# yarrow



## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

What is Yarrow?

According to*Mountain Rose Herbs:

“Yarrow*is a long-stemmed member of the sunflower family found in the wild throughout the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It can be recognized by its highly segmented leaves (millefolium literally means “thousand leaves”), and the clusters of daisy-like white or lavender flowers at the top of the stalk.

Greek myth had it that Achilles painted himself with a tincture of*yarrow*to make himself invulnerable to arrows, everywhere on his body except his heel. Native American herbal medicine makes extensive use of yarrow. Among the Micmac people of Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, the stalk was chewed or stewed to induce sweating to “break” fevers and colds. They also pounded the stalks into a pulp to be applied to bruises, sprains, and swelling.

The Cherokee, Gosiute, Iroquois, and Mohegan peoples used yarrow as a digestive aid. Other herbal healing traditions useyarrow*to treat a variety of conditions characterized by swelling, often combined with echinacea, elder flower, ginger, and peppermint.”

Benefits of Yarrow:

Yarrow*is one of my go-to herbs for children. It is helpful in relieving fevers, shortening the duration of cold and flu, helping improve relaxation during illness, and relieving cramps associated with hormones or illness. Applied topically, it is helpful with skin itching, rash or other issues.

An external tincture or*poultice*will often help with*hemorrhoids, rashes and broken skin. Some people will notice relief from allergy symptoms by drinking a tea ofyarrow*and*mint.

From*Practical Herbalism:

“Yarrow*flower*used in chronic diseases of the urinary apparatus, is especially recommended by Prof. J. M. Scudder. It exerts a tonic influence upon the venous system, as well as upon mucous membranes. It has been efficacious in sore throat, hemoptysis, hematuria and other forms of hemorrhage where the bleeding is mall in amount; incontinence of urine, diabetes, hemorrhoids with bloody and mucoid discharges, and dysentery. Also in amenorrhea, flatulency and spasmodic diseases, and in the form of injection in leucorrhea with relaxed vaginal walls. It will be found to be one of our best agents for the relief of menorrhagia.”

Priest & Priest tell us that it is a mild, slow, and stimulating diaphoretic that is best used for the first stage of acute fevers, and for atonic and relaxed tissues where there is free discharge or passive hemorrhage of bright red blood. They recommend cold preparations to stimulate the appetite and tone the digestive organs, and give the following specific indications: Acute stage of colds; influenza and respiratory catarrhs; chronic diarrhea and dysentery; epistaxis; intestinal hemorrhage, bleeding hemorrhoids, uterine hemorrhage; profuse or protracted menstruation; and leucorrhea.”


----------



## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

Ok I don't normally believe to much which doctor stuff but.
I have a spot on the top of my left foot that I injured several years ago.
All I have to do is bump it on something and it will start beading like crazy.

Two times now my daughter has brought out yarrow leaves and crushed them up into green dust and dabbed it on this spot that will not normally stop beading for a good long time. And whala instant stop. 

I don't know if it just works for me. But I have seen it personally twice now and it works fast.


----------



## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

I need to get some Yarrow. It sounds like a good herb to keep around, especially when dealing some family members who can be a pain on my as-.


----------



## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Cool story. It pays to know herbal .medicine.


----------

