originally published in The Canadian Journal of Herbalism WINTER 2006
Common names: All-heal, Carpenter’s herb, Brunella, Heart of the Earth, Self-heal, Xia ku cao
Name origins: Prunella, Brunella, Bronella, are corruptions of the German word “braune”. The German Imperial army of 1547 and 1566 were afflicted with a fever and ague characterized by a brown-coated tongue; hence, ‘the browns’. Prunella was their remedy.
Carpenter’s herb refers to the Carpenter of 2000 years ago. Prunella was once considered a holy herb which could drive away the devil.
Xia ku cao, the Traditional Chinese Medicine name for this plant, can be translated as ‘summer dry herb’.
Family: Labiatae (Mint)
Description: Perennial. Low to 1 ft. Leaves opposite, lance or ovoid-shaped on a square
stem. Purple flowers on terminal head, hooded with fringed lower lip. No
fragrance. Creeping rooting stems with flower head on upright stems. Dried flower
spike brown. Found throughout in waste places, lawns.
Flowers May- September. Of Eurasian origin.
Constituents: alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, resin, bitter principle, triterpenoid saponins,
essential oils, acids including oleanolic and ursolic, rutin, cyanidin, trace vitamins
and minerals.
Actions: vulnerary, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, anti-mutagenic, astringent, styptic, hepatoprotective,
antipyretic, alterative, vasodilator, anti-tumour, diuretic, tonic
Energy: cooling, bitter, pungent
Collection: aerial parts or root (see below) before or during flowering
Therapeutics:
1. Prunella is, traditionally, in western herbal medicine, a wound remedy or vulnerary and tissue healer. John Gerard wrote in 1633, “the decoction of Prunell made with wine or water doth joine together and make whole and sound all wounds, both inward and outward”. Similarly, Culpeper recommended it for ‘green’ wounds “to close the lips of them”. Applied topically on an external wound or ingested as a tincture or tea
for internal tissue damage, Prunella can be used to stop bleeding and encourage tissue repair.
2. Often used as a gargle for sore throats, ulcerated mouth sores or other oral afflictions.
3 Reduces lymphadenopathy in cases of mumps, mastitis, lymphatic congestion of all sorts
4. As a mild blood vessel dilator, it reduces blood pressure
5. Its diuretic action can be applied in cases of edema or kidney afflictions.
6. Prunella has moderately strong antibiotic action against a broad range of pathogens including the Shigella virus.
7. Peter Holmes further recommends it both to lower blood sugar and as a remedy for leukopenia (low white blood cell count).
8. Prunella is recommended as an eye wash for disturbances ranging from tired aching eyes to conjunctivitis. Some Native American tribes were said to drink a decoction of the herb before hunting to sharpen their vision.
- Current research suggests that topical uses may include the inhibition of the herpes virus as it pertains to either cold sores or genital herpes.
10. A salve made with Prunella extract has proven helpful for relieving haemorrhoids.
- Other research suggests that it may inhibit intraocular pressure in the eye pertaining to glaucoma.
- With its ability to arrest bleeding both internally and externally, it can provide relief for many disturbances from bleeding gums to menorrhagia.
- The fresh root juice, applied to the temples, is said to relieve a headache.
- Some research suggests that this herb may inhibit the HIV and other retroviruses.
15. but, as xia ku cao in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is considered a liver herb.
With its bitter principle combined with its cooling energy, TCM texts from the time of the Han dynasty (206BC – AD23) recommend it for disturbed liver energy or ‘liver fire’.
Cautions: not to be used if pregnant or breast-feeding. Otherwise, non-toxic.
Folklore:
reputed connected to Hercules or provided by Hercules for the healing of wounds.
Doctrine of Signatures, as applied to Prunella, notes that the flowers are shaped like the human throat. Throat and mouth afflictions of all sorts have been treated by this herb.
.
Pharmacy: Infusion: 8-18 g. tid.
Tincture: 2-5 ml. Tid
In addition, salves, plasters, compresses, washes, gargles, douches can be applied topically for inflammatory conditions or tissue injury. These preparations were all staples of the Greek pharmacy.
References:
Bown D. Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. Westmount: Reader’s Digest Association, 1995
Chevallier A. The Encycopedia of Medicinal Plants. Montreal: Reader’s Digest Association, 1996.
Foster S, Duke JA. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants: Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1977.
Hoffmann D. The New Holistic Herbal : a herbal celebrating the wholeness of life. 2nd ed. Shaftesbury: Element Press, 1986
Holmes P. The Energetics of Western Herbs: a Materia Medica Integrating Western and Oriental Herbal Medicine Traditions. Rev. 2nd ed. Boulder: Snow Lotus Press, 1994.
Law D. Herb Growing for Health. New York: Arco Press, 1969.
Liu S, et al. Identification of inhibitors of the HIV-1 gp41 six-helix bundle formation from extracts of Chinese medicinal herbs Prunella vulgaris and Rhizoma cibotte in Life Sci., 2002: 71 (15) 1779-91
Mills S. Out of the Earth: the Essential Book of Herbal Medicine. London: Viking Arkana, 1991.
Ody P. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1993.
Tillotson AK. The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments. New York: Kensington Pub., 2001.
www.laurentiancenter.com/plantkey/plants/healall….
www.herb2000.com/herbs/herb_self_heal.htm
www.englishplants.co.uk/selfheal.htm
and minerals.
Actions: vulnerary, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, anti-mutagenic, astringent, styptic, hepatoprotective,
antipyretic, alterative, vasodilator, anti-tumour, diuretic, tonic
Energy: cooling, bitter, pungent
Collection: aerial parts or root (see below) before or during flowering
Therapeutics:
1. Prunella is, traditionally, in western herbal medicine, a wound remedy or vulnerary and tissue healer. John Gerard wrote in 1633, “the decoction of Prunell made with wine or water doth joine together and make whole and sound all wounds, both inward and outward”. Similarly, Culpeper recommended it for ‘green’ wounds “to close the lips of them”. Applied topically on an external wound or ingested as a tincture or tea
for internal tissue damage, Prunella can be used to stop bleeding and encourage tissue repair.
2. Often used as a gargle for sore throats, ulcerated mouth sores or other oral afflictions.
3 Reduces lymphadenopathy in cases of mumps, mastitis, lymphatic congestion of all sorts
4. As a mild blood vessel dilator, it reduces blood pressure
5. Its diuretic action can be applied in cases of edema or kidney afflictions.
6. Prunella has moderately strong antibiotic action against a broad range of pathogens including the Shigella virus.
7. Peter Holmes further recommends it both to lower blood sugar and as a remedy for leukopenia (low white blood cell count).
8. Prunella is recommended as an eye wash for disturbances ranging from tired aching eyes to conjunctivitis. Some Native American tribes were said to drink a decoction of the herb before hunting to sharpen their vision.
- Current research suggests that topical uses may include the inhibition of the herpes virus as it pertains to either cold sores or genital herpes.
10. A salve made with Prunella extract has proven helpful for relieving haemorrhoids.
- Other research suggests that it may inhibit intraocular pressure in the eye pertaining to glaucoma.
- With its ability to arrest bleeding both internally and externally, it can provide relief for many disturbances from bleeding gums to menorrhagia.
- The fresh root juice, applied to the temples, is said to relieve a headache.
- Some research suggests that this herb may inhibit the HIV and other retroviruses.
15. but, as xia ku cao in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is considered a liver herb.
With its bitter principle combined with its cooling energy, TCM texts from the time of the Han dynasty (206BC – AD23) recommend it for disturbed liver energy or ‘liver fire’.
Cautions: not to be used if pregnant or breast-feeding. Otherwise, non-toxic.
Folklore:
reputed connected to Hercules or provided by Hercules for the healing of wounds.
Doctrine of Signatures, as applied to Prunella, notes that the flowers are shaped like the human throat. Throat and mouth afflictions of all sorts have been treated by this herb.
.
Pharmacy: Infusion: 8-18 g. tid.
Tincture: 2-5 ml. Tid
In addition, salves, plasters, compresses, washes, gargles, douches can be applied topically for inflammatory conditions or tissue injury. These preparations were all staples of the Greek pharmacy.
References:
Bown D. Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses. Westmount: Reader’s Digest Association, 1995
Chevallier A. The Encycopedia of Medicinal Plants. Montreal: Reader’s Digest Association, 1996.
Foster S, Duke JA. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants: Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1977.
Hoffmann D. The New Holistic Herbal : a herbal celebrating the wholeness of life. 2nd ed. Shaftesbury: Element Press, 1986
Holmes P. The Energetics of Western Herbs: a Materia Medica Integrating Western and Oriental Herbal Medicine Traditions. Rev. 2nd ed. Boulder: Snow Lotus Press, 1994.
Law D. Herb Growing for Health. New York: Arco Press, 1969.
Liu S, et al. Identification of inhibitors of the HIV-1 gp41 six-helix bundle formation from extracts of Chinese medicinal herbs Prunella vulgaris and Rhizoma cibotte in Life Sci., 2002: 71 (15) 1779-91
Mills S. Out of the Earth: the Essential Book of Herbal Medicine. London: Viking Arkana, 1991.
Ody P. The Complete Medicinal Herbal. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1993.
Tillotson AK. The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook: Everything You Need to Know About Chinese, Western and Ayurvedic Herbal Treatments. New York: Kensington Pub., 2001.
www.laurentiancenter.com/plantkey/plants/healall….