In this two-part article, we will address these. Adaptogens, Alteratives, Anti-catarrhal, Anti-inflammatory, Anti-microbial, and Anti-Spasmodic are in part one. Astringents, Bitters, Calmative, Female reproductive, Lung, Liver, Hypnotic, Nervines, and Vulneraries are in part two. Each of these are defined and the primary herbs associated with them are discussed.

Astringents   Agrimony      Cranesbill Astringents are herbs which precipitate protein. This has the effect of stopping bleeding on the skin, reducing mucus membrane secretions in sinusitis or diarrhea, and generally tightening and binding tissue that these herbs can touch.

Agrimony, Agrimonia eupatorium, is an astringent that is also a bitter tonic, a diuretics, a vulnerary, and anti-spasmodic, a diaphoretic, and a range of other actions as well, showing that this very traditional tonic from Western Europe, can cover many conditions and be very useful in therapy. It has the unique property of combining effective astringency with marked bitter stimulation. This is especially useful in conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome where there is a tendency to diarrhea which the astringency will treat while also the need to tone up and stimulate the secretions of the various glands.

Cranesbill, Geranium maculatum, is a very safe astringent used in any condition where astringency is appropriate. It is particularly useful in treating diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhoids, and also situations in the female reproductive system where there is excessive bleeding.

Herbs with a bitter taste have a special role in preventive medicine. The taste triggers a sensory response in the central nervous system releasing digestive hormones that in turn lead to a range of effects, including stimulation of appetite, general simulation of the flow of digestive juices, increased bile flow, and aid in the liver's detoxification work, and stimulation of the gut's self-repair mechanisms.

Gentian, Gentiana [lutia], is a bitter hepatic, anti-microbial, emmenagogue. Gentian makes an excellent bitter that stimulates the appetite and does all the other things that bitters in general do. In addition to its bitter taste which Westerners may not automatically like, it does have a pleasant Gentian aroma to it.

Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, is another bitter tonic that is a stimulant, a nervine tonic, and an emmenagogue, and can be used quite safely wherever a digestive stimulant is called for. As a digestive bitter, it also has an emmenagogue effect, the bitter stimulation, stimulating, encouraging the menstrual flow at the normal time in the normal way.

Horehound, known in Britain as White Horehound, Marrubium vulgare, is a very useful plant in that it has all the properties of digestive bitter, as well as being an effective expectorant valuable in the treatment of bronchitic coughs. This combination of bitterness and expectorant stimulation makes Horehound ideal in helping people recuperate from lung conditions such as bronchitis.

Calmative plants are those rich in aromatic volatile oils that stimulate the digestive system facilitating its proper and correct working. Through these oils, they soothe the wall of the intestines reducing any inflammation present, easing griping pains, and helping to remove gas from the digestive tract.

Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, is a calmative, aromatic, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, galactagogue mild hepatic.

Rosemary, Rosemarinus officinalis, is a calmative, anti-spasmodic, anti-depressive, rubefacient, anti-microbial, emmenagogue. In addition to its calmative and digestive properties, Rosemary can have a stimulating effect on the circulation.

Demulcents are herbs rich in mucilage that soothes and protects irritated or inflamed tissue.

Comfrey, Symphytum officinale, can be used as both the root and the leaf. It is a vulnerary, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, astringent, and mild expectorant. It is especially useful as a wound healing remedy, due to its combination of its demulcent properties, due to its high mucilage content, and its would healing properties, due to the presence of a constituent called [Allantoid] that stimulates cell division.

Plantain, whether it be Plantago [major], Plantago [lancealoto] or Plantago media, is an excellent vulnerary expectorant, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, astringent, mild anti-microbial and diuretic.

Marshmallow, Althaea officinalis, is an excellent demulcent, emollient, diuretics, anti-inflammatory and expectorant.

Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, may be used as both the root and the leaf. The leaf is primarily diuretic, whereas the root is primarily a liver hepatic cholagogue. As a diuretic, Dandelion leaf is probably one of the strongest and saftest found in the natural world as it replaces all the potassium that its diuretic properties leach from the body, an entirely safe remedy. The root has more of a liver effect and is used in the treatment of mild constipation.

Yarrow, Achillea millefolium, is used as an effective diaphoretic and diuretic which has mild blood pressure lowering properties, astringent properties, is also an anti-inflammatory, a bitter, and a mild hepatic.

Wild Carrot, also known as Queen Anne's Lace Daucus carrota, is a useful effective diuretic, traditionally used in the treatment of kidney stones, and is a muscle relaxing anti-spasmodic as well.

As its name suggest, Gravel Root, Eupatorium purpureum, is a diuretic remedy that has been used traditionally in the treatment of kidney gravel and kidney stones.

Nature is abundant in plants which have some beneficial effect on the female reproductive system.

Chasteberry, Vitex agnus-castis, is used as the core of any treatment where herbalists are attempting to help a woman's body re-establish hormonal balance. It is known as a hormonal normalizer and can have progestoronal or estrogenic like effects depending on what the woman's need actually is. It finds its main use in the treatment and control of menopausal discomforts and also the long term balancing of menstrual cycles.

Blue Cohosh, Caulophylum thalictroides, is an excellent uterine tonic, emmenagogue, anti-spasmodic, anti-rheumatic, and diuretic.

Black Cohosh, Cimicifuga racemosa, is an emmenagogue, anti-spasmodic, alterative, nervine and blood pressure lowering hypotensive.

Nature also blesses us with a range of herbs that help with lung problems, not just lung problems, but also lung health. These are often call expectorant but they do a lot more than just facilitate the removal of sputum and phlegm from the lungs.

Mullein, Verbascum thapsus, is one of our best expectorant and lung tonics. It is also anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory and an alterative. It is especially useful where the cough is a very sharp harsh one where the herbalist wants to soothe and ease the tissue.

Elecampane, Inula helenium, is more of a stimulating expectorant, helping get rid of the buildup of phlegm and congestion in the lungs. It also is a mild anti-microbial and is traditionally used in the treatment of tuberculosis.

Coltsfoot, Tussilage farfara, is a remedy with an ancient history of use in the treatment of coughs and lung congestion in children and adults alike. It is also a demulcent that has diuretic properties.

The insect eating carnivorous plant Sundew, Drosera rotundifolia, is an expectorant remedy used in acute conditions such as whooping cough. Used in the right context it can be quite helpful in these very disturbing conditions, but its not a remedy for daily use.

Wild Cherry Bark, bark of the tree of Prunus serotina, is a cough reducing remedy, also an expectorant, an astringent, and anti-spasmodic. This makes it a very safe remedy to use at night if somebody is not sleeping because of a cough. Otherwise, suppressing or inhibiting the cough reflex is not a good thing to be doing.

Skunk Cabbage, Symplcarpus foetidus, is a very effective remedy for congestive lung problems. The only problem with it is the taste and smell. If it did not taste and smell as, shall we say, unique as it does, it would be much more widely used.

Bloodroot, Sanuinaria canadensis, is one of the strongest stimulating expectorants and is used in cases of emphysema or very chronic bronchitis to help remove potentially dangerous build up of phlegm in the lungs.

The green world provides a number of remedies to help the liver do its very complex job of detoxifying and maintaining balance in the body.

The seeds of the Milk Thistle, Carduus marianum or also known as Silybum marianum are one of nature's best [anti-hypati] toxics. In other words, the seeds contain constituents which have the effect of lessening the toxic damage caused by chemicals that we ingest or metabolize which happen through the disease process in the body, also protecting the liver from potential damage from chemicals being used as medication. A very useful remedy indeed.

Balmony, Chelone glabra, is an under used American plant that finds its main use in the treatment of gall bladder problems and minor liver problems.

Hypotensive herbs are those which help the body regulate, normalize elevated blood pressure.

Hawthorn, one of the species of the genus Crataegus, is considered to be the single most important tonic for the cardiovascular system. It can be used to lower high blood pressure, but more importantly, it gently and mildly dilates the coronary arteries, helping the heart to be more effective in its work, and treats some of the complications of arterial sclerosis, etc.

Linden blossoms, in England known as Lime blossom, Tilia europae, is a very special herb that not only can gently lower blood pressure, it is a mild relaxing remedy, and anti-spasmodic as well, making this the ideal herb for people who have high blood pressure associated with stress, anxiety and so on.

The leaves of the Ginkgo tree, Ginkgo biloba, have been used for many many generations in the Orient for treating a range of conditions. In the West it is increasingly being used for facilitating effects on the cardiovascular system, and especially the brain and its oxygen and blood supply. Gingko can increase the oxygen availability to the brain as well as toning up and increasing the general health of the small blood vessels of the body.

Hypnotic herbs are those herbs that can help people sleep. Not herbs which knock people out but herbs which just facilitate the normal, natural, reviving, revivifying sleep process.

Valerian, Valeriana officinalis, is an effective hypnotic and relaxing nervine that may be used in a whole range of stress, anxiety related problems. It also has a calmative and anti-spasmodic and a digestive bitter. Valerian also finds a very important use in the treatment of stress related high blood pressure.

The California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica, a common sight along any roadside in California in the spring, is a safe hypnotic and relaxing nervine, sometimes will also take the edge off pain, and will reduce muscle spasms.

Nervines are plants which have some sort of effect upon the nervous system. tonic nervine are those plants which tone and strengthen the normal functioning of the nervous system and are used especially in situations such as exhaustion.

Oats, Avena sativa, are by far the most important. The more tired, exhausted, rundown, overworked somebody is, the more Oats can be experienced to be strengthening and nurturing for the function of the brain and the nerves in general.

Skullcap, Scutellaria laterifolia, is a nervine tonic that is quite relaxing, anti-spasmodic, and hypotensive. Quite safe to used in just about any situation and has a specific effect in relieving the anxiety and tension and irritability of pre-menstrual tension.

St. John's Wort, Hypericum perforatum, is another very important nervine tonic. One of its German names is translated as the "Comfrey of the nervous system," implying that its a wound healer for damaged nerves. So St John's Wort is used internally, not as the oil, but as the [tea of tincture], for treating anybody who has physically damaged the nervous system. It has a mildly relaxing nervine effect, but can also be taken over a long period of time to lift some forms of depression. To do this, one needs to take the St John's Wort for at least a month, but it can be quite effective in some cases.

Motherwort, Leonurus cardiaca, is a nervine, mild emmenagogue, anti-spasmodic, hepatic, hypotensive, and some consider it to be a tonic for the heart as well. This is an effective relaxing remedy that has the specific property of reducing the tendency to heart palpitations, tachycardia, and is especially useful in menopausally related tachycardia attacks.

Vulneraries are plants that facilitate wound healing.

Arnica, Arnica montana, used externally on bruises can have a very rapid impact in alleviating the pain and discomfort of the swelling and inflammation that occurs.

The petals of Calendula, Calendula officinalis, are anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, vulnerary, anti-microbial, lymphatic, astringent, and mildly emmenagogue. Used topically for the treatment of any cut, wound or abrasion. It can also be used to treat fungal infections of the skin and internally has a range of activities, all of which it does mildly but effectively.

Chickweed, Stellaria media, used internally it can have a anti-rheumatic effect, but its main use is externally to reduce itching and speed the healing of wounds and irritations.