Galium, Cleavers
Goosegrass; Gallion, Aparine, Aspergula, PhilanthroposZangs rtsi dkar po ཟངས་རྩི་དཀར་པོ་ (Tibet)
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New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563 |
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578 |
Flora von Deutschland (28), Kohler, 1886Botanical name:
Galium aparine
Parts used:
Herb
Temperature & Taste:
Mildly Cool, dry (slightly Moist when fresh). Bitter, Pungent, slightly Sweet
Classifications:
B. Clears Heat and Toxin
Uses:
1. Clears Heat and Poison, Resolves Swellings and Masses:
-Swellings, Lymphatic nodes, Scrofula, Tumors
-Cancer, especially of the Breast or Lymphatics (Salmon listed it for Breast Cancer)
-topically applied to open Cancers.
2. Clears Heat from the Blood, Resists Poison:
-Eczema, Psoriasis, Leprosy
-specific for ‘nodulated growths or deposits in skin or mucous membranes’. (Scudder)
-Fever, Scarlet Fever, Eruptive Fevers
-Venomous Bites; Spider, Snake (juice taken)
3. Clears Liver Heat:
-Jaundice
-Hepatitis
-Epilepsy, Hysteria
-used for Bile disorders and yellowing of the eyes in Tibetan Medicine.
4. Clears Heat, Promotes Urine, Clears Stones:
-hot, burning or obstructed Urine; Edema, Gonorrhea, Cystitis, Prostatitis, Hematuria
-‘It is an excellent and speedy remedy in suppression of the urine and Gravel … it is regarded as a solvent of stone in the Bladder’ (Vitalogy)
-‘Used with decided success in treating children for incontinence of Urine (wetting the bed)’. (Vitalogy)
-Good for Obesity and to keep slim.
5. Moves the Blood:
-Hippocrates used it to promote Menstruation
6. Externally:
-Sunburn, Scalds and Burns, Sores and Blisters;
-‘the Cold infusion will remove Freckles when it is drunk 2-3 times a day for 2-3 months, and the parts frequently washed with it’ (Vitalogy)
-‘many cutaneous diseases, as Psoriasis, Eczema, Lichen, Cancer and Scrofula’ (King’s)
-Scrofula, mixed with Lard and applied (Dioscorides)
-Indolent Tumors; it is applied as a wash to Skin Cancers, and is used as a mouth wash and gargle for Mouth Cancers.
-Earache.
-Burns Wounds and Abscesses Wounds (Tibet)
-The ointment has been recommended for Spinal Injuries.
-internal and external injuries in TCM; also applied externally to stop bleeding
-powder is used as a snuff to stop nose Bleeding.
-poultice of the fresh herb has cured many cases of chronic Leg Ulcers including Varicose Ulcers.
Dose:
Decoction: a handful of the fresh herb boiled in 1 liter of water can be taken over the day. The decoction taken throughout the day as common drink for up to 6–12 months has been credited with curing numerous cases of Cancer.
Fresh juice: 5–10 mls several times daily.
Extract: 300–1200mg (5–20 grains) are taken.
Substitute:
In Tibetan Medicine, Artemisia hedinii is used as a type of Zangs rtsi.
Main Combinations:
1. To promote Urine, Cleavers with Broom
2. Suppressed Urine, Cleavers with Parsley root and Sea Holly
3. Suppressed and Burning Urine:
i. Cleavers with Marshmallow root and Broom
ii. Cleavers with Elder flower and Yarrow
4. Gravel and Stones, Cleavers with Juniper berry, Parsley, Linseed (Gablick)
5. Skin diseases in general, Cleavers with Fumitory
6. Acne, Abscess, Skin disease, Arthritis, Cleavers with Couch Grass, Butchers Broom, Parsley root, Dandelion (as in Decoction to Purify)
7. Psoriasis:
i. Cleavers with Red Clover, Nettle, Figwort
ii. Cleavers with Heart’s Ease, Yellow Dock, Red Clover and Nettle
8. Swollen Glands:
i. Cleavers and Calendula
ii. Cleavers, Hyssop, Agrimony
9. Scrofula:
i. Cleavers, Figwort, Violet
ii. Cleavers with Burdock, Fumitory and Bittersweet
10. Hepatitis, Liver inflammation, Cleavers with Agrimony, Juniper berry, Centaury, Dandelion (as in Decoction for Hepatitis)
11. ‘A pottage made of Cleavers, a little mutton and oatmeal is good to cause lankness and keep from fatness.’ (Pliny)
12. Plaster for Trauma and Bruising, juice of Cleavers and Plantain mixed with Rye meal, Honey and Egg white
13. Cancer:
i. for ‘an open cancer, to take freely of Clivers, or Goose-grass, whilst covering the sore with the bruised leaves of this herb’. (Primitive Physic, Wesley, 1769)
ii. form an ointment with Cleaver juice (20 parts), Pig fat (80 parts)
Major Formulas:
Decoction to Purify
Decoction for Hepatitis
Cautions:
1. Not used in Cold bodies
Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water, Ointment
Treatment of Cancer:
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‘This herb has a special curative reputation with reference to cancerous growths and allied tumours. For open cancers an ointment is made from the leaves and stems wherewith to dress the ulcerated parts, and at the same time the expressed juice of the plant is given internally. Dr. Tuthill Massy avers that it often produces a cure in from six to twelve months, and advises that the decoction shall be drank regularly afterwards in the Springtime’… “In cancer,” says Dr. Boyce, “five fluid ounces of the fresh juice of the plant are to be taken twice a day, whilst constantly applying the bruised leaves, or their ointment, to the sore.” Some of our leading druggists |
now furnish curative preparations made from the fresh herb. These include the succus, or juice, to be swallowed; the decoction, to be applied as a lotion; and the ointment, for curative external use. Both in England and elsewhere the juice of this Goosegrass constitutes one of the Spring juices taken by country people for scorbutic complaints. And not only for cancerous disease, but for many other foul, ill-conditioned ulcers, whether scrofulous or of the scurvy nature, this Goosegrass has proved itself of the utmost service, its external application being at all times greatly assisted by the internal use of the juice, or of a decoction made from the whole herb.’ (Herbal Simples, Fernie, 1897) |