| | | | Common Name | | | Witch Hazel
| | | Botanical Latin Name / Classification | | | Hamamelis virginiana
| | | Parts Used | | | Bark, dried; leaves, fresh and dried.
| | | Other Names | | | Spotted Alder, Winterbloom, Snapping Hazelnut.
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| | | Scientific Name / Nomenclature | | | N.O. Hamamelidaceae
| | | Description | | | The name Hamamelis was adopted from a Greek word to indicate its
resemblance to an apple-tree.
This shrub, long known in
cultivation, consists of several crooked branching trunks from one root, 4
to 6 inches in diameter, 10 to 12 feet in height, with a smooth grey bark,
leaves 3 to 5 inches long and about 3 inches wide, on short petioles,
alternate, oval or obovate, acuminate, obliquely subcordate at the base,
the margin crenate, dentate, scabrous, with raised spots underneath,
pinnately veined and having stellate hairs. The leaves drop off in autumn,
then the yellow flowers appear, very late in September and in October, in
clusters from the joints, followed by black nuts, containing white seeds
which are oily and edible. In Britain, the nut does not bear seeds, but in
America, they are produced abundantly, but often do not ripen till the
following summer. The seeds are ejected violently when ripe, hence the
name Snapping Hazelnut. The leaves are inodorous, with an astringent and
bitterish aromatic taste. The twigs are flexible and rough, colour
externally, yellowish-brown to purple, wood greeny white, pith small. The
bark as found in commerce is usually in quilled pieces 1/16 inch thick, 2
to 8 inches long, with silvery grey, scaly cork; longitudinally striated;
fracture fibrous and laminated; taste and odour slight.
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| | | Indications | | | Secondary Indications: Cold Sores, Eczema (Dermatitis), Hemorrhoids
Other Indications: Canker Sores, Crohn's Disease, Menorrhagia, Varicose Veins / Varicosities
Bruising, Stomach / Intestinal Cramps, Swelling / Inflammation
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| | | Actions | | | Astringent, Sedative, Tonic
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| | | Constituents / Nutrients | | | Of the leaves (official in the United States Pharmacopoeia), tannic
and gallic acids, an unknown bitter principle and some volatile
oil.
The bark contains tannin, partly amorphous and partly
crystal, gallic acid, a physterol, resin, fat and other bitter and odorous
bodies.
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| | | Scientific Research and Pharmacologicial Actions | | | The properties of the leaves and bark are similar, astringent, tonic,
sedative, valuable in checking internal and external haemorrhage, most
efficacious in the treatment of piles, a good pain-killer for the same,
useful for bruises and inflammatory swellings, also for diarrhoea,
dysentery and mucous discharges.
It has long been used by the North
American Indians as poultices for painful swellings and
tumours.
The decoction has been utilized for incipient phthisis,
gleet, ophthalmia, menorrhagia and the debilitated state resulting from
abortion.
A tea made of the leaves or bark may be taken freely with
advantage, being good for bleeding of the stomach and in complaints of the
bowels, and an injection of this tea is excellent for inwardly bleeding
piles, the relief being marvelous and the cure speedy. An ointment made of
1 part fluid extract of bark to 9 parts simple ointment is also used as a
local application, the concentration Hamamelin being also employed, mainly
in the form of suppositories.
Witch Hazel has been supposed to owe
its utility to an action on the muscular fibre of veins. The distilled
extract from the fresh leaves and young twigs forms an excellent remedy
for internal or external uses, being beneficial for bleeding from the
lungs and nose, as well as from other internal organs. In the treatment of
varicose veins, it should be applied on a lint bandage, which must be
constantly kept moist: a pad of Witch Hazel applied to a burst varicose
vein will stop the bleeding and often save life by its instant
application.
Pond's Extract of Witch Hazel was much used in our
grandmother's days as a general household remedy for burns, scalds, and
inflammatory conditions of the skin generally and it is still in general
use.
In cases of bites of insects and mosquitoes a pad of
cotton-wool, moistened with the extract and applied to the spot will soon
cause the pain and swelling to subside.
Diluted with warm water,
the extract is used for inflammation of the eyelids.
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| | | Precautions / Contraindications | | | None documented.
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| | | Interaction with Medications | | | None documented.
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| | | Possible Side Effects | | | None documented.
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| |
| | 1 product | | | Witch Hazel (Read all about Witch Hazel.)
Botanical Latin Name: Hamamelis virginiana
Plant Part: Bark, dried; leaves, fresh and dried. | |
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
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