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Alterative: Also known as Blood Purifier. Help the body to assimilate
nutrients and eliminate waste products.
Analgesics: Taken to relieve pain without causing loss of consciousness.
Some analgesics are also antispasmodics, relieving pain by reducing cramping in
muscles.
Antacids: Herbs that are able to neutralize excess acids in the stomach
and intestines. In most cases these also have demulcent properties to protect
the stomach lining.
Antiabortives: Herbs that help inhibit abortive tendencies.
Antiasthmatics: Herbs that relieve the symptoms of asthma.
Antibiotics: Substances that inhibit the growth of, or destroy bacteria,
viruses, amoebas. While many herbal antibiotics have direct germ killing effects,
they have as a primary action the stimulation of the immune system
Anticatarrhals: Substances that eliminate or counteract the formation of
mucus.
Antipyrectics: Cooling herbs used to reduce or prevent fever.
Antiseptics: Substances that can be applied to the skin to prevent the
growth of bacteria
Antispasmodics: Herbs that prevent or relax muscle spasms.
Aphrodisiacs: Substances used to improve sexual potency and power.
Astringents: Substances that have a constricting or binding effect. They
are commonly used to check hemorrhages and secretions, and to treat swollen
tonsils and hemorrhoids.
Carminatives: Herbs and spices taken to relieve gas and gripping (severe
pain in bowels).
Cholagogues: Substances used to promote the flow of bile into the small
intestine. These will also be laxatives, as the bile will stimulate elimination.
Diuretics: Herbs that increase the flow of urine. Used to treat water
retention, obesity, lymphatic swelling, nerve inflammations such as lumbago and
sciatica, infections of urinary tract, skin eruptions and kidney stones.
Demulcents: Soothing substances, usually mucilage taken internally to
protect damaged and inflamed tissues. Usually they will be used along with
diuretics to protect the kidney and urinary track.
Diaphorectics: Herbs used to induce sweating. Sweating teas should be
given hot. When cold, teas act as diuretic.
Emetics: Substances that induce vomiting and cause the stomach to
empty.
Emmenagogues: Herbs that promote menstruation, usually causing it to
occur earlier, and sometimes with increased flow.
Expectorants: Herbs that will assist in expelling mucus from the lungs and
throat
Galactogogues: Substances that increase the secretion of milk.
Hemostatics: Substances that arrest hemorrhaging. These include
astringents and herbs that affect the coagulation of blood.
Laxatives: Also known as purgatives. Substances that promote bowel
movements.
Lithotriptics: Herbs that help dissolve and eliminate urinary and biliary
stones and gravel.
Nervines: Herbs that calm the nerves and nourish the nervous system.
Oxytocics: Substances that stimulate uterine contractions to assist and
induce labor, thus hastening childbirth.
Parasiticides: Substances that destroy parasites in the digestive tract and
on the skin
Rubefacients: Substances that increase the flow of blood at the surface
of the skin and produce redness where they are applied. Their function is to
draw inflammation and congestion from deeper areas. They are useful for the
treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.
Sedatives: Herbs that strongly quiet the nervous system. These will
include antispasmodics and nervines.
Sialagogues: Substances that stimulate the flow of saliva and thus aid in
digestion of starches.
Stimulants: Herbs that increase the energy of the body, drive the
circulation, break up obstruction and warm the body.
Tonics: Herbs that promote the functions of the systems of the body.
Most tonics have general effects on the whole body, but also have a marked
effect on a specific system.
Vulneraries: Herbs that encourage the healing of wounds by promoting
cell growth and repair.
nutrients and eliminate waste products.
Analgesics: Taken to relieve pain without causing loss of consciousness.
Some analgesics are also antispasmodics, relieving pain by reducing cramping in
muscles.
Antacids: Herbs that are able to neutralize excess acids in the stomach
and intestines. In most cases these also have demulcent properties to protect
the stomach lining.
Antiabortives: Herbs that help inhibit abortive tendencies.
Antiasthmatics: Herbs that relieve the symptoms of asthma.
Antibiotics: Substances that inhibit the growth of, or destroy bacteria,
viruses, amoebas. While many herbal antibiotics have direct germ killing effects,
they have as a primary action the stimulation of the immune system
Anticatarrhals: Substances that eliminate or counteract the formation of
mucus.
Antipyrectics: Cooling herbs used to reduce or prevent fever.
Antiseptics: Substances that can be applied to the skin to prevent the
growth of bacteria
Antispasmodics: Herbs that prevent or relax muscle spasms.
Aphrodisiacs: Substances used to improve sexual potency and power.
Astringents: Substances that have a constricting or binding effect. They
are commonly used to check hemorrhages and secretions, and to treat swollen
tonsils and hemorrhoids.
Carminatives: Herbs and spices taken to relieve gas and gripping (severe
pain in bowels).
Cholagogues: Substances used to promote the flow of bile into the small
intestine. These will also be laxatives, as the bile will stimulate elimination.
Diuretics: Herbs that increase the flow of urine. Used to treat water
retention, obesity, lymphatic swelling, nerve inflammations such as lumbago and
sciatica, infections of urinary tract, skin eruptions and kidney stones.
Demulcents: Soothing substances, usually mucilage taken internally to
protect damaged and inflamed tissues. Usually they will be used along with
diuretics to protect the kidney and urinary track.
Diaphorectics: Herbs used to induce sweating. Sweating teas should be
given hot. When cold, teas act as diuretic.
Emetics: Substances that induce vomiting and cause the stomach to
empty.
Emmenagogues: Herbs that promote menstruation, usually causing it to
occur earlier, and sometimes with increased flow.
Expectorants: Herbs that will assist in expelling mucus from the lungs and
throat
Galactogogues: Substances that increase the secretion of milk.
Hemostatics: Substances that arrest hemorrhaging. These include
astringents and herbs that affect the coagulation of blood.
Laxatives: Also known as purgatives. Substances that promote bowel
movements.
Lithotriptics: Herbs that help dissolve and eliminate urinary and biliary
stones and gravel.
Nervines: Herbs that calm the nerves and nourish the nervous system.
Oxytocics: Substances that stimulate uterine contractions to assist and
induce labor, thus hastening childbirth.
Parasiticides: Substances that destroy parasites in the digestive tract and
on the skin
Rubefacients: Substances that increase the flow of blood at the surface
of the skin and produce redness where they are applied. Their function is to
draw inflammation and congestion from deeper areas. They are useful for the
treatment of arthritis and rheumatism.
Sedatives: Herbs that strongly quiet the nervous system. These will
include antispasmodics and nervines.
Sialagogues: Substances that stimulate the flow of saliva and thus aid in
digestion of starches.
Stimulants: Herbs that increase the energy of the body, drive the
circulation, break up obstruction and warm the body.
Tonics: Herbs that promote the functions of the systems of the body.
Most tonics have general effects on the whole body, but also have a marked
effect on a specific system.
Vulneraries: Herbs that encourage the healing of wounds by promoting
cell growth and repair.
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This does not represent a complete list of herbal properties.