The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Tung Tree and Zanthoxylum

Episode Date: February 21, 2025

Today, I tell you about the medicinal use of Tung and Hercules Club or Prickly Ash..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 continuing our series on medicinal trees and this week we have two entries. The first is pretty short, but it may surprise you. It's got limited medicinal use, but you may, if you're a woodworker or whatever, you may be familiar with tongue oil. And tongue oil actually comes from the tongue tree, which is a vernicia 40i. And Plants for Future States, medicinal use of tongue tree, the oil from the seed is used to treat parasitic skin

diseases, burns, scalds, and wounds. The poisonous oil is said to penetrate the skin and into the muscle. When it is applied to surgical wounds, it will cause inflammation to subside within four to five days and will leave no scar tissue after suppressing the infection. That's really interesting and really important and you know most people just know about tongue oil that it is poisonous, you don't want to take it internally, but I know of only one

other oil that penetrates the skin like that and it's castor oil. But with the anti-inflammatory properties, and actually they both have some anti-inflammatory properties, but with the anti-inflammatory properties and the way it will prevent scarring, that's pretty important. The plant is emetic, which means it would make you throw up, but you really don't want to take this one internally. Antiflogistic and vermiculite means it gets rid of intestinal parasites, essentially. Extracts from the fruit are antibacterial. So, interesting, I just thought, you know, this is one you may actually have some tongue oil sitting around

in your workshop. I'm not saying go try it, do some research on it. It is fairly toxic but could be quite useful. Now the one that I have a lot more on is Xanthosilum clava. This is often called Hercules clove. Really really interesting plant. It's also called prickly ash. There are a couple plants that are called prickly ash. And it's called the toothache bush. All the trees, the plants that belong to this family of plants, are fairly aromatic and pungent. According to resources of the Southern Fields and Forest, Brahm's Horchis Americanus states that the scrape root is applied to ulcers in order to heal them. The plant possesses stimulating powers and is a powerful, suitorific, and

diaphoretic. Remarkably according to Barton, for its extraordinary property of exciting salivation, in other words it stimulates salivation, whether applied immediately to the gums or taken internally. It is reported to have been used successfully in paralysis for the muscles of the mouth and in rheumatic affections. Also in low forms of fever, the tincture of the berries being sometimes employed as a carmenative in doses of 10 to 30 drops, increasing the quantity when its stimulating effect is desired. So that's for digestion and indigestion such as that. Dr. King of Cincinnati states that

it was beneficially employed in cholera in teaspoonful doses, and there's some citation from American medical journals of the time. Dr. Gillespie asserts that it is a good tonic and febri-fuge. Febri-fuge means it helps lower fever. According to CAM, I guess it's another doctor, the Indians employed a decoction as an injection gonorrhea. In the book, Voyage to Canada, it was stated,

it has been given in syphilis as a substitute for guacchium and for mesorrayon. It is stimulating, producing when swallowed a sense of heat in the stomach, arterial excitement, and a tendency to diaphoresis. It enjoys considerable reputation in chronic rheumatism. Dose of powder of 10 grains to have a draca. We're getting into dosing now. It says that similar to the prickly ash of the southern states. He does not get the Latin name. Could actually be talking about the same plant, but it's probably two plants called prickly ash. But states T.G. Chapman in his Flora of the Southern States does not include Xanthothysilum among our southern plants. And actually Hercules Club, I don't think it's very commonly found in the South. Occasionally,

very, very occasionally, I do run across a plant in the higher elevations of the Appalachians in North Carolina and I think what more than likely happened, there used to be a very big medicinal herb nursery in my county. It was actually the biggest in the eastern United States and I think they probably brought some in from probably upstate New York where it grows more commonly and got some established there and you know eventually the birds made it go kinda feral I guess you'd say.

But got out and so eventually I do still find one every now and then but I don't believe it is native to the south. It's more of a northern plant. It's more of a cold weather plant. You might find it at higher elevations in in western states but I don't think you're gonna find it a lot where it's hot and damp. I said these plants have a reputation in America for being powerfully pseudorethic and diaphoretic and excite copious salivation not only when made to act directly on the mouth but when taken internally and have been found

highly efficacious in paralysis of the muscles of the mouth." So we're just kind of going over the same info there, saved from different sources. The botanist who wrote this book says, I ascertained in 1868 that a decoction of this plant is extensively used by physicians in South Carolina as a remedy for dropsy, excess fluid retention essentially, you know, where the tissue gets really baggy, you know, boggy I guess is actually the technical term, which you really like majorly swollen ankles and such is said. In a letter from a medical friend, he reports to me an aggravated case which was recovered under its use. A tincture of the berries and root was made with whiskey. It was given. King's Medical Dispensatory

1898 says Physiologically prickly ash, and they're talking about xanthazylum now, they list the Latin name so I know that's what they're talking about, acts upon the secretions of the nervous and circulatory systems. The bark when chewed imports an aromatic sweetish taste followed by bitterness and persistent acridity. You know when they said it made the stomach warm. Acrid things can do that. I once took an herb internally that was extremely acrid and my stomach was off for days afterwards. You really do want to check if you taste acrid basically don't swallow it. You know, I was young and stupid and I learned the hard way. It's syllogog properties are remarkable in inducing a copious flow of saliva.

That's what syllogog means actually. I think it's actually pronounced the-a-la-gog if I remember correctly, but anyway. Copious flow of saliva together with a great quantity of mucus from the buccal glands. This is brought about by its local and systemic action. In the stomach it creates a sense of warmth and the flow of both gastric and intestinal juices is augmented. So apparently it's not so accurate that it bothers the stomach, but it would be good for digestion in that case. There is increased bilary and pancreatic activity. Under its action, the kidneys become more active

and an increased urinary product results. Cardiac action is increased and the pulse becomes slightly accelerated. And the integumentary glands give out an abundance and accretion. Therapeutically the bark is coelagog, alternative diaphragmatic, and especially stimulant to the mucous surfaces. It is also an amenogog and carminative. Amenogog means it can bring on menses. Carminative means it can help sell the stomach, essentially. And the berries are said to possess antiseptic properties. To increase its diaphragmatic power it

should be administered with plenty of hot water at the same time subjecting the patient to a warm foot bath. Professor King cautions us that there is a material difference in the influence on the system between the tincture of the bark or that of the berries and their influence on the system, which should always be kept in view. The power of the bark as given by him are stimulant, tonic, alterative, and coelagog of the berries stimulant, carminative, and antispasmodic, acting especially on the mucus tissues. Prickly ash has been deservedly valued in domestic practice as a remedy for chronic rheumatism and was once quite popular as a masticatory for relief of toothache. In other words, you chew on it and it would help numb the tooth.

It undoubtedly has some value in rheumatic complaints and may be combined with phytolaka, that's poke root, pokeweed, or well, actually usually when you're using it for arthritis, for rheumatic conditions, as I said, you're using a tincture or actually a wine made from the berries. It's something the early Americans learned from the Cherokee especially. And it was poke berry wine was steal by many

of the old timers sworn by as a remedy for arthritis. So combined with Fidalocca when the indications for that drug are present, its valuable in chronic rheumatism is very likely due to its eliminative power. Okay, so poke stimulates the glandular system. It'll help flush the glands. And the doctor here is saying that this one also helps eliminate toxins essentially from your system, probably through increased urination.

It is best adapted to debilitated patients and cases of transient and fugitive forms of rheumatism, particularly lumbago, myalgia forms of rheumatism, particularly lumbago, myalgia, and muscular rheumatism. So, swelling of the muscles as well, muscle stiffness and soreness. It may also be used externally, only to its eliminative powers. It has been quite extensively used in constitutional syphilis and scrofula. Scrofula is a glandular condition and as a remedy

for the former ranks with guaiac. That's a hard one to pronounce. G-U-A-I-A-C, often called guiaca or guiaque. And sesparilla and several other herbs. It is one of the constituents of the trifolium compound and other alterative mixtures. Alterative is sort of like we might think of a tonic. It brings you back to health. It will bring on salivation. It is useful in this account. Let's see, there's anything else they need to tell us here. Externally it forms a stimulating application to indolent and malignant ulcers. Xanthazylum is serviceable in many disorders of the mouth and throat as well as the entire elementary tract. It has some reputation as a local stimulant for paralysis of the tongue, though its value here is overrated. In like manner, it has been

employed for neuralgia and paralytic conditions of the vocal apparatus. That it will relieve an unpleasant dryness of the mouth as well established. It is a remedy of value and laryngitis or pharyngitis as they spell it especially in the chronic variety the mucus surfaces presenting a glaze shining dry condition with thin adherent scales of dried mucus in both pharyngitis and nasal catar, or congestion and decoction locally, and specifically the xanthosilin bark internally, will be found to aid a cure in those having dryness of the mucus membranes as a distinctive feature.

Prickly ash is unmistakably a gastrointestinal tonic. It will find a place in the treatment of atonic dyspepsia and gastric cataract. Many chronic affections of the mucous tissues are benefited by it, the cases being those of enfeeblement and relaxation with hypersecretion. Constipation due to deficient intestinal secretion has been overcome with its use alone. It is more especially indicated when accompanied by flatulence distinction of the abdomen. As an agent for flatulence, the preparation of the berries will give the best results. Lack of secretion in any part of the intestinal tract causes for a preparation of prickly ash bark. Both the bark and the berries may be required in some instances. In spasm of the bowels, colic cholera and phantom, and

cholera morbus, specific xanthozon berries will be found valuable in atonic cases. It is useful to restore the bowels to their normal state after severe attacks of dysentery and has been a particular service as a remedy for epidemic dysentery. Professor King introduced a saturated tincture of the berries to the profession in Cincinnati in 1849 as a remedy for Asiatic cholera. In his article on prickly ash berries in the College Journal of 1856 he writes, I have used this tincture for some years and had the pleasure to introduce it to the profession of this city during the year of 1849, both in the treatment of tympanitic

extension of the bowels during peritoneal inflammation and in asiatic cholera. In tympanities, it may be administered by mouth and by injection." That's essentially an enema as well as by mouth, that's what he's saying. He's not saying use a needle. He said, "...it was much used by physicians during that outbreak of cholera in 1849-50. So much employed by our physicians in Cincinnati with great success. It acted like electricity, so sudden and diffusive was its influence over the system. In this disease, the tincture was given in teaspoonful doses. Says Professor King likewise valued it in atonic diarrhea and in typhoid conditions,

requiring a stimulant, believing it to have advantage over all other drugs for that purpose. In the tympanic conditions incident to cholera and phantom and other forms of diarrhea he combined equal parts of olive oil and tincture of prickly ash berries and had the patient's abdomen freely rubbed with it so used externally as well in a downward direction for one to two hours until the flatulent state was over, claiming thereby to have saved many a little one who would have otherwise gone to an early grave. To prevent the return of the distension, he used the tincture by

mouth and prorectum. Combined with diuretics and tonics, Pricliash has been employed in dropsy and in malarial manifestations as in good repute as a remedy for dysfunctional dysmenorrhea. For the latter purpose, 20 drops of the specific Xanthosilum bark should be administered as a dose and repeated as often as necessary. Both the bark and the berries give good results in neurologic dysmenorrhea with marked pain and hypersensitiveness. Xanthazylum is a valuable nerve stimulant and may be administered for some length of time without effects. It is valuable in all cases of prostration and has been recommended in all depressed conditions of the vital forces. Pains down the

anterior portion of the thighs as well as after pains accompanied with dorsal and sacral pain are relieved by it. It relieves neurologic pains and anemic and delicate persons only to its action on blood stasis overcoming capillary engorgement. It has been found useful in determining the rash to the surface and interruptive diseases and especially serviceable in cases of Retrocession of the eruption In other words, it would help bring a rash up and resolve it more quickly. That's probably the easiest way to say that

under specific indications and uses it says anthazolam is specifically indicated in smaller doses in hypersecretion from debility and relaxation of the mucous tissues, atonicity of the nervous system in larger doses for capillary engrossment, sluggish circulation, tympanities in the bowel complaints, intestinal and gastric torpor with deficient secretion, dryness of the mucous membrane of the mouth, and flatulocolic, asianic cholerae, uterine cramps, and neuralgia. For painful bowel disorders the preparation of the berries are to be preferred. All right that's a lot of you know complicated medical language. Let's look what plants of the

future says. Probably be a little more simple. Medicinal use of Hercules club. This species is quite widely used in herbal medicine. It has the same probably be a little more simple. Medicinal use of Hercules club. This species is quite widely used in herbal medicine. It has the same properties as Xanthazilum americannum but is said to be more active. Now that resolves that issue we started with. All parts of the plant but especially the bark and root contain the bitter oil Xanthazilum. This has a number of applications in medicine. The fruit has a similar medicinal action to the bark. The bark and roots are irritant, anti-rheumatic. Along with the fruit they are diaphoretic, stimulant, and a useful

tonic and debilitating conditions of the stomach and digestive organs. They produce arterial excitement and are of use in the treatment of fevers, agulus fevers that usually comes with malaria or COVID for instance, poor circulation, etc. The fruits are considered more active than the bark. They are also antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, and anti- rheumatic. The pulverized root and bark are used to ease the pain of a toothache. One report says it is very efficacious, but the sensation of the acrid bark is fully as unpleasant as the toothache. So the bark and the root seem to be much more acrid than the berry. Chewing on the bark induces copious salivation. Rubbing the fruit against the skin, especially in the lips or mouth, produce

a temporary loss of sensation, a numbing type quality. A tear tincture of the bark has been used in treatment of rheumatism, dyspepsia, dysentery, heart and kidney troubles, et cetera, and a tea made from the inner bark is used to treat itchy skin. So, very, very useful plant. If you live where Hercules Club or Xanthus Island grows definitely

make use of it. If not you might want to try growing in a large container you know it you could probably keep a small one in a big pot or it may be one you just want to you know order online. It is a fairly commonly used plant and it also has some adaptogenic qualities. It's pretty popular these days actually. So y'all that's going to wrap it up this week. I think we have one more entry in the medicinal trees series and we will have this one wrapped up. I'll have to decide on what to discuss with you after that. Actually, you know I've written 15 books that are currently published and I'm actually working

on three at a time right now with inquiries from two publishing companies that want me to write two more books by the end of the year. So it's a little overwhelming right now especially with all the hurricane repairs that have to be made on the house and just, you know, all the daily duties of regular life. But got a lot more information to share with you. Don't worry that I'm going to run out of stuff to talk about being of Irish descent that rarely if ever happens. All right, y'all have a go at it. I'll talk to you next time.

The information in this podcast is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing I say or write has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I'm not a doctor. The US government does not 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 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

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