The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Mountain Laurel, Golden Rain Tree, Crape Myrtle and Privet

Episode Date: July 24, 2024

Today, I tell you about the medicinal use of Kalmia latifolia,Koelreuteria, Lagerstroemia indica and Ligustrum.The Spring Foraging Cook Book is available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CRP63R54Or you can buy the eBook as a .pdf directly from the author (me), for $9.99:https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-spring-foraging-cookbook.htmlYou can read about the Medicinal Trees book here https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2021/06/paypal-safer-easier-way-to-pay-online.html or buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1005082936PS. New in the woodcraft Shop: Judson Carroll Woodcraft | SubstackRead about my new books:Medicinal Weeds and Grasses of the American Southeast, an Herbalist's Guidehttps://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/05/medicinal-weeds-and-grasses-of-american.htmlAvailable in paperback on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47LHTTHandConfirmation, an Autobiography of Faithhttps://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2023/05/confirmation-autobiography-of-faith.htmlAvailable in paperback on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNKVisit my Substack and sign up for my free newsletter: https://judsoncarroll.substack.com/Read about my new other books:Medicinal Ferns and Fern Allies, an Herbalist's Guide https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/11/medicinal-ferns-and-fern-allies.htmlAvailable for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMSZSJPSThe Omnivore’s Guide to Home Cooking for Preppers, Homesteaders, Permaculture People and Everyone Else: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-omnivores-guide-to-home-cooking-for.htmlAvailable for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGKX37Q2Medicinal Shrubs and Woody Vines of The American Southeast an Herbalist's Guidehttps://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/06/medicinal-shrubs-and-woody-vines-of.htmlAvailable for purchase on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2T4Y5L6andGrowing Your Survival Herb Garden for Preppers, Homesteaders and Everyone Elsehttps://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/04/growing-your-survival-herb-garden-for.htmlhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X4LYV9RThe Encyclopedia of Medicinal Bitter Herbs: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-encyclopedia-of-bitter-medicina.htmlAvailable for purchase on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5MYJ35RandChristian Medicine, History and Practice: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2022/01/christian-herbal-medicine-history-and.htmlAvailable for purchase on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09P7RNCTBHerbal Medicine for Preppers, Homesteaders and Permaculture People: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/2021/10/herbal-medicine-for-preppers.htmlAlso available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B09HMWXL25Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/show/southern-appalachian-herbsBlog: https://southernappalachianherbs.blogspot.com/Free Video Lessons: https://rumble.com/c/c-618325

Hey y'all, welcome to this week's show. We're going to talk about a tree from my book, the medicinal trees, that you're probably not going to use, okay? It does have medicinal use. I would put this sort of in the expert category of herbs. You really need to know about this because it is such a pretty small tree or shrub, really, a large bush. small tree or shrub really a large bush and well you're going to keep your kids away from it for one thing and probably get into a second one after that it's going to be a little more useful to you but this is one that my region is really known for it is calmea latifolia called mountain laurel it's a member of the rhododendron and azalea family. It's absolutely beautiful. It is, I mean, tourists come from all over to go to the rhododendron festival on Road Mountain, to go up to Grandfather Mountain and see the mountain laurel. People take them back and plant

them in the yard. It's extremely toxic and can absolutely be very dangerous, but it does have some medicinal use. So let's talk about it. It's a member of the aricaceae family. As I said, that's rhododendron, that's azalea, it's also blueberry. You know, I mean, there are a lot of members of this family that we use a lot. And so it can be maybe a little, maybe less respected than it should be. Plants for a Future says, Mountain laurel is a very poisonous narcotic plant,

the leaves of which at one time were used by some Native North American Indian tribes, especially the Cherokee, in order to commit suicide. Because of its toxicity, it is a remedy that is seldom used in modern herbalism, but the leaves have been used externally in herbal medicine and are a good remedy for many skin diseases and inflammations. The leaves are analgesic, that means it helps with pain, astringent, tightens tissue, disinfectant, narcotic, salt, and sedative. So you can see why you may need this plant in an emergency, okay, You may need this plant in an emergency, okay? But it's really very, very poisonous.

I'll go on with this passage, and I'll tell you something else. The leaves are used as a disinfectant wash and a liniment to treat pain, scratches, and rheumatism, inflammations, and rid the body of parasites. Used internally, the leaves have a splendid effect in the treatment of active hemorrhages, diarrhea, and flux. That said, very dangerous, so we're going to talk about that. They are also used in the treatment of syphilis, inflammatory fevers, neuralgia, paralytic conditions, tinnitus or tinnitus, however you pronounce it. I think people in the South say tinnitus and people up North say tinnitus. I don't know. It's sort of like the way we say diabetes down here and up north y'all say diabetes. What do you say?

I can't even pronounce it the way you do. Anyway, also used for angina. The leaves should be used with great caution and only under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. and only under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Excess doses cause vertigo, headache, loss of sight, salivation, thirst, nausea, palpitations, slow pulse, and difficulty breathing. Now, every year, I would say, I don't think I've ever known a year this isn't the case, the kids around here in the mountains get hold of some old herbal books written by hippies in the 60s and 70s.

And they learn about things like gyms and weed and, you know, the belladottas. Well, there's several in that family not coming to me right now, like Deadly Nightshade and different ones. And they think that smoking rhododendron or mountain laurel blossoms may be a good way to get high for free. And they end up in the hospital and die. Really very dangerous. But, it does have some legitimate herbal use. Miss Greve in the

English tradition, writing in the English tradition right in the 1930s describes the plant and as I said it's one of the most beautiful of all the flowers, flowering bushes that grow around here. She says the leaves possess narcotic poisoning properties

and contain tannic acid, gum, chlorophyll, etc. Under medicinal actions and uses, she said, Indians are said to have used the expressed use of the leaves or a strong decoction of them to commit suicide. The leaves are the official part. Powdered leaves are used as a local remedy in some form of skin diseases. That means applied externally.

Got to stress that. And her most efficient agent in syphilis, fevers, and jaundice, neuralgia, and inflammation. But great care should be exercised through use. Whiskey is the best antidote to poisoning of this plant. Okay, in other words, if you were poisoned by the plant, alcohol can help keep your heart from stopping. But but obviously you would not wish to go down that road. An ointment for skin diseases is made by strewing the leaves in pure lard in an earthen vessel in a hot oven. So you infuse the leaves essentially in lard. Taken internally, it is a sedative and astringent and active hemorrhages, diarrhea, and flux. It has a splendid effect and will be found useful in overcoming obstinate chronic irritation of the mucous surface.

In the lower animals, injection produces great salivation, convulsions, paralysis, labored respiration, and they die. That's why a common name for this plant is called lamb kill. and they die. That's why a common name for this plant is called lamb kill. Lamb kill because lambs might eat the plant unintentionally. In 1898, it was actually listed in official use in American medicine. King's American Dispensatory says in moderate doses, sheep oral or cow meal out of oral. And of course, someone just started up some machinery near me. I think

we'll be okay. It doesn't seem to be too loud, but I apologize for the background noise. I kind of have to record where I'm recording right now because well, my dog's really on, well, he may not make it through the night, so I'm sitting on the back porch with him down at my mother's place.

And I can't really leave him right now. So sorry for the inconvenience, if you can hear it. Anyway, moving on. In moderate doses, she plural causes a poisonous narcotic, is a poisonous narcotic, producing the symptoms named above with diminished circulation. In medicinal doses, it is anti-syphilic, sedative to the heart, and somewhat astringent. powder, decoction, or tincture. It is an effective remedy in primary or secondary syphilis and will likewise be found invaluable in febrile and inflammatory diseases and hypertrophy of the heart.

In other words, it's very stimulating to the heart while reducing the action of the heart. It's narcotic in that it reduces the heart rate, the breathing, and circulation. In active hemorrhages, diarrhea, and flux, it has been employed with excellent effect and will be found useful in overcoming obstinate chronic irritation of mucous surfaces. This doctor speaking says,

I have extensively used this agent in regard as just one of our foremost efficient agents in syphilis, and have likely found it very invaluable in inflammatory fevers, jaundice, and ophthalmic neuralgia and inflammation. The remedy must always be used with prudence, and should any of the above-mentioned symptoms appear, the dosage must be diminished or its use suspended. In case of poisoning by this article, brandy, whiskey, etc. must be given as a counter irritation to the spine and extremities. Sheep poisoned by eating the leaves have been saved by administering one or two gills of whiskey

to them. And that's actually like a teacup. So imagine you've got a sick sheep and you're pouring two cups of whiskey down its throat. That's not going to be easy. And like I said, really not something you want to mess with a whole lot. But it had been used. It was used in the past for aching pains in the muscles of the face, muscular rheumatism, shifting pain, rheumatism of the heart. That's what we would call angina, basically. Success has been claimed for this drug, and the specific medicine being from one to five drop doses.

So you're talking very, very small amounts. The fresh leaves, student lard, or dried powder and mixed into lard, an ointment. an ointment and so it was specifically good for small red pimples elevated above a jaundiced skin in a very debilitated condition so under specific indicate indications and uses they said for syphilis with actually excitation of heart and circulation. Rheumatism with shifting pains. And now we got dogs barking. You know, I'm not used to being in a neighborhood. I am used to being in the mountains with peace and quiet. But what are you going to do?

Cardiac excitation, cardiac palpitation. Excited reflexity from gastrointestinal irritation, pain upon movement of the eyes. And in case you're wondering, that's not my dog barking. The neighbor has two little Eskimo Spitzes, which apparently have just discovered they can hear my voice. I'm afraid my little buddy is not... Well, he hasn't eaten in several days and he's just

sleeping and totally dead to the world right now and luckily he's not in any kind of discomfort. If he was, I'd have to go ahead and take care of things, but I think he's just going to pass away peacefully this evening. So, stuff, stuff. He's been with me for 16 years. He was about two when I found him. So, he's a testament to a natural diet and herbal medicine, because that's what I've always used.

He's never actually been to the vet the first time in his life, at least that I know of. Anyway, let's talk about one more. This is the golden rain tree. Now, this is an interesting, very, very pretty tree used ornamentally. I cannot pronounce the official latin name it's k-o-e-l-r-e-u-t-r-e-i no i-a-t-e-r-i-a so corotaria or like this planted ornamentally it's comes from asia and i don't know a lot about it but the flowers are said to be ophthalmic it means you can use to be uh we good for conjunctivitis

eye inflammations and such as that now another one this real short i'll just get it in here at the end is the crape myrtle now crape myrtle is probably the most widely planted ornamental tree in North Carolina. I think most people would be really surprised to find out that it's not actually native to America. It's introduced. I believe it's Asian. We have a crape myrtle festival in Scotland Neck, North Carolina. Festival in Scotland Neck, North Carolina. People think of crepe myrtle as

probably right behind the dogwood and the pine as being the trees of North Carolina, for which North Carolina is most known. And they are beautiful. And they grow pretty much anywhere. They don't really grow here in the mountains.

But you get down just a couple thousand feet and they'll grow from here, from there, I should say, well out to the coast. And they're used a lot in the coast, in the sandy sand hills. And they're absolutely beautiful. Really pretty trees. But this one, we use the crape myrtle.

The bark is febufru. Let me try that again. Febrefuge. Okay. Febrefuge means it can help lower a fever. It's stimulant and it's styptic, which means it can stimulate digestion, but also stop bleeding. Really important to know all the barks and trees for bleeding because when you cut yourself, you need to stop that blood. And really the barks of pine and oak and so many trees are like the very best first remedy that you can go to and use effectively the bark and flowers are

considered to be hydrogog and a drastic purgative okay that means hydrogog is going to increase salivation mostly it just means increase water. Maybe it could increase sweating, I don't know, but increase salivation and really make you throw up and have diarrhea. So don't do that unless you really need something like that. You need to clear your system of something awful. A paste of the flowers is applied externally to cut some wounds. The root is astringent, detoxicant, diuretic.

And a decoction of the flowers is used in the treatment of colds. So it's actually quite a useful ornamental tree. And I think there's one more that's going to surprise you. And this one actually has a lot of traditional use. Another one that's introduced, it's actually considered to be an invasive weed in North Carolina, at least, I think in many areas, is privet. And there are actually several kinds of privet, different types. There are four varieties that are naturalized in my area. There are four varieties that are naturalized in my area.

Ligustrum lucidum, which is glossy privet. Ligustrum ovalia folium, I think, the California privet. Ligustrum, something with a Chinese name, like Huihoui or something. It's waxy leaf privet. And, most importantly, Ligustrum sinensis. Sinensis, I guess, Chinese privet and most importantly lagustum sinensis sinensis i guess chinese privet now of lagustum for for gary it has actually has some use in european herbal medicine in the german folk tradition brother aloysius said leaves and flowers are used medicinally but only externally for inflammation as a gargle and for ulcerated throat and mouth, ulceration of the gums and scurvy. Ligustrum lucidum is also called Chinese privet, but it's not to be confused with

Ligustrum sinensis. That's really the only member of, these are in the olive family of trees, shrubby trees, which is widely used in herbal medicine. Widely planted, though, because the name privet actually refers to the old English word for privy. They would plant them around outdoor toilets for privacy. Lugustum sinensis, I think, is the right way to say it. Plants for the Future just calls it Chinese privet, but I did want to differentiate. They say Chinese privet has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over a thousand years. The fruit is antibacterial, antiseptic, and antitumor, cardiotonic, diuretic, and tonic.

It is taken internally in the treatment of complaints associated with weak kidney and liver energy, such as menopausal problems, such as menopausal problems especially premature menopausal problems blurred vision cataracts tinnitus or tinnitus again rheumatic pains palpitations backaches and insomnia modern research has shown that this plant increases the white blood cell count and it is of value when used to prevent bone marrow loss in cancer chemotherapy patients. It also has potential in treatment of AIDS. Extract of the plant has shown anti-tumor activity. Good results have been achieved when the fruit has been used in treating respiratory tract infections, hypertension,

Parkinson's disease, and hepatitis. The fruit is harvested when fully ripe and dried for later use. It is often decocted with other herbs in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments and also as a general tonic. Some caution is advised since the fruits are toxic when eaten in quantity. The leaves are anodyne, diaphoretic, febrifuge, pectoral, and vulnerary Vulnerary means it helps heal wounds The bark of the stems is diaphoretic Again, that means lowering fevers

So, I think we'll wrap it up there I've got a couple little tools in the audio editing toolbox That may help reduce the background noise I hope this one turns out okay. Obviously, I'm not in the most ideal environment, but I'm going to go ahead and get this one done today in case tomorrow

is a worse day and I'm not able to record at all. Y'all have a great week, and I'll talk to you next time. recognize the practice of herbal medicine and there is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm really just a guy who studies herbs. I'm not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write or say is accurate or true. I can tell you what herbs have been traditionally used for. I can tell you my own experience and if I believe in herbs help me.

I cannot nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use an herb anyone recommends, you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for anyone recommends, you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, a sensitivity, an underlying condition that no one else even shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to listen to my podcast or read my blog, you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices, and not to blame me for

anything ever.