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Agrimony Glossary |
Echinacea |
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Echinacea purpurea
Sometimes known as the Coneflower, this perennial grows wild in North America, from the prairie states north and eastward to Pennsylvania and as far south as Texas. Its distinctive spiny appearance led the German botanist Conrad Moench in 1794 to name the species of this plant Echinacea-echinos, the Greek word for sea urchin or hedgehog. Long considered a panacea by Amerind tribes, they used Echinacea to treat abscesses, boils, gangrenous wounds, septicemia, scarlet fever, ivy poisoning, spider bites, and ulcers. The tribes of the western plains applied Echinacea to insect bites, stings, and snakebites. A piece of the plant was used for toothache and mumps. The Sioux drank a root decoction as a remedy for hydrophobia and snakebites. It was first introduced into U.S. medical practice in 1887 and soon became the most widely prescribed agent among medical practitioners for infections and inflammations. Echinacea was used to treat common fevers and minor infections, as well as typhoid, meningitis, malaria, diphtheria, bronchitis, sore throats, tonsillitis, inflamed gums, mucus problems, eye & ear infections. This plant will serve mankind well into the future, based on recent scientific documentation of its immune-enhancing effects. Current pharmacology indicates Echinacea is antitumor, anti-viral, and an immunostimulant. It is effective against herpes and influenza, and used for wound healing. It has been proven to activate the reticuloendothelial layer to increase alpha, beta, and gamma globulin (which is the formation of antibodies), and to increase the rate of phagocytosis. An extract of Echinacea revealed anti-viral activity. In extensive experiments the extract exhibited an action similar to interferon except, unlike interferon, the drug remains active even when stored at room temperature. Since interferon is difficult to obtain, Echinacea could prove to be a very important aid in increasing immunoproduction. Here we have a biologically active plant, known to the Native American to possess almost magical healing properties and now proving itself worthy of acceptance as a world-class medicine. DISCLAIMER: This page is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for accurate diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care professional. The author is neither a chemist nor an herbalist and has had no medical training whatsoever. The content herein is the product of research, not practical experience. |
