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Bloodroot
Sanguinaria Canadensis
This beautiful,
diminutive plant is native to northeast North American woods. About 6 inches
high, Bloodroot makes a palm-shaped 4 to 6 inch leaf, which, when it first
comes out of the ground in early to mid-spring, wraps around the flower bud.
The white, daisy-like flower lasts only a few days, leaving the pretty
leaves to mark the plant’s place until about mid-summer. It can be grown in
shady gardens.
USES:
MEDICINAL ~
Bloodroot’s medicine is in the root, which is collected in late spring or
early summer, or in the fall when the leaves have dried. It should be
carefully dried in the shade. It is very useful mainly for treating any form
of bronchitis. As an antispasmodic, it has a relaxing effect on the
bronchial muscles, often prescribed for chronic bronchitis, asthma, whooping
cough and laryngitis. It can be used as a stimulant, useful as an
expectorant, an emetic, and to improve peripheral circulation.
The dosage used is: about ˝ teaspoon of the
root, put into cold water, is brought to the boil, then the heat turned off
and left to infuse for about 15 minutes. This can be drunk 3 times a day. It
can also be taken as a tincture.
It is said that the anti-cancer tea of
Renee Caisse (received from an Ojibway Medicine man) originally contained
Bloodroot, which is also a powerful anti-tumor remedy.
CAUTION: Use only under professional supervision. Do not take when
pregnant, breastfeeding, or if you have glaucoma.
(some information
obtained from "Holistic Herbal" by David Hoffmann, and from “The
Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants” by Andrew Chevallier)
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