[Erythraea centaurium]

Centaury (European):

European Centaury

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—Botanical name— Erythraea centaurium A Modern Herbal; Köhler's Medicinal Plants Wikipedia.org

—Chinese Botanical name—

—Description— Used medicinally as a stomachic particularly heartburn and tonic, over pain of muscular rheumatism, stimulate liver and bile action along with urination problems. #

—Synonyms— Centaury Gentian, Century, Red Centaury, Filwort, Centory, Christ's Ladder, Feverwort.

—Part Used— The whole herb when just breaking into flower and dried.

—Medicinal Action and Uses— Aromatic bitter, stomachic and tonic. It acts on the liver and kidneys, purifies the blood, and is an excellent tonic. A infusion may also be taken for muscular rheumatism. #

Old Herbalists prescribed it largely for snake-bites and other poisons, and it was long celebrated for the cure of intermittent fevers, hence its name of Feverwort.

Centaury is given with Barberry Bark for jaundice as a doctrine. It has also been much employed as a vermifuge (worms).

The green herb, bruised, is reputed to be good as an application to wounds and sores.

“Culpepper” tells us that:

‘the herbe is so safe that you cannot fail in the using of it, only give it inwardly for inward diseases, use it outwardly for outward diseases. ‘Tis very wholesome, but not very toothsome.'

‘it helps those that have the dropsy, or the green-sickness, being much used by the Italians in powder for that purpose. It kills worms … as is found by experience…. A dram of the powder taken in wine, is a wonderful good help against the biting and poison of an adder. The juice of the herb with a little honey put to it, is good to clear the eyes from dimness, mists and clouds that offend or hinder sight. It is singularly good both for green and fresh wounds, as also for old ulcers and sores, to close up the one and cleanse the other, and perfectly to cure them both, although they are hollow or fistulous; the green herb, especially, being bruised and laid thereto. The decoction thereof dropped into the ears, cleanses them from worms . . . and takes away all freckles, spots, and marks in the skin, being washed with it.'

—References— “Advanced Treatise in Herbology” by – Edward E. Shook, N.D., D.C.  Copyright by Wendell W. Whitman 302 E. Winona Avenue, Warsaw, IN  46580.

—References— Business Dictionare.com http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/anaerobic.html

—References— “Dicitionary.com” http://www.dictionary.com

—References— “From the Shepherd's Purse” by – Max G. Barlow, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-9602812-0-7.

—References— Medicine Net.com http://www.medterms.com

—References— Medical Herbalism The Science and practice of herbal medicine by David Hoffman, FNIMH, AHG, Copyright 2003, ISBN – 0-89281-749-6 

—References— “Nutritional Herbology” by – Mark Pedersen, Copyright 2008, ISBN – 10: 1-885653-07-7; ISBN – 13: 978-1-885653-07-9

—References—  Planetary Herbology by – Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., Copyright 1988, ISBN – 0-941524-27-2

—References— “Prescription for Nutrition Healing” by – Phyllis A. Balch, CNC, Copyright 2006, ISBN: 1-58333-236-7.

—References— “The Ultimate Healing System – The Illustrated Guide to Muscle Testing & Nutrition” by – Donald Lepore, N.D. Copyright 1985, ISBN: 0-94717-11560-7.

—References— WebMD http://www.webmd.com/default.htm

—References—  Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

—References— A Modern Herbal – https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/comindx.html

—References— Henriette's Herbal Home – https://www.henriettes-herb.com/faqs/index.html

—References— Handbook of Medicinal Herbs second edition By James A. Duke with Mary Jo Bogenschutz-Godwin, Judi duCellier, Peggy-Ann K. Duke

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Generated on April 29, 2007
Updated on November 19, 2008