FRIENDS OF EDGEWOOD NATURAL PRESERVE
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FRIENDS OF EDGEWOOD NATURAL PRESERVE
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THE HEALING PLANTS OF EDGEWOOD by Mary Anne Leary The Spanish referred to Yerba Santa as the “Holy Herb.” Since it is a plant that has been discussed recently via email amongst Edgewood docents, I thought it would be an interesting plant to highlight in this newsletter. Yerba Santa is an evergreen plant that grows in chaparral habitat and is native to California , northern Mexico, and other areas of the Southwest. Other common names for Yerba Santa are Mountain Balm, Bear's Weed, Gum Plant, Consumptive Weed, and Sacred Herb.
The leaf of the Yerba Santa plant has been used in its herbal form as an expectorant and bronchial dilator, being particularly useful in treating upper respiratory ailments such as asthma, pneumonia, and coughs. The herb is known to have warming, anti-bacterial and expectorant qualities with strengthening influences for the Lung/Spleen meridians. Yerba Santa was once officially listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia. As noted in the Rodale Herb Book: “In 1875 the wild herb [Yerba Santa] was introduced to the medical profession. It was listed, then dropped, then relisted, and redropped from the official pharmacopoeias. But it is still listed in the National Formulary as a useful expectorant.” If you google Yerba Santa, you can see it listed in the National Formulary of 1909. It is also listed in the FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list for use as a food flavoring: Yerba Santa - FL/ADJ, REG, GMP, in conjunction w/flavors -172.510. Rodale states the Native Americans smoked or chewed the leaves like tobacco for asthma conditions, and would brew the leaves as a tea to treat colds. The leaves were also rolled into balls, dried in the sun, and then chewed for a mouthwash—the taste was described as being bitter at first, but once a drink of water was taken, the taste would turn sweet and cooling. Toni Corelli writes in her book, Flowering Plants of Edgewood Natural Preserve, that not only was Yerba Santa used for respiratory ailments, but also for chronic gastritis and urethral irritation. This is also well documented in Michael Moore’s Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West. Toni continues to write about Yerba Santa’s use as a poultice being applied to wounds to keep swelling down, as an aid in mending fractures, and for pain relief. Another reference claims that, before the availability of sterile bandages, the sticky leaves were used to bind wounds. Matthew Wood has written an interesting book, Seven Herbs/Plants as Teachers, in which he writes about Yerba Santa. Through his study of the Ojibawe Grand Medicine Society of the Great Lakes area, he learned of the concept that there are seven steps on the path of life, and that each of these steps has a corresponding herb that helps teach that particular step or lesson. Though the herbs he used were different from those taught in the Ojibawe tradition, Matthew felt the spirit was identical: “This is the spirit which always whispers to us about the mysteries and challenges in the human condition. Part of the beauty of teachings which have inner reality is that they are remade by every student and culture.” In Wood’s book, Yerba Santa serves as the second guidepost in the natural progression of unfoldment as told in the story of Cain and Able. He speaks of Yerba Santa assisting the process of inner purification by allowing impurities to be removed as they rise to the surface, bringing health to every part of the individual. When leading our wildflower walks and speaking about the medicinal qualities of the plants, I think it would be wise to tell people not to try these remedies themselves. Although many of the plants have been well studied and documented, unless an individual has first-hand experience working with the plant, or is under the care of an experienced practitioner, it is best to be conservative and not experiment. Of course in Edgewood Preserve we do not want people picking plant material anyway. But what people might not realize is that master herbalists or homeopaths who write in current times or historically about these herbal, homeopathic or essential oil substances, are fully aware of the possibility of adverse results. Consequently their decisions on how these substances are to be used are made with great care and are based on many years of training and experience. It is best for those who are unfamiliar with the medicinal uses of plants to have a healthy respect for them, and to enjoy the stories of their healing qualities only as a point of interest.
Most herbal medicine manufacturers certify through laboratory testing that their products contain the stated amount of specified constituents. This laboratory testing is usually done through liquid chromatography (according to Wikipedia, high-performance liquid chromatography, or high pressure liquid chromatography, HPLC, is a form of column chromatography used frequently in biochemistry and analytical chemistry to separate, identify, and quantify compounds). Standardization of herbal products provides more consistency in potency and helps to ensure the correct plant is being used in the product. Flower Essences, on the other hand, are non-toxic and safe for all ages of people, including children and the elderly, and also for the treatment of animals. There is no physical plant matter in a flower essence, and thus there are no contraindications, ill side effects, or allergic reactions. Yerba Santa flower essence addresses feelings of sadness and grief that are held in the heart/chest/lung area. It is quite common that when we are holding on to deeply held emotions, we tend to hold our breath. If such emotions are not dealt with in a conscious manner, they can become buried within, causing disturbances in breathing, lung congestion and an inner sadness that can turn into profound melancholy. Yerba Santa, the Holy Herb, can help us release these deeply held emotions, and reclaim equilibrium and emotional harmony within our hearts. As I was completing this article, I came upon two students at Skyline College, Constance-Joi Calonge and Carmina Harris, who are completing a science project where they are evaluating the antimicrobial activity of Yerba Santa or Eriodictyon californicum. They are publishing their work for The Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Here is the abstract of their work: “Chemical preservatives have been used in foods for many years. However, with changing health concerns, consumers desire additive-free products. The present study is to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Eriodictyon californicum, a Native American herbal remedy, and to analyze it as a possible safe natural food preservative. Our hypothesis is that E. californicum possesses potentially useful antimicrobial properties that can be used in food preservation. Extracts of E. californicum were prepared by crushing leaves in 95% ethanol or distilled water. Well diffusion, disk diffusion and microdilution assays were performed against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungi to determine the inhibitory effects. The organisms used were Salmonella enterica, Staphyloccocus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis bacteria, and Aspergillus niger and Saccharomyces cerevisiae fungi. The aqueous extract showed no antimicrobial activity, while the ethanolic extract inhibited growth of both the gram-positive bacteria and yeast. The minimum inhibitory concentration against S. aureus and B. subtilis is 500 mg/ml and the minimum bactericidal concentration is 1000 mg/ml. Standard plate counts were conducted to evaluate the plant’s effectiveness as a food preservative for dairy products. The plant extracts prevented the growth of S. aureus in cottage cheese, killing all bacteria in 8 hours. E. californicum possesses antimicrobial properties that inhibit the growth of the gram-positive bacteria and may be useful in food preservation.” References (not including the SACNAS abstract): |
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