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Bachelor's Button | | Name : | Bachelor's Button | | Synonyms : | Bachelor'sbutton
Bride'sbutton
Compositae
Featherfew
Featherfoil
Febrifugeplant
Feverfew
Pyrethrum
WildChamomile
| | Parts Used : | Bark, dried flowers, and leaves. | | Habitat : | This bushy plant is native to southeastern Europe but is now foundin North and South America. Feverfew is a perennial plant that iscultivated but is occasionally found wild in waste places and alongroadsides and wood-borders from Quebec to Ohio and south to Marylandand Missouri, also in California. | | Description : | The round, leafy branching stem bears alternate, bipinnate leaves(divided into ovate divisions) with ovate, hoary-green leaflets. Theflowers have yellow 1 inch disks and from 10-20white, toothed rays. Flowers are daisy-like but smaller, with a largedisk and stubby white rays. The yellow center of the flower is distinguishedfrom the conical chamomiles by its flatness. The leaves are tender,diversely torn and jagged, and nicks on the edges. They make theirappearance in corymbose heads in June and July. Plants grow 1-3feet tall. (Flowers resemble Chamomile)
When parts of the plant are rubbed or crushed they give off a strong,bitter smell and bitter taste. Feverfew is easily started from seed.It can also be propagated by dividing established plants into fairlylarge pieces in March, or from cuttings taken from young shoots witha heel attached, planted out from October to May. Set plants 1foot apart. Feverfew is not a fussy grower, tolerating someshade, most soils, and dry (but not very moist) conditions. Feverfewplants are easily injured by hoes, so you should hand-weed.Because feverfew freely seeds, it is apt to escape from the garden;cutting off old heads will prevent this. To keep the plant's leafygrowth looking neat, cut back hard, to within 1 inchof the base, before the season's active growth starts. Feverfew isvery disease-free and has a lifespan of 2-3 years. Inhot climates, it benefits greatly from partial shade.
Plants to be harvested may be gathered most any time at the peakof their maturity. The technique may require some practice.
Feverfew's common name comes from its traditional use to lower bodytemperature in fevers. Today, it's grown for the profusion of daisylikeflowers it bears; it blends well with roses. It is currently beingresearched as a cure for migraine. | | Constituents : | Essential oil containing camphor, terpene, borneol, various estersand a bitter principle, pyrethrin, tannin, sesquiterpene lactones
Carminative (gas relief), emmenagogue (promotes menstrual flow),purgative (strong laxative), stimulant, bitter tonic, antipyretic(reduces fever), aperient (mild laxative), anti-inflammatory, vermifuge | | Uses : | Once in popular use, feverfew has fallen into considerable disuse;even its name no longer seems to fit. It is also hard to find, evenat herbal outlets. If you are lucky enough to get it, try the warminfusion for colic, flatulence,eructations, indigestion,flu, colds,fever, ague, freckles, agespots, and alcoholic DTs. A cold extract has a toniceffect. The flowers in particular show a purgativeaction. Effective remedy against opium taken too liberally.
Infusion: Use 1 heaping tsp. of the herb with 1 cupwater. Take 1 to 2 cups, as indicated. ForDTs, take 15 to 40 drops, as often as required.
Relieves headaches, migraines,arthritis, neuritis,neuralgia, indigestion, colds,and muscle tension. Eliminatesworms. Stimulates the appetite,increases fluidity of lung an bronchialtube mucus, stimulates uterine contractions, and promotes menses. | | Dosage : | Harvest shortly after flowering.
1-4 leaves chewed per day proven in the past to be effectivefor some migraine headaches, and is antiseptic. Do not use for migraineresulting from weak, deficiency condition.
To combat insects, a tincture made from feverfew mixed with 1/2pint of cold water will keep away the gnats, mosquitoes, andother pests. Feverfew has the power to relieve the pain and swellingcaused by the bites of insects and vermin. Bees find the odor andtaste of feverfew highly repulsive. | | Safety : | Do not use for migraine resulting from a weak, deficiency condition.Seek medical advice.
May cause dermatitis or allergic reactions. Mouth sores are common.Some people have developed mouth ulcers while taking feverfew. Discontinueuse if this occurs. Usually this condition comes from the fresh leaves,try sauteing the leaves first.
Patients taking blood thinning drugs should avoid taking feverfewbecause it can affect the clotting times of the blood. | | Myths : | There is a legend about feverfew, that this herb saved the life ofa person who fell off the famous temple in ancient Greece, the Parthenon.Hence, the name parthenium.
One reference is of the opinion that the name feverfew is a corruptionof featherfew, referring to the plant's petals.
The old fashioned feverfew is generally found in the wild state nearvery old gardens. The ancient magi ordered 'Feverfew to be pulledfrom the ground with the left hand, and the fevered patient's namemust be spoken forth, and the herbalist must not look behind him.'
Another old superstition held that when it was planted around dwellingsit purified the air and warded off disease. The pungent odor is sodisliked by bees that branches of it were carried around to hold thebees at a distance. (Wonder if this could benefit the person allergicto bee stings?)
The Greek herbalist Dioscorides is believed to have treated arthritiswith this herb. In 1649, Culpeper recommended feverfew for headachesand to strengthen women's wombs. In 1772, another famous herbalist,John Hill, treated headaches but stated 'this herb exceeds whateverelse is known.'
In 1985, it was reported that extracts of feverfew inhibited therelease of 2 inflammatory substances; serotonin from platelets andprostaglandin from white blood cells. Both are thought to contributeto the onset of migraine attacks and perhaps even to play a role inrheumatoid arthritis.
Migraine sufferers may have to wait several months to notice improvement,but the wait is well worth it. Some 80% of all cases have found feverfewa preventive in migraine headaches.
Feverfew seems absolutely bug-proof, keeping pests from plants closeby. Some people plant in their roses or around the garden for pestcontrol. The yellow-green ferny foliage, masses of small, white, daisy-likeflowers, are decorative and they self-sow readily.
Some say that feverfew is most effective against fever and coldsif it is gathered with the left hand as the name of the patient isspoken aloud and with nary a glance behind.
One of the bug killing properties of feverfew is pyrethrin. |
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