Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Wahoo or Burning Bush

[00:00:00] Hey y'all, welcome to this week's show. Continuing our series on medicinal uses of trees.

[00:00:07] Going to get into a really interesting one this week.

[00:00:10] It's called

[00:00:13] Euanomus, that's the Latin name. Let's see if I can get it. Euanomus

[00:00:19] Autopepraeus

[00:00:22] More commonly known as Wahoo or Burning Bush

[00:00:26] It's also related to spindle tree. The English variety is called spindle tree

[00:00:33] We'll get into that a little bit

[00:00:35] This this one has some toxicity

[00:00:39] But does have some really interesting medicinal uses as well

[00:00:42] It's really one of my favorite plants the mountains the Appalachians where I live are really known for

[00:00:49] Burning Bush as we call it actually there I guess they're still there there's a

[00:00:55] Whitewater rafting company in Boone, you know guide service. They take people out and it's called Wahoo's so I mean

[00:01:03] It a lot of there's a lot of association with my region this plant

[00:01:09] Really because it's so pretty in the fall

[00:01:11] It's leaves turn deep red

[00:01:15] So, you know everybody comes up to the Appalachian Mountains goes out of the Bluearch Parkway goes on the Viaduct

[00:01:20] You see on just about every car commercial on television if you're not familiar with the lingo viaduct look it up some of the

[00:01:28] Truly prettiest

[00:01:30] Areas of the entire world in my opinion

[00:01:34] Especially in the fall when all the colors are bright red and gold and

[00:01:38] The Wahoo or the burning bush

[00:01:41] Has that same deep red color in the winter in the fall into early winter and it's you know more at ground level

[00:01:48] I don't think they really grow more than about

[00:01:51] Maybe six feet tall seven at most and the

[00:01:56] The stem the has a really unique

[00:02:01] like winged ridges very easy plant to learn to identify and

[00:02:06] Very I think very pretty very pretty plant

[00:02:10] But

[00:02:12] Not much used

[00:02:14] Additionally the Cherokee used it quite a bit more and the katawba's then

[00:02:19] Well certainly we do now, but like I said it is an interesting

[00:02:23] Tree and we're gonna start actually with the English variety because it's got the most documentation and

[00:02:30] It's also

[00:02:32] guanimus auto perp

[00:02:34] perporeus

[00:02:35] Maybe slightly different in form, but it's the same plant. You know different environment and

[00:02:42] That was called spindle tree in England and Miss grief in her a modern herbal from the 1930s said

[00:02:49] Botanical name you on a miss auto perporeans or

[00:02:53] You on a miss your rope oh a s you're rope oh s that means the you on a miss that grows in Europe

[00:03:01] They seem to be the same plant

[00:03:03] She said the Latin name was fousis fousis f us

[00:03:09] FUS us and

[00:03:12] Some of the older writers called this plant fusanum. So also goes by the name fousa ria or fuson

[00:03:19] Oh, I mean it's really

[00:03:22] Many names for the same plant is what it comes down to

[00:03:25] The fruit is usually given three or four as a dose as a purgative in rural districts. What does that mean?

[00:03:32] Well, it's like a purgative

[00:03:35] Generally speaking really violent diarrhea. So, you know, but it can also

[00:03:41] Sometimes be used as what we would now call our emetic, which means makes you throw up or do both at the same time

[00:03:49] so

[00:03:50] Obviously, you can see why it would be important plant if you've taken something poison or something

[00:03:55] You need to get out your system if you got a serious problem constipation

[00:04:00] Certainly not my go-to

[00:04:02] I

[00:04:04] think

[00:04:05] Actually in early America may Apple was a very popular

[00:04:09] Purgative and it's actually described as a violent and irritating purgative

[00:04:13] So if I need to use of a laxative, let's say I want to not use a violent and irritating purgative

[00:04:21] Burning bush would be an option. I mean it doesn't have quite those as rough a refutation as may Apple

[00:04:28] So you can see how desperate our ancestors were especially in the wintertime for fiber

[00:04:33] but

[00:04:34] And you know fresh vegetables is what I mean

[00:04:38] Really my good my go-to is going to be

[00:04:44] Kombucha

[00:04:45] Kombucha, yeah the fermented tea drink

[00:04:48] One cup and taken on an epistemic the morning

[00:04:52] It's excellent for your gut health and

[00:04:55] regularities they say

[00:04:57] To and

[00:04:59] Within the next hour you're gonna be in the bathroom. I mean especially the search getting sour it will clean you out and

[00:05:07] You got to be careful with it actually a little bit

[00:05:09] They don't really tell you that if you buy kombucha in the store

[00:05:12] But they also don't tell you that most of the kombucha you buy in stores been pasteurized and has no health benefit to you

[00:05:17] whatsoever essentially except for some antioxidant properties

[00:05:21] Now you need to make your own kombucha and you can get what's called a mother that's

[00:05:26] The the starter culture they used to call it a tea mushroom from anybody who brews because they

[00:05:33] They reproduce constantly or go to your local health food store

[00:05:37] They'll probably have a bulletin board or you can put up a notice or go on eBay

[00:05:42] Or your favorite seller and people sell them for two or three bucks

[00:05:46] Really good. I got mine off of eBay from a guy that actually ended up being a student of Sandra Katz who's like the

[00:05:53] Firmamentation expert

[00:05:56] He's written a lot of books really good books on

[00:06:00] Firmative foods and I mean it's been great. No complaints whatsoever. I paid him like

[00:06:06] Less than five bucks total shipping and the guy was real nice

[00:06:11] Sent me a lot of free PDFs and books and instructions on use and if I had any

[00:06:17] Problems he'd replace it for you charge and if I had any questions getting touched anytime

[00:06:21] So, yeah, I mean how I was thrilled with that, you know

[00:06:26] The my second go-to remedy would actually just be castor oil castor oil has a bad reputation

[00:06:33] because you know the flavor is not great, but it's not horrible

[00:06:38] It's actually a very gentle laxative

[00:06:41] It's very good for small children

[00:06:43] And I think people just kind of got an inversion to it when they were kids and they like you castor oil

[00:06:48] Well, actually it's not so bad and that's what I use when my dog gets constipated to I give him castor oil

[00:06:54] I

[00:06:56] Prefer that to like psyllium and other fiber type products

[00:07:01] Because it just works quicker with less discomfort, you know

[00:07:06] But yeah, let's look at the the the uonimus

[00:07:11] Let's see

[00:07:12] And she said the decoction

[00:07:15] That means you know making a tea of the plant adding some vinegar is used as the lotion for mange and horses and cattle

[00:07:22] And I thought that was very interesting. I think we're talking probably the bark the leaves of the plant boiled down

[00:07:29] Is used for for mange so that's good

[00:07:32] in

[00:07:33] Illusion to the actively irritating properties of the shrub its name is uonimus is this is associated with that of

[00:07:41] Uonimi the mother of furies

[00:07:43] So maybe it is a bit of an irritating purgative. I'm not sure I have not tried it and I don't wish to and hold

[00:07:49] Urbals that is called skewer wood or prick wood

[00:07:53] It was actually used to make toothpicks. That's why it was called prick wood by the way

[00:07:58] Gator gotten Gadros and Shaucer and one of his poems cause its goth gaitre

[00:08:04] Gaitra, I guess I don't know

[00:08:06] But let's get back to herbal use

[00:08:09] That name seems to come from the Anglo Saxon word

[00:08:12] Gad or goat and tree. So it was the goat tree

[00:08:19] And that's because the

[00:08:22] Driver of oxen or cattle or whatever would make a goat

[00:08:25] That's what you know, you kind of prod the animals on with

[00:08:29] for a twig a twig sorry a twig

[00:08:33] From the burning bush. So I don't know why they but that was preferred

[00:08:38] But it's an old English tradition

[00:08:40] And

[00:08:41] There's so many names. I mean like I said spindle tree

[00:08:45] Spill boom and the Netherlands. I mean, it's just say it's really interesting how this one gets so many

[00:08:51] Interesting names in fact in America

[00:08:54] It's

[00:08:55] Known sometimes is Indian arrow wood

[00:08:59] I don't see how you could really make good arrows out of it

[00:09:03] No, okay prune back. It does get some nice straight

[00:09:07] Shoots, you know, I can grows up. Yeah, maybe I can see it in its wild form

[00:09:12] I don't really see it but back to the medicinal uses

[00:09:16] It is tonic alternative

[00:09:18] Colagogue laxative and a hepatic stimulant

[00:09:22] Tonic means it can help stimulate appetite usually okay

[00:09:25] Alternative means it can be used to as what we would now generally think of as a tonic something that generally

[00:09:31] Gradually can bring you back to health

[00:09:34] Um, let's see laxative

[00:09:37] Well, you got that hepatic stimulant means it can stimulate liver. I guess we covered everything

[00:09:43] In small doses it stimulates the appetite and the flow of gastric juices

[00:09:48] In larger doses is irritant to the intestines and is cathartic

[00:09:53] So yes, it's going to get you going

[00:09:55] It has slight nioretic and expectant effects

[00:09:58] But is only used as a purgative in cases of constipation

[00:10:02] In which the liver is disordered and for which it is particularly efficacious. So

[00:10:08] If the liver is inflamed weak

[00:10:11] Not doing its job and that's causing constipation

[00:10:14] Then apparently this is when you would want to use this plant

[00:10:19] She says it is especially valuable in liver disorders which follow or accompany a fever

[00:10:24] It is mildly apparent and causes no nausea at the same time

[00:10:29] Stimulating the liver somewhat freely to produce a free flow of bile. So yeah, it's a very useful plant

[00:10:36] She says to make it a coxswain add an ounce

[00:10:39] To of the plant to a pint of water boil together slowly again

[00:10:43] She doesn't really say which part of the plant

[00:10:46] So hopefully we can get a little more information on that as we go other than the berries

[00:10:50] You know, she mentioned the berries

[00:10:52] Resources of the southern fields and forests calls the same plant again burning bush strawberry tree

[00:10:58] Fishwood and spindle tree

[00:11:02] He said it was this is uh the french botanist who wrote this book in the during the civil war

[00:11:08] It was rare growing in the swamps around st. John's and um

[00:11:14] Near charlson

[00:11:16] But was found more in north carolina

[00:11:18] I guess he hadn't gotten up the mountains because we have a lot of it

[00:11:21] He said that uh griffin's medical botany

[00:11:25] listed as a medic

[00:11:27] That means it makes you throw up actually

[00:11:29] An antisyphiletic it was also thought to be narcotic. The seeds are said to be nauseous

[00:11:35] Purgative and a medic

[00:11:37] So he's saying it would both make you throw up and

[00:11:40] Have diarrhea and make you nauseous

[00:11:42] So like I said not one I really want to use but it was also used in to destroy vermin in the hair

[00:11:50] That means it would help get rid of lice

[00:11:52] So that's something again, you know in a survival situation you would want to know

[00:11:56] Uh, he said the leaves were poisonous to cattle. Um, I've seen other sources saying they aren't so I can't attest to that

[00:12:04] The wahoo

[00:12:06] possesses similar properties to

[00:12:09] um

[00:12:10] Let's see what was that

[00:12:12] uh, euonymus

[00:12:13] Inericonis

[00:12:16] I'm thinking that should be americanis actually

[00:12:20] so

[00:12:21] Probably the one that grows more in the slumps was what he was talking about and he's making a differentiation between that and the one that grows in the mountains

[00:12:29] Um, he said a dr. Wood in the 12th edition of the u.s. Dispensatory states that mr

[00:12:36] Gw carpenter had introduced a bark some 20 years earlier as a remedy for dropsy under the name

[00:12:43] Wahoo so in this case we are using the bark

[00:12:46] He having obtained a knowledge of its virtues in the western states

[00:12:50] Dr. W s or tain that it was derived from this plant which must be distinguished from the elm

[00:12:57] That's true

[00:12:58] Sometimes they're the elm it's called wahoo and folk or

[00:13:02] The bark impor parts its virtue to water and alcohol so you can make a tea or a tincture of it

[00:13:08] By analysis of mr. W. T. Winsell it was found to contain a bitter principle which he named euonymine

[00:13:14] um

[00:13:16] And several other properties we don't really need to know about

[00:13:19] Uh, dr. Twyman of Missouri informed dr. Wood that he had found the bark is cathartic

[00:13:24] rather from its

[00:13:27] Rather oh as a cathartic

[00:13:29] Similar to rhubarb so rhubarb was a very popular uh laxative

[00:13:34] So it's a lot of fiber and it stimulates

[00:13:38] So maybe it's not as unpleasant as we were related to believe

[00:13:43] Let's see he thought he obtained from it good results as an alternative to

[00:13:48] hepatic functions

[00:13:50] And the decoction or infusion against liver. You know, he said it was good for the liver

[00:13:55] The decoction or infusion is used in dropsy. That's a dema that's excess fluid

[00:14:00] Made into a proportion of one ounce to a pint of water and given the dose of a wine glass full several times a day

[00:14:06] So it's a pretty big dose actually a wine glass full several times a day. So maybe it's maybe it's not so unpleasant

[00:14:12] Let's see what king's american dispensatory. This is a pharmacy manual from 1898 says

[00:14:17] Euonymus has been in use among physicians for a long time its bark is tonic laxative

[00:14:23] alternative diuretic and expectant the seeds are cathartic and emetic. So okay the bark

[00:14:31] Is good as a laxative and a diuretic etc and has the expectant quality the seeds are what make you nauseous and throw up

[00:14:37] So we got that cleared up

[00:14:40] In if

[00:14:42] In an infusion syrup or extract it has been successfully used in intermittent sets usually malarial fevers

[00:14:49] dyspepsia that means indigestion

[00:14:52] torpid liver

[00:14:54] constipation dropsy and pulmonary affections

[00:14:57] Professor Locke states there are but few good stomach tautics and this agent is one of them

[00:15:02] But that's really good to know it stimulates the bilary flow and has considerable anti malarial influence

[00:15:09] very important to know in the age of cove and and you know

[00:15:14] Pandemics and such and maybe used in inner minutes after the chill has been broken with quinine

[00:15:19] It stimulates the nutritive process and improves the appetite

[00:15:23] It may be used with advantage in atonic dyspepsia and an indigestion due to hepatic hepatic topper

[00:15:32] Topper

[00:15:35] Topper it comes from the latin word for paralysis

[00:15:38] So if that makes any sense to you or following malarial fevers it is a remedy for chronic agu that means fever

[00:15:45] And consequent obstinate constipation and gastric debility accompanying or following it

[00:15:52] They made a tincture out of it using gin which they found

[00:15:57] Was particularly in cases uh valuable in cases of dropsy especially when associated with hepatic and renal inactivity

[00:16:04] So that's good for the kidneys as too

[00:16:06] Uh very interesting. Uh, I guess there was the juniper and the gin

[00:16:11] Probably made this work a little bit better

[00:16:13] Specific indications and uses

[00:16:16] Um, well, we just covered all that don't worry about that. Um

[00:16:21] Getting into more modern times plants for the future says of our native wahoo

[00:16:26] Wahoo was used in various ways by the north american indians for example as an eye lotion

[00:16:31] As a poultice for facial shore sores and gynecological conditions

[00:16:35] In current herbalism it is considered to be a gallbladder remedy with laxative and diuretic properties

[00:16:41] The bark however is toxic and should only be used in a professional supervision. So that's what I was always told

[00:16:46] It should not be given to pregnant women or nursing mothers obviously

[00:16:50] The stem and root bark is alternative cardiac. I mean, you know, good for the heart cathartic

[00:16:56] Colla gurg diuretic x-spectrum hepatic laxative stimulant tonic

[00:17:00] The root bark is the part normally used. Uh, uh

[00:17:04] The bark from the stems is sometimes employed as a substitute in small doses that stimulates the appetite

[00:17:10] In large doses it irritates the intestines

[00:17:13] The bark is especially useful in the treatment of bile listis and liver disorders

[00:17:17] Which follow or accompany fevers and for treating various skin disorders such as eczema

[00:17:22] Which could arrive from poor liver and gallbladder function

[00:17:25] Eczema is often called by a weakened liver

[00:17:29] Um, it should also be used as a tea in the treatment of malaria fever congestion and constipation, etc

[00:17:37] The powdered bark applied to the scalp was believed to eliminate dandruff

[00:17:41] The bark and root contain digitoxin and it have a digitalis like effect on the heart. Now that's interesting

[00:17:47] They have been used in the treatment of heart conditions. The bark which has a sweetish taste a sweetish not sweetish

[00:17:54] It tastes sweet

[00:17:56] Is chalered in the autumn and dried for later use the tea made from the roots

[00:18:00] Is used in cases of uterine prolapse

[00:18:02] Vomiting of blood, painful urination, stomach aches

[00:18:05] The seed is a medic meaning it makes you throw up

[00:18:08] And finally, um, I'm the I went to the physician's desk reference for herbal medicine

[00:18:14] And they actually did list it and it says the drug is reported to be laxative and coloritic

[00:18:20] Larger doses have an effect on the heart

[00:18:23] In the past the drug was used as a coli-gog laxative diuretic and tonic m4 dyspepsia

[00:18:29] Today is used in homeopathy

[00:18:31] Precautions and adverse reactions poisoning caused by the berries have been recorded a fatal dose has said to be 36 berries

[00:18:40] Wahoo root

[00:18:41] Bark and fruit are not recommended for use as the drug is considered too dangerous. Well, I think um

[00:18:48] This is all very interesting. Uh, remember

[00:18:52] These are things you need to know in case

[00:18:55] We get into a situation where you can't get to a doctor or a pharmacy and you had need of a plant like this

[00:19:01] It's not one. Um

[00:19:03] I'm going to recommend because it does have some some toxicity

[00:19:07] Um, I mean, obviously you wouldn't sit there and eat 36 berries unless you know, you were starving or something

[00:19:12] um, I

[00:19:15] It seems to be a plant with a lot of historical medical use. I have not used it. Um, I suppose

[00:19:22] I need to experiment with it a little bit. Um

[00:19:27] You want to be careful of anything that has a digitalis like effect, you know

[00:19:31] Anything that affects the heart you want to uh, be careful with but yeah, I might uh, add a little bit of this to a bitter's formula or um

[00:19:39] for digestion and

[00:19:41] liver health. Yeah, that's probably how I would use it. I like the uh

[00:19:46] To know it's a remedy for head license such because you know, that can really be a problem

[00:19:51] If you couldn't get to the drugstore and buy that would

[00:19:54] Read or whatever and your kids or you had lice, uh, you would definitely want to

[00:20:00] Want to take care of that. So yeah, uh interesting tree beautiful. I mean, I think more of a bush. It's not like it's a small tree

[00:20:07] Uh, absolutely beautiful. Uh one you can certainly incorporate into your landscape

[00:20:12] And you're going to be really glad he did because it is uh, really pretty and it's interesting

[00:20:18] You know, we have in in herbal medicine what's called the doctrine of signatures

[00:20:22] And that's the idea that kind of like god gave clues for a plant's use and it's it's appearance

[00:20:27] and some people believe it and some don't but one of the um more

[00:20:32] Valid I think an interesting um rules of that is that anything yellow

[00:20:39] Is essentially good for the liver

[00:20:41] Well, you think about the the wahoo the burning bush whatever you would call it

[00:20:45] Like I said the leaves are green in the summer. They turn bright red in the winter. Well

[00:20:50] The bark is brown brown and green really if you cut it the wood is actually yellow

[00:20:57] The wood is actually almost like

[00:20:59] Dandelion colored yellow. So I think uh, there you have it, you know

[00:21:03] The old wisdom kind of bears out sometimes

[00:21:06] So anyway, y'all have a uh, a great week and I'll talk to you next time

[00:21:12] The information in this podcast is not intended to diagnose retreat any disease or condition

[00:21:18] Nothing I say or write has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I'm not a doctor

[00:21:23] The u.s. Government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine

[00:21:27] And there is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore. I'm really just a guy who studies herbs

[00:21:32] I'm not offering any advice. I don't even claim that anything I write or say is accurate or true

[00:21:37] I can tell you what herbs have been traditionally used for I can tell you my own experience

[00:21:41] And if I believe an herb has helped me

[00:21:43] I cannot nor would I tell you do the same if you use an herb anyone

[00:21:48] Recommends you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health

[00:21:53] Humans are individuals and no two are identical what works for me may not work for you

[00:21:58] You may have an allergy a sensitivity and underlying condition that no one else even shares and you don't even know about

[00:22:04] Be careful with your health

[00:22:06] By continuing to list my podcast or read my blog

[00:22:09] You agree to be responsible for yourself to your own research make your own choices and not to blame me for anything ever