The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Vaccinium and Viburnum

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey y'all, welcome to this week's show. Got a couple of trees for you this week. We'll talk about their medicinal uses. And the first is a short entry, the second is a little bit longer. Both are very, very useful. But really the second one, Viburnum, is one of the most commonly used herbs in herbal medicine. And it's one, really, if you're not growing it, you probably should be.

Starting point is 00:00:23 The first is Vicinium. Vicinium, and usually considered a shrub or a bush. It can get a little larger sometimes. We're going to go with a shrub on this one, right? It's the same family as blueberry. So a lot of berries are in this plant family. One that's native to my region actually does grow to be large enough to consider it a small tree.

Starting point is 00:00:52 And it's called Sparkleberry or Farkleberry. Not terribly common. It's Vicinium arboreum, which means grows like a tree. The use specifically of Farkleberry, since we are discussing trees in this one, you know, I've done a whole book on shrubs and woody vines. A lot of, well I say these all berry bushes have pretty similar properties. So if you don't live where Sparkleberry or Farkleberry, which is a really odd name, to me it sounds like a you know character out of a kids movie from the 80s. Yeah I can just

Starting point is 00:01:36 totally see that like on Goonies or something you know. But Farkleberry they're pretty similar and so like I, if you don't have access to this one, grow some blueberries. Grow something in that family, the Vicinium or Ericaceae family. Make sure it's an edible Ericaceae, some are not, but the ones we eat as berries are. And according to Plants for a Future,

Starting point is 00:02:03 it says the berries of sparkleleberry or Farkleberry and the root bark and leaves are very stringent and have been used internally in the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, etc. The infusion is valuable in treating sore throats, chronic ophthalmia and leukemia, etc. So anywhere you need to tighten tissue and kind of dry things up, it's good to use. And yeah, blueberries probably the most commonly used of the family. But King's Medical Dispensatory of 1898 listed as diuretic and astringent.

Starting point is 00:02:36 The fruit is very useful eaten alone or with milk and sugar in scurvy, dysentery, and derangement of the urinary organs. So vitamin C, so it's gonna help with scurvyvy, dysentery, again it's a stringent property, and derangement of the urinary organs could be anything from incontinence to maybe a discharge or anything along those lines. Again, you're just tightening the tissue. The berries and roots bruised and seeped in gin form an excellent diuretic

Starting point is 00:03:09 and has proved a much benefit in dropsy in gravel. Gravel would also be a urinary disorder. Well, so with dropsy, one's retaining fluids, the other's having like kidney or bladder stone. So to coxure the leaves or bark of the root as astringent may be used in diarrhea or as a stringent, it may be used in diarrhea, or as a local application to ulcers, lucuria, ulcerations of the mouth and throat. Now, the one that is far more widely known is viburnum. And there have been

Starting point is 00:03:38 41 varieties of viburnum found useful in herbal medicine, so I am not going to list them all. We have four native to my region and that includes withrod which is very commonly used in Europe, viburnum, nudum or possum hall. Possum hall, grapefruit, you'll find it all the way down the swamps, it's all over the place, black hall, ditto and rusty black hall. The one most often used in herbal medicine though is the gelder rose. Very similar to withrod. The gelder rose is naturalized in my region. A lot of people grow it and it is more of a cool weather plant though. If you're in a hot weather region, especially a hot, damp region,

Starting point is 00:04:26 swamps, coasts, you know, anything like that, look at your halls, your possum hall, your black hall, your red hall. They make wonderful jelly. You're going to want to grow them for food any way you look at it. But bivertums are really among the most useful plants in herbal medicine. And they're also among the most varied in appearance and growth habits. A lot of these don't look a lot alike at all. Some are bushes or trees. Some are called cranberries, even though cranberries are a different plant. The berries have a very similar taste and

Starting point is 00:04:59 appearance. Sometimes haws are just simply ornamental shrubs with big like puffball flowers like a hydrangea. I have some native ones I haven't even been able to identify that grow on my property. There's some kind of wild haw that doesn't have a berry, but it does have a flower much like a hydrangea. So of the Gelder rose, probably the most popular, it's often called Cramp Bark. And Ms. Grieve wrote that Cramp Bark is employed in herbal medicine. It is used formally to be included in the United States' pharmacopoeia.

Starting point is 00:05:34 So it was official medicine at one point. But by 1930, she said it was no longer being used in official medicine in America, but was still being used in England and Europe in the national formulatory as a fluid extract, compound tincture and compound elixir. And it was used as a nerve sedative as an antispasmodic in asthma and hysteria. In this case, hysteria is not the same hysteria we would find in like ancient Greek medicine and really early English medicine where there was actually an inflammation of the tissue around the lungs, but it has to do with feminine issues. We're going to go with PMS.

Starting point is 00:06:15 Its antispasmodic properties make it the very best herbal remedy for menstrual cramping. And the nerve set of properties help with irritability and such as that. In herbal practice in this country, she's talking England, it was used as a decoction and infusion or tincture with success in cramps and spasms of all kinds, convulsions, fits, lockjaw. Lockjaw you know used to be fairly common with tetanus and such and it's that powerful in anti-spasmodic it could actually help relieve that. Also for palpitations and heart disease and for rheumatism.

Starting point is 00:06:54 The resources of Southern Fields and Forests written in the mid-1800s in the United States says that according to the surgeon general at the time in 1847, and they also quote a couple doctors in Atlanta and Newtonian Mississippi, regards as a nerveine antispasmodic astringent, diuretic, and tonic and claims that in nervous disorders of pregnancy and uterine diseases it is a valuable remedian agent. It was actually often used to help prevent miscarriage from premature contractions. As always I don't recommend any herbs during pregnancy. If you want to learn about herbs for

Starting point is 00:07:45 pregnancy you really want to go to an expert in that subject. A midwife who's actually expert in herbs. There are not a lot of those or some of the more prominent herbal writers that write specifically for women. Rosemary Gladstar, Susan Weed, such as that. But the doctor said it is particularly valuable in preventing abortion and miscarriage, whether habitual or otherwise, whether threatened from an accidental cause or from criminal drugging. So pretty powerful in that regard. The editor of the same journal adds his testimony in favor of the same remedy and details several cases when threatened

Starting point is 00:08:23 miscarriage was promptly arrested by its use. So really quite powerful in that regard as an antispasmodic. King's Medical Dispensatory of 1898 by Burnham Opulus says that this is called high bark cranberry. It's one of our natives. It is a powerful antispasmodic and in consequence of this property is more generally known by American practitioners by the name of cramp bark. It is very effective in relaxing cramps and spasms of all kind. Asthma hysteria cramps of the limbs or in parts of females, especially during pregnancy,

Starting point is 00:09:02 and is said to be highly beneficial to those who are subject to convulsions during pregnancy or at the time of parturition, preventing the intax entirely. If used daily for the last two months of gestation, like Viburn prunifolium, that's the Gilder Rose actually, but like I said I think they may actually be the same plant, it is a remedy for the prevention of abortion and to prepare for the process of parturition. It allays uterine irritation and a tendency to terminate and hysteria while in neurologic and spasmodic forms of dysmenorrhea. It is a favorite remedy with many physicians and has been used also in spasmodic contractions of the bladder and in spasmodic stricture. So basically any way you're going to have a cramp, a spasm.

Starting point is 00:09:52 It's also, I may have this later, but it's particularly good used with bladder and kidney stones because it also kind of relaxes the urinary tract and will help you pass the stone more easily. The action of this agent closely resembles that of the Blackhaw. Remember I said you can use Blackhaw and there is reason to believe that they are used interchangeably for the same purpose. And then they give a couple formulas but that's getting really into the weeds actually. It also says that a poultice of low cranberry, it's another one of the viburnums, is a very efficient in indolent and malignant ulcers and

Starting point is 00:10:38 applied around the throat in the inflammation swelling attending several inflammatory conditions of the throat. Under specific indications of uses is cramps, uterine pain, wispasmodic action, pain in the thighs and back. Again, if you have sciatic pain, if you have back pain, that's another one you might want to look into. Cramps in your feet and your legs, charley horses, calf cramps. It can be very very painful and so while you know it's often considered to be a woman's herb it's good for everybody. Let's see, Neuralgic and Spasmodic Dysmenorrhea and as an anti-abortive. Then they go through the same thing with Blackhaw Viburn Prunifolium. Let's see if there's anything left out of the first one.

Starting point is 00:11:32 Yeah, they've got a few more uses than this. I think they're pretty interchangeable though. It says, of the physiological action of this agent little is known to the taste is bitter and slightly aromatic. Large doses sometimes produce nausea and vomiting. Yes, if you have specifically the tincture the bark the fruits not gonna really get to you. The...let's see...that it has a decided affinity for the female reproduction of organs was well

Starting point is 00:12:00 established by Dr. D.L. Faris of Mississippi who brought the remedy forward. It was then described as having a nervine, antispasmodic, tonic, and astringent and diuretic properties. To this, Professor King adds, alternative. Dacoxins of the drug were formerly used as a gargle, a wash for indolent ulcers, for ophthalmic disorders. We've covered all this, but let's see. It's a stringency has a proven value in diarrhea and dysentery. It has been

Starting point is 00:12:30 recommended in jaundice. We have been used for palpitations of the heart and is said to have been relieved by it. Such cases are sympathetic disturbances generally near the menstrual period. It is principally used in present day in disorders of the female organs of reproduction as a uterine tonic. It is of unquestionably great utility. It restores normal innervation, improves circulation, and corrects impaired nutrition of women as a result of overwork. It will be found an admirable agent. It is called for in weakened conditions of the body with feeble performance of uterine function, in dysmenorrhea, with deficient menses,

Starting point is 00:13:14 uterine colic, and in those cases where there are severe lumbar and bearing down pains. It will prove an efficient drug. Uterine congestion and chronic uterine inflammation are often greatly relieved by specifically the black hole. It acts promptly in spasmodic dysmenorrhea, especially with excessive flow. Menorrhoea due to malaria is promptly met with by burning perunifolium or blackhaw. It is a good remedy for uterine hemorrhage, tinnin menopause, and amenorrhea in pale bloodless subjects. The menses are restored by it. Cramps of limbs attending pregnancy yield to both blackhaw and cramp bark. It is considered almost

Starting point is 00:13:58 specific for cramps in the legs, not dependent on pregnancy, so for anybody, especially when occurring at night. The condition for which black hole is most valued is that of threatened abortion. It is the most prompt drug in the immateria medica to check abortion, provided the membranes have not ruptured. In all cases of habitual abortion or miscarriage, what we call it this day, I probably should point that out. We're not talking induced abortion, we're talking miscarriage. It should be given small doses for a considerable length of time. The abundant testimony to its value in this condition alone gives it a high

Starting point is 00:14:36 place among drugs. By its quieting effect upon the irritable womb, women who have previously been able to go full-term have been aided by this drug to pass through pregnancy without mishaps as would have otherwise proven disasters to both child and mother. Small doses of the specific black hole should be administered throughout the dangerous period and may be continued with good results until parturition." So yeah you can totally see how this is a very very valuable plant. It is mostly considered a woman's herb, but it's really good for everybody.

Starting point is 00:15:10 It says that it can also help with postpartum hemorrhaging, reduce the size of the womb after birth, viburnum is of some value in nervous disorders and has been advised in hysterioepilepsy paralysis. It is of service when these troubles are associated especially with menstrual issues. Viburn, opulence closely resembles that. So for some, just for the most part, I'm going to say that Blackhaw and Gilder Rose so pretty much interchangeable but at least in 1898 they were tending toward the Blackhaw. I think now most herbalists would tend toward the Gilder Rose but there are so many of the Viburnum family that are really pretty

Starting point is 00:15:59 much interchangeable. Under specific indications and uses they said for uterine interability, hyperesthesia, threatened said for uterine inner ability, hyperesthesia, threatened abortion, uterine colic, dysmenorrhea, with deficient menses, severe lumbar and bearing down pains, cramp-like, expulsive menstrual pain, intermittent painful contractions of the pelvic tissue, after pains, and false pains of pregnancy, and for obstinate hiccup. Yes it's also being an antispasmodic a remedy for hiccups believe it or not. Now getting up to modern use, Plants for a Future starts with Gilder Rose. That's like I said the most commonly used these days. Says Gilderose is a powerful antispasmodic and is much used in the treatment of asthma, cramps, and other conditions,

Starting point is 00:16:51 such as colic or painful menstruation. It is also used as a sedative remedy for nervous conditions. The bark is antispasmodic, astringent, and sedative. The bark contains scopolitum, a cuma that has a sedative effect on the uterus. A tea is used internally to relieve all types of spasms, including menstrual cramps, spasms after childbirth, and threaten miscarriage. It is also used in the treatment of nervous complaints and ability. The bark is harvested in autumn before the leaves change color, or in the spring before the leaf buds open.

Starting point is 00:17:24 It is dried for later use. The leaves and fruit of the bark are antiskirbutic. Again that just means they have vitamin C so it helps with scurvy. A medic and laxative. A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh bark. It is used in the treatment of menstrual pain and spasms after childbirth. The with rod, again very similar, the bark and root are antispasmodic, diaphoretic, and fever-free. So they help with the fever. And tonic, and I think in this case it means good for digestion. An infusion of the bark has been used to treat recurrent spasms, fevers, smallpox, and agulus fever. The infusion has been used as a wash for a sore tongue. Medicinal use of smooth with rot, which

Starting point is 00:18:11 is actually possum hall, a lot of these terms, common names are interchangeable. Tea made from the bark is anti-spasmodic, diuretic, tonic, and a uterine sedative. And medicinal use of black hall, which they call stageberry, was used by the North American Indians to treat dysentery to arrest hemorrhages of the uterus. It is now considered to be a specific treatment for the relief of menstrual pain. The bark contains scapuletin, a coumarin that has a sedative effect. We just went through that. And though it also has salicin. Salicin is natural aspirin, a painkiller that is used in making aspirin, as they just said. A bark of the root and stems is anodyne, antispasmodic, astringent, nervine, and sedative.

Starting point is 00:18:57 A T is used internally for the treatment of painful or heavy menstruation, prolapse of the uterus, morning sickness to prevent miscarriage, and to relieve spasms after childbirth. It is also used to treat convulsive disorders, colic, and other cramping pains that affect the bile ducts, hysteria, asthma, palpitations of a nervous origin, the stem bark harvested in autumn or in spring, as we just said. I guess the only thing I do want to mention is I have written a couple sources that like just like with many herbs taken in two concentrated heavy ados could actually cause a miscarriage. So you know a lot of the women's magazines and such will recommend raspberry leaf tea as a uterine tonic. Blueberry can be used similarly but

Starting point is 00:19:48 I don't recommend it because I'm not gonna say do this. Why would I not say do this? Well one of the only documented cases of real serious damage causing from a common herb that's like recommended by just about every women's magazine and book. Raspberry leaf as I just said usually used to prevent miscarriage and to aid with a smooth delivery. One woman took it way too far and instead of having a cup of tea today she had like two gallons of tea, killed the child and almost killed herself probably just because it was too much water because you can die from drinking too much water but it was also just far too much of that normally medicinal herb so you know i'm giving

Starting point is 00:20:35 my disclaimer check the books but anyway and under medicinal use of southern blackhaw or rusty blackhaw the bark is anti-spasmodic and has been used in the treatment of cramps and colic in Southern Blackhaw or Rusty Blackhaw, the bark is antispasmodic and has been used in the treatment of cramps and colic. Blackhaw is even listed in the Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine. It says the drug has spasmolytic and to date undefined effect on the uterus. In other words, antispasmodic but pharmaceutical companies haven't really looked into it enough to tell you how it works. Under unproven uses, Blackhall is used for complaints of dysmenorrhea. No health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with the proper

Starting point is 00:21:16 administration of designated therapeutic dosages. So the Physician's Deaths reference, which is the voice of modern American medicine, considers it to be pretty safe. It says no health hazards or side effects are known in conjunction with the proper administration of designated therapeutic dosages. I just like to be a little extra careful in that regard. I think you understand that. So anyway, y'all, have a great week and do check out the viburnums. Do check out the the Vachinium or

Starting point is 00:21:50 Ericaceae. Yes, Vachinium or Ericaceae family. A lot of great berries. Both of these plants are excellent for food and if you're planting your survival garden you've got food and herbs, medicinal herbs and really good jellies and jams and wines you can make out of this. You're going to want to have some of these growing on your property. If I ever identify the one that grows on my property like a vine, though I'll probably warn you against it unless you're a basket weaver because the vines are great for basket weaving.

Starting point is 00:22:23 But other than that, it's a nu nuisance it is an absolute nuisance but anyway it's just one of those vines that just takes over everything I'm constantly cutting it which I'm a basket weaver so that's okay but when I first moved to the house it had it had grown all up like one side of the house and was going over the roof it would gone up the chimney it was in all the trees choking them out I spent probably two years doing nothing but trying to tame that vine back eradicate as best I could I've never beaten it I don't want to use roundup I'm sure that would you know you pull a roundup on it But the way it spreads,

Starting point is 00:23:07 I mean, you can literally like pull one of them up, like you cut it down. I mean, this thing will grow a hundred feet of a tree. You cut it down and you start pulling it up by the root and even small ones, you'll keep pulling that root up for like 50 yards. And then it's branching off in a thousand different directions. So it's really, I mean, kudzu is nothing compared to this one that grows in Avery County, North

Starting point is 00:23:30 Carolina and I still have not been able to identify it. I've really tried. I really have. Maybe someday I can warn you against that one. But other than that, the viburnums are really super, super useful. There's so many of them. Check it out. You can definitely, pretty much wherever you live,

Starting point is 00:23:49 get one of these growing. And especially if you have a woman in your life, hey, it's Valentine's Day, you're gonna wanna have viburnum, okay? A lot of times when I am with groups and such, there's gonna be a young woman having some severe menstrual cramps. I try to have some viburnum tincture on me.

Starting point is 00:24:09 I've never known it to fail. And I don't say, take this, I'm a doctor, I don't say that at all. I say, viburnum has been traditionally used for cramping. If you're interested, I'm gonna sit this on the table and it's up to you if you wanna take a teaspoon of it and half teaspoon, whatever, and it's up to you if you want to take a teaspoon of it and half teaspoon whatever and you know see if it helps you and yeah a hundred percent of the times it has so it hasn't failed yet and that's usually well I use the gilder rose I use the black haul I

Starting point is 00:24:38 use really all of them we just talked about that grow in my area plus you know one or two that are all of them we just talked about that grow in my area, plus, you know, one or two that are naturalized. I just haven't figured out what the heck that one is that grows like a vine in my yard yet because most of the viburnums do not grow in a vine form. This is just bizarre. The flower identifies it as a viburnum. The structure of the plant is just absolutely bizarre. But you know, what I always say, scientists and researchers and academics know more about

Starting point is 00:25:12 the stars and the planets and the universe than they know about the plants that grow in your yard or the microbiology of the soil under your feet. They lost interest in it at some point. And really it's probably more important than just about anything else they could study. But anyway, y'all have a good one. I hope you enjoy your Valentine's Day. I hope you have someone to celebrate with.

Starting point is 00:25:36 I don't. So it's not really a day I celebrate as except that it's a traditional Christian holiday. It is named for Saint Valentine or Valentinus. He was a martyr. If you haven't read that story, find out what's actually all about who we're celebrating. He's a great Christian hero and someone you should really look up to. It's a feast day for him. I'll probably fix them maybe a little something something a little extra

Starting point is 00:26:06 nice for for supper. You know I'm really craving some spaghetti so I'm probably just gonna do a big marinara but maybe have something a little special on the side. We'll see we'll see. Oh you know what's really good? Make a homemade marinara sauce. This way I do it. I just run it through, so simple. Get some olive oil heating up in a pan, put in some chopped onions. Wait until the onions are translucent to put in some chopped garlic.

Starting point is 00:26:34 Then put in your tomatoes, your oregano, your basil, salt and pepper taste. I like a little crushed red pepper in there. Mushrooms, I love. Chopped green pepper, I put that in with the onions. Mushrooms and onions and green pepper would go together, you know, like a bell pepper, something kind of sweet pepper because I also want to add some heat to it later. Or a jalapeno if you like, you know. Cook that down, you know, it's really super simple. You can definitely throw in half a glass of wine

Starting point is 00:27:00 if you want to perk it up a little bit. I know some people put carrots and celery and all kinds of stuff or even sugar. Never would I put sugar in my spaghetti sauce, my marinara red sauce, whatever you want to call it. But get it going and get that and taste it and make sure the flavors right for you. So much better than anything you can buy at a store just to start with. And use crushed tomatoes whether they're fresh or canned. It really doesn't matter. Just you know put in real ingredients. Then throw in a couple of pork chops, a couple of good loin chops and just let them simmer in there until the meat just starts to kind of fall apart. Cook

Starting point is 00:27:33 yourself some pasta, and man, that is fantastic. Of course you can do the same with beef, pork, chicken, fish. Fish is actually real nice in that. Yeah. Not all fish. A nice firm flesh, kind of lean fish. Really good in there. Shrimp, fantastic. But that is such a simple meal. And I eat it at least once a week. And I'm craving it, so I think that's gonna be my St. Valentine's feast day meal.

Starting point is 00:27:59 Because I'm literally almost drooling to the point I can't talk right now. So, once again, y'all, have a great week and 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 am really just a guy who studies herbs.

Starting point is 00:28:29 I am 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,

Starting point is 00:28:56 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.

The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Vaccinium and Viburnum

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