Month: June 2011

Categories
Ailmemts & Remedies

Laryngomalacia

A labeled anatomical diagram of the vocal fold...
A labeled anatomical diagram of the vocal folds or cords. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Definition:
Laryngomalacia is a softening of the tissues of the larynx (voice box) above the vocal cords. This softening causes the tissues to become floppy, and they may fall over the airway opening and partially block it.

CLICK TO SEE THE PICTURES

Laryngomalacia (literally, “soft larynx”) is a very common condition of infancy, in which the soft, immature cartilage of the upper larynx collapses inward during inhalation, causing airway obstruction. It can also be seen in older patients, especially those with neuromuscular conditions resulting in weakness of the muscles of the throat. However, the infantile form is much more common.

There are several types – the mildest may cause no problems, while the most severe can be associated with other abnormalities of the respiratory tract, and with neuromuscular and gastroenterological problems.

Symptoms:
Until the larynx becomes stronger, problems can arise for several reasons:

•The soft limp tissues of the larynx can collapse as the baby breathes in. This interrupts the flow of air and causes noisy breathing, with a sound called stridor, which is a sign of obstructed air flow – in fact laryngomalacia is the commonest cause of stridor in babies. It may be worse if the baby has a respiratory infection.

•In some children, laryngomalacia can interfere with feeding. The effort required to draw air in through the obstructed airway can cause reflux of food from the stomach back up into the oesophagus or gullet.

•There may be other ear, nose and throat problems, and rarely problems with the lungs. Low oxygen levels may disrupt normal growth.

Common symptoms are :-
*Nosy breathing (stridor) – An audible wheeze when your baby breathes in. It is often worse when the baby is agitated, feeding, *crying or sleeping on the back
*High pitched sound
*Difficulty feeding
*Poor weight gain
*Choking while feeding
*Apnea — Breathing stoppage
*Pulling in neck and check with each breath
*Cyanosis — Turning blue
*Gastroesophageal reflux — Spitting, vomiting and regurgitation
*Aspiration – Inhalation of food into the lungs

Causes:
Laryngomalacia is thought to be the result of abnormally slow maturation of the tissues of the larynx, possibly because of genetic factors. This simply means that at birth the baby’s respiratory tract isn’t developed and string enough to cope with the mechanical demands of drawing breath.

Although doctors believe there’s a link between laryngomalacia and gastro-oesophageal reflu, there isn’t a single common mechanism to link these two problems, so several theories exist. In some patients with laryngomalacia, reflux may be the primary cause of their airway problems. In others, it’s an additional factor on top of neurological or anatomical abnormalities.

Reflux is common in babies less than one year old, because the muscular valve at the entrance to the stomach (which holds food in the stomach) may be weak in small infants.

Research suggests that a very large number, if not all, of babies with laryngomalacia also have reflux of gastric acid and digestive enzymes up to the pharynx (back of the throat). This may have detrimental effects on the larynx and tracheobronchial tree (air passages into the lungs). This may cause persistent swelling (oedema) of the larynx lining, which is common in children with laryngomalacia.

There’s no consensus yet about managing this link, but it makes sense to think simple treatments to control reflux could help resolve the laryngomalacia more quickly, too. More interventional treatments such as surgery, with all their inherent risks, are best avoided if possible.

Although laryngomalacia is not associated with a specific gene, there is evidence that some cases may be inherited.

Diagnosis:
Your doctor will ask you some questions about your baby’s health problems and may recommend a test called a flexible laryngoscopy (lar ring os co pee) to further evaluate your baby’s condition.

During this test, done in your doctor’s office, a tiny camera that looks like a strand of spaghetti with a light on the end is passed through your baby’s nostril and into the lower part of the throat where the larynx is. This allows your doctor to see your baby’s voicebox.

After the diagnosis — additional tests:
If laryngomalacia is diagnosed, the doctor may want to do other diagnostic tests to evaluate the extent of your child’s problems and to see whether the lower airway is affected. These tests may include:

X-ray of the neck;
A neck X-ray is done to make sure that your baby does not have other problems below the voice box (in the subglottis, trachea or chest). These are areas that the doctor cannot see during the flexible laryngoscopy.

Airway fluoroscopy;
The doctor may also order a motion picture X-ray of the trachea to make sure that there are no other problems.

Microlaryngoscopy (my crow lar ring os co pee)and bronchoscopy (brawn cos co pee), also known as MLB
This test is done when a neck X-ray shows additional problems in the lower airway. Your child is taken to the operating room and given anesthesia. Then the doctor passes a tiny camera through your child’s mouth and down past the vocal cords (larynx) to look at the area below the vocal folds that may be contributing to the stridor (noisy breathing). The surgeon will take some pictures and will review the results with you afterward.

EGD or esophagogastroduodenoscopy pH probe
This test will be done if your child’s doctor suspects that there may be a more severe problem.

Treatment :
In almost all cases (99 percent), laryngomalacia resolves without treatment by the time your child is 18 to 20 months of age. However, if the laryngomalacia is severe, your child’s treatment may include medication or surgery.

Medication:
Your child’s GI doctor may prescribe an anti-reflux medication to help manage the gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). This is important because your child’s chronic neck and chest retractions from the laryngomalacia can worsen GERD. Also, the acid reflux can cause swelling above the vocal cords and worsen the noisy breathing.

Surgery:
Surgery is the treatment of choice if your child’s condition is severe. Symptoms that signal the need for surgery include:

*Life-threatening apneas (stoppages of breathing)

*Significant blue spells

*Failure to gain weight with feeding

*Significant chest and neck retractions

*Need for extra oxygen to breathe

*Heart or lung issues related to your child’s inability to get enough oxygen

Supraglottoplasty:
In this surgery, extra tissue above the vocal cords is trimmed in the operating room. Your child will be under general anesthesia while the surgeon does a thorough evaluation of the airway and removes the tissue. After surgery, your child will be taken to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and will spend one night with a breathing tube in the nose. If there is not much swelling in this area, and if the surgeon feels it will be safe, the breathing tube will be removed the next day in the PICU. Your child will then be observed for another day to ensure that the airway is safe, and that your child is getting enough oxygen and is drinking normally.

This surgery may not completely eliminate the noisy breathing but it should help to:

*Reduce the severity of the symptoms

*Lessen the apneas (breathing stoppages)

*Reduce the extra oxygen requirements

*Improve swallowing

*Help your child gain weight.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laryngomalacia
http://www.chop.edu/service/airway-disorders/conditions-we-treat/laryngomalacia.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/laryngomalacia.shtml

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Herbs & Plants

Broad Bean

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Botanical Name : Vicia faba
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Tribe: Vicieae
Genus: Vicia
Species: V. faba
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales

Synonyms. : Faba vulgaris Moench, Faba bona Medik., Faba equina Medik.

Common Name :Broad Bean, Fava Bean, Field Bean, Bell Bean or Tic Bean

Habitat :Broad Bean is  native to north Africa and southwest Asia, and extensively cultivated elsewhere. A variety is provisionally recognized.

Does not occur in the wild. It was grown in ancient times (cultivated for 2-3 thousand years), but only by purposeful cultivation. In Russia, it has been cultivated since the 6th to 8th century. In the USSR, it was cultivated as basic fodder almost everywhere, but the cultivated area was not large (around 20 thousand hectares). The greatest areas of cultivation are in Byelorussia and Ukraine, the Baltic states, and the Altai region.

Description:
Annual plant. Taproot is strongly branched, penetrates to a depth of 80-150 cm. Colonies of nodule bacterium, which enrich soil with nitrogen, are formed on the roots. Stalk thick, strong, upright, bare or slightly pubescent, tetrahedral, hollow, 10-150 (200) cm tall, branching only at base. Leaves paripinnate, large, pulpy, without tendrils (the axil of leaf ends with soft cusp); with 1-4 pairs of leaflets, 4-8 x 2-4 cm, elliptical, glaucous-green (with a waxen bloom), bare; stipules up to 2 cm long, ovate-triangular, dentate, with nectaries. Peduncles 0.9-3 cm long. Flowers large, up to 3.5 cm long, 2-6 (12) per cluster. Calyx tubular, bare. Corolla white or pinkish with violet veins, spathes with a black maculae. Self-pollinator, but sometimes cross-pollinated. Fruit is a bean with 2-4-8 seeds. Beans very large, 5-10 (35) x 1.5-4 cm, oblate, cylindrical or oblong-cylindrical, pulpy, short pubescence, with bare sutures, green color when young, brown and black color when mature, coriaceous, on 1-4 in axil. Seeds 0.5 to 4 cm long, usually flat, oval, with lateral, pressed elliptical or linear scar, dark violet, red-brown, light yellow or green in color. The beans are differentiated by size: large seed grade (weight of 1000 seeds is 800-1300 g), middle seed grade (weight of 1000 seeds is 500-700 g) and small seed grade (weight of 1000 seeds is 200-450 g). Large seed grade is cultivated as a vegetable.

CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES…………...(01)..…....(1)  ..…..(2)..……….
Cultivation:
Broad beans have a long tradition of cultivation in Old World agriculture, being among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow. It is believed that along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, they became part of the eastern Mediterranean diet in around 6000 BC or earlier. They are still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion, because they can over-winter and because as a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil. These commonly cultivated plants can be attacked by fungal diseases, such as rust (Uromyces viciae-fabae) and chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae). It is also attacked by the black bean aphid (Aphis fabae).

The broad bean has high hardiness cvs. This means it can withstand rough climates, and in this case, cold ones. Unlike most legumes, the broad bean can be grown in soils with high salinity. However, it does prefer to grow in rich loams.

In much of the Anglophone world, the name broad bean is used for the large-seeded cultivars grown for human food, while horse bean and field bean refer to cultivars with smaller, harder seeds (more like the wild species) used for animal feed, though their stronger flavour is preferred in some human food recipes, such as falafel. The term fava bean (from the Italian fava, meaning “broad bean”) is sometimes used in English speaking countries, however the term broad bean is the most common name in the UK.

Culnilary Uses;
Broad beans are eaten while still young and tender, enabling harvesting to begin as early as the middle of spring for plants started under glass or over-wintered in a protected location, but even the main crop sown in early spring will be ready from mid to late summer. Horse beans, left to mature fully, are usually harvested in the late autumn. The young leaves of the plant can also be eaten either raw or cooked like spinach.

The beans can be fried, causing the skin to split open, and then salted and/or spiced to produce a savory crunchy snack. These are popular in China, Colombia, Peru (habas saladas), Mexico (habas con chile) and Thailand (where their name means “open-mouth nut”).

Broad bean purée with wild chicory is a typical Puglian dish in Italy.

In the Sichuan cuisine of China, broad beans are combined with soybeans and chili peppers to produce a spicy fermented bean paste called doubanjiang.

In most Arab countries, the fava bean is used for a breakfast dish called ful medames.

Fava beans are common in Latin American cuisines as well. In central Mexico, mashed fava beans are a common filling for many corn flour-based antojito snacks such as tlacoyos. In Colombia they are most often used whole in vegetable soups. Dried and salted fava beans are a popular snack in many Latin countries.

In Portugal, a fava bean (usually referred to as fava in Portuguese) is included in the bolo-rei (king cake), a Christmas cake. Traditionally, the person who gets fava has to buy the cake the following year.

In the Netherlands, they are traditionally eaten with fresh savory and some melted butter. When rubbed the velvet insides of the pods are a folk remedy against warts.

Broad beans are widely cultivated in the Kech and Panjgur districts of Balochistan Province in Pakistan, and in the eastern province of Iran. In the Balochi language, they are called bakalaink, and baghalee in Persian.

Medicinal  uses:     
Broad beans are rich in tyramine, and thus should be avoided by those taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors.

The ground dried beans have bee used to treat mouth sores. In New Mexico, a paste made of ground beans and hot water is applied to the chest and back as a treatment for pneumonia.

Raw broad beans contain the alkaloids vicine, isouramil and convicine, which can induce hemolytic anemia in patients with the hereditary condition glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD). This potentially fatal condition is called “favism” after the fava bean.

Broad beans are rich in L-dopa, a substance used medically in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. L-dopa is also a natriuretic agent, which might help in controlling hypertension.

Areas of origin of the bean correspond to malarial areas. There are epidemiological and in vitro studies which suggest that the hemolysis resulting from favism acts as protection from malaria, because certain species of malarial protozoa such as Plasmodium falcipacrum are very sensitive to oxidative damage due to deficiency of the glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme, which would otherwise protect from oxidative damage via production of glutathione reductase.

The seed testas contain condensed tannins of the proanthocyanidins type  that could have an inhibitory activity on enzymes

Medicinal Uses;
The ground dried beans have bee used to treat mouth sores. In New Mexico, a paste made of ground beans and hot water is applied to the chest and back as a treatment for pneumonia.

Other Uses;
*In ancient Greece and Rome, beans were used in voting; a white bean being used to cast a yes vote, and a black bean for no. Even today the word koukia  is used unofficially, referring to the votes.

*In Ubykh culture, throwing beans on the ground and interpreting the pattern in which they fall was a common method of divination (favomancy), and the word for “bean-thrower” in that language has become a generic term for seers and soothsayers in general.

*In Italy, broad beans are traditionally sown on November 2, All Souls Day. Small cakes made in the shape of broad beans (though not out of them) are known as fave dei morti or “beans of the dead”. According to tradition, Sicily once experienced a failure of all crops other than the beans; the beans kept the population from starvation, and thanks were given to Saint Joseph. Broad beans subsequently became traditional on Saint Joseph’s Day altars in many Italian communities. Some people carry a broad bean for good luck; some believe that if one carries a broad bean, one will never be without the essentials of life. In Rome, on the first of May, Roman families traditionally eat fresh fava beans with Pecorino Romano cheese during a daily excursion in the Campagna. In Northern Italy, on the contrary, fava beans are traditionally fed to animals and some people, especially the elderly, might frown on human consumption. But in Liguria, Northern Italy too, fava beans are loved like in Rome, and consumed fresh, alone or with fresh Pecorino Sardo or with local salami from Sant’Olcese. In some Central Italian regions was once popular and recently discovered again as a more fancy food the “bagiana” a soup of fresh or dried fava beans seasoned with onions and beet leaves stir fried, before being added to the soup, in olive oil and lard (or bacon or cured ham’s fat).

*In Portugal, a Christmas cake called Bolo Rei (“King cake”) is baked with a fava bean inside. Whoever eats the slice containing it, is supposed to buy next year’s cake.

*In ancient Greece and Rome, beans were used as a food for the dead, such as during the annual Lemuria festival.

*In some folk legends, such as in Estonia and the common Jack and the Beanstalk story, magical beans grow tall enough to bring the hero to the clouds.

*The Grimm Brothers collected a story in which a bean splits its sides laughing at the failure of others. Dreaming of a bean is sometimes said to be a sign of impending conflict, though others said that they caused bad dreams.

*Pliny claimed that they acted as a laxative.

*European folklore also claims that planting beans on Good Friday or during the night brings good luck.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicia_faba
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm
http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/content/cultural/Vicia_faba_K/

http://digilander.libero.it/ipdid/photos-eng/vicia-faba—fava-bean.htm

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Ailmemts & Remedies

Laryngeal cancer

Alternative Name:Cancer of the larynx or Laryngeal carcinoma,Vocal cord cancer; Throat cancer; Laryngeal cancer; Cancer of the glottis

Definition:
The larynx is located in the neck at the top of the windpipe (trachea) and is used when we talk, swallow and breathe. It’s also called the voice box and is made up of cartilage – the large cartilage in the front is often called the Adam’s apple. Inside the larynx are the vocal cords.

The larynx is made up of three main parts:
•Supraglottis – the tissue at the top of the larynx
•Glottis – the middle part of the larynx where the vocal cords are located
•Subglottis – the tissue at the bottom of the larynx that connects the larynx to the windpipe
Laryngeal cancer can develop in any of these parts, but most commonly develops on the vocal cords.
CLICK  &  SEE  THE  PICTURES

Most laryngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, reflecting their origin from the squamous cells which form the majority of the laryngeal epithelium. Cancer can develop in any part of the larynx, but the cure rate is affected by the location of the tumor. For the purposes of tumour staging, the larynx is divided into three anatomical regions: the glottis (true vocal cords, anterior and posterior commissures); the supraglottis (epiglottis, arytenoids and aryepiglottic folds, and false cords); and the subglottis.

Most laryngeal cancers originate in the glottis. Supraglottic cancers are less common, and subglottic tumours are least frequent.

Laryngeal cancer may spread by direct extension to adjacent structures, by metastasis to regional cervical lymph nodes, or more distantly, through the blood stream. Distant metastates to the lung are most common.
Incidence:

Two in 20,000 (12,500 new cases per year) in the USA. The American Cancer Society estimates that 9,510 men and women (7,700 men and 1,810 women) will be diagnosed with and 3,740 men and women will die of laryngeal cancer in 2006.

Laryngeal cancer is listed as a “rare disease” by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that laryngeal cancer affects fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S.

Each year, about 2,200 people in the U.K. are diagnosed with laryngeal cancer

Symptoms:
Symptoms of laryngeal cancer depend on where the cancer develops. Since it most often develops on the vocal cords, hoarseness or other changes in the voice are common.

Other symptoms that may occur when cancer develops above or below the vocal cords, or if it spreads from the vocal cords, include:

*A persistent sore throat  or feeling that something is stuck in the throat
*Ear pain or Ear ache (“referred”)
*Noisy breathing
*Difficulty swallowing
*Difficulty breathing
*A lump in the neck
*Painful swallowing
*A feeling of a lump in the throat
*A persistent cough
*Hoarseness or other voice changes
*Stridor
*Bad breath

If the cancer spreads outside the larynx, the lymph glands in the neck may become enlarged.

Causes:
The precise causes of laryngeal cancer aren’t known. However, it’s more common:

*On the vocal cords
*In men
*Between the ages of 55 and 65
*In smokers
*In those who drink alcohol heavily

Risk Factors:
Smoking is the most important risk factor for laryngeal cancer. Death from laryngeal cancer is 20 times more likely for heaviest smokers than for nonsmokers.  Heavy chronic consumption of alcohol, particularly alcoholic spirits, is also significant. When combined, these two factors appear to have a synergistic effect. Some other quoted risk factors are likely, in part, to be related to prolonged alcohol and tobacco consumption. These include low socioeconomic status, male sex, and age greater than 55 years.

People with a history of head and neck cancer are known to be at higher risk (about 25%) of developing a second cancer of the head, neck, or lung. This is mainly because in a significant proportion of these patients, the aerodigestive tract and lung epithelium have been exposed chronically to the carcinogenic effects of alcohol and tobacco. In this situation, a field change effect may occur, where the epithelial tissues start to become diffusely dysplastic with a reduced threshold for malignant change. This risk may be reduced by quitting alcohol and tobacco.

Diagnosis:
Diagnosis is made by the doctor on the basis of a medical history, physical examination, and special investigations which may include a chest x-ray, CT or MRI scans, and tissue biopsy. The examination of the larynx requires some expertise, which may require specialist referral.

The physical exam includes a systematic examination of the whole patient to assess general health and to look for signs of associated conditions and metastatic disease. The neck and supraclavicular fossa are palpated to feel for cervical adenopathy, other masses, and laryngeal crepitus. The oral cavity and oropharynx are examined under direct vision. The larynx may be examined by indirect laryngoscopy using a small angled mirror with a long handle (akin to a dentist’s mirror) and a strong light. Indirect laryngoscopy can be highly effective, but requires skill and practice for consistent results. For this reason, many specialist clinics now use fibre-optic nasal endoscopy where a thin and flexible endoscope, inserted through the nostril, is used to clearly visualise the entire pharynx and larynx. Nasal endoscopy is a quick and easy procedure performed in clinic. Local anaesthetic spray may be used.

If there is a suspicion of cancer, biopsy is performed, usually under general anaesthetic. This provides histological proof of cancer type and grade. If the lesion appears to be small and well localised, the surgeon may undertake excision biopsy, where an attempt is made to completely remove the tumour at the time of first biopsy. In this situation, the pathologist will not only be able to confirm the diagnosis, but can also comment on the completeness of excision, i.e., whether the tumour has been completely removed. A full endoscopic examination of the larynx, trachea, and esophagus is often performed at the time of biopsy.

For small glottic tumours further imaging may be unnecessary. In most cases, tumour staging is completed by scanning the head and neck region to assess the local extent of the tumour and any pathologically enlarged cervical lymph nodes.

The final management plan will depend on the site, stage (tumour size, nodal spread, distant metastasis), and histological type. The overall health and wishes of the patient must also be taken into account.

Treatment :
Treatment of laryngeal cancer may involve:

*Radiotherapy – when high-energy x-rays are used to kill cancer cells.

*Surgery – this may involve the removal of a vocal cord (cordectomy), part of the larynx (partial laryngectomy) or the entire larynx (total laryngectomy) and lymph glands may also be removed (neck dissection). For early laryngeal cancers, laser therapy may be used.

*Chemotherapy – when drugs are used to kill cancer cells.
A team of experts is involved in caring for a person with laryngeal cancer. This team may include an ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon, a clinical oncologist, a medical oncologist, a specialist cancer nurse, a dietician, a dentist and a speech therapist.

Following treatment, a person may need specialist help and advice with talking and breathing, especially if the whole larynx has been removed. Helping someone speak involves using a speaking valve inserted at time of surgery, using a special electronic device that generates sound or using the oesophagus (gullet) to speak.

Emotional help and support is also often needed following diagnosis and treatment.

Prognosis:
Throat cancers can be cured in 90% of patients if detected early. If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or lymph nodes in the neck, 50 – 60% of patients can be cured. If the cancer has spread (metastasized) to parts of the body outside the head and neck, the cancer is not curable and treatment is aimed at prolonging and improving quality of life.

After treatment, patients generally need therapy to help with speech and swallowing. A small percentage of patients (5%) will not be able to swallow and will need to be fed through a feeding tube.

Complications:
•Airway obstruction
•Difficulty swallowing
•Disfigurement of the neck or face
•Hardening of the skin of the neck
•Loss of voice and speaking ability
•Spread of the cancer to other body areas (metastasis)

Prevention:
Avoid smoking and other tobacco exposure. Limit or avoid alcohol use.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose

Resources:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/in_depth/cancer/typescancer_larynx.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laryngeal_cancer
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001042.htm
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/medical-conditions/a-z-of-medical-conditions/laryngeal-cancer/
https://www.aarphealthcare.com/galecontent/laryngeal-cancer-1
http://www.robertsreview.com/cancer_pictures_larynx.html

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Herbs & Plants

Brittlebush

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Botanical Name : Encelia farinose
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Encelia
Species: E. farinosa
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Common Name :Brittlebush

Other Names : “incienso,” and “hierba del vaso” (Spanish) and “cotx” (Seri). The Spanish name is because dried sap was burned by in early Spanish Missions in the New World as incense.

Habitat : Brittlebush, is a common desert shrub of northwestern Mexico through California and the southwestern United States. Its common name comes from the brittleness of its stems.

Encelia farinosa can be found in a variety of habitats from dry gravelly slopes to open sandy washes up to 1000 m. It does well in cultivation and recently has spread dramatically in areas not natural to its distribution in large part because Caltrans has begun to use it in hydroseeding.

Description:
Encelia farinosa grows to 1 m-3 ft tall, with fragrant leaves 3–8 cm long, ovate to deltoid, and silvery tomentose. The capitula are 3-3.5 cm diameter, with orange-yellow ray florets and yellow or purple-brown disc florets. They are arranged in loose panicles above the leafy stems fruit 3–6 mm and there is no pappus.

click to see the pictures.>…...(01)....(1)…….(2).…..….(3).………

3-Acetyl-6-methoxybenzaldehyde is a chemical compound found in the leaves of E. farinosa.

Varieties
*Encelia farinosa var. farinosa Gray ex Torr.
*Encelia farinosa var. phenicodonta (Blake) I.M. Johnston —
dark-eyed brittlebush

*Encelia farinosa var. radians Brandeg. ex Blake

Medicinal Uses:
The dried herb is chewed, or the tea used, as a mouthwash to alleviate toothache, sore gums or a sore mouth.  The powdered herb is mixed with water for a hot poultice, and the tea taken for acute arthritis episodes.  The bright yellow resin is burned for an aromatic incense and chewed as an expectorant.  A simple tea of leaves for mouthwash and gargle.  Powdered leaves for poultice.

Other Uses:
Brittlebush has a long history of uses by indigenous and pioneer peoples.

*Glue: The resin collected from the base of the plant is often yellowish to brown in color. This resin can be heated and used as a glue. The O’odham and Seri use it for hafting, to hold points on arrows and harpoons.

*Sealer: A different sort of resin is collected from the upper stems, is is more gummy and generally a clear yellow. The Seri use this to seal pottery vessels.

*Gum: The Sells area Tohono O’odham children use upper stem resin as a passable chewing gum.
Incense: The early Spanish friars learned that this resin made a highly fragrant incense, akin to frankenscense in odor.

*Toothbrush: Oldtime cowboys used brittlebush stem as a fine toothbrush. Simply select a largish branch and peal off the bitter bark, no need for toothpaste.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encelia_farinosa
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm

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Herbs & Plants

Ranunculus pennsylvanicus

Botanical Name : Ranunculus pennsylvanicus
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Ranunculus
Species: R. pensylvanicus
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ranunculales

Synonyms : Ranunculus pensylvanicus

Common Names:Pennsylvania Buttercup, Bristly Buttercup,Bristly Crowfoot

Habitat : Ranunculus pennsylvanicus   is native to Northern N. America – Labrador to Alaska and south to Colorado. It grows  in  the   wet meadows, alluvium, ditches etc. Stream banks, bogs, moist clearings, depressions in woodlands from sea level to 1700 metres

Description:
Ranunculus pennsylvanicus is an    annual/perennial   herbs, or woody climbers  growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) with acrid  sap.  Leaves usually alternate, sometimes opposite; simple or compound, with clasping or dilated base; stipules none. Flowers    hypogynous, actinomorphic or sometimes zygomorphic, bisporangiate or occasionally monosporangiate; perianth of similar
segments or differentiated into calyx and corolla; capels usually  separate; stamens numerous. Fruit an achene, follicle or berry. It is in flower from Jun to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

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The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils..It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist or wet soil.

Cultivation:
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most areas of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a moist loamy soil. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes.

Propagation :
Seed – sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.

Edible Uses: Leaves – cooked. The leaves contain toxins but in too low a concentration to be harmful.

Medicinal Uses:The plant is rubefacient. It is used to raise blisters

Other Uses :
The entire plant can be boiled to yield a red dye. It is mixed with the bark of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) which acts to fix the colour. The entire plant can be boiled with rushes (Juncus spp) or flags (Iris spp and Acorus calamus) to colour them yellow for use in making mats, baskets etc.

Known Hazards : Although no specific record of toxicity has been found for this plant, many if not all members of this genus are poisonous. These toxins can be destroyed by heat or by drying. Many if not all plants in this genus also have a strongly acrid juice that can cause blistering to the skin.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
https://www.kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/1936/V17N04_106.pdf?sequence=1
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ranunculus%20pennsylvanicus
http://www.herbnet.com/Herb%20Uses_AB.htm
http://www.wnmu.edu/academic/nspages/gilaflora/ranunculus_pennsylvanicus.html

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