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Ailmemts & Remedies

Drug Allergy

Synonyms and Keywords:-
drug allergy, allergen, allergic reaction, anaphylactic shock, anaphylaxis, antibodies, antibody, hypersensitivity, medication allergies, medication reactions, immune system, immunoglobulin E, IgE, serum sickness

Description:
A drug allergy is an allergy to a drug, most commonly a medication. Medical attention should be sought immediately if an allergic reaction is suspected....CLICK & SEE

An allergic reaction will not occur on the first exposure to a substance. The first exposure allows the body to create antibodies and memory lymphocyte cells for the antigen. However, drugs often contain many different substances, including dyes, which could cause allergic reactions. This can cause an allergic reaction on the first administration of a drug. For example, a person who developed an allergy to a red dye will be allergic to any new drug which contains that red dye.

A drug allergy is different from an intolerance. A drug intolerance, which is often a milder, non-immune-mediated reaction, does not depend on prior exposure. Most people who believe they are allergic to aspirin are actually suffering from a drug intolerance.

Both over-the-counter and prescription drugs can cause various problems. Most symptoms, such as nausea and diarrhea, are not allergies but side effects that can affect anyone. A drug allergy occurs when the immune system produces an abnormal reaction to a specific drug. Often the reactions are mild, but some can be life-threatening.

Several different types of allergic reactions to medications can occur. Reactions to drugs range from a mild localized rash to serious effects on vital systems. The body’s response can affect many organ systems, but the skin is the organ most frequently involved.

It is important to recognize the symptoms of a drug allergy, because they can be life-threatening. Death from an allergic reaction to a medication is extremely rare, however.

An allergic reaction does not often happen the first time you take a medication. A reaction is much more likely to occur the next time you take that medication. If you have a reaction the first time, you probably were exposed to the medication before without being aware of it.

Causes:
An allergic reaction is caused by the body’s immune system overreacting to the drug, which is viewed as a chemical “invader,” or antigen. This overreaction is often called a hypersensitivity reaction.

*The body produces antibodies to the antigen and stores the antibodies on special cells.
*The antibody in an allergic reaction is called immunoglobulin E, or IgE.
*When the body is exposed to the drug again, the antibodies signal the cells to release chemicals called “mediators.” Histamine is an example of a mediator.
*The effects of these mediators on organs and other cells cause the symptoms of the reaction.

The most common triggers of drug allergies are the following:
*Painkillers (called analgesics) such as codeine, morphine, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen or indomethacin), and aspirin
*Antibiotics such as penicillin, sulfa drugs, and tetracycline
*Antiseizure medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or carbamazepine (Tegretol)

Symptoms:
Drug allergies may cause many different types of symptoms depending on the drug and the degree of exposure to the drug (how often you have taken it). These are the most common reactions:

Skin reactions:
A measles-like rash
Hives—Slightly red, itchy, and raised swellings on the skin, which have an irregular shape
Photoallergy—Sensitivity to sunlight, an itchy and scaly rash that occurs following sun exposure
Erythema multiforme—Red, raised and itchy patches on the skin that sometimes look like bull’s-eye targets and which may occur together with swelling of the face or tongue

Fever
Muscle and joint aches
Lymph node swelling
Inflammation of the kidney

Unlike most allergic reactions, which occur fairly quickly after exposure to the allergen, allergic reactions to drugs tend to occur days or weeks after the first dose of the drug.

Anaphylaxis or anaphylactic reaction—This is a serious allergic reaction that can be life threatening. A person with anaphylaxis must be treated in a hospital emergency department. Characteristics of anaphylaxis (sometimes referred to as anaphylactic shock) include:

Skin reaction—Hives, redness/flushing, sense of warmth, itching

Difficulty breathing—Chest tightness, wheezing, throat tightness

Fainting—Light-headedness or loss of consciousness due to drastic decrease in blood pressure (“shock”)

Rapid or irregular heart beat

Swelling of face, tongue, lips, throat, joints, hands, or feet

Almost all anaphylactic reactions occur within four hours of the first dose of the drug. Most occur within one hour of taking the drug, and many occur within minutes or even seconds.
An allergic reaction to a drug may give rise to the following symptoms:

If you develop the symptoms and suspect they may be due to a prescription, or over-the-counter drug, contact your doctor at once before taking the next dose. Rarely, a drug allergy may lead to a severe and potentially fatal reaction called anaphylaxis.

Risk factors for drug allergies include the following:-

*Frequent exposure to the drug

*Large doses of the drug

*Drug given by injection rather than pill

*Family tendency to develop allergies and asthma

*Certain food allergies such as to eggs, soybeans, or shellfish

When to Seek Medical Care:-

Always contact the health-care provider who prescribed the medication for advice.

*If the symptoms are mild, such as itching and localized hives, the provider may switch you to a different type of medication, recommend that you stop the medication, or, if appropriate, prescribe antihistamines to relieve your symptoms.

*If you cannot reach this provider for advice quickly, play it safe and go to a hospital emergency department.

*If you are having any “systemic” symptoms such as fever or vomiting, you should stop taking the medication and be seen immediately by a medical professional.

*If you are having difficulty breathing, your throat is swelling, or you are feeling faint, you may be having an anaphylactic reaction. Go immediately to a hospital emergency department. Do not attempt to drive yourself. If no one is available to drive you right away, call 911 for an ambulance. While waiting for the ambulance, start self-treatment.

Diagnosis:-
Generally a drug allergy is identified by signs and symptoms. Medical professionals are trained to recognize hives, swelling patterns, and rashes associated with allergic reactions. You will be asked questions about your medical history and possible triggers of the reaction.Blood tests and other tests are needed only under very unusual circumstances.

Treatment:-
After getting advice from your health-care provider, some mild allergic reactions may be treated at home.In very serious cases only , Hospitalization may be required.

Self Home Care:-

For hives or localized skin reactions, perform the following:

*Take cool showers or apply cool compresses.
*Wear light clothing that doesn’t irritate your skin.
*Take it easy. Keep your activity level low.

To relieve the itching, apply calamine lotion or take nonprescription antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or chlorpheniramine maleate (Chlor-Trimeton).

For more severe reactions, self-treatment is not recommended. Call your health-care provider or 911, depending on the severity of your symptoms. If you have symptoms of anaphylaxis, here’s what you can do while waiting for the ambulance:

Try to stay calm.

*If you can identify the cause of the reaction, prevent further exposure.
Take an antihistamine (one to two tablets or capsules of diphenhydramine [Benadryl]) if you can swallow without difficulty.
*If you are wheezing or having difficulty breathing, use an inhaled bronchodilator such as albuterol (Proventil) or epinephrine (Primatene Mist) if one is available. These inhaled medications dilate the airway.
*If you are feeling light-headed or faint, lie down and raise your legs higher than your head to help blood flow to your brain.
*If you have been given an epinephrine kit, inject yourself as you have been instructed. The kit provides a premeasured dose of epinephrine, a prescription drug that rapidly reverses the most serious symptoms.

Bystanders should administer CPR to a person who becomes unconscious and stops breathing or does not have a pulse.

If at all possible, you or your companion should be prepared to tell medical personnel what medications you take and any known allergies.

Modern Medical Treatment:-

Generally, treatment of a drug allergy falls into three categories:

Mild allergy (localized hives and itching)
Treatment is aimed at caring for the symptoms and stopping the reaction caused by the drug.
Medications prescribed may include antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
You may be advised to stop taking the medication that caused the allergy.
Moderately severe allergy (all-over hives and itching)
Treatment is aimed at caring for the symptoms and stopping the reaction.

Usually the offending medication is stopped.
Medications prescribed may include antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl)), oral steroids (prednisone), or histamine blockers such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), or ranitidine (Zantac).

Severe allergy (shortness of breath, throat tightness, faintness, severe hives, involvement of many organ systems)
Treatment includes strong medications to quickly reverse the dangerous chain of events.
The offending medication is stopped immediately.

Medications prescribed may include antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl), oral or IV steroids such as prednisone or methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol), or histamine blockers such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), or ranitidine (Zantac).

Depending on the severity of other symptoms, other medications may be used including epinephrine (also called adrenaline), which is inhaled, given by IV, or injected under the skin.

If your reaction is severe, you may need to be admitted to the hospital for continued therapy and observation.

Follow-up:-
Follow up with your health-care provider after an allergic reaction to a drug. At this follow-up appointment, he or she can evaluate your recovery from the reaction and adjust any medications.
If you do not respond to the treatment prescribed for your drug allergy, it is important that you see a medical professional for re-evaluation.

Ayurvedic Treastment : VIRECHAN

Prevention:-
There is no known way to prevent drug allergies. You can reduce your risk by taking as few medications as possible. The more exposure your body has to medications, the greater the likelihood of a drug allergy.

Always tell any new health-care provider you see about your allergies and the types of reactions you have had. Talk to your doctor about the possibility or necessity of having a portable epinephrine kit to treat severe reactions.

Do not take a drug that you have reacted to in the past. Once you have a reaction to a drug, your risk of having a more severe reaction next time increases dramatically.

Consider wearing a medical alert ID bracelet or necklace. These devices are worn on the wrist or neck and can alert medical personnel and others about the risk for an allergic reaction.

Adults might carry a card with pertinent medical information in a wallet or purse. Tell your health-care provider about any adverse reactions to medications in the past before he or she prescribes medications to you.

Tell your health-care provider about any medications, prescription or over-the-counter, that you are taking.

Click for->Practice Guidelines: Drug Allergy

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_allergy
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/drug_allergy/page15_em.htm
http://www.charak.com/DiseasePage.asp?thx=1&id=246

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Herbs & Plants

Safed Musli

Botanical Name: Chlorophytum Borivilianum

Family : Liliaceae,

English Name: Indian Spider Plant
Common Name: Safed Musli
Parts used: Tuberous Root and Seeds

Habitat:Chlorophytum is a genus of about 200-220 species of evergreen perennial flowering plants in the Agavaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia.
Chlorophytum comosum, the Spider Plant, a native of South Africa, is a very popular houseplant in its variegated form.

Description:
Safed Musli belongs to the family of Liliaceae, is a traditional medicinal plant found is natural forest right from east Assam to Gujarat. It is a pretty herb with erect lanceolate herbed leaves erect dense flowered racemoses of white colour.They grow to 10-60 cm tall, with a rosette of long, slender leaves 15-75 cm long and 0.5-2 cm broad, growing from a thick, fleshy rhizome. The flowers are small, usually white, produced on sparse panicles up to 120 cm long; in some species the panicle also bears plantlets, which take root on touching the ground.

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Different Species of Musli (Moosli):

In India about eight species of safed musli are reported out of them only Chlorophytum borivillianum, Chlorophytum arundinaceam and Chlorophytum tuberosum are commercially collected by our tribes from the forest. Chlorophytum borivillianum is the only species which is under commercial cultivation.

1.Chlorophytum borivillianum
2.Chlorophytum arundinaceum
3.Chlorophytum tuberocum
4.Chlorophytum malabericum
5.Chlorophytum attenuatum
6.Chlorophytum breviscapum
7.Asparagus filicinus
8.A. gonoclados
Medicinal Uses:
.Aphrodasiac, tonic, pain reliever and used to cure general debility and impotency. Its powder increases lactation in feeding mothers and lactating cows. It is being increasingly used in Ayurvedic and Pharmaceutical Industries.
Safed Musli is a rare divine-graced herb to offer all the effects required for achievement of health par excellence or for attaining the ultimate positive health. It treats male sexual inadequacies like oligospermia, lack of libido, impotency, etc, general debility. It is also used as major components in all kinds of sex-tonics and capsules.

Safed Musli is also gaining increasing acceptance as a vitalizer and health-giving tonic, a curative for pre-natal and post-natal problems, a restorative for immunity-improvement and as a remedy for diabetes and arthritis.

Chlorophytum borivilianum is eaten as a leaf vegetable in some parts of India, and its roots are used medicinally as a sex tonic under the name safed moosli. The medicinal value is thought to derive from its saponin content, up to 17 percent by dry weight. It has also recently been suggested that it may produce an aphrodisiac agent. It is a herb with lanceolate leaves, from tropical wet forests. As medicinal demand has increased, the plant has been brought under cultivation. The saponins and alkaloids present in the plant are the source of its alleged aphrodisiac properties.

Its tubers are used in Ayurvedic medicines; it contains about 27 alkaloids, steroid saponin (2-17%), polysaccaroids (40-45%), carbohydrates, proteins (7-10%), minerals, vitamins etc. White musli or Dhauli Musli is used for the preparation of health tonic used in general and sexual weekness. It contains spermametogic properties, decoction of safed musli for curing impotency as they are rich in glycosides.

Composition and Uses:
Safed Musli is a rich source of :
* Alkaloids
* Proteins
* Carbohydrates
* Steroid Saponins
* Vitamins
* Polysaccarods
Safed Musli is used as an –
* Aphrodisiac agent and vitalizer.
* As a general sex tonic.
* Remedy for Diabetes.
* As a cure for Arthritis.
* As a curative for Natal and Post-Natal problems.
* For Rheumetism and Joint Pains.

*For therapeutic application in ayurvedi, unani, Allopathic.

*Curative of many physical illness and weakness.

*It has spermatogenic property and helpful in curing impotency as they are rich in glycosides.

*For increasing general boddy immunity.

*Used in PAN and GUTKHA.

*Root powder fried in the GHEE, CHEWED in case of apthae of mouth and throat.

8*Curative of Natal and post Natal problems.

Above all these SAFED MUSLI (SAFED MOOSLI) is found very effective in increasing male potency.
It is considered as alternative to Viagra.

Demand:
The Demand of SAFED MOOSLI (35000 tons/Annum) is much higher then the supply/collection (5000 tons/annum).

Looking to the increasing demand and alarming dangers, it has become inevitable to undertake the commercial cultivation of the SAFED MUSLI

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://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/safedmoosli.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophytum
http://www.apexherbex.com/herbs3.htm#Chlorophytum%20Borivilianum
http://www.jeevanherbs.com/safed-musli.html
http://www.motherherbs.com/safed-musli.html
http://hramit.en.ec21.com/product_detail.

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Herbs & Plants

Giloy

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Botanical Name: Tinospora Cordifolia , Menisper mum cordifolium, Cocculuc cordifolia
Other Names: Guduchi, Amrita, Giloy , Amrithu, Gulansha
Family: Menispermaceae


Description :

Large, glabrous, deciduous, climbing shrubs. Leaves broadly ovate, cordate, long petiolate. Flowers small, yellow or greenish-yellow, appearing when the plant is leafiless, in axillary and terminal racemes or racemose panicles; male flowers clustered females usually solitary. Parts used : Root, stem, leat. Major Constituents : The dry stem with bark constitutes the drug, which have different reported constituents, such as bitter glycoside Gillian a non glucoside giloinin. Three bitter compounds namely tinosporon acid and tinosporol have been reported.

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. The stems are rather succulent with long filiform fleshy aerial roots form the branches. The bark is gray brown and watery. The leaves are membranous and cordate. The flowers small and greenish yellow. This herb is found throughout tropical India ascending to a height of 300 mts. This herb is found in the in many parts of the north & south India.

Stems – Fleshy
Roots – long thread like, aerial,arise from branches.
Bark – Thin, greyish or creamy white in colour, when peeled fleshy stem is exposed.
Leaves – Cordate (heart shaped), membranous, juicy.
Flowers – Bloom during summer
Male flower – Small, yellow or green coloured occur in clusters.
Female flower – Occur singly.
Fruits – Pea shaped, fleshy, shiny turn red when boiled. Occur in winter
Seeds – curved, pea sized.

Part Used: Stems, Roots

Uses :
This herb is used in seminal weakness and urinary affections. It is also a valuable tonic. Other applications of this herb include: fever, gout, jaundice, torpidity of the liver, skin diseases, secondary syphilis, rheumatism, constipation, tuberculosis, and leprosy. It is a blood purifier and may be useful in AIDS and other immune diseases also. It is also being proposed for cancer patients before and after chemotherapy.

It is an important constituent of several preparations, used in general debility, dyspepsia fever as aphrodisiac in urinary disorders. It is also reported to provide relief in diabetes, piles and dysentery. A part from stem, the decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of gout. The root is also powerful emetic and also used for visceral obstruction.

Healing power and curative properties:
This herb is used in stomach ulcer and urinary affections. The entire plant is regarded as a valuable alterative and stimulant. Tinospora is used in Ayurvedic medicine as a tonic, vitalizer and remedy for diabetes and metabolic disorders. It is also helpful in the treatment of problems that are chronic and cause fatigue, and difficulties with digestion (resulting in poor nutritional status). It has been used to reduce blood glucose level. The plant is used to improve the immune system and body’s resistance against infections. It is used as Immunomodulator in Immunosuppression of obstructive Jaundice, Hepatic fibrosis, Peritonitis and Sepsis. The plant has been found effective in preventing fibrous changes and promotes regeneration of the liver from drug induced hepatic toxicity It is useful in eye conditions, as a tissue builder, helps development of intelligence, and retains youth by helping to prevent premature aging.

Stomach Ulcer:

Giloy use for soothing inflamed and injured mucous membranes in the digestive tract. This herb protect the stomach and duodenum by increasing production of mucin, a substance that protects the lining of these organs against stomach acid and other harmful substances.

Urinary disorder :

This herb is used in urinary affections. The juice of the roots is very much effective in Urinary problems.

Immunity Disorders :
Giloy has been proven to be effective in inhibiting the growth of bacteria and enhancing the buildup of immune resistance. Scientific research is now providing clues to Giloy immune-boosting ability to fight diseases. In a study using human white blood cells, Giloy increased the killing ability of macrophages, the immune cells responsible for fighting invaders.

Mental Disorder :
The whole plant and the juice of the leaves is traditionally used in various mental disorders. This is regarded as one of the best psychotropic drugs in India.

Other uses :
Studies on induced oedema and arthritis and on human arthritis proved anti-inflammatory potency of the water extract of plant. It also has antipyretic action. This drug relaxes the intestinal and uterine smooth muscles. It is proved effective in prevention of fibrosis and in stimulating regeneration in hepatic tissue.

Ayurvedic supplements that contains Giloy : Giloy Satwa

Safety:
No information available. To be taken only under the direct supervision of a qualified professional.

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

Help taken from:Allayurveda.com,http://presidentofindia.nic.in/herbal.html and http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h150.htm

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Herbs & Plants

Reetha (Soap nut)

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Botanical name : Sapindus laurifolius or Sapindus trifoliatus or Spindaceae or Sapindus mukorossi
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Sapindus
Species: S. mukorossi
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Sapindales

Common names: Reetha, Puchikottai, Munippungu, Urulinji, Kumkuticettu, Uruvanci, Phenila, Antolakaayi, Chavakkai

Habitat: It is a native of Western coastal Maharashtra – Konkan, and Goa in India. Sapindus mukorrossi, known as the ritha or reetha tree in Nepal, is a deciduous tree that is grown in the lower foothills and midhills of the Himalayans, up to altitudes of 4000 feet. It is tolerant to reasonably poor soil, can be planted around farmers’ homes, and one Ritha tree can produce 30–35 kg of fruit per year.

Description:

The soap nut is a large deciduous tree with fleshy fruit like a berry which yields a soap. Unlike the soaps produced by pharmaceutical companies, the substance taken from this fruit does not have a high acid content.The Indian soapnuts are natural washing agent, it is a 100% ecological alternative to polluting chemical washings.Soapnuts are fruits of a tree growing in India called Sapindus Mukorossi (soap tree).The soapnuts are not used by themselves, but rather the shell which contains a highly precious substance called saponine, that holds exceptional washing properties.

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The seeds of the soap-nut tree yield a thick viscous oil which can cause acute nausea and acrid poisoning. The oil is used with extreme caution by Ayurvedic physicians in drugs made for patients suffering from severe cases of chronic diarrhea or cholera. Ayurveda also uses pessaries made from the fruit to induce childbirth, both the purposes of abortion and for cases of difficult delivery, while other concoctions are made into nose drops and administered through the nostrils to relieve attacks of hysteria, epilepsy, and Hemicrania.

Reetha powder is prepared from dried fruit of Reetha. It can be used as a face pack to improve facial complexion. It is used as a hair application to make hair shiny and their beautification. It also removes dandruff and lice in hair.

How to use it:
Use 1 part reetha powder and 6 parts water , soak it for two hours then stain and use it. Use it on hairs to kill the lices. The main use of Reetha powder is in Herbal shampoo industry.

Parts used:
Soapnuts
Soapnut shells
Soapnut shells powder
Contents: Tannic acid, Vitamin C.

Properties and Action According to Indigenous Medical Systems:

Rasa: Spicy.
Vipaka: Spice.
Veerya: Ushna veerya.

Uses:
These seeds are rich in saponins.
It is an antibacterial cleanser. Exfoliant.
It has expectorant and emetic properties.
It is used as cleansing agent for hair, skin and laundry.
It clears skin problems like eczema, psoriasis, itchy skin.
It also protects sensitive skin.

Names due to Physical properties:
Krishnabeeja: Black seeds.
Phenila: Creats foam.

Names due to Medical properties:
It prevents hair loss, controls dandruff.
It balances salivation, epilepsy and chlorosis.
Good remedy for dental caries.
It is good cleaning agent for oily skin.

Excellent hair tonic :
These dark-brown pods are highly beneficial for the hair. Reetha completes the family of shikakai and trifla. Equal proportions of all three, can be soaked in water and then used to clean hair. Reetha is rich in iron, phosphorous and Vitamin A. Soak reetha overnight and then make a paste from the soak pods. Apply this paste on the hair and leave for an hour. Wash off with a good shampoo or even rinse with plain water. This lends the hair a rich, dark colour. It improves blood circulation in the scalp and treats dandruff.

For Dandruff: Mix soap nut with water and apply once a week.
Help taken from:www.ayurvediccure.com , www.ayurveda.ms andAllayurveda.com

It is suggested that the soapnut can also be used as a natural remedy for many health problems, such as for treating migrane headaches, or for dermatological purposes such as using the seeds to remove skin impurities like pimples or eczema.

Other Uses:
Cleanser/insecticide:
The soapnut contains the compound of saponin, which has natural cleansing properties, and therefore the soapnut can be used as a cleanser for hair, skin, and clothing.  These saponins are also useful as insecticides, for purposes such as removing head lice off the scalp.

Surfactant:
Methods of extracting the maximum amount of oil from existing oil reserves has become a scientific focus in a world that has become dependent on fossil fuels. Researchers have found that the Ritha fruit can be used in an enhanced oil recovery technique.[9] More specifically, Chhetri, Watts, Rahman, and Islam (2009) found that extracts from the soapnut can be used as an organic surfactant to increase the mobility of oil from the fields. In addition, researchers have demonstrated the potential for the soapnut to be used as a natural surfactant for washing arsenic from soils that are rich in iron.

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

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Eucalyptus

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Botanical Name:Eucalyptus globulus
Family: Myrtaceae
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Myrtales
Genus:
Eucalyptus
Species:
E. globulus

Common Name:Blue Gum

SynonymsBlue Gum Tree. Stringy Bark Tree.
Part Used—The oil of the leaves.
Habitat—–Australia. Now North and South Africa, India, and Southern Europe.The bark shreds often, peeling in large strips. The broad juvenile leaves are borne in opposite pairs on square stems. They are about 6 to 15 cm long and covered with a blue-grey, waxy bloom, which is the origin of the common name “blue gum”. The mature leaves are narrow, sickle-shaped and dark shining green. They are arranged alternately on rounded stems and range from 15 to 35 cm in length. The buds are top-shaped, ribbed and warty and have a flattened operculum (cap on the flower bud) bearing a central knob. The cream-colored flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils and produce copious nectar that yields a strongly flavored honey. The fruits are woody and range from 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter. Numerous small seeds are shed through valves (numbering between 3 and 6 per fruit) which open on the top of the fruit. It produces roots throughout the soil profile, rooting several feet deep in some soils. They do not form taproots.

The Tasmanian Blue Gum was proclaimed as the floral emblem of Tasmania on 27 November 1962. The species name is from the Latin globulus, a little button, referring to the shape of the operculum.
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Eucalyptus

Description:
The Tasmanian Blue Gum, Southern Blue Gum or Blue Gum, is an evergreen tree, one of the most widely cultivated trees native to Australia. They typically grow from 30 to 55 m (98 to 180 ft) tall. The tallest currently known specimen in Tasmania is 90.7 m tall. There are historical claims of even taller trees, the tallest being 101 m (330 ft). The natural distribution of the species includes Tasmania and southern Victoria. There are also isolated occurrences on King Island and Flinders Island in Bass Strait and on the summit of the You Yangs

The leaves are leathery in texture, hang obliquely or vertically, and are studded with glands containing a fragrant volatile oil. The flowers in bud are covered with a cup-like membrane (whence the name of the genus, derived from the Greek eucalyptos well-covered), which is thrown off as a lid when the flower expands. The fruit is surrounded by a woody, cupshaped receptacle and contains numerous minute seeds.
Eucalyptus trees are quick growers and many species reach a great height. Eucalyptus amygdalin (Labille ) is the tallest known tree, specimens attaining as much as 480 feet, exceeding in height even the Californian Big Tree (Sequoia gigantea). Many species yield valuable timber, others oils, kino, etc.

There are a great number of species of Eucalyptus trees yielding essential oils, the foliage of some being more odorous than that of others, and the oils from the various species differing widely in character. It necessarily follows that the term Eucalyptus oil is meaningless from a scientific point of view unless the species from which it is derived is stated.

The oils may be roughly divided into three classes of commercial importance: (1) the medicinal oils, which contain substantial amounts of eucalyptol (also known as cineol); (2) the industrial oils, containing terpenes, which are used for flotation purposes in mining operations; (3) the aromatic oils, such as E. citriodora, which are characterized by their aroma.

Related species:
Many botanists treat The Tasmanian Blue Gum as a subspecies of a broader species concept. This broader E. globulus includes the following subspecies:

*E. globulus subsp. bicostata = E. bicostata – Southern Blue Gum, Eurabbie, Victorian Blue Gum

*E. globulus subsp. globulus = E. globulus – Tasmanian Blue Gum

*E. globulus subsp. maidenii= E. maidenii – Maiden’s Gum

*E. globulus subsp. pseudoglobulus = E. pseudoglobulus – Gippsland Blue Gum, Victorian Eurabbie

The broader E. globulus concept is supported by Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne and the Tasmanian Herbarium , but not by Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney where the four taxa are considered distinct species.

Constituents-–The essential Oil of Eucalyptus used in medicine is obtained by aqueous distillation of the fresh leaves. It is a colourless or straw-coloured fluid when properly prepared, with a characteristic odour and taste, soluble in its own weight of alcohol. The most important constituent is Eucalyptol, present in E. globulus up to 70 per cent of its volume. It consists chiefly of a terpene and a cymene. Eucalyptus Oil contains also, after exposure to the air, a crystallizable resin, derived from Eucalyptol.

Other Uses:
Timber and Fuelwood
Blue gum is renown as a fast growing timber tree. It comprises 65% of all plantation hardwood in Australia with approximately 4,500 km² planted. The tree is widely cultivated elsewhere in the world. It is primarily planted as a pulpwood, and also as an important fuelwood in many countries. It has poor lumber qualities due to growth stress problems, but can be used in construction, fence posts and poles.
Essential Oil
The leaves are steam distilled to extract eucalyptus oil. E.globulus is the primary source of global eucalyptus oil production, with China being the largest commercial producer. The oil has therapeutic, perfumery, flavoring, antimicrobial and biopesticide properties. Oil yield ranges from 1.0-2.4% (fresh weight), with cineole being the major isolate. E.globulus oil has established itself internationally because it is virtually phellandrene free, a necessary characteristic for internal pharmaceutical use. In 1870, Cloez, identified and ascribed the name “eucalyptol” – now more often called cineole – to the dominant portion of E. globulus oil.
Herb Tea
Blue gum leaves are used as a therapeutic herbal tea.
Honey

Blue gum flowers are considered a good source of nectar and pollen for bees.
Environmental Weed:
It was introduced to California in the mid 1800s and is prominent in many parks in San Francisco and throughout the state, where it is currently considered to be an invasive species due to its ability to quickly spread and displace native plant communities.
Medicinal Uses:

Stimulant, antiseptic, aromatic.

The medicinal Eucalyptus Oil is probably the most powerful antiseptic of its class, especially when it is old, as ozone is formed in it on exposure to the air. It has decided disinfectant action, destroying the lower forms of life. Internally, it has the typical actions of a volatile oil in a marked degree.

*Best solution for blocked nose & sore throat.
*Excellent deodorant.
*Effective for acne and boils
*Acne & boils: Mix eucalyptus oil with mustard oil and apply on the affected zone


Eucalyptus Oil is used as a stimulant and antiseptic gargle. Locally applied, it impairs sensibility. It increases cardiac action.

Its antiseptic properties confer some antimalarial action, though it cannot take the place of Cinchona.

An emulsion made by shaking up equal parts of the oil and powdered gum-arabic with water has been used as a urethral injection, and has also been given internally in drachm doses in pulmonary tuberculosis and other microbic diseases of the lungs and bronchitis.

In croup and spasmodic throat troubles, the oil may be freely applied externally.

The oil is an ingredient of ‘catheder oil,’ used for sterilizing and lubricating urethral catheters.

In large doses, it acts as an irritant to the kidneys, by which it is largely excreted, and as a marked nervous depressant ultimately arresting respiration by its action on the medullary centre.

For some years Eucalyptus-chloroform was employed as one of the remedies in the tropics for hookworm, but it has now been almost universally abandoned as an inefficient anthelmintic, Chenopodium Oil having become the recognized remedy.

In veterinary practice, Eucalyptus Oil is administered to horses in influenza, to dogs in distemper, to all animals in septicaemia. It is also used for parasitic skin affections.
EUCALYPTUS GUM or KINO
E. nostrata and some other species ofEucalyptus yield Eucalyptus or Red Gum, a ruby-coloured exudation from the bark (to be distinguished from Botany Bay Kino).

Red Gum is a very powerful astringent and is given internally in doses of 2 to 5 grains in cases of diarrhoea and pharyngeal inflammations. It is prepared in the form of tinctures, syrups, lozenges, etc.

Red Gum is official in Great Britain, being imported from Australia, though the Kino generally employed here as the official drug is derived from Pterocarpus Marsupium, a member of the order Leguminosae, East Indian, or Malabar Kino, and is administered in doses of 5 to 20 grains powdered, or 1/2 to 1 drachm of the tincture.

In veterinary practice, Red Gum is occasionally prescribed for diarrhoea in dogs and is used for superficial wounds.

E. globulus, E. resinifera and other species yield what is known as Botany Bay Kino, an astringent, dark-reddish, amorphous resin, which is obtained in a semi-fluid state by making incisions in the trunk of the tree and is used for similar purposes.

EUCALYPTUS OINTMENTS
— A good ointment for the skin, containing antiseptic and healing properties. It produces very satisfactory results in scurf, chapped hands, chafes, dandruff, tender feet, enlargements of the glands, spots on the chest, arms, back and legs, pains in the joints and muscles.

Apply a piece of clean cotton or lint to wounds after all dirt is washed away. For aches and pains rub the part affected well and then cover with lint. Repeat two or three times, taking a blood-purifying mixture at the same time.
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
botanical.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_globulus

 

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