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Fever Bush | | Name : | Fever Bush | | Botanical : | Garrya fremonti | | Synonyms : | Black alder
European alder
Fever bush
Owler
Winter berry
| | Family : | Cornaceae | | Parts Used : | Bark, leaves | | Habitat : | Black alder (A. glutinosa) grows in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and locally in North America. Found in cooler regions, forming dense stands around swamps and along streams and rivers. Cool, moist or even wet soils. | | Description : | This is a small evergreen bush. The leaves are broad, leathery, grey green on the upperside; on the underside mealy and lighter grey green. It has grown in the Author's garden, but needs care in the winter. The leaves are intensely bitter, and are largely used in California as an antiperiodic and tonic. A new alkaloid has been found in it called garryine. It is best administered as a fluid extract. | | Constituents : | Astringent, bitter tonic, emetic, hemostatic, mucilaginous, cathartic, alterative | | Uses : | Fresh alder bark will cause vomiting; so use dried bark for other than emetic purposes. A decoction of the bark makes a good gargle for sore throat and pharyngitis. The powdered bark and the leaves have been used as a tonic. Boiling the inner bark in vinegar produces an external wash for lice and for skin problems such as scabies and scabs, psoriasis, rheumatism, inflammations, good for burning and aching feet, dropsy, shingles, impetigo, pruritis, poultice for swellings of all kinds including enlarged glands, scrofula. You can use the liquid to clean your teeth and firm gums. An effective worm medicine for children. Inner bark boiled in vinegar will kill lice, cure the itch, cures old sores, and good for toothache. | | Dosage : | Infusion: use 1 heaping tbsp. crushed alder leaves to 1 pint boiling water. Let steep for 1/2 hour.
Decoction: boil 1 tsp. bark, or leaves in 1 cup water. For internal use, take 1-2 cups a day, in mouthful doses.
Tincture: a dose is from 1/2 to 1 tsp.
Powder: a dose is from 8-12 grains.
Poultice: use just enough water to moisten the leaves. | | Myths : | Culpeper states: 'The said leaves gathered while the morning dew is on them, and brought into a chamber troubled with fleas, will gather them there unto, which being suitably cast out, will rid the chamber of these troublesome fellows.'
Native Americans sometimes dyed basket grass with alder bark in a brilliant burnt orange shade, which fades with age to a rich brown. |
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