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WITCH HAZEL 
Added on: 24-Jun-2006 Hits: 332
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Recipe Text:

WITCH HAZEL

Botanical Name: Hamamelis virginiana

Plant Family: Hamamelidaceae

Common Names: Hamamelis, Hazel Nut, Spotted Alder, Snapping Hazelnut, Tobacco Wood, Winter Bloom

Origin: Witch Hazel grows throughout the Eastern United States and Canada, from Nova Scotia to Georgia and Nebraska.

History: The name 'witch' comes from the Old English word wyche, which means 'flexible'. Hamamelis comes from a Greek word indicating its resemblance to an apple tree.

Native Americans used Witch Hazel:

* in sunflower oil as a massage oil for sore muscles and as a natural deodorant
* to make their bows out of the pliable wood
* as a poultice for painful swellings and tumors

Tradition: Witch Hazel

* twigs (forked) were used for water divining
* when carried was thought to help cool passions
* when carried was thought to help heal a broken heart

Medicinal Parts Used: Leaves, bark, young twigs

Contains:

Leaves:

* bitter principle
* gallic acid
* tannic acid
* volatile oil

Bark:

* bitter and odorous bodies
* fat
* gallic acid
* phytosterol
* resin
* tannin (partly amorphous , partly crystal)

Action:

* astringent [a binding agent that contracts organic tissue, reducing secretions or discharges of mucous and fluid from the body]
* anti-hemorrhagic [an agent to stop hemorrhages]
* anti-inflammatory[an agent to ease inflammation]
* hemostatic [an agent that controls bleeding]
* sedative [a soothing agent that reduces nervousness, distress or irritation]
* styptic [an agent that contracts tissues; astringent; specifically, a hemostatic agent that stops bleeding by contracting the blood vessels]
* tonic [an agent that tones, strengthens and invigorates organs or the entire organism giving a feeling of well-being]
* anti-hemorrhagic
* antihydrotic [an agent which reduces or suppresses perspiration by reducing the action of the sweat glands, the opposite of diaphoretic]

Internally Witch Hazel is used for:

Bacterial and Parasitic Conditions

* chronic gonorrheal urethritis
* parasites
* worms

Blood Conditions

* relieves the pain of hemorrhoids (piles)
* stops bleeding from internal organs
* stops bleeding from the stomach, lungs and nose

Female Conditions

* menorrhagia (excessive menstruation)
* weakness after an abortion

Gastrointestinal Conditions

* bowel complaints
* diarrhea
* dysentery
* stomach ulcers

Respiratory Conditions

* bronchitis
* coughs
* influenza
* mucous discharges
* wasting diseases, e.g. tuberculosis

It is used as a mouthwash for:

* bleeding gums
* conditions of the mouth
* sore throat

Witch Hazel is used externally for:

* a skin cleanser (in cosmetics, aftershaves and lotions)
* bleeding wounds
* bruises
* burning, tired feet (footbath)
* burns
* external hemorrhages
* hemorrhoids (as an enema for internal hemorrhoids or ointment for external hemorrhoids)
* inflammatory conditions of the skin
* insect bites and stings
* ophthalmia (inflammation of the eyes), diluted with warm water
* poison ivy
* scalds
* vaginal infections (as a douche)
* varicose veins (soak a bandage in Witch Hazel, wrap it around the affected parts and keep it moist)

Other Uses:

* cosmetics
* insect repellant
* soaps