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Hyssopus, Hyssop PRO

ByAdam Tate

Hyssopus, Hyssop Zoofa (Unani) Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491 New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563 Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578 Icones Plantarum Medcio-oeconomico, Vietz, 1800 Botanical name: Hyssopus officinalisFive other European species have been used similarly: H. ambiguus, H. cuspidatus, H. latilabiatus, H. macranthus, and H. seravschanicusGarden and Wild types were traditionally differentiated. Parts used: Herb, flower Temperature & Taste:…

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Eleutherococcus, Siberian Ginseng PRO

ByAdam Tate

Eleutherococcus, Siberian Ginseng, Ci Wu Jia 刺五加 Russian Ginseng, Spiny Acanthopanax, Devil’s Shrub, Eleutherococcus GinsengCi Wu Jia (TCM) Eleutherococcus senticosusKomarov (Komorov), V.L., Flora of the U.S.S.R. (1934-1964) Eleutherococcus senticosus(Photo by Salicyna) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Eleutherococcus senticosus (syn. Acanthopanax senticosus, Hedera senticosa)E. koreanum is used in Korea.Acanthopanax gracilistylus Wu Jia Pi is similar. Eleutherococcus senticosus was previously…

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Tormentilla, Tormentil FREE

ByAdam Tate

Tormentilla, Tormentil Septfoil, Septifolium, Pentaphyllum, Heptaphyllum Dioscorides Materia Medica, Mathias, 1563 Kurtzes Handtbuchlein, Ryff, 1599 Flora von Deutschland (25), Kohler, 1886 Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION Botanical name: Potentilla tormentillaWild and Alpine varieties were differentiated Parts used: Root Temperature & Taste: Cool, very dry. Bitter Classifications: 2N. REPELLENT.    2O. ASTRINGENT.    2P. HEMOSTATICS.    2T….

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Terra Lemnia, Earth of Lemnos

ByAdam Tate

Terra Lemnia, Earth of Lemnos KaolinKha ika (Ayurveda)Yugs rdo  ཡུགས་རྡོ་  (Tibetan) Ortus Sanitatis, Beck, 1517 KaolinPhoto by Tommy from Arad Mineralogical name: Kaolinite; Halloysite: Hydrated Aluminium Silicate Parts used: Cleansed (washed) yellow clay-earth Temperature & Taste: Cold, dry. Sweet, sour. Properties:Nature: lumpsColor: whitish, sometimes with hints of colorStreak: whiteCleavage: noneFracture: noneLustre: VitreousTenacity: BrittleTransparency: TranslucentHardness: 2–3Specific…

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Aquilaria, Aloeswood, Chen Xiang FREE

ByAdam Tate

Aquilaria, Aloeswood, Chen Xiang 沉香 Eaglewood, Agar, Agarwood, Aloes Wood, Wood of AloesChen Xiang (TCM)Agaru (Ayurveda)A gar  ཨ་གར (Tibetan)Ood, Ood Hindi, Ood-ul Hindi, Ood Gharqi (Unani) Left: True Aloeswood; Center: Aloeswood tree; Right: ‘Spurious’ (false) AloeswoodMuseum Museorum, Valentini, 1704 A. agallocha (left)Royle, J.F., Illustrations of the botany and other branches of the naturalhistory of the…

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Acacia, Gum Arabic FREE

ByAdam Tate

Acacia, Gum Arabic Egyptian ThornBabula (Ayurveda)Aqaqia (Unani) Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491 Egyptian Acacia (left), Acacia of Dioscorides (right)Parkinson, Theatrum Botanicum, 1640 Flora Medica, Royal College of Physicians, 1829 Members CLICK HERE for the PRO VERSION Botanical name: Acacia arabica Parts used: Gum (‘Gum Arabic’); extract of the seed pods (‘Gum Acacia’)The bark is also used…

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Ruta, Rue PRO

ByAdam Tate

Ruta, Rue ‘Herb of Grace’Sudab (Unani)Sitav (Ayurveda) Herbarius latinus, Petri, 1485 Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491 Kohler’s Medizinal Pflanzen, 1887 Botanical name: Ruta graveolens Parts used: Herb; Seed Temperature & Taste: Warm, dry. Pungent, Bitter“Hot and Dry in the Second degree”. (Avicenna) Considered Cold in TCM, although it is rarely used. Classifications: 2C INCIDERS.    2D ATTENUATERS…

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Agathosma, Buchu

ByAdam Tate

Agathosma, Buchu Agathosma betulinaKöhler, Köhler’s Medizinal Pflanzen (1883-1914) Agathosma betulina(Photo by Margriet B) (Wikimedia) Left: Short Buchu; Right: Long BuchuSquibb’s Atlas of the Official Drugs, Mansfield, 1919 Botanical name: Agathosma betulina (syn. Barosma betulina, Diosma crenata)Three main varieties appear on the market:  1. A. betulina  2. A. serratifolia  3. A. cretulata Parts used: Leaf Temperature…

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Burnt Yellow Earth, Zao Xin Tu

ByAdam Tate

Burnt Yellow Earth, Zao Xin Tu 灶心土 Old Oven Earth, Burnt Earth, Terra Flava Usta Khazaf: Oven Clay, Clay pottery (Unani)Zao Xin Tu (TCM) Clay Oven (Tabun)Arbeit und Sitte in Palästina (Gustaf Dalman, 1935) (Wikimedia) Minerological name: Terra flava usta (Burnt Yellow Earth) Parts used: Traditionally, the old burnt Earth used in the construction of…

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Carduus Benedictus, Blessed Thistle PRO

ByAdam Tate

Carduus Benedictus, Blessed Thistle Ortus Sanitatis, Cube, Johann von, 1501 New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563 Kurtzes Handtbuchlein, Ryff, 1599 Koehler’s Medizinal Pflanzen, 1887 Atlas der Officinellen Pflanzen, Berg & Schmidt, Leipzig, 1893 Botanical name: Carduus benedictus (syn. Cnicus benedictus, Centaurea benedicta) Parts used: Herb; Seed Temperature & Taste: Warm, dry. Bitter, pungentattenuates, opens, discusses, and is…

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Gmelina, Gambhari PRO

ByAdam Tate

Gmelina, Gambhari White Teak, Malay Bushbeech, Kashmir TreeGambhari, Kashmiri (Ayurveda)Kattanam, Kumizham (Siddha) GmelinaW. Roxburgh, Plants of the coast of Coromandel, (1819) Gmelina arborea(Photo by Ajtjohnsingh) (Wikimedia) Botanical name: Gmelina arborea (syn. Premna arborea) Parts used: Root-bark, Fruit Temperature & Taste: FRUIT: Cool, dry. Sweet, Sour, astringentSTEM / STEM-BARK: Cool, dry. Sweet, BitterROOT: Cool, dry. Bitter…

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Borax, Peng Sha 硼砂

ByAdam Tate

Borax, Peng Sha 硼砂 Chrysocolla (‘Gold-glue’)Bauraq, Buraq, Burak (Arabic)Peng Sha (TCM)Tankana (Ayurveda)Tsha la  ཚ་ལ  (Tibetan Medicine) Borax crystals, Kramer Mine, CaliforniaPhoto by Rock Currier Minerological name: Hydrated Sodium borate Parts used: Purified Salt; Natural and Artificial Borax was used“Its best form is that which is brittle and extremely white (as ivory)”. (Avicenna) Temperature & Taste: Cool,…

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