The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Skullcap

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, all, welcome to this week's show. We're going to talk about one of my favorite herbs today, as usual. This is one of the skull cap, and it really is one of my real favorites, actually. May hear a little background noise today. Got a major thunderstorm coming in, and you may hear some thunder and heavy rain. Hopefully that's all we get. Don't want to inhale, that's for sure. And then, of course, maybe a quarter away from here, like within earshot, the way the sound is traveling.

Starting point is 00:00:29 There's some folks clearing a lot for construction. So if you hear equipment or if you hear anything weird in the background, just don't worry about it. Hopefully none of that will show up on the recording anyway. But, you know, I mentioned Skull Cap's one of my favorite herbs. It's not only because it's relaxing, it has antispasmodic actions, but also because it has any viral properties. Skull Cap is Scudelaria, and it's in the MIP family, Latin name Scudalaria. It's mostly an Asian and American herb that really seems to have little traditional use in Western Europe. It may have been unknown to Greek and robin herbalists.

Starting point is 00:01:06 I'm not sure. It didn't enter into British herbal medicine until colonization of the Americas. The earliest reference to its use that I've found, so far at least in herbal medicine, I should say European herbal medicine, was Brother Aloysius, the protege of father Nape. Brother Aloysius was an expert in monastic and German folk medicine. In writing around 1900, he wrote that skull cap, scudelaria. All right, second word is hard from now. Gallericulata.

Starting point is 00:01:38 There we go. Scudelaria galericulata was used for intermittent fever, throat infections, dysentery and difficult urination. So really not at all like we use it now. It probably came into the Germanic tradition through traditional use in Russian herbal medicine. Igor Vilevich Zevin in a Russian herbal state's scudelaria ba I have trouble with this one too B-A-I-C-A-L-E-N-S-I-S-I-S-S now this is different this is a different species in this scudelaria galaculata all right let me just spell them both this is ridiculous

Starting point is 00:02:19 G-A-L-E-R-I-C-U-L-A-T-A. The other one is B-A-I-C-A-L-E-N-S-I-S-I-S. The Bayacolinensisis, I think is what you pronounce it, is the one predominantly used in Russia and China. And it's the one that's really been studied for antiviral properties. So we'll reference this a couple of skull caps, and I'll try to differentiate. I guess it was, oh, the day will come to me later. I know it's in my notes. Anyway, it is very likely that several members of the Skull Cap family or Scudelaria family have the antiviral properties that have been proven in the one that starts for the B. but the thing is in Russia and China they tend to use the root.

Starting point is 00:03:22 And in Europe and America's, we tend to use the tops of the plant. So we really haven't studied the properties of the roots a whole lot in our native skull caps. But anyway, to explain this name, let's go ahead and start with what Igor said. The use of skullcap traces its origins to the early inhabitants who lived in eastern Siberia, especially near the shores of Lake Bayak, B-A-I-K-A-L, Baical, I don't know, Russia's deepest and most beautiful lake. It is believed that knowledge of this herb originally came from China, where herbalists called it Huantacin. I guess I'm better with Chinese than I am with Russian, I don't know.

Starting point is 00:04:06 Since Skol-Cat grows in many parts of the world, there are 300-known varieties of this herb. it has become a major part of most folk healing traditions. True. But like I said, I really can't find much about it in Greek or Roman or really Western European herbal medicine before the colonization of the Americas. So anyway, Ms. Grieve, writing about 30 years later than Brother Aloysius, tells us that the British school caps were known to herbalist and says that school caps belonging to the genus Scholarlyssudel. area or abacious slender, etc. They grow over different parts of the world, temperate regions and tropical mountains being especially abundant in America. There are about 90 known species belonging to the genus, only two members of which are native of Great Britain,

Starting point is 00:05:00 scudelaria galaculata and scutalaria minor. Both are found in the banks of rivers and lakes and in watery places generally and arcticumbeter spreading seldom erect. So, It could just be that the British versions, they only have two varieties and probably weren't growing as abundantly as they were in other places. She says that the common or greater skullcap can be fairly common in England, but is rare in Scotland and only in localized regions of Ireland. That's the Galericulata minor, the lesser skullcap, mainly grows in bogs. And she says it's not common except in the western counties of Ireland.

Starting point is 00:05:39 So I'm just thinking they didn't have a lot of access to it. Now, she mentions our Virginia skull cap, which is the one I use mostly, scutalaria, lateriflora, Latyriflora, or Virginia skullcap. Popularly, she mentions this herb is known in America as mad dog skullcap, having the reputation of being a cure for hydrophobia. Well, let's put that in context. Hydropobia is rabies. Rabies has many symptoms resulting in death, usually.

Starting point is 00:06:11 by no means is skullcap a cure for rabies. But it was used for the to relax the person, for the muscular contractions, the severe cramping that goes along with it while the body tried to fight off the disease. Now, given that skullcap has some antiviral properties, at least the Biakl and ease or whatever does, maybe, maybe our native school cap did have some antiviral properties. I have been unable to prove that through my research. So let's just keep that in mind.

Starting point is 00:06:46 She says the English species possess similar nirvine properties to the American with scutilar, and tegropholia and other American species with the flowers on once, well, we don't need to get into all that. Among the cultivated species, she's got the one from Siberia and northern Chinas. They were already well aware of that. And one from Mexico that was grown ornamentally because it had scarlet flowers, she said. The French name for this plant is toque. Medicial actions in use as skull cap has a strong tonic nirvine antispasmodic action and is slightly astringent.

Starting point is 00:07:21 In hysteria convulsions and hydrophobia, st. Vitus, dance, and rickets, its action is invaluable. In nervous headaches, neuralgia, and in headache arising from incessant cough and pain, it offers one of the most suitable and reliable remedies. True, true. I often, when I get a bad cough, it will give me a bad headache. and yeah, it's one of the best to go for. She says many cases of hydrophobia have been cured by this remedy alone. I can't back that up. I hope there will be some clinical studies on that at some point. But for now, the best thing I can say is if you get bitten by a rabbit animal, go to the doctor.

Starting point is 00:08:03 But if you were isolated and couldn't get to a doctor and you had access to skullcap, I'd certainly use it and see what happens. It's certainly worth a shot, right? She says, is considered specific for the convulsive twitchings of St. Vitus dance, soothing the nerves and excitement and introducing sleep when necessary without any unpleasant symptoms following. It may be prescribing all disorders of the nervous system and has been suggested as a remedy for epilepsy. writing at this point, the British Medical Journal, 1915, William Bramwell, says its efficacy appears to be partly due to its stimulating the kidneys to increase activity. So also diuretic properties. Let me have a sip of water here.

Starting point is 00:08:52 Now, she does mention that overdoses of the tincture can cause giddiness, that is dizziness, essentially. Stupor, confusion of the minds, twitching of the limbs, intermission of the pulse and other symptoms indicative of epilepsy. for which in diluted strength, small doses have been successfully given. Okay, so you really don't want to take too much skull cap. Very common, we might call a hippie herb. A lot of people smoke dried skull cap as sort of an alternative to or a mixture to cannabis. I can't say I've ever found it to be particularly strong or worthwhile. But obviously in large doses, which was caused dizziness, stupor confusion, it's, yeah, I guess it could probably get you high and probably make you very, very sick too.

Starting point is 00:09:50 So we want to just, you know, take that with a grain of salt. It was one of the really common herbs sold in the back of, you know, Rolling Stone magazine and Easy Rider in high times in the 70s and 80s. everybody knew about Skull Cap, basically. But as I said, I don't find it to be, of course, I have a constitution like an elephant. You know, maybe for some people it does. Definitely not worth it for me. She says, European species S. Gallericulata was at one time given for the tertian ague or a malarial fever. Every that we come up every three days.

Starting point is 00:10:30 And again, it's going to help with the cramping and the pains and all that. that. So a Native American use of this herb, William H. Bank writing implants of the Cherokee 1950 tells us of what he learned from Cherokee healers, scutilaria in Kana. The root is one of the ingredients in a kidney medicine, decoction taken for nerves. Root T is a medicine for female monthly periods. The root, if it is bruised, and Helanthus use, boiled into a tea for younger women. So good for menstrual cramping, essentially. Scudillary Latiflora, that's mad dog skull cap, as it was called in that point of time. Decoction of four varieties of the scutillary species combined with Hypericum, drunk to promote menstruation, same decoction is drunk and used as a wash

Starting point is 00:11:22 to counter out the ill effects of eating food prepared by a woman in the menstrual condition. This was really weird, right? Well, a lot of Native American tribes and actually a lot of people in the Middle East and different parts of the world thought that when a woman was on her period, she could make you very sick by preparing food for you. No one really knows where that came from, but there are a lot of folklore attached to that. Yeah, I just take that with a grain of salt. Decoction is drunk for diarrhea. I mean, otherwise, you know, you don't know what's going on behind the scenes in a restaurant, right? If that were the case, every time we went to a restaurant, there's probably somebody in, you know, that time of the month, and we'd be all getting very sick.

Starting point is 00:12:08 So, weak is actually what they say. It makes you weak. I don't know. Decoction drunk for diarrhea. Root is used with other herbs for breast pain. Decoction of the roots drunk to get rid of afterbirth. Vomiting induced with a tea as well. Let's see.

Starting point is 00:12:29 Resources to Southern Fields and Forest. This one should be a little more scientific. It was written by a botanist after all. Okay, so he mentions, this is Civil War era, the French botanist, says that it was anti-hydrophobic, meaning for rabies, and that doctors had found a very good remedy. But he says that the above meager account, and this was from a medical journal in 1820, It was all I could collect was reference to this plant, but then later he found more. Let's see.

Starting point is 00:13:11 Its efficacy as a nerve, okay, a doctor in Vermont speaks of it in strong terms of its efficacy as a nervine or calming herb. They have employed in neurological and convulsive affections, delirium, tremens, nervous exhaustion from fatigue, over excitement and found it highly advantageous. Dr. Cleveland says he prefers it to all other nervines or antispasmodics, except where an immediate effect is desirable. He uses an infusion or essentially tea, half ounce of dried leaves to a teacup full of water. So a very strong tea.

Starting point is 00:13:50 Several other doctors, he quotes. European school cap, that's the Gallericulata, useful for epilepsy they found Integrofolia from the swamps intensely bitter, useful as a tonic. Now, King's Medical Dispensatory 1898 has a lot more information. And I'm going to try to kind of skim it

Starting point is 00:14:14 so we don't keep repeating stuff. Okay, so let's see. It gets into the descriptions of I don't even know, half a dozen types of skull cap, chemical compositions, actions, medicinal doses, here we go. Skull cap, nervine, tonic, antispasmodic. This is one of the most valuable agents, which a certain class of physicians considers inert, yet has proved especially useful in cholera, convulsions, tremors, intermittent fever, neuralgia, and many nervous affections, and delirium tremens and infusion drank freely will soon produce a calm sleep. In intermittent or gamalaria

Starting point is 00:14:58 fevers, it's combined with lycopis, where teething has impaired the health of children, infusion may be given with advantage, in all cases of nervous excitability, restfulness or wakefulness, intended or following acute or chronic disease from physical or mental overwork from other causes, it may be drank freely with every expectation of beneficial results. The warm infusion has a tendency to keep the skin moist. Cold has a tonic influence and either may be drank freely. When its soothing effects have ceased, it does not leave an excitable, irritable condition in the system, as is the case with some other nerve lines. Skull cap has been extolled as a remedy in hydrophobia, but this is still a matter of uncertainty. That it influences the cerebral spinal centers controlling nervous

Starting point is 00:15:43 irritation, there can be no doubt, as this fact is well illustrated by its control over functional cardiac disorders do partially to nervous causes with or without hysterical manifestations and exhibiting intermittency of pulse. So, specifically indications it usually said nervouses attended by acute or chronic disease from mental and physical exhaustion, teething, etc. Nervous manifestations manifesting itself in muscular action, tremors, hysteria, inability to control voluntary muscles, functional cardiac disorders of a purely nervous type, with intermittent pulse. And then they go into several related scutilarias.

Starting point is 00:16:26 There are quite a few. As they said, there were 90 documented by the 1930s. There was actually an official medicine called scuteliorine. There we go, scutelorane used by doctors at the time, nerve ion tonic. Yeah. So I did mention that the baeckelonitis, Biacalensis, there we go.

Starting point is 00:16:52 It's probably the best I can get. It has been shown to have powerful antivial properties, and it's much used in Chinese herbal medicine and Russian. Stephen Herod Buneer was the guy I was trying to remember. He was great herbalist, passed away recently, wrote some wonderful books on herbal antibiotics and herbal antivirals. He was, what, nephew of one of our surgeons general, very, very serious guy, medically speaking.

Starting point is 00:17:19 even though you'd never know it. He was, you know, a long-haired hippie type, but a pretty darn common sense guy, actually. He said it was one of his favorite herbs for as an antiviral and that we probably just hadn't checked out the roots of a lot of the plants that we use in the West may have similar properties. But he wasn't sure. Now his seven favorite antiviral herbs were Chinese skullcap elder, ginger,

Starting point is 00:17:47 Houtunia, Isatus, Lickrish, and Lomation. So definitely get his book, Antiviral Herbs. It's really good. And, yeah, you should be a pick-up a used paperback copy without spending too much. Michael Moore, writing in one of his books. Oh, here we go. Specific indications for herbs in general use, third edition. Scudelaria, used for herpes, early nerve pain before eruption,

Starting point is 00:18:14 supportive to other measures, anxiety syndromes, and, chronic cardiopathies, functional neurocirculatory disorders, palpitations in the evening with emotional agitation. Citem's correa, convulsions with other medications, when other medications may not be necessary. Deliria tremens, epilepsy, yeah, insomnia, certainly, exhaustion, following excitement, wakefulness and chronic disorders, multiple sclerosis. Yes, it's actually fairly useful. especially for agitation, agitation, and irritation from distress and fear. Let's see, neuralgia, itching, basically nerves, itching that kind of way. Depression with physical agitation.

Starting point is 00:19:07 Oversensitivity of stimulus. Hysteria with great oversensitivity of stimulus. Pain, neurologic, no, yeah, pain. Neurogenic, with, agitation, increased CNS sensitivity, pain made less bearable by fear and agitation. So now up to modern use plants for future. They speak specifically of the Baycold's skull cap, commonly used in Chinese herbalism where it's considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs and is used primarily in treating hot, damp conditions such as dysentitarian diarrhea. It has been used medicinally for over

Starting point is 00:19:39 2,000 years. And recent research has found the roots contain flavonoids that greatly enhance liver function, and also have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic effects. The root is anodyne, antibacterial, anticholesterol-limic, antipyretic, antipsmotic, astringic, coliogogic, expectorate, fever, fuge, hemistatic, laxative, nervine, mildly sedative, stomatic and tonic, especially for tuberculosis. So, that's a lot. We'll take this with Graham's salt. It says it reputedly calms the fetus and pregnant women.

Starting point is 00:20:14 It may. Well, obviously, it's going to go through the, you know, the blood system. Maybe not a safe way to use it, though. I'm going to say that. The root is used internally in the treatment of enterized, dysentery, diarrhea, jaundice, chronic hepatitis, urinary tract infections, hypertension, threatened miscarriage, nose bleed, hemorrhage from the lungs or bowels. Yeah, they say the root is harvesting the summer or spring from plants three to four years old and dried for later use. So if you're going to use the root, you need to start growing it now. Barbed skull cap, he says used to decoxicant, mainly a treatment of certain types of cancer, liver disease, pharyngitis, and poisonous bites, it's to purative, diuretic, febriphobic,

Starting point is 00:21:00 juice of the plants that apply to wounds. Mediciary use of common skull cap, the herb is anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, slightly stringent febrifusion, nervine, strongly tonic. And the home infusion is sometimes used to the treatment. with throat infections, the plant is harvested in the summer. When as it comes into flour, it can be dried for layer of use or using the tops of the plant. The plant is rarely to ever use in herbal medicine, though it was said to have some application as platyphora. These applications are skull cap, which traditionally use the treatment of a wide range of nervous conditions,

Starting point is 00:21:31 including epilepsy, insomnia, anxiety, delirium trimmons, withdrawal from barbiturates and tranquilizers and neuralgia. An infusion of the plant has been used to promote suppressed menstruation. It should not be given to pregnant women since it can and do some iskyum. carriage. The plant should be used with some caution, since in excess it can cause giddiness, stupor, convulsion, and twitching, and now Virginia skullcap, the mad dog, so-called. A commonly used medicine, Virginia skullcap is a very effective nerve-vine that has traditionally been used to the treatment of a wide range of nervous conditions. Its tonic and restorative properties help to support and nourish the nervous system, calming and relieving, stress and anxiety. Very little research

Starting point is 00:22:13 has been carried out on the species, despite its use in American and British herbal medicine. Very true. Researchers sorely needed and may reveal more uses of this valuable herb. In other words, it may also have antiviral properties. We just don't know. The leaves are antispasmodic, slightly astringent, diuretic, neurovine, sedative, and strongly tonic. Harvest in the early summer and dried failure use, it is using the treatment of various problems of the nervous system, including epilepsy, insomnia, anxiety, delirion, tremens,

Starting point is 00:22:41 withdrawal from barbiturates and tranquilizers. Nuralgia and infusion of the plant has been used to promote suppressed menstruation to relieve breast pain and encourage expulsion of the placenta. It should not be given to pregnant women's since it can do some miscarriage. This plant should be used with some caution since it can be in excess cause getting a super convulsion twitching. The plant was once believed to be of use in treatment of rabies, though there is no evidence to support this.

Starting point is 00:23:08 All right. So there we have it. Way I mostly use coal cap is to combine it with mulling. and labella and uses an anti-asmodic smoking mixture. Really works pretty well, actually. I've also often included it in a tincture with Passion Farm and hops bud for sleep. When I'm teaching or leading plant walks,

Starting point is 00:23:30 I usually take a tincture of skull cap and cramp mark with me and case seeing the young women are experiencing bad menstrual cramps. A little bit of that takes care of it right away. It also combines well with Valerian and Pidicularis especially, sedative for pain. Particularis is a really interesting herb. I probably need to do a whole show on that. Skull cap is extremely useful herb that belongs in the garden and home,

Starting point is 00:23:53 apothecary of every herb list. It's also perennial. So you can get a pack of seeds and even if you just need to plant them in a flower pot. They're going to come back every year. So each year you can start a new variety and start experimenting with them. Skull cap just really neat herb, really useful herb, a simple herb to use. and the reason it has that name, skullcap, it looks like the skullcap type of hat that they used to wear in the middle ages. So y'all have a great week, and I will talk to you next time.

Starting point is 00:24:25 The information in this podcast is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing I say or right has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I'm not a doctor. The U.S. government does not recognize the practice of verbal medicine, and there is no governing body regulating herbless. 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.

Starting point is 00:24:51 I can tell you what herbs have been traditionally used for. I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb has helped 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 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

Starting point is 00:25:16 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 to your own research, make your own choices, and not to blame me for anything ever.

The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Skullcap

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