of various immune functions
can actually increase the body's attack on itself. For this and other reasons, it presents a difficult scenario and the whole
picture has yet to unfold. Many herbalists consider echinacea an important part of managing occasional opportunistic
infections in people with AIDS on a short term basis, but otherwise consider it of limited value in an overall HIV/AIDS
treatment protocol.
There are at least three specific concerns regarding the use of echinacea in HIV and AIDS. One is regarding oxidative
stress. As mentioned earlier, oxidative damage caused by free radicals is associated with a deterioration of cellular
health. The AIDS virus actually uses free radicals as a means to activate itself. One of echinacea's mechanisms of action
as previously mentioned is through the increased production of oxygen radicals via peritoneal macrophages as a means
to combat pathogens such as Candida albicans. Oxidative stress is one of the primary factors associated with the
progression from HIV+ to, AIDS. Oxidative stresses are prevalent in our everyday lives through poor dietary habits or
through contact with environmental pollutants. These are likely to have a far greater negative impact on our health than
that caused by echinacea. However, substances known to stimulate free radical production should generally be avoided
whenever possible unless when medically indicated.
Conversely, echinacea also exhibits significant protection against oxidative stress as observed in its ability to prevent
tissue necrosis by inhibiting free radical-induced degradation of collagen, and in protecting against radiation
poisoning.14 It provides this
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protection by mobilizing internal reserves of fat soluble nutrients, most notably vitamin A, carotenes and vitamin E and
its antioxidant metabolites, at least partially through increased functioning of the vitamin E redox system. However in
doing so, it can deplete these antioxidant reserves.14a This is especially important in HIV and AIDS because of the
dangerous role oxidative stresses play in disease progression, and equally important because the majority of people with
HIV/AIDS are considerably deficient in antioxidant nutrients already.
Lastly, one of the primary activities of echinacea is in enhancing the activity of macrophages, specifically including
increased production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a) that can help to combat cancer cells by destroying them.26
However, this toxic cytokine is also associated with the devastating wasting syndrome observed in patients with
advanced stages of diseases associated with the deterioration of the immune system, including cancer and AIDS.
To sum up, in relatively healthy people who are HIV+, echinacea can be used safely as a means to manage occasional
opportunistic infections. In people at a more serious stage of the disease, such as in those with severe swollen lymph
glands or acute infections, echinacea may similarly be used with positive results short-term. However in all cases when
taking echinacea, it is necessary to proportionately increase one's intake of antioxidant nutrients.
A Personal Note
Many of the findings of modern research on echinacea and other medicinal plants have been based on
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studies conducted with animals. Scientific researchers place a significant amount of importance on such data. Some feel
that herbs should not be used until adequate numbers of animal studies have been conducted to determine both the
safety and effectiveness of botanicals. While I have reported the findings of such data, in most cases I strongly disagree
with the need for animal testing for many reasons. First and foremost, one of the inherent principles of herbalism is that
all life is to be honored and respected. Second, more often than not, science only validates what traditional peoples have
known for centuries. The time and expense expended and the pain inflicted upon the animals does not seem justified to
find out something herbalists have known for hundreds of years. Third, animal physiology is very different from human
physiology. One animal's medicine is another one's poison, so data based on animal research cannot always be applied
to human use. Lastly, in this time of technological wizardry, it is likely that other more efficient, less costly and more
humane models for studying medicine can be developed. If we lose our respect and love for animals, we lessen our
respect and love for our own species.
Echinacea as an Antibiotic
Perhaps the greatest contribution echinacea can make to American healthcare is to lessen dependence on conventional
antibiotics (anti = against/ biotic = life). Every year, literally tons of antibiotics are consumed by Americans, many by
our children. For ear infections alone, there are 25 to 30 million visits to the doctor every year. Numerous reports cite
that many
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of the diseases that we once thought were eradicated are coming back stronger than ever due to the ability of pathogens
to develop resistance against antibiotics. Most of this resistance is a direct result of overuse of these drugs. Medical
researchers acknowledge this problem and caution that the continued trend to over-prescribe will eventually lead to
antibiotics becoming therapeutically useless in the treatment of infections such as pneumonia and meningitis. It has
already been found that more than 50 percent of streptococcus strains are now resistant to conventional antibiotics.
Antibiotics are routinely prescribed when practitioners do not know what else to give to satisfy consumers who expect a
quick fix. One primary example of the overuse of antibiotics is in the treatment of chronic inner ear infections in
children. The majority of American children have been subjected to multiple rounds of antibiotics before their first
birthday. The penicillin-based antibiotic amoxicillin is often the drug of choice. While antibiotics can be lifesaving, they
are prescribed far too often and for mild illnesses which can be dealt with using gentler remedies such as herbs. In 1991
the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that children who were administered amoxicillin were two to
six times more likely to develop a recurrent infection than children who were not treated at all. The amoxicillin-treated
children also experienced an increased incidence of hearing impairment due to scar tissue caused by the multiple
infections.31 In a nutshell, one of the most widely prescribed antibiotics for chronic inner ear infections in children
appears to be worse than no treatment at all.
My wife Mary and I have a beautiful, healthy 13-
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year-old daughter, Heidi Rose, who has never had so much as an aspirin or antibiotic. This is not because she has never
gotten sick or because we are adamantly opposed to conventional drugs: it is because we have used herbs, most notably
echinacea, to stimulate her body's own defenses to manage illness. In our community there are many children, mostly of
herbalists, who have likewise been able to manage the majority of childhood illnesses without the use of conventional
drugs. Echinacea is by far one of the most relied-upon herbs in the botanical kingdom used as an alternative to
conventional antibiotics in adults and children.
In addition to those which are prescribed, large amounts of antibiotics are consumed when we eat commercial animal
products. In fact, the majority of antibiotics produced in this country go to treating disease in commercially raised
animals. In most of the commercial farms the animals are packed so tightly together that they are continually exposed to
fecal contamination and develop a high incidence of disease. Large numbers of animals then share the same feed and
water and so disease spreads, necessitating a continual ingestion of antibiotics. The antibiotics are consumed; pathogens
begin to mutate in a manner that resists the effects of the antibiotics; we ingest the animal products; and a vicious cycle
is generated that is leading to the reintroduction of many of the diseases that antibiotics once combated.
We begin the process of compromising our children's immune systems early on in their lives 1) by not breastfeeding
which provides the baby with antibodies, and the "seeds" necessary for generating the healthy intestinal flora needed for
a healthy immune system; 2) by vaccinating too early before their im-
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mune systems have had a chance to develop; and 3) by introducing them to a multitude of antibiotic drugs within the
first few years of their developing lives.
It has been theorized that part of echinacea's ability to fight infection is due to the fact that the structure of its
polysaccharides is similar to the surface coating of some pathogens. This mimics the pathogens, which makes the body
think it is under a greater attack than it really is; thus the immune response elicited overpowers the relatively few
pathogens. Because this is only a temporary jump-start of the immune system, it is unlikely to have any negative effects
except perhaps if used in those with auto-immune disease. One herbalist I know recommends that echinacea be used in
preparation for childhood or adult vaccinations by using it for one to two weeks prior to vaccination.
Colds and Flus
The most common use of echinacea is during the first signs of a cold, flu or fever and secondarily for other minor
infections. It is the primary ingredient in the majority of herbal supplements designed for winter health and is one of the
most popular of all medicinal herbs, equaled only by garlic and ginseng.
At the first signs of a cold or flu, echinacea is a good choice in order to initiate a strong immune response as the
pathogens are just beginning to try and take hold. It is most effective when taken in conjunction with a diaphoretic tea to
induce sweating, such as the classic combination of peppermint leaves, elder flowers and yarrow flowers. In the
majority of
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cases, this tea will work very well alone, so that echinacea can be reserved for more serious infections. However, it is
good to always have a bottle of echinacea tincture on hand so that at the first sign of a cold or flu you can just squirt a
few droppersful in your mouth. The dosage is important. In a double-blind study of 180 volunteers, it was found that
two droppersful (approximately 1/2 teaspoonequivalent to 900 mg per day) of a liquid extract of E. purpurea root
elicited no improvement in either the time or severity of the flu symptoms, whereas four droppersful (1 teaspoon)
exhibited statistically significant improvements over administration of the placebo.32
Unfortunately, echinacea has also become somewhat of a marketing phenomenon in that it is an ingredient in a large
number of multiple vitamin preparations whose manufacturers have found it fashionable to include the herb. Such
indiscriminate use can have far-reaching consequences, not the least of which is the decimation of naturally occurring
plant populations, and perhaps the body becoming so used to, echinacea that it may not work when really needed.
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Commercial Considerations
Will the Best Echinacea Please Stand Up!
Various manufacturers of echinacea products have stimulated controversy as to which species or part of the echinacea
plant is the most potent. Sometimes it is difficult to separate the wheat from the marketing chaff, and so a discussion
follows of some of the varying opinions, and a chart outlines the documented uses of each species.
Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida: These were the two species first introduced into medical practice in the
1800s and thus were the species reported to be most widely used from the late 1800s to the 1950s and then again in the
1970s up to the present. Early physicians used these species seemingly successfully for treating many of the conditions
which herbalists continue to use echinacea for today.
Modern pharmacology has validated many of these uses. In most instances, E. angustifolia and E. pallida have been
shown to have similar effects as well as similar chemistry. One study demonstrated that E. pallida had a greater
phagocyte-stimulating activity than either E. angustifolia or E. purpurea.8 Another study reported that the isolated
compounds from the three species "exhibited a high degree of
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similarity.''33 Other studies suggest that E. purpurea has a greater activity in some ways than either of the other two
species.34
Echinacea purpurea: For commercial reasons, a large number of studies have been conducted on a specific injectable
preparation of the leaf juice of E. purpurea, which is rich in immuno-stimulating polysaccharides. Early on in echinacea
research, scientists believed the primary activity of echinacea was associated with the polysaccharides, so this became
the primary focus of echinacea studies. Because the German research found that the leaf juice of E. purpurea possessed
higher amounts of polysaccharides than the roots or parts of other species, numerous companies and even some writers
have suggested that E. purpurea is superior to other species of echinacea. Many commercial interests created a
marketing program around this research. There were several basic flaws with this marketing direction. First, the
research was conducted on the juice of fresh leaves. Many products subsequently were made from the entire above-the-
ground portion of the dried plant including the woody, largely fibrous stems which account for approximately 70
percent of the dried weight of the above-ground portion of the plant. As often happens, companies capitalized on the
fresh juice research even though their products were not comparable to those used in the studies.
The second flaw was that the majority of these studies were conducted with injectable preparations, not orally
administered products. Although polysaccharides have a limited amount of activity when consumed orally, most
polysaccharide researchers have found that the long chain sugars get broken down in
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the gastrointestinal tract and do not make it into the blood intact. Therefore, marketing a product based on its being rich
in polysaccharides is of limited pharmacological value.
Subsequent research has revealed that the medicinal activity of echinacea is not solely correlated to polysaccharides but
rather is due to the broad spectrum of constituents contained within the plant. Moreover, it is now considered that the
polysaccha-rides may contribute little to the overall immune-stimulating effects in oral preparations.8 Nevertheless,
confusion in the marketplace persists.
Other species of echinacea: A few additional species of echinacea have been used medicinally and studied
pharmacologically. These include E. tennesseensis, E. atrorubens, E. simulata and E. paradoxa. Some pharmacological
and chemical study has been conducted on these other species to determine their potential medicinal value. The
chemical profile of E. simulata and E. paradoxa was found very similar to that of E. pallida and E. angustifolia,
containing the alkamides, ketoalkenynes and echinacoside.35 From a taste test, E. atrorubens has an organoleptic
alkamide profile similar to that of E. pallida and E. angustifolia.
In my opinion, based solely on my own therapeutic experience, I consider the roots of E. angustifolia and E. pallida
interchangeable for most of the uses attributed to echinacea, and favor these over the leaf juice and roots of E. purpurea.
When other factors are considered, such as the fact that E. angustifolia and E. pallida are being overharvested in the
wild, I have to strongly recommend that organically cultivated E. purpurea be used more frequently until ade-
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quate supplies of cultivated pallida and angustifolia are available. However, therapeutically, my favorite preparation is
one that combines a high amount of freshly harvested angustifolia and/or pallida root, purpurea root, purpurea leaf
juice and a smaller percentage of seed which is very rich in isobutylamides. I also believe that any properly
manufactured echinacea supplement will deliver most of the medicinal activity desired as long as the material used is of
high quality. With few exceptions, I believe differentiating between which species is best is more of an academic point
than a therapeutic concern.
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Choosing an Echinacea Preparation
Another common question that arises with herbs in general is, ''What is the best type of preparation to usepowder,
capsules, teas, tablets or tinctures?" Traditionally, Native Americans used echinacea's fresh root juice internally and
externally as well as its dried root. Fresh echinacea is likely to be more potent. Unfortunately, very few of us have
access to the fresh roots growing on the plains and must look for other preparations. Each kind of preparation has
advantages and disadvantages and each can be used with a relatively high degree of effectiveness as long as you start
with fresh, undamaged plant material and prepare and store it properly.
Teas: Infusions and Decoctions
Teas are perhaps the oldest form of medicinal herb preparation in existence. While Americans drink tea predominantly
for its flavor and for the ritual of it, peoples of many nations consciously drink various herbal mixtures as healthful
beverages, varying the tea mixture depending upon how they feel at any given time. Teas are among the most beneficial
preparations you can use, and certainly the most inexpensive. The water extractions have a high degree of
bioavailability so it is easy for the body to absorb
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and assimilate their medicinal properties. They work very quickly. Bulk herbs are a fraction of the cost of ready-made
products. With teas you have the flexibility of mixing whatever herbs you like together and they have the added benefit
of involving you in your own healing process as you have to take the time to make the brew and then ideally sit down
and relax while you drink it. This reaffirms in a very real way your commitment to your healing process in a manner not
elicited with other preparations. The primary disadvantage of teas is that many medicinal herbs taste unpleasant, and
while many can be enjoyed once a taste is acquired for them, others would gag a starving goat. There are many
commercial medicinal tea bags on the market. Some of these are good. Others give so little herb per tea bag, and may
even contain added caffeine, that they actually deliver little benefit other than the aesthetic pleasure and relaxation
derived from sipping a cup of flavorful tea. Two teas that contain high quality echinacea are Echinacea Plus by
Traditional Medicinals and Immuni-Tea by Uni-Tea. Of course, you can always make your own creative blend.
Powders, Capsules, Tablets
Powder made into capsules or tablets is one of the most convenient forms of herbal products to take. The primary
advantage is that capsules and tablets are easy to take simply by swallowing them with water, and you do not have to
taste potentially not-so-nice-tasting herbal brews. Also, when purchasing the herb in bulk form from a health food store,
you can make up your own combinations using pure echi-nacea root powder. The disadvantage of powders, es-
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pecially with echinacea, is that they lose their potency relatively quickly. Powdered echinacea can lose some of its
effectiveness in as little as four months. Echinacoside content can degrade 10 percent in three years.36 Capsules lose
their potency the quickest because a relatively high amount of surface area is exposed to light and air, which causes the
active constituents to oxidize. Tablets can retain their potency for relatively long periods of time as they are tightly
packed and therefore little surface area is exposed to oxidation. One potential disadvantage to both capsules and tablets
is that the majority of these products also contain some amount of excipients and flow agents. The most commonly used
excipients include di-calcium phosphate and magnesium stearate, both of which are considered basically inert.
Depending on the manufacturer, excipients can account for less than 5 percent to higher than 35 percent of the total
weight of the capsule or tablet. If improper tableting techniques are used, they can be too hard and therefore will not
dissolve adequately. How well tablets dissolve can be tested by placing a few tablets in a cup of cold water. If they
dissolve within 30 to 60 minutes in the passive medium of a plain cup of water, you can be assured they will quickly
break down in the active medium of the digestive system.
Liquid Extracts
Alcohol: Alcohol extracts are by far the most commonly used echinacea preparations on the market. They have the
advantage of coming in small one-fluid-ounce eyedropper bottles and so are very easy to carry. If extracted properly,
they will capture a large percentage of the medicine contained within the
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root. They can be mixed with water, tea or juice to dilute the flavor, and they will maintain a relatively long shelf life of
up to three years and beyond if properly stored in a dark cool area. When purchasing an alcohol extract I recommend
one that contains a combination of the root, seed and leaf juice, ideally made from fresh or freshly dried plant material
and extracted in an alcohol-water menstruum to a finished alcohol content of 60 to 70 percent. There are numerous
preparations readily available that meet this profile. If only the leaf of E. purpurea is desired, buy a leaf juice extract, as
products made from dried above-the-ground leaves and stems are much less potent.
Glycerites: Glycerin extracts are finished herbal products which contain no ethyl alcohol and are therefore well-suited
for children or for those wishing to avoid ethyl alcohol. Glycerin is naturally sweet, and oftentimes flavorings are added
to make glycerin extract preparations more palatable. Glycerin is a preservative and therefore will retain its potency for
up to two years, after which glycerites should be replaced. They can be used both internally and externally.
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Making Your Own Medicines
Medicinal Herb Teas
There are two primary ways to prepare a tea. One is by steeping the herb(s) in hot water (called an infusion). The other
is by boiling the herb(s) (called a decoction). Different herbs need different processes to maximize the extraction and
preservation of their medicinal compounds. A general rule of thumb is that herbs that are rich in aromatic volatile oils
(which have a perfume-like aroma) need to be infused; with decoctions the volatile compounds are boiled off. The best
way to make an infusion is to boil the water, preferably in a glass or unchipped enamel pot or stainless steel pan. Place
the herb(s) in the palm of your hand and rub with the thumb of your other hand. This bruises the cell membranes of the
plant, thereby releasing the volatile components. Place the herb(s) (I teaspoon per cup of water) in a Mason jar. Pour the
boiling water directly over the herbs. Cover the jar immediately in order to retain the volatile oils and let steep (infuse)
for 10 minutes. Strain and drink.
Echinacea root is best prepared as a decoction using approximately one gram of root (either chopped or powdered) to
one cup of water. A decoction is prepared by placing the herb in cold water
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and bringing it to a boil or by bringing the water to a boil and adding the herb afterwards. When the water comes to a
slow boil, turn the heat down low, cover and let simmer (decoct) for 10 to 15 minutes.
Powder and Capsules
Many communities have, health food stores which carry bulk herbs in either cut and sifted form or as powders. Ideally,
it is better to buy herbs in their whole form and grind them yourself since whole herbs retain their potency the longest.
After you decide which herb or mixture you want, purchase the appropriate amount of herbs along with size 0 or 00
gelatin capsules, depending on how well you do at swallowing capsules (00 is larger). Mix the powders together in the
appropriate proportions (how to do this is outlined in many texts) and then fill the capsules either by hand or with one of
the little capsule-pressing machines available at health food stores. Store the capsules in a cool, dark area. Properly
stored capsules will retain much of their potency for more than a year. When taking them, make sure you drink plenty of
water. It is common for them to get somewhat stuck in the throat because the gelatin becomes sticky when it is wet. If
you are vegetarian, there are now vegetable-derived capsules on the market.
Making Your Own Alcohol Extract
To make your own simple alcohol extract, grind 4 to 8 oz. of whole, freshly dried echinacea root into a
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coarse powder with a coffee grinder. Place the powder in a Mason jar. Cover with 16 oz. of 80-proof vodka or with 3/4
cup Everclear and 1 1/4 cups water. Mark the jar with the name of the herb and the date prepared. Let stand for at least
two weeks in a dark, cool place, shaking well every day. After two weeks, strain or pour through a coffee filter to
eliminate sediment. Store the finished extract in amber bottles away from heat and sunlight. Label and date. Extracts
should be good for up to three years.
When using fresh plant material, mash it into a pulp with a mortar and pestle, add vodka as above to a blender along
with the herb and blend on low speed to a slurry consistency. Pour into a Mason jar, let stand for two weeks covered,
shaking it every day; strain and store in dark amber bottles.
Making Your Own Glycerite Extract
There are two primary ways to prepare a glycerin extract. The first is to soak an appropriate amount of the herb directly
in glycerin. The second is to extract the appropriate amount of herb in the appropriate alcohol-water extracting
menstruum and then evaporate the alcohol in a rotary evaporator and reconstitute the extract with glycerin to the desired
concentration. The advantage to the first procedure, the simple glycerin macerate, is that anyone can do this at home
very easily. In my experience, I feel fresh root material makes for a better glycerin extract when prepared via simple
maceration. The disadvantage is that glycerin in and of itself is not an ideal extracting solvent, so much less medicine is
obtained from the root with this extraction process as com-
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pared to alcohol extracts. Glycerin extracts prepared by placing the herb in alcohol first are going to yield higher
concentrations of plant constituents. Another way to prepare a glycerin extract is to first make a tea by gently boiling the
cut up or powdered roots for approximately 10 to 15 minutes; then add an equal or slightly greater amount of glycerin to
the fluid and store in the refrigerator. Although the shelf life will not be as long as for an alcohol extract or a simple
glycerin maceration, it will make a more potent medicine than the simple macerate. Flavors can be added by using
herbal essential oils such as peppermint or lemon, or a concentrate of cherry or black cherry. Store in amber bottles
away from heat and sunlight to maintain maximum shelf life. Label and date.
Making Your Own Salve
Add 3 to 6 oz. of dried herbs to I cup of vegetable oil (olive, coconut, etc.). Place in an uncovered cooking crock, stir
well and bake in the oven at 100° to 150° for 3 to 5 hours (or you can use a crock pot). Check periodically to ensure the
mixture does not burn and stir occasionally. When finished, squeeze the spent herbs through a strainer, allowing them to
sit for awhile to drain off. This gives you an ''oil infusion." To harden the salve to the right consistency, add
approximately I ounce of shaved beeswax to 1 cup of oil infusion. Warm over low heat until the wax is completely
melted. When finished, pour warm oil into appropriate small jars and allow to cool. A few capsules of vitamin E oil
should be added to help preserve the salve.
After the beeswax has melted and the mixture has
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cooled some, scoop out a small portion with a spoon and place it in the refrigerator to harden quickly. Once it hardens,
you can check its consistency. If it is too hard, additional oil can be added. If too soft, additional beeswax can be added.
Alcohol extracts or essential oils of other herbs can be added to the warmed oil to increase the potency or modify its
actions. When using essential oils, only add a few drops to the base oil. Essential oil of thyme can be added to increase
the antiseptic quality. An alcohol extract of calendula blossoms can be added to increase wound healing. Essential oil of
ginger root can be added for burns and bruises.
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Dosages
Many people are cautious about self-prescribing or may have concerns that they may take too much, or in some cases,
too little of an herb. As previously noted, there is a relatively large margin of safety with the, majority of herbs on the
market. Whereas two to three times the normal dose of a pharmaceutical drug can be severely damaging, even fatal, it is
not uncommon, especially with echinacea, to take four and even five times the normally recommended dose. Following
are some guidelines to go by for echinacea.
Powder
1 gram 3 times daily.
Teas
1 gram boiled per cup of water. Drink 1 cup 3 times daily.
Leaf Juice E. Purpurea)
6 to 9 milliliters daily.
Tincture (1:5)
1 dropperful 3 to 4 times daily, or as needed (a dropperful is equal to
approximately 35 drops or 1/4 teaspoon).
Glycerite
2 droppersful 2 to 3 times daily.
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Rules for Determing Dosages for Children
There are some specific rules for determining dosages for children. Age is one consideration, weight is another and
physical constitution is another. Slight or frail children require less. Heavy or robust children can use more. The
following are two general rules.
Clark's Rule: To determine the approximate fraction of an adult dose, divide the weight of the child in pounds
by 150. Example: 50 pound child ÷ 150 = 1/3. Therefore the child's dose is 1/3 of the adult dosage.
Cowling's Rule: The age of the child at his or her next birthday is divided by 24. Example: a 3-year-old child
÷ 24 = 1/8. Therefore the dosage for a 3-year-old child is 1/8 of the adult dose.
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Echinacea in the Herbalist's Medicine Chest
Echinacea is one of the most effective and safest herbs to stock in your family's home medicine cabinet. Either by itself
or in combination with other herbs, it is invaluable to use for a wide variety of acute illnesses. Following are some
favorite formulas of herbalists and some interesting uses.
Brigitte Mars: ''I have a lot of wonderful experiences with echinacea, many with our own family, including using it
successfully for both snake bite and the bites of brown recluse spiders. I use it by itself and in combination with usnea
for infections of the throat, with osha for respiratory infections and sometimes use it with grapefruit seed extract for
infections in general. I stopped using goldenseal many years ago because of its scarcity, but prior to that I used the
combination a lot. My Inimuni-Tea blend is my favorite tea combination. It is a wonderful-tasting beverage that
contains rosehips, lemon grass, peppermint, ginger, echinacea root, leaf and flower, elder flower, marshmallow root,
licorice, astragalus and thyme. It offers a wonderful boost to the immune system. Even kids and skeptical spouses will
drink it up.
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"I was bitten by a poisonous copperhead snake 20 years ago when living on a farm in the Ozarks in a tepee. I
immediately ran into the tepee yelling, 'I got bit by a copperhead! I got bit by a copperhead!' and grabbed all my books
to look for a snake bite remedy. The sensible thing to do would have been to go to the hospital, but it was an arduous
trip in a four-wheel drive that would have taken an hour and we needed to do something right then.
"My husband, Tom, bless his heart, almost immediately turned on a little shop vacuum we had and pressed it right up
against the bite to try to suck the venom out. I riffled through the pages of several books and read in one of them that
echinacea was used by Native Americans for snake bite. It was like magic since it was growing right outside the tepee! I
don't know what species it was. Tom yelled to our friends up the hill and people came running down. Someone dug up
some roots and I began chewing on the fresh root while the water boiled for tea. We mashed up some more fresh root
and made a poultice and applied it right to the bite. I then drank several cups of the tea. I remember the most significant
thing I experienced was a tremendous amount of anxiety but I tried to remain calm, thinking that I couldn't give in to the
fear. I didn't get sick at allno symptoms other than the anxiety. That experience really changed my life. Living in the
wilderness with two children, I realized that I didn't know enough to deal with emergencies, that I depended on my
books too much. The very next day I began studying herbs in a whole different way, trying to internalize my knowledge
of herbal medicine rather than depending on information in books, I began writing little easy-to-use index cards,
something I have been doing ever
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since. It also showed me how profound herbal medicines could be. An old-timer told us later that he had used echinacea
in the same way."
David Winston: "Alternating echinacea with baptisia (wild indigo) is one of my favorite ways to use echinacea. One of
my students had a client with a gangrenous foot that physicians were saying needed to be amputated. The discoloration
and necrosis were severe. I had never seen a foot look so bad. I recommended the echinacea and baptisia be used
internally and also recommended alternating hot and cold foot baths with echinacea and baptisia added to the water. The
foot was almost entirely cleared up within three days and did not need to be cut off."
Dosage: Echinacea, 2 droppersful every 2 to 3 hours.
Baptisia, 20 drops 4 times daily.
Uses: For all types of systemic infections and cervical dysplasia.
Donald Yance: "Occasionally I use echinacea, singularly, but most often in combination with other herbs. Most people
use it only in conditions associated with an excess or strong constitution. However, I use it in people who are both
excess and deficient."
Formula 1
Echinacea
50%
Thuja
25%
Baptisia
25%
Dosage: I dropperful of the combination 3 times daily. For external application, soak a gauze pad
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in the extract and dress the affected area or apply directly to cut, sore or infection and allow to dry.
Uses: Bedsores. Use internally and apply externally.
Formula 2
Echinacea
50%
Thuja
10%
Wild Indigo
10%
Poke root
10%
Greater
10%
Celandine
Osha root
10%
Dosage: 10 to 20 drops 3 to 4 times daily.
Uses: Cervical dysplasia, viruses, respiratory infections. With mononucleosis, add red root.
Ed Smith's Flu Drops
Echinacea root
12.5%
Goldenseal root
12.5%
Osha root
12.5%
Spilanthes herb and root
12.5%
Yerba santa leaves
12.5%
Horseradish
6.25%
Elder flowers
6.25%
Yarrow flowers
6.25%
Watercress herb
6.25%
Wild indigo root
6.25%
Dosage: 30 to 40 drops 3 to 5 times daily straight or in hot water.
Uses: Colds and flu, fever, upper respiratory congestion, immune stimulation.
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Rosemary Gladstar's Immune Support Tea37
Pau d'arco bark
55%
Echinacea root
35%
Burdock root
10%
Directions: Add 4 to 6 Tbs. of the herb mixture to I quart of cold water and gently simmer for 20 minutes in a tightly
covered pot. Remove from heat and let infuse for another 20 minutes. Strain and drink. Optional flavoring herbs:
cinnamon, orange peel, licorice root.
Dosage: 3 to 4 cups daily as needed.
Silena Heron, N.D.: "I use echinacea a lot, but mostly combined with other herbs according to the needs of my patients.
I have had some remarkable success using the glycerite of echinacea for the treatment of hives. The following formula
is typical of what I suggest for people with serious throat infections."
Echinacea root
35%
Goldenseal root
10%
Osha root
10%
Thymus leaves
10%
Balm of Gilead buds
10%
Yerba mansa (glycerite)
10%
Licorice root
10%
Usnea
5%
Dosage: Gargle the extract straight after drinking a glass of water. Or mix I Tbs. of extract in 1/2 cup hot water and
gargle.
Uses: As a gargle for sore throat associated with infections.
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Sunny Mavor: "These days my favorite echinacea. remedy is a glycerin extract of echinacea and Oregon grape root. I
use the Oregon grape root instead of goldenseal because of how scarce goldenseal is becoming in the wild. This has
worked really well for ear infections in my seven-month-old, 16-pound baby, one time literally working overnight. I
recommend it for children over six months old, who have already begun eating solid food. I would not use it in infants
or babies who have not eaten solid foods yet. Instead I would give it to the breast-feeding mother so that some of the
immune-stimulating properties are carried to the baby in the milk."
Echinacea root
65%
Oregon grape root
35%
Add orange or blackberry flavoring to mask the taste.
Dosage: 25 drops up to 4 times daily of glycerin extract.
Uses: Ear infections.
By far the most versatile herbal antiseptic wash I have ever used is the combination of echinacea, goldenseal, myrrh and
calendula in a saline solution base. It was originally developed for the treatment of bed sores by Leah's brother.
Subsequently new uses were found. People who have used it never want to be without it; it becomes an indispensable
part of your home medicine chest.
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Herbal Antiseptic
Combine equal parts of the extracts of echinacea, goldenseal, myrrh and calendula. Add approximately 1 Tbsp. of the
combined extracts to 1/2 cup water and 1 rounded tsp. sea salt.
Uses: External wash for cuts, scrapes, burns, bed sores, varicose ulcers, non-healing wounds, mastitis, bleeding
hemorrhoids, poison ivy/oak, hives, bites, itching and stings.
As a mouthwash and gargle for gingivitis, canker sores, thrush, tonsillitis, laryngitis, sore throat.
As an eyewash for conjunctivitis, dilute 2 Tbsp. of the antiseptic wash in slightly less than 1 cup distilled water.
Used dilute in an inhalator to soothe irritated mucous membranes in asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.
Use a 20 percent solution (1/4 cup antiseptic solution plus I cup water) as a douche for various vaginal infections
including trichomonas and yeast.
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Toxicity, Contraindications and Other Guidelines
Because of echinacea's widespread popularity and its indiscriminate inclusion in many multivitamins, herbal products
and fruit juice, it is important to know about its potential for toxicity. There are various issues of concern regarding
toxicology. What long-term effects may the herb have? What are the side effects? Will it interfere with conventional
medications or with other herbs? What about using it for children or in pregnancy and lactation? With few exceptions,
there is a large measure of safety associated with the majority of commercially available herbs, including echinacea.
This is due to the fact that many of the more powerful herbs, such as aconite, gelsemium or poke root, which possess a
high potential for toxicity, are not commonly used except by experienced herbalists.
The Eclectics, who used echinacea extensively for 50 years, considered it free of side effects when used within its
normal dosage range. The experience of modern herbalists is similar. Symptoms associated with excessive consumption
of echinacea reported by the respected Eclectic physician Harvey Wickes Felter include headache, joint pain, dry
tongue, reduced temperature and gastrointestinal disturbances
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with diarrhea.38 Such symptoms could have as easily been associated with the mistaken use of Parthenium integrifolia
(prairie dock or Kansas snake root), which is rich in sesquiterpenes that can cause some of these same symptoms.
In toxicity studies conducted in the 1950s, injectable preparations of echinacea in amounts exceeding normal dosage
limits showed no toxic side effects. In 1989, researchers again found the polysaccharide fractions to be virtually
nontoxic.8 In fact, caffeine is many times more toxic than echinacea.
Most toxicity studies of echinacea have been conducted on the polysaccharide fractions obtained from E. purpurea. In
1991 studies, high doses of oral and intravenous E. purpurea leaf juice were found to be virtually nontoxic in animals.
Tests for mutagenicity and carcinogenicity all gave negative results.39 Additional studies to determine the toxicity of
purified polysaccharides all suggest that they are nontoxic.40
Between 1994 and 1996, a team of herbalists worked on a document known as the Botanical Safety Index (BSI) under
the auspices of the Standards Committee of the American Herbal Products Association. The BSI contains a review of
the relative toxicity of approximately 650 herbs in commerce. The committee reviewed the primary texts associated
with medicinal plant toxicity and assigned each herb to a category that reflects a significant amount of the accumulated
traditional and scientific data. According to an initial review of the data, echinacea appears to be free of side effects.
In the German Commission E monographs, considered by some to represent the most accurate information on herbal
medicines available, there are few cautionary notes for echinacea. For E. purpurea the
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warnings include: not to be used for progressive systemic diseases such as tuberculosis, leukosis, collagenosis, multiple
sclerosis. For E. pallida, the warnings also include AIDS, HIV infection and other autoimmune diseases. The warnings
also state that injectable preparations of echinacea should not be used in people prone to allergies, especially allergies to
members of the composite family (Asteraceae), or in pregnancy, and caution against the use of injectable preparations
in diabetes.
The Commission E monograph also states that echinacea preparations should not be used for longer than eight weeks.
This recommendation is partly based on research which suggests that echinacea loses much of its effectiveness after
eight weeks as the body becomes desensitized to it and partly due to the fact that if symptoms are still prevalent after
eight weeks, then echinacea therapy is likely not working.
In 15 years of using and recommending echinacea, I have seen only two negative reactions. One was a mild case of
hives which I attributed to an individual allergic reaction; the hives went away as soon as the echinacea was
discontinued. The other was in a woman who ingested an alcohol preparation made from the leaf, seed and root straight
from the eyedropper. Immediately her throat closed almost completely; this lasted for only a few minutes, leaving her
physically fine but scared. She had used echinacea often in the past but had always mixed it with water or juice or had
taken it in capsule or tablet form. The reaction had never occurred when the extract was diluted in water, or when taking
capsules or tablets. I experienced a similar reaction, but very mildly, when I squirted a dropperful of an extract into my
mouth and inhaled at the same time. I got a very fleeting feeling
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of constriction and could see how someone with a particular sensitivity could react negatively. To avoid this potential
problem, simply mix echinacea extract with water, nonacidic juice or herb tea.
Mild fever has been associated with the use of injectable preparations. However, some physicians feel this is an
indication of the therapy working, as fever is associated with the healing process.
Constitutional Differentiation
Most people believe that an herb like echinacea would be good for all of the people all of the time. This is not true.
Certain herbs will work better for certain people, depending upon their own unique constitutional makeup. One
important point to remember is that echinacea is an immune stimulant, not an immune tonic. Its primary activity is to
mobilize defenses considered superficial in their action, such as enhancing phagocytosis or fighting inflammation. It
does not strengthen deep immune defenses like other immune tonics such as the Chinese herbs astragalus and
ganoderma (reishi mushroom) which have the specific effect of increasing the production of immune cells from the
bone marrow and increasing energy production.
Frequently, I have found echinacea will not work if used by people who are internally weak and run down because they
lack the energy necessary to stimulate their immune system. In such cases of debilitation, the number of white blood
cells (leukocytes, macrophages) is greatly reduced, so while the efficiency of the existing macrophages might be
temporarily enhanced, the white blood cell deficiency will
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remain. In these cases, echinacea, may work to fight the acute infection, but it will not correct the underlying weakness.
The use of echinacea in these situations would be similar to using conventional antibioticthe infection may subside
temporarily, but it may quickly return. Many herbalists treat people who need frequent doses of echinacea throughout
the winter because they keep getting sick. Clinically, this is often observed in those who consume a nutritionally
inadequate diet, or who eat large quantities of raw or cold foods during the winter. Rather than using echinacea
repeatedly, it would be better to utilize some of the deeper nourishing tonics such as astragalus or ganoderma during
periods of relative health to maintain a strong immune defense.
Using Echinacea Intermittently
Many herbalists believe that the continual everyday use of echinacea should not be recommended. While somewhat
controversial, this belief is based on two studies conducted using a homeopathic preparation and at least one other using
a combination of mistletoe (Viscum album) and E. purpurea. In both studies utilizing the homeopathic preparation, it
was observed that maximum increase in phagocytosis occurred at four to five days of treatment. After this, a rapid
decrease in phagocytic activity was observed. Normal values returned on the 11th day.41 In the echinacea-viscum
study, a normal therapeutic dose was administered, then followed by a week without any intervention. This resulted in
an increase in cellular immunity via the production of lymphocytes and lymphokines. Daily administration of higher
doses
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produced an immunodepressive action.42 The addition of viscum, an herb with significant biological activity, makes it
difficult to interpret the results of this study. Other researchers have observed that maximum activity of echinacea
occurs at day seven after echinacea has been given for five consecutive days.42
Oftentimes, when a substance is taken on a continual basis, the body becomes desensitized to its stimulus. In such cases,
it may not work when it's really needed. Though herbalists differ on this point, this may be the case with echinacea.
Today it is included in countless nutritional supplements that are designed for daily long-term use. It may be some time
before we know if this practice compromises the effectiveness of echinacea preparations. At this point in time, I believe
that the small dosages represented in most of these preparations is insignificant and will not lead to any therapeutic
problems, although it is certainly contributing to the decimation of wild plant populations. I recommend that echinacea
only be used acutely as needed for systemic infections or, if desired, at the first signs of a cold or flu to help knock it
out. However, at the first stage of sickness, a hot cup of ginger root or peppermint leaf tea with appropriate rest and
extra vitamin C will probably do the same or better. It is better to hold off using echinacea until necessary.
Finding Quality Echinacea Products
As early as 1893, it was reported that many different species of plants had been commonly sold as echinacea. Some of
these adulterations were honest mistakes made by pickers who did not have the
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experience or knowledge to properly identify, echinacea. Others were so obviously different plants that one could only
assume that the pickers were intentionally gathering other plants as a means to profit from the demand for the true herb.
Such adulterations continue to be prevalent on the market today.
Every health food store across the country carries a multitude of echinacea products from literally hundreds of different
manufacturers. One of the duties and responsibilities of the retail staff is to assure the products they carry are
manufactured in a way that ensures you will receive a high-quality product. Some retailers take this duty very seriously,
while others do little research into the manufacturing practices of the various herb companies. Ask if your local store is
a member of the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA). NNFA is the trade association for those
manufacturing and selling dietary supplements. All NNFA members must adhere to a code of ethics and must
participate in a ''True Label'' program by registering their products with the association. The products are then subject to
be tested to verify that they are manufactured according to the appropriate Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
You can also find out it the manufacturer is a member of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). AHPA is
the trade association specifically representing manufacturers of herbal products. AHPA members also adhere to a code
of ethics and oftentimes manufacture their products according to GMPs which exceed those required by law.
At the same time, you must use your own common sense and find a health food store whose personnel are demonstrably
well-informed. Ask questions about the process used to ensure the store's products are
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quality products. Also, do not be afraid to pick up the phone and call a manufacturer's customer service department
yourself. A key element to natural healthcare is for individuals to become active participants in their own healing
process through educationeducation about the condition being treated, the appropriate nutritional and herbal
supplements to take, the lifestyle modifications to make and the herbal products purchased.
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Echinacea Cultivation for Future Generations
As the interest in medicinal plants continues to grow and as people realize the true therapeutic value of botanical
medicines, plants such as echinacea will become more and more scarce in the wild. This is happening already. As little
as four years ago, the roots that were being harvested were almost twice the size of those being harvested today. It takes
approximately three to four years for the plant to mature before the root should be harvested. While echinacea is still
plentiful in some areas, it is disappearing along roadsides where it was once prolific.
Grow Your Own
E. purpurea is a beautiful plant that is very easy to grow in your own garden whether as an ornamental or for the
purpose of making your own medicines. Its beautiful purple flowering head is an elegant addition to a fresh or dried
flower arrangement. The seeds are very easy to come by. Most every nursery carries them, sometimes under the herb's
old Latin name, Rudbeckia purpurea. It is easy to germinate. Simply place the seeds in flats in the fall, cover or tamp
into the soil 1/8" or 1/4" deep and keep the soil evenly
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moist until germination; then transplant. Seeds can also be planted directly into the ground in the fall and covered with
straw to protect them. For a higher rate of germination, the seeds can be stratified by placing the seeds in moist peat
moss or sand and putting them in the refrigerator for a few months. Once established, echinacea can be propagated by
splitting the crowns as the plants come up in the spring.
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Integrating Echinacea into a Total Wellness Program
It is very easy for us to be lulled into using herbs, especially an herb such as echinacea, as magic bullets to cure all of
our ills. However, it is important to remember that herbalists have historically used herbs within the context of a broader
therapeutic regimen which included dietary considerations and lifestyle modifications. If we reach for echinacea 10
times during the winter season in order to combat the sniffles, or if our psoriasis returns two weeks after we stop using
echinacea, we have to look a little deeper to determine the underlying reasons for our imbalances. These most often will
be rooted in poor diet, insufficient rest, lack of exercise and excessive stress. Each of these areas which are so vitally
important to our overall health must be addressed in order for the herbs, or any medicines, to work in an optimal manner.
Diet: The typical American diet is extremely unhealthy. Our overreliance on animal proteins, saturated fats, refined
carbohydrates, salt and sugar have all contributed to a country whose health statistics are among the worst of any nation
in the world.
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A healthy diet for those living in a temperate zone consists of a large variety of fresh vegetables, whole grains, legumes
and fresh seasonal fruits along with moderate portions of fish and poultry.
In the winter, many people's resistance goes down, leading to colds and flus. This is one of the primary times that
people reach for echinacea. The increased susceptibility to winter illness can be minimized by maintaining a healthy
diet with specific avoidance of cold, mucus-forming foods and drinks such as milk and cheeses as well as cold foods in
general during the coldest months. This is especially important for children. Eating cold foods in a cold climate causes
the body to work extra hard to maintain a constant 98.6° body temperature. The extra energy expended by the body
would be better used to keep immune defenses up, but it is squandered in trying to counter the ice-cold fruit juices
consumed straight out of the refrigerator.
Many skin conditions are also associated with an overconsumption of animal fats, fried foods and refined
carbohydrates. While echinacea can be effective for dealing with conditions such as psoriasis, eczema and boils, the
skin will respond much more rapidly if the appropriate dietary changes are made. It is especially important in psoriasis
and eczema to decrease the amount of saturated animal fats and alcohol consumed and increase the amount of essential
unsaturated fatty acids either through the increased consumption of fresh vegetable oils or supplementation with oil of
evening primrose, flaxseed oil or borage seed oil.
Many natural health care practitioners believe that a high level of animal proteins and fat, especially from animals raised
commercially with antibiotics
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and hormones, is a direct contributing factor in the development of cancer.
While echinacea has been used historically for the treatment of cancer and modern research validates that it has specific
antitumor properties, echinacea alone will do little to combat this disease. It has been used to help reduce infections
while people undergo conventional cancer therapies, and it can be a valuable part of an overall cancer management
program. However, preventing cancer is the key to treating cancer. Much better health can be expected if a healthy diet
is maintained, with an emphasis on the consumption of cruciferous vegetables high in fiber and antioxidant nutrients
such as vitamins A, C and E and the minerals zinc and selenium. These can also be taken in supplemental form for
added antioxidant protection.
Exercise: The human body has evolved with the physiological need for daily exercise. This pattern has been
significantly interrupted over the past few hundred years with the industrial revolution. Pushbutton conveniences,
central heating and plumbing and supermarkets have all contributed to a society which is quickly becoming physically
sedentary, even though in some ways we are moving at a faster pace then ever before.
Exercise increases our rate of metabolic efficiency and helps to keep organs functioning properly. Weight-bearing
activities preserve bone mass, combating arthritis and osteoporosis. Exercise also promotes lean muscle mass which
increases energy production, thereby helping to maintain deep immune strength. It increases the elimination of toxins
that
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can otherwise build up and cause chronic illness and is also a primary means of reducing stress.
Proper exercise increases respiration, circulation and heart rate, yet does not leave you drained afterwards. One key
principle of exercise as it relates to immune function is to elevate the core body temperature on a daily basis. Like
echinacea, this can enhance phagocytosis and help to increase our resistance to external pathogens.
Mental Attitude: The importance of a positive mental attitude cannot be overstated as a part of a wellness program as
well as the management of cancer. Studies have shown that female cancer patients undergoing group therapy as a part
of their healing program do significantly better both in the quality of life maintained and survivability than women who
do not have an emotional support system. Most cancer patients and long-term AIDS survivors will tell you that a
positive "never say die" attitude is the primary reason for their longevity.
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Preservation of Medicinal Plants
Another integral principle of natural healing is that individual health is not separate from environmental health. The old
adage that "we are what we eat" is a physical truth that we cannot avoid. Because of this, if a high level of human health
is ever to be attained, we need to begin by preserving and restoring the health of our environment. This is accomplished
by first respecting the plant life that shares this world with us, not just for what plants can give to us but because they
have an inherent right to exist just as we do. Philosophically this is hard for legislators to swallow because clear-cutting
rain forests and old-growth woodlands provides jobs and industry.
In 1980, the sale of prescription drugs derived from medicinal plants was estimated to be $8 billion. In addition, the
herbal market in this country has almost doubled since 1991. While other countries have been actively involved in the
multi-billion dollar medicinal plant market for decades, the U.S. market has all but ignored it despite the fact that we
have one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. With recent legislation that allows for the continued trade of
medicinal plants, exponential growth can be expected. However, continued loss of biodiversity through industrial
development
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will continue to take its toll on this potential economic market.
A fact that is little understood and even less recognized by the majority of people is that ultimately, a nation's wealth is
only as great as its natural resources. Without natural resources, there is no economy. When the water, air and food
become so contaminated with industrial waste that they are no longer fit for consumption, it will not matter whether we
have a good auto industry or condominiums. When the natural resources necessary for sustenance run out, the quality of
life as we know it will cease to exist. It does not have to be this way. Rather, we can invest in the future by developing
sustainable economies such as the organic cultivation of medicinal plants can provide.
There are an estimated 250,000 species of plants on earth. In comparison, there are relatively few prescription drugs in
use today throughout the world. Of these, approximately 74 percent were derived from only 90 species of plants.
Worldwide, only 5,000 plants have been studied scientifically, yet the overwhelming majority have been used in some
useful way by humakind. Disgracefully, every hour we lose three species of plantsin a day, 75; and every year we lose
27,000 species of plants1,000 times the natural rate of species extinction. With this loss of species, human beings lose
out on a vast therapeutic potential that could be used to treat life-threatening illness, prevent disease and improve our
quality of life. Did one of those vanquished species include an effective therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's, diabetes,
AIDS, arthritis or breast cancer? Unfortunately we will never know, as species after species disappear from the face of
the earth forever.
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At the same time that echinacea is stimulating interest in medicinal plants, it is similarly playing a vital role in
developing a sustainable economy for various communities around the country. In the past 10 years, echinacea has
become one of the most popular herbs to grow commercially. Other medicinal plants such as ginseng, the famous
longevity herb of China; saw palmetto, used for prostate enlargement; ginkgo leaves for improving mental acuity and
possibly slowing the progression of Alzheimer's; and aloe vera, which is used in everything from drinks to toilet paper
are also lucrative cash crops. So, while we can cultivate an herb like echinacea to support the internal functioning of the
human immune system, we can also cultivate it to add to our precious natural resources.
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Conclusion
Echinacea is an herb that holds within its roots, leaves, flowers and seeds a healing potential that present and future
generations can rely upon if we use it appropriately, and preserve it as one of our natural resources. Other herbs can
provide similar benefits for conditions and maladies which conventional medical wisdom does not have any idea how to
address. We need only to take the time to educate ourselves about their marvelous and varied qualities. In doing so we
not only benefit ourselves but also future generations, by respecting and preserving the largely untapped potential of
nature's incredible pharmacy. Such education begins when we open our eyes and minds to the endless therapeutic
potential that medicinal plants hold for usseed by seed, leaf by leaf, root by root.
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References
1. Farnsworth, N.R. Relative safety of herbal medicines. Herbal Gram, American Botanical Council, Austin, TX. Vol.
29, 1993.
2. GAO: Bulletin of the General Accounting Office. PEMD-90-15. FDA Drug Review. Post approval risks, 1990.
3. Classen, D.C., et al. Computerized surveillance of adverse drug events in hospital patients. Journal of the American
Medical Association. Vol. 266, No. 20; Nov. 27, 1991.
4. Hobbs, C. EchinaceaThe Immune Herb. Botanica Press, Santa Cruz, CA. 1990.
5. Gilmore, M.R. Annual Report #33, Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, 1919.
6. Kindscher, K. Ethnobotany of Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia, Asteraceae) and Other Echinacea Species.
Economic Botany, 43(4), 1989.
7. Foster, S. Echinacea: Nature's Immune Enhancer. Healing Arts Press, Rochester, Vermont, 1991.
8. Bauer, R.; Wagner, H. Economic and Medicinal Plant Research. Volume 5. Academic Press; 1991.
9. Lloyd, J.U. Echinacea, Lloyd Brothers, Cincinnati, Ohio 1923.
10. Lloyd. J.U. A Treatise on Echinacea, Lloyd Brothers, Cincinnati, Ohio 1917.
11. Stevens, J.V. Echinacea: Annual of Eclectic Medicine and Surgery, Vol. III, 1892.
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12. Couch, J.F.; Giltner, T. An experimental study of Echinacea therapy. Am. Jour. Pharm. March, 1921.
13. Beal, J.H. Comment to the paper by Couch and Giltner ''An experimental study of echinacea therapy.'' Am. Jour.
Pharm. March, 1921.
14. Facino, R.M., et al. Echinacoside and caffeoyl conjugates protect collagen from free radical-induced degradation: a
potential use of echinacea extracts in the prevention of skin photo-damage. Planta Medica, volume 61 no. 6: 510514,
1995.
14a. Paranich, A. V. et al. Effect of supposed radioprotectors on oxidation reduction of vitamin E in the tissues of
irradiated rats. Radiata Biol. Radioecol. Sept.-Oct.; 33(5): 653657, 1993.
15. Steinmuller, C., et al. Polysaccharides isolated from plant cell cultures of Echinacea purpurea enhance the
resistance of immuno-suppressed mice against systemic infections with Candida albicans and listeria monocytogenes.
Int. Journal of Immuno-Pharmacology, 15 (5): 605614, July 1993.
16. Meissner, V.F.K. Experimental studies of the mode of action of a herba recens Echinaceae purpureae on skin flap.
Arzneimittelforschung Drug Res. 37(1), Nr. 1, 1987.
17. Dweck, A. Literature review of echinacea species plants. Medicinal plant database: Internet, 1996.
18. Tragni, E. et al. Evidence from two classic irritation tests for an anti-inflammatory action of a natural extract,
Echinacien B. Food Chemical Toxicology, 23(2): 317319, Feb. 1985.
19. Tubaro, A., et al. The anti-inflammatory activity of polysaccharide fraction (EPF) from Echinacea angustifolia
roots. Journal of Pharmaceutical Pharmacology; 39(7), 1987.
20. Tragni, E., et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of Echinacea angustifolia fractions separated on the basis of molecular
weight. Pharmacol. Res. Commun.; 20 Suppl. 5: 8790, 1988.
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21. Kinkel, H.J., et al. Objective demonstration of the effects of echinacein ointment on wound healing. Med. Klin., 79,
No. 21: 580583, 1984.
22. Hill, N.; Stam C.V. The efficacy of prrrikweg gel in the treatment of insect bites: a double-blind placebo-controlled
clinical trial. Pharm. World. Sci. 18, No. 1: 3541, 1996.
23. Selvanayagam, Z.E., et al. Plants with antisnake venom activitya review on pharmacological and clinical studies.
Fitoterapia, 65, No. 2: 99111, 1994.
24. Wildfeuer, A.; Mayerhofer, D. The effects of plant preparations on cellular functions in body defenses.
Arzneimittelforschung, 44(3): 361366, Mar. 1994.
25. Samochowiec, E., et al. Evaluation of the effect of Calendula officinalis and Echinacea angustifolia extracts on
Trichomonas vaginalis in-vitro. Wiad. Parazytol. 25(1): 7781, 1979.
26. Leuttig, B. Macrophage activation by the polysaccharide arabinogalactan. Journal of National Cancer Institute, 3;81
(9): 669675, May 1989.
27. Bauer, R., et al. Immunologic in-vivo and in-vitro studies on echinacea extracts. Arzneimittelforschung, 38(2):
276281, Feb. 1988.
28. Jakic, B.M., et al. In-vitro inhibition of cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase by alkamides from echinacea and
achillea species. Planta Medica, 60(1): 3740, 1994.
29. Facino, RM., et al. Direct characterization of caffeoyl esters with antihyaluronidase activity in crude extracts from
Echinacea angustifolia roots by fast atom bombardment tandem mass spectrometry. Farmaco, 48(10): 14471461, Oct.,
1993.
30. Bauer, R. Recent findings in the search for anti-inflammatory constituents from plants. Second international
symposium on innovations in pharmaceutical science & technology. Ahmedabad, India, 1994.
31. Cantekin et al. Antimicrobial therapy for otitis media with effusion (secretory otitis media), Jour-
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nal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 266, No. 23, Dec. 18, 1991.
32. Braunig, B., et al. Echinacea purpurea radix for strengthening the immune response in flu-like infections.
Zeitschriftfur Phytotherapie 13: 713, 1992.
33. Willigmann, D., et al. Chemical and immunological properties of the immuno-modulatory active compounds from
the roots of different Echinacea species. Planta Medica, 59, (supplemental issue) 1993.
34. Bodinet, C., et al. Host-resistance increasing activity of root extracts from echinacea species. Planta Medica, 59
(supplemental issue), 1993.
35. Bauer, R.; Foster, S. Analysis of alkamides and caffeic acid derivatives from Echinacea simulata and E. paradoxa
roots. Planta Medica Oct.; 57(5): 447449, 1991.
36. Bauer, R. Personal communications; Lindenmaier, 1995.
37. Gladstar, R. Herbal Healing for Women. Simon and Schuster, New York, 1993.
38. Felter, H.W. The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Eclectic Medical Publications,
Portland, OR. Reprint of 1922 edition, 1985.
39. Mengs, U., et al. Toxicity of Echinacea purpurea. Acute, sub-acute, and genotoxicity studies.
Arzneimittelforschung, 41(10): 10761081, Oct. 1991.
40. Parnham, M.J. Benefit-risk assessment of the squeezed sap of the Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea purpurea) for
long-term oral immuno-stimulation. Phytomedicine, 3(1): 95102, 1996.
41. Wagner, H., et al. Influence of homoeopathic drug preparations on phagocytic activity of human granulocytes/in-
vitro tests and controlled single-blind studies. Arzneimittelforschung 36 (II), (9), 1986.
42. Coeugniet, E.G.; Elek, E. Immuno-modulation with Viscum album and Echinacea purpurea extracts. Beilage zur
Zeitschrift ONKOLOGY: 2733, 1987.
43. Bukovsky, M., et al. Testing for immuno-modulat-
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ing effects of ethanol-water extracts of the above ground parts of the plants echinacea and rudbeckia. Cesk Farm 42
(5): 228231, Oct., 1993.
44. Moser, J. Echinacea and a spurious root that appeared in the fall of 1909. Am. Jour. Pharm., May, 1910.
45. Kindscher, K. Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 1992.
46. Drew, M.B.; Clebsch, E.E.C. Studies on the endangered Echinacea tennesseensis (Asteraceae): plant community
and demographic analysis. Castanea 60(1): 6069, 1995.
47. Stoll, A., et al. Antibacterial substances 11. Isolation and constitution of echinacoside, a glycoside from the roots of
Echinacea angustifiblia. Helvetica Chem. Acta. 33, 1950.
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Resources
Books for Further Reading
Echinacea: Nature's Immune Enhancer by Steven Foster. Healing Arts Press, Rochester, Vermont, 1991.
Echinacea: The Immune Herb by Christopher Hobbs. Botanica Press, Santa Cruz, CA, 1990.
Medicinal Wild Plants of the Prairie by K. Kindscher. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 1992.
To Obtain Echinacea Seeds
Abundant Life Seed Foundation, P.O. Box 772, Port Townsend, WA 98368.
Associations
American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine 4101 Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh, NC 27607. Tel: (919)
787-5181.
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, 2366 East Lake Avenue. Seattle, WA 98102. Tel: (206)323-7610.
American Botanical Council (ABC), P.O. Box 201660, Austin, IX 78720. Tel: (512)331-4244.
American Herbalists Guild, P.O. Box 746555, Arvada, CO 80006-6555. Tel: (303)423-8800.
American Herbal Products Association, P.O. Box 30585, Bethesda, MD 20824. Tel: (301)951-3204.
Herb Research Foundation, 1007 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302. Tel: (303)449-2265.
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Index
A
abscesses, echinacea for, 14
acne, echinacea for, 31
acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), 3233, 34
echinacea for opportunistic infections, 20, 33, 34
alcohol extract (tincture), echinacea, 46-47, 49-50
alkaloids in echinacea, 30
alkymide fractions, 29
aloe vera, popularity of, 78
alterative herb, echinacea as, 30-31
Alzbeimer's disease, ginkgo for, 78
American Herbal Products Association, 63
American Dispensatory, 14
amoxicillin, ear infections and, 36
anaesthetic use of echincea, 9-10, 26
animal products, antibiotics in, 37
animal studies, validity of, 34-35
antibiotic, echinacea as natural antibiotic, 35-38
antibiotic drugs
consumption of through meat, 37
drug-resistarit pathogens and, 36
overuse of, 35-36
side effects of, 36
antibodies, echinacea and, 27
antioxidant nutrients, HIV/AIDS and, 34
antiseptic washes, 24, 61
arthritis, prostaglandins and, 29
associations, recommended, 85-86
Asteraccae, composite family, 64
asthma, inhalator solution for, 61
astragalus, 65, 66
B
baptisia (wild indigo), echinacea and, 57
Bauer, Rudolf, 30
bedsores, echinacea for, 24
formulas for, 57-58, 61
bites, echinacea for, 9, 61
black root, traditional name for echinacea, 11
black Sampson, traditional name for echinacea, 11
blood poisoning, echinacea for, 14
blood purifier, alterative herb, 30-31
boils, echinacea for, 14, 31
books, recommended, 85
Botanical Safety Index (BSI), 63
breastfeeding, importance of, 37
bronchitis, inhalator solution for, 61
brown recluse spider bites, echinacea for, 55
bruises, echinacea salve for, 52
burns, echinacea for, 9, 23, 51-52, 61
C
caffaric acid, 29
caffeic acid derivatives, 22
caffeine more toxic than echinacea, 63
calendula blossoms, 60
echinacea salve ingredient, 52
cancer
echinacea for opportunistic infections, 20
ovarian, echinacea tincture for, 13-14
preventing through diet, 74
Candida albicans, candidiasis, echinacea for, 24, 26-27, 33-34, 61
canker sores, formula, for mouthwash, 61
capsules, echinacea, 45-46, 49
size of, 49
vegetarian, 49
CD4s, T-lymphocytes, 32
cervical dyplasia, formula for, 58
Cheyenne Uibc, use of echinacea by, 9
chicoric acid, 29
children
babies' use of echinacea, 60
immune systems of, 37-38
inner ear infections and, 36
recommended achinacco dosages, 53-54
chlorogenic acid, 29-30
Clark's rule (recommended dosages for children), 54
colds and flu
alternative herbs for, 67
diet for, 73
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colds and flu (continued)
echinacea for, 9, 20, 38-39, 58
increasing resistance to, 73
collagen, 21
Comanche tribe, use of echinacea by, 9
comb flower, traditional name for echinacea, 11
coneflower, traditional name for echinacea, 11
conjunctivitis, eyewash for, 61
Conners. Leah Lischner, 16-17
copperhead snake bite, echinacea for, 56-57
cortisone, echinacea similar to, 29
cosmetics, echinacea in, 24
coughs, echinacea for, 9
Cowling's rule (recommended dosages for children), 54
Crow tribe, use of echinacea by, 9
cuts, formula for antiseptic wash, 61
cyclooxygenase, 29, 30
cynarin, 29
D
Dakota Sioux tribe, use of echinacea by, 9
decoction (simmered tea), 44-45, 48-49
Department of Agriculture (USDA), 15
detoxification, echinacea and, 20
di-calcium phosphate, excipient in capsules, tablets, 46
diabetes, echinacea for leg ulcers, 24
diaphoretic herb, 38
diet, 72-73
dosages, recommended, 39, 53
douche, echinacea, 26-27
drugs, pharmaceutical or prescription
annual deaths caused by, 6
antibiotics, overuse of, 33-36
common side effects of, 6
50 percent have undocumented side effects, 6
herbs and, a comparison, 4-6
prescription, plant sources of, 3
safety of, 4-6
side effects of, 6
E
ear infections
antibiotics and, 35
formula for, 60
inflammation, echinacea for, 30
echinacea, all species
actions of, 31
adulteration problem 67-68
alcohol extracts, 46-47, 49-50, 53
allergic reaction to, 64-65
anesthetic properties of, 9-10, 26
anti-inflammatory activity of, 28-30
antibiotic properties of, 35-38
antimicrobial action of, 31-32
Author's favorite preparations, 43
author's introduction to, 16-17
echinacea, all species (continued)
babies' use of, 60
caffeine more toxic than, 63
capsules, 45-46, 49
cautions regarding use of, 64
children, recommended dosages for, 53-54
clinical trials involving, 23-24, 25, 39
commencial preparations of, 44-47
common names of, 11
cortisone-like activity of, 29
desensitization to, 67
early European uses of, 10-11
Eclectic medicine and, 12-15, 28, 62
external application of, 21, 24-26, 51-52
German use of, 19-20
glycerite, recommended dosage of, 53
history of name, 7, 11
immune system and, 19, 20
injectable preparations, 41, 63, 65
intermittent use of, 66-67
leaf juice, 41, 44, 53
limitations of effectiveness, 65-66
maximum activity dosage, 67
medicinal effects of, 19, 20
medicinal parts of, 41-43
medicinal uses of since 1852, 15-16
misidentification of, 63
most medicinal species controversy, 40-43
most popular plant used by Eclectic physicians, 14
numbing effects of, 9-10
ointment, success rates of (table), 25
overdose symptoms, 62-65
overuse of, 39
polysaccharides in, 28, 38, 41-42, 63
potency of, 26
powders, 26, 45-46, 49, 53
preparations, adding flavors to, 51
preparations, how to make, 48-52
preparation, recommended of, 39, 53
products, shelf life of, 45-47, 50
quality of, 67-69
roots most medicinal after 4 years, 7
safety of, 62-65
seed head used as hair comb, 10
seed source, 85
seeds chewed to relieve thirst, 10
seeds, germination of, 70-71
species of, 40-42
tablets, 45-46
taste of, 7-8
teas, 44-45, 53
tinctures (alcohol extracts), 39, 46-47, 53
traditional Native Amencari uses of, 9-10, 28
wash for wounds, 26
Echinacea angustifolia, 7, 11, 13, 19, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 40-42
Echinacea atrorobens, 42
Echinacea pallida, 7, 11, 28, 40-42, 64
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Echinacea paradoxa, 42
Echiwcea purpurea, 7, 8, 11, 19, 23, 24, 28, 31, 39, 40-42, 63, 66
how to grow, 70-71
ointment, 23, 25
Echinacea Plus tea, 45
Echinacea simulata, 42
Echinacea tennesseensis, 42
Fchinacein B, 24
echinacoside content of powders, 46
Eclectics
American Medical Association and, 15
echinacea and, 12-15, 28, 62
Eclectic Medical Journal, 14
eczema, echinacea for, 23, 31
elder flower, diaphoretic tea, 38
emphysema, inhalator solution for, 61
epididymis inflammation, echinacea for, 30
Encherichia coliform (E. coli) bacteria, echinacea and, 32
Everclear alcohol, 50
excipients used in tablets, 46
exercise, importance of, 74-75
extracts, echinacea
alcohol, 46-47, 49-50
leaf juice, 41, 47
eyewash, formula for, 61
F
Farnsworth, Norman, 5
Felter, Harvey Wickes, 62
fever, echinaces for, 14, 38-39, 58
fibroblasts, echinacea and, 21
5-lipoxygenase, 29, 30
Flora Virginica, 10
flu, echinacea for, 9, 20, 38-39, 58
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 3, 17
Formula I, 57
Formula II, 57-58
formulas, additional: see recipes
G
gangrene, gangrenous sores, treatment of, 14, 26
ganoderma (reishi mushroom), 65, 66
garglic, formula for, 61
garlic, popularity of, 38
General Accounting Office, 6
genito-urinary tract inflammation, echinacea for, 30
Germany
Commission E, 32, 63, 64
echinacea products in, 19-20
ginger root, 52, 67
gingivitis, formula for mouthwash, 61
ginkgo, popularity of, 78
ginseng, popularity of, 38, 78
Gladstar, Rosemary, 59
glands, swollen, echinacea for, 9
glycerites (glycerine extracts), 47, 50-51
goldenseal, scarcity of, 55
gonorrhea echinacea used for, 10
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), 68
Gronovius, 10
H
hemorrhoids, formula for antiseptic wash, 61
herbs, medicinal
common side effects of, 5
and drugs, a comparison, 4-6
history of, 1-2
organizations, 86
products, how to make, 48-53, 85
safety of, 4-6
toxicity of, 5
Heron, Silena, 59
herpes simplex, echinacea for, 23, 31
HIV/AIDS: see acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)
hives, echinacea for, 31, 61
homeopathy, use of echinacea by, 19
horses, saddle sores on, echinacea used for, 10-11
hyaluronidase, hyaluronic acid, 21, 29
I
immune system
echinacea and, 19, 20
factors that compromise, 37
formula for, 58
immune-enhancing herbs, 65
Immune Support Tea, 59
Immuni-Tea, 45, 55
infections
formula for, 57-58
opportunistic, echinacea and, 22
respiratory, formula for, 58
systemic, echinacea for, 30
inflammation, echinacea for, 14, 20, 29-31
inflammatory skin conditions, echinacea ointment for, 23
influenza: see flu
infusion (steeped tea), 44-45, 48-49
interferon, echinacea and, 28
interleukin, echinacea and, 29
irritable bowel syndrome, prostaglandins and, 29
isobutylamide fractions, 29, 43
itching, formula for antiseptic wash, 61
J
Journal of the American Medical Association, 36
K
Kansas snake root, 63
King, John, 12-14
Kiowa tribe, use of echinacea by, 9
Kneipp, Father Sebastian, 18-19
Kuppfer cells, 27-28, 31
L
Lakota tribe, use of echinacea by, 9
laryngitis, formula for gargle, 61
Lischner, Hyman, 16
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Lishmania enrietia, 28
listeria infection, echinacea for, 24
Lloyd, Curtis Gates, 13
Lloyd, John Uri, 12
Lust, Benedict, 18-19
lymph glands, swollen, HIV/AIDS and, 34
lymphocytes, echinacea and, 27
M
macrophage activity, echinacea and, 27, 65
magnesium stearate, excipient in capsules, tablets, 46
Marx. Brigitte, 55
mastitis, formula for antiseptic wash, 61
Mavor, Sunny, 60
measles, echinacea for, 10, 14
Medical Flora, 11
medicinal plants, preservation of, 76-78
meningitis, echinacea for, 14
mental acuity, ginkgo for, 78
mental attitude, importance of, 75
Meyer, H.C.F., 12-14
Meyer's Blood Purifier, 12
microbes, pathogenic, echinacea and, 31
migraine headache, prostaglandins and, 29
mistletoe, 66-67
mononucleosis, formula for, 58
mosquito bites, echinacea for, 24
mouthwash, formula for, 61
mumps, echinacea used for, 10
muscular pain, echinacea for, 9
myrrh, 60
N
narrow leaved echinacea: see Echinacea angustifolia
National Formulary of the United States, 16
National Nutritional Foods Associaties (NNFA), 68
Native American uses of echinacea, 9-10, 28
Nature Cure, 18-19
nervous disorders, prostaglandins and, 29
nose inflammation, echinacea for, 30
O
Obdisocothera barbulis pallide rubentibus, 11
Ogiala Sioux, use of echinacea by, 10
Ohio State Board of Medical Examiners, 15
oil infusion of echinacea, 51
ointment, echinacea, 23, 24, 25
Omaha tribe, use of echinacea by, 9
Oregon grape root, 60
organizations, recommended, 85
osha, echinacea and for sure throats, 55
oxidative stress, AIDS and, 33
P
Parthenium integrifolia (prairie dock), 63
pathogens, drug-resistant, 36, 37
Pawnee tribe, echinacea used in children's game, 10
pelvic inflammatory disease, echinacea for, 30
penicillin, 36
peppermint
diaphoretic tea, 38
tea for colds, flu, 67
PGE2 prostaglandins, 29
phagocytosis, echinacea and, 21, 22, 28, 65
phyto-chemicals, 19
plants, medicinal, preservation of, 76-78
poison ivy, forrimla, for antiseptic wash, 61
polysaccharides in echinacea, 28, 38, 41-42, 63
Ponca tribe, use of echinacea by, 9
poultice, fresh root, 9, 56
powders, echinacea, 45-46, 49
prairie dock, 63
prostaglandins, 29
prostate enlargement, inflammation
saw palmetto berry for, 78
echinacea for, 30
pseudomonas, echinacea and, 32
puncture wounds, treatment of, 26
purple coneflower, traditional name for Echinacea purpurea, 11
R
rabies, echinacea for, 14
radiation poisoning, echinacea for, 33-34
radiation therapy, echinacea and, 22
Rafineque, Constantine, 11
rattlesnake bite, echinacea for, 9, 13, 24
recipes
antiseptic wash, 61
Ed Smith's Flu Drops, 59
eyewash, 61
Formula I, 57-58
Formula II, 58
glycerin extract for ear infections, 60
mouthwash/gargle, 61
Rosemary Gladstar's Immune Suppon Tea, 59
throat infection formula, 59
vaginal douche, 61
red sun Rower, traditional name for echinacea, 11
reishi mushroom, 65, 66
resources, 85-86
respiratory congestion, formula for, 58
Rudbeckia purpurea, 15, 70
S
saddle sores on horses, echinacea used for, 10-11
salve, echinacea, how to make, 51; see also ointment
saw palmetto berry, popularity of, 78
scrapes, formula for antiseptic wash, 61
sesquiterpenes, 63
Sherman, S.M., 15
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skin conditions, diseases
diet and, 73
echinacea for, 9, 21-27
Smith, Ed, 16
snake root, traditional name for echinacea, 11
snakebite, echinacea for, 14, 56-57
sore throat, formulas for, 58, 61
sores, weeping, echinacea for, 14
spider bites, echinacea for, 55
stings, echinacea for, 9, 61
streptococcus, echinacea and, 23, 25, 36
sunburn, echinacea and, 22
sweating, diaphoretic tea induces, 38
syphilis, echinacea for, 10, 14
T
T-lymphocytes, echinacea and, 21, 32-33
table: effects of ointment on skin disorders, 25
tablets, echinacea, 45-46
excipients used in, 46
simple test for quality, 46
tea (infusion, decoction), echinacea, 44-45, 48-49, 55
throat inflammation, infection, echinacea for, 30, 58
thrush, formula for mouthwash/gargle, 61
thyme, essential oil of, echinacea salve ingredient, 52
Tierra, Michael, 16
tincture, alcohol extract, echinacea, 46-47, 49-50
best quality, 47
recommended dosage of, 39, 53
tonsillitis, echinacea for, 9, 61
toothache plant, traditional name for echinacea, 11
toothache, echinacea for, 9, 10
Traditional Modicinals, 45
Transactions of the American Medical Association, 15
trichomonas, echinacea for, 24, 26-27, 32, 61
tuberculosis, echinacea used for, 10
tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a), 34
U
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 15
U.S. food and Drug Administration (FDA), 3, 17
U.S. General Accounting Office, 6
ulcers, varicose, echinacea ointment for, 23
ultraviolet light damage, skin, echinacea and, 22
Uni-Tea, 45
University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, 5
urinary tract infection, echinacea for, 30
V
vaccination
early, hazards of, 37-38
echinacea may prevent side effects of, 38
vaginal douche, 61
vaginal yeast infection (candidiasis), echinacea for, 24, 26-27
varicose ulcers
echinacea ointment for, 23
antiseptic wash, 61
varicose veins, echinacea for, 24
viruses, formula for, 58
Viscum album (mistletoe), 66-67
vitamin E redox system, 34
W
water extract: see tea
Webster, H.T., 14
wellness program, 72-75
Wilcox, Imodene, 16
wild indigo (baptisia), 57
Winston, David, 57
World Health Organization, 6
wounds, echinacea for, 21-27, 52
Y
Yance, Donald, 57
yarrow flower, diaphoretic tea, 38
yeast infection
candidiasis, 24, 26-27, 33-34
vaginal, douche for, 61
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