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PAPRIKA
Capsicum annuum
PAPYRUS
Cyperus papyrus
PARSLEY
Petroselinum hortense var. Crispum (curly)
Petroselinum hortense var. Filicinum (plain)
Petroselinum hortense var. Sativum
Used for spasms, urinary, congestion, menstruation, conjunctivitis, nutrition. Contains aromatic diuretic properties that are antimicrobial. Liver/urinary tonic. High in iron, helps remove kidney and gallstones, strengthens blood vessels, capillaries, arterioles. Key nutrients. A, c, potassium. Parsley is unbelievably rich in iron. The root, which is used in this combination, has an oily compound called apiol. Apiol belongs to the allyl resin compounds found in garlic, mustard, and valerian root to some extent. The seeds of parsley, however, contain more apiol than the root does about 2.6%. Apiol's physiological action has been described by the modern British herbalist, Mrs. M. Grieve: ". . . It exercises a singular influence on the great nerve centres of the head and spine . . . Fall of blood pressure and some slowing of the pulse . . ." Apiol is also present in dill herb, as Dr. Chopra points out in his comprehensive book of natural drugs found in his native India. About 100 grams of parsley contains: 8,500 international units of vitamin A compared to 10,500 units in carrots, 172 mg. Of vitamin C compared to 50 mg. In oranges, 0.12 mg of thiamine compared to 0.72 in wheat germ, 0.26 mg. Of riboflavin compared to 0.46 in cheese, 1.2 mg. Of niacin compared to 37.9 in brewer's yeast, 6.2 mg. Of iron compared to 6.5 mg. In liver, 722 mg. Of potassium compared to 915 in soybean powder, and 43 micrograms of folic acid compared to 290 in liver. Parsley herb, which has been discussed before, contains a volatile oil, apiin, and apiolin. Parsley is a source of apiol, which is not water soluble. Apiol concentrates its strength in two principal areas of importance: (a) the uterine tissue and (b) the lymphatic glands and the head area. As a result, normal menstruation is stimulated in women and fevers are corrected in people with them.
PARTRIDGE BERRY
Mitchella repens
PASQUE FLOWER
Anenome pulsatilla
PASSION FLOWER
Passiflora incarnata
Time of Administration: unknown.
Used for nervousness, insomnia, hysteria, headaches hypertension, nervous breakdown. Gentler than lobelia, mild sedative, calms nerves, normalizes blood pressure, deterrent for alcoholism, alleviates spasms. Key nutrients. C, flavinoids, calcium, anodyne agents.
PATCHOULI LEAF
Pogosiemon patchouli
PAU D' ARCO
Tabebuia spp
Antibiotic, antifungal and antioxidant agents kill bacteria and viruses. Used for anemia, asthma, skin problems and colitis. Nutritionally strengthens the immune system. Key nutrients. Calcium, cobalt, silica, zinc.
PEACH
Prunus persica
Used for urinary, sedative, lung congestion, vomiting, morning sickness. Good for the bodies nervous system, relieves water retention.
PEACH TREE BARK
Peach tree bark from the Prunus species (P. Persica) inspires urinary elimination, mucuous discharge from the lungs, fecal evacuation from the bowels, and mild sedation to the nerves, especially during vomiting and morning sickness stages experienced during pregnancy. Like all members of the Prunus group (i.e. Almond, wild cherry, etc.) It obviously has some small traces of hydrocyanic acid in its bark and leaves. However, the amount rapidly decreases as the species mature and increase in size. There is a fair distribution throughout leaves and bark alike of the remaining trace residues. For example: the cyanide content of small young cherry-laurel leaves rapidly drops 5% or more to about 0.4-1.0% as the leaf-size increases. Therefore, only mature leaves and bark of any of these species should be used for medicinal purposes and only after they have been sufficiently dried in the sun. Nevertheless, hydrogen cyanide can have great therapeutic value in minute doses, despite its lethality in larger quantities. Its curious ammonia-methane gas mixture has been scientifically proven to kill parasites of all kinds within the human body. Thus, its natural presence in the herbs just mentioned can be of immense medicinal importance, once properly modified by age, air, and sun.
PENNYROYAL
Menthus pulegium
Time of administration: uncertain (light seems to influence an irregular pattern of chemical rhythm, very hard to determine).
Used for perspiration, menstruation, nervine, childbirth, cramps, pain, insect repellant for man or beast (the oil), sunstroke. Good to relieve fevers, increases perspiration, useful for skin diseases, good for toothaches and gout, good for the chest and lungs. Ants and other insects are repelled by the plant and a tea made with the plant. The active constituents of pennyroyal are 1% volatile oil, certain bitter principles and tannin. The dried flowers and top of the plant contain the volatile oil ketone pulegone. This oil has chemical characteristics which place it somewhere between peppermint and camphor in its structural relationship. The oil is a yellow or greenish-yellow liquid and yields a strong aromatic odor and taste. When applied externally the herb oil will provide great relief from mosquito, chigger, and other insect bites on that order. Internally, it will have an opening effect on the pores of the skin, allowing for release of toxic poisons. The oil works in the stomach to remove gas. In the uterus it will stimulate menstruation. In fact, so remarkable is its chemical behavior in this female order that it should not be used in single form during the first several months (about 21/~) of pregnancy, for it can cause a possible abortion of the developing fetus. Later on, just before delivery, however, it can be used with safety and assurance. Pulegone also works on the central nervous system and produces a mild, tranquil effect.
PEONY
Good for kidney and bladder problems. Use in small doses.
PEPPER,BLACK
Piper nigerum
Grind 7-8 peppercorns, 1/8th tsp., Mix with honey, useful to overcome cold mucous diseases and soar throats. Use 3-4 times a day for acute disease.
PEPPER,CHILI
Capsicum annuum
PEPPER,RED
Capsicum
PEPPER,WHITE
Capsicum
PEPPERMINT
Mentha piperata
Time of administration: morning and evening.
Used for nerves, cramps, cough, colds, pain, migraines, nausea, relaxant. Relieves headache, soothes the stomach and digestive tract. Peppermint and lemon grass - have been analyzed scientifically in the laboratory for their remarkable antiviral strength. The natural-occurring tannin in peppermint suppressed the activity of influenza virus, Type A, when injected as an aqueous (liquid) extract into virus-infected chicken eggs. Herpes simples virus was also successfully defeated in the same manner. It was the conclusion of scientists performing these experiments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota that peppermint was "a potent inhibitor of diseases viruses" and manifested strong antiviral activity.
PEPSIN
Pepsin is an animal digestive enzyme preparation taken from the stomachs of pigs, sheep, or calves. The normally high acidity in the human stomach provides the necessary ph (1.8-2.0) for pepsin to split and inspire production of trypsin and chymotrypsin in the pancreas and other special enzymes produced in the intestines, required as part of the entire digestive process. Pepsin, however, is only needed for just a small part of this activity and does not appear to be absolutely essential for the final digestion of proteins.
Laboratory studies done in India have shown that the mucilages in herbs like comfrey root, act as a strong deterrent against E. Coli and similar microorganisms in the intestines by absorbing these unfriendly bacteria and other and other toxins as well. And such mucilage stays around in the gut for awhile, too. The following excerpt from a lab report briefly describes its interesting pharmacological action: Even after incubation for 24 hours with salivary enzymes, pepsin, and hydrochloric acid and the pancreatic enzymes there was very little digestion of the mucilage. It thus passes through the small intestine unchanged and during its passage it lines the mucous membrane acting as a demulcent and a lubricant. Further, the mucilage is not acted on by the intestinal bacteria in the large gut. Its presence there in fact would appear to have an inhibitory action on the growth of the organisms. That the mucilage is not acted on to any great extent by the digestive enzymes in the small intestine or the bacteria in the large intestine is further shown by the fact that large quantities of it can be seen in the stool after administration. [The lab technicianl gave a dessert spoonful of the powdered [rootl to cats with a stomach tube. On opening up the intestine on the following day, the whole of the mucilage was found spread on the surface of the mucous membrone forming a layer between the solid faeces [excrement] and the surface of the mucosa. From these experiments it is clear that the mucilage forms a coating over the surface of the ulcers. This would not only protect the injured mucosa from the irritating products of gastro-intestinal digestion but would also prevent access of [harmful and unwanted] bacteria.
PERIWINKLE
Vinca minor, major
Used for leukemia, menstruation, hemorrhaging, good for nervousness and diarrhea. The Madagascar periwinkle has two alkaloids which are vital in treating leukemia in children. They are vinblastine and vincristine. In addition to their antineoplastic qualities, they also perform a service for the brain, in that they carry more oxygen to the brain than any other herb known thus far, save capsicum. Simply put for the lay person, it means that these two alkaloids act as a liquid "sponge" as it were, causing the blood to absorb more oxygen than generally is the case. By this method is leukemia stopped and by the same principle is the most important organ of our body, nourished and fed.
PERSIMMON FRUIT
Good for expelling worms. Active ingredient, diospyrol.
PUERARIA
PIMENTO
Capsicum annuum
PINEAPPLE
Contains an enzyme that aids protein breakdown, good for digestion.
PINK ROOT
Spigelia marilandica
Used for worms, narcotic, strong laxative.
PIPSISSEWA
Chimaphila umbellata
PLANTAIN
Plantago major
Also- plantago lanceolata
Time of administration: morning to evening.
Used for coughs, respiratory, gas, worms, open sores and wounds, insect bites and stings, bladder, ulcers, good for cuts, skin infections and chronic skin problems. Relieves hemorrhoids and other inflammations. Plantain's main glucoside, aucubin, works on bladder infections and stomach ulcers. Aucubin can also bring some relief from pain in these areas as well. Good for uterine infection. Very useful for intestinal worms. Remarkable for tetany or blood poisoning.
PLEURISY ROOT
Asclepias tuberosa
Time of administration: afternoon to late afternoon (when combined with capsicum).
Used for lung congestion, fevers, pneumonia, dysentery, influenza. Helps bronchial complaints, breaks up cold and flu. Pleurisy root, as the name implies, is a wonderful expectorant for colds, flus, bronchitis, and other lung problems. It can be used as an effective substitute for ipecacuanha in treating dysentery or used in place of gastric lavage whenever there is an accidental poisoning. Pleurisy root is also considered to be one of the finest herbs to combat tuberculosis and emphysema with. This herb has certain glycosides which can act positively on the heart in case there is congestive cardiac failure. While it is not as powerful as digitalis in its performance on the heart, pleurisy root can offer moderate assistance where a mild herb is indicated.
POKE ROOT
Phytolacca americana
Time of administration: early to late morning.
Use for laxative, arthritic pain, skin parasites, cancer, shakes, hemorrhoids. Poke root consists of resin, tannin, about 10% natural plant sugar, phytolaccic acid, and asparagine. It has been used medically as an internal agent for parasitic infection. Its non-essential amino acid, asparagine, is the main constituent of asparagus. Asparagine is most active in the kidneys and the bladder, acting as an internal coagulant to prevent bleeding, etc. From these regions or the bowels. Poke root should not be picked indiscriminately. Great care and caution should be exercised and good judgment shown by wearing gloves when harvesting the herb. Mitogenic compounds contained in the fresh plant can cause serious skin abrasions and blood problems later on. In the dried form, however, these mitogens are rendered harmless. Pokeroot is very similar in its fiber structure and base constituents to marshmallow and belladonna root. Sometimes it has been substituted for either of the latter two by unscrupulous harvesters or drug wholesale middlemen.
POMEGRANATE
Punica granatum
POPPY
Papaver sp
Time of administration: The greatest narcotic effect with opium seems to be achieved at night or in the dark. Use for narcotic, pain killer, whooping cough, pertussis. CAUTION, THIS HERB IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR DOMESTIC USE. However, scientists with the U.S.D.A. in Beltsville, Maryland and also chemists at the State University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, have engaged in joint-cooperation research to evaluate great-scarlet poppy (Papaver bracteatum) as a likely source for the alkaloid thebaine from which codeine may be derived. Codeine, of course, is found in major pain-killer prescriptions and many commercial cough syrups. But what is of especial interest to the consumer are the effects which drying and milling have on the thebaine content of this particular poppy. Laboratory analysis showed that 13-16% less thebaine was extracted from oven-dried plant tissues than from freeze-dried tissues. In other words, artificial heat caused a greater loss of thebaine than intense cold methods of drying did. In addition to this, there was more thebaine present in root tissue which had been prepared by ball milling than that handled by blade milling. In other words, a rotating grind similar to what a millstone does to wheat, seems to be more favorable for greater thebaine yield, than the customary chopping action which generally cuts herbs like this into very fine pieces. Also, the length of time in which a product is milled, often determines just how much of its active constituents are left after initial processing. For example-it was discovered that a low milling time of only two minutes gave the highest average yield of thebaine possible, while anything beyond this limit caused a significant decrease in the alkaloid mentioned. Scientists have offered this explanation for the change experienced in different lengths of milling time: "This decrease may have resulted, in part, from heat generated from friction by the high velocity movement of the balls, and the heat produced may have acted as a catalyst in the presence of natural plant acids for the decomposition of thebaine." This just proves one thing-the more heat to which a plant is unnecessarily exposed during the milling process will also result in a dramatic reduction of some of its most vital and active constituents, thereby rendering the herb less effective as an overall medicinal agent. The value of this report lays in the scientific emphasis given to the attention of heat in matters of alkaloid content with regard to prepared drugs of this sort. If thebaine levels in a single kind of poppy are thus affected in an adverse manner by the presence of too much heat, then think how many other herbs are sharply weakened by such lengthy milling procedures. It is the ultimate responsibility of those who sell herbs on the open market, to see to it that their products have not been exposed to very much heat. In fact, manufacturers of herbal products, particularly those who make bulk powders, capsules, and tablets, should be sure there are still high levels of strength left in these items after they have experienced the entire processing scheme. Only careful investigation by inquisitive consumers can determine which company has reliable products and which one doesn't. A visit to such processing facilities and an inspection of the techniques used, with a reasonable explanation of details given by company representatives, is about the only way the more curious and skeptical will ever be fully satisfied. (P. G. Vincent, W. A. Gentner, F.J.E.M. Kuppers, and C.A. Salemink, "Papaver bracteatum Lindl.: Quantitative Extraction and Determination of Thebaine", Journal of Pharmaceutical] Sciences 68:87-88, January 1979)
POPPY SEED
Papaver somniferum
POTATO
CAUTION, DO NOT STORE NEAR STINGING NETTLE
PRICKLY ASH
Xanthoxylum amerinanum
Increases circulation in the entire body, good for complaints of rheumatism and arthritis.
PRINCES PINE
Diuretic without side effects, dissolves bladder stones, good for rheumatism and chronic kidney problems.
PSYLLIUM
Plantago ovata, Plantago psyllium, Plantago arenaria.
Time of Administration: unknown.
General Use: intestinal lubricant, dysentery, digestive, urinary, gonorrhea. One of the best colon cleansers, removes putrefactine toxins and lubricates the intestinal tract. Cleans impacted pockets, absorbs toxic gasses. Key nutr. Essential fatty acids, a, selenium, zinc.
PUMPKIN
Cucurbita pepo
PUMPKIN SEED
Cucurbita pepo
Time of administration: morning to late afternoon.
Use for intestinal worms, wounds, burns, rash (seed oil). Pumpkin seeds have fixed oil, acrid resin, myosin, vitellin, and different sugar compounds. Myosin is the chief protein constituent of nearly all muscles in the body, and plays an important role in the chemistry of muscular contraction. And vitellin is an active constituent of lecithin. The seeds have been used in medicinal preparations as an ideal anthelmintic for expelling intestinal worms (particularly tapeworm) from children and adults.
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