another monograph

[Guest guest]

California Spikenard

Aralia californica

Araliaceae

Aralia, Elk Clover

Rhizoma et Radix Araliae Californicae

Botanical description and harvesting: Aralia is a majestic dweller of the

thickly shaded forests usually found near a seep, stream bed and even

sometimes right in the stream. This plant can reach heights of up to three

and a half meters and is very obviously dominant where it stands. The leaves

are pinnately divided and very large when full grown hence the name Elk

Clover given to it by the Native Americans. The inflorescence is a spherical

cluster of greenish white to greenish yellow flowers, which turn into a

black fruit about the size of a small low bush blueberry or a very large

peppercorn. The herb gives a small amount of white milky juice when broken.

The rhizome can get very large. I've seen nearly fifty years of the

characteristic round node scares, which mark each of the previous years. The

berries are gathered when ripe in the late summer and early fall. The root

and rhizome is gathered in the fall after the plant has died back.

Good quality root is large, light in weight, with streaks of reddish resin

through an otherwise cream colored root. It should be aromatic.

Qi and Flavor: acrid, bitter, warm

Channels entered: lung, bladder, kidney, stomach

Actions: expectorant, diaphoretic, stimulant, supplementing

Functions & Indications: Releases the exterior, expels wind, and disperses

cold for wind-cold with symptoms of headache, neck and shoulder tension, and

chills. It is also very effective for breaking a fever when there is no

sweating.

Scatters cold, circulates lung qi, transforms phlegm and stops cough. When

there is cough with copious white or clear sputum Aralia californica is one

of the best. It assists with expectoration, transforms phlegm and benefits

the lung qi.

Supplements lung and spleen qi for qi vacuity symptoms such as lethargy,

shortness of breath, cough, watery sputum and a propensity to catching

colds. Use the honey mix-fried version of this herb for these indications.

The berries as well as the root and rhizome are used for this purpose (the

berries need not be mix-fried in honey).

Cautions: Use with caution with high fever and sweating, avoid use for those

with yin vacuity with heat signs.

Dosage and Preparation: 3-9g in decoction; 2-4ml tincture; 1-3g powdered

extract. The berries can be used at the above dosage.

Major Combinations: Combine with Osha and Elecampane for wind-cold invasion

with symptoms of cough with copious white or clear sputum, chills, heat

effusion, sore neck and body aches.

Add the honey mix-fried version to Jade Windscreen Powder (yu ping feng san)

for more pronounced signs of cold and qi vacuity.

Commentary: This is a very important plant to me, so much so that I named my

first daughter after it, Aralia. Christopher Hobbs first introduced me to

this plant in Fall Creek, a magical spot in the mountains of Santa Cruz, CA.

I was amazed by the size, this particular plant stood approximately 3.5

meters tall and easily spread its canopy the same distance, which is enough

to make anyone do a double take. Unfortunately, like so many of the plants

of the Western US, there is little information concerning its use in

medicine and I believe that there are potentially many more uses for this

plant than what I have put forth but I can not, at this time, add more.

Native Americans used it for fevers without sweating and consumption as well

as all debilitating diseases.

The berries of this plant have interesting potential as a supplementing

medicinal. At the time of publication there is insufficient evidence to put

forth an entire monograph, I have talked to several herbalists who have used

it with much success in debilitated conditions with frequent external

invasions, inability to adjust to changes in the environment and fatigue.

There are several other species of Aralia native to North America, which are

used in medicine. They include the closely related Spikenard (A. racemosa),

Wild Sarsaparilla (A. nudicaulis), Bristly Sarsaparilla (A. hispida), and De

vil's Walking Stick or Spiny Aralia (A. spinosa). All these species are

native to the Eastern and Central portions of North America, although A.

racemosa is sometime listed in the Four Corners area of the US and A.

nudicaulis is found as far west as Eastern British Columbia south to

Colorado.

Although this species has never been official in the US a very closely

related species, A. racemosa, which could be analogous, was official in the

National Formulary, 1916-65.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chinese Herbology and Acupuncture

acupuncture and herbal information

 

 

 

" Knowing nothing, you will be aware of everything. "

Lao Tzu

[Guest guest]

Has anyone been wild crafting, preparing, and using these American

cousins of Chinese herbs in their patients' formulas---just like in

the old days?

 

 

Jim Ramholz

[Guest guest]

, " " wrote:

> I've done some experimentation (not with patients) in the recent

past, using local cousins of Chinese herbs with mixed results. >>>

 

 

Z'ev:

 

Why not with patients? I'm curious to hear if the American cousins

are effective and can replace their Chinese counterparts.

 

I suspect that the energy and taste may be different just as herbs

in China can change taste and energy during different seasons and

periods. In the future, new sources will become necessary.

 

 

Jim Ramholz

[Guest guest]

Jim,

I agree wholeheartedly that part of our work will be to develop

local herbal resources and apply Chinese herbal principles to that

subject. However, I do not wish to experiment on my patients. When I

develop new prescriptions, I want to research them and try them first

before giving them to others. I also want to hear from others in our

field as well on this matter.

 

 

On Saturday, September 6, 2003, at 02:08 AM, James Ramholz wrote:

 

> Z'ev:

>

> Why not with patients? I'm curious to hear if the American cousins

> are effective and can replace their Chinese counterparts.

>

> I suspect that the energy and taste may be different just as herbs

> in China can change taste and energy during different seasons and

> periods. In the future, new sources will become necessary.

>

>

> Jim Ramholz

[Guest guest]

It's been years, but I had made my own decoctions of several north american

herbs, that I had grown, including rosemary and valerian for mouth rinse

(former) and pain (latter) following oral surgery. I've also used thyme,

peppermint, hyssop, elecampane, and several other plants for colds in the past.

Some of these I had grown, and some I obtained at the local natural co-op (in

southern New Jersey, of all places, which, by the way, was astonishingly wild

and beautiful when I lived there!)

 

 

 

James Ramholz <jramholz wrote:

Has anyone been wild crafting, preparing, and using these American

cousins of Chinese herbs in their patients' formulas---just like in

the old days?

 

 

Jim Ramholz