Blue flag Health Dictionary

Methylene blue, or methylthionin chloride, is used in a dose of 75–100 mg, as a 1-per-cent intravenous injection, in the treatment of METHAEMOGLOBINAEMIA, which may occur following high doses of local anaesthetics such as prilocaine.... methylene blue

Irregularly shaped areas of bluish-black pigmentation found occasionally on the buttocks, lower back or upper arms in newborn infants of African, Chinese and Japanese parentage, and sometimes in the babies of black-haired Europeans. They measure from one to several centimetres in diameter, and usually disappear in a few months. They are commonly mistaken for bruises.... mongolian blue spots

An infant with a cyanotic (bluish) complexion, especially of the lips and tongue, caused by a relative lack of oxygen in the blood.

This is usually due to a structural defect of the heart or the major arteries leaving the heart.

Such defects may need to be corrected surgically (see heart disease, congenital).... blue baby

(American) A woman with bright-blue eyes Blu... blue

Blue Flag tea has a long history in treating liver ailments: Native American tribes used to consume it for its hepatic properties. Blue Flag Tea description Blue flag is a perennial herb also known as the liver lily and the fleur-de-lis, native to North America. It has smooth spear-shaped leaves topped with a light bluish-purple flower. Blue flag plants grow in bunches and bloom during late June and early July. Blue Flag tea is the resulting beverage from brewing the abovementioned plant. Blue Flag Tea brewing To prepare Blue Flag tea, place 1 teaspoon of the dried roots in a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes. The tea can be consumed three times a day. Blue Flag Tea benefits Blue Flag has been successfully used to:

• stimulate the liver and thus, it is helpful in the treatment of jaundice and hepatitis
• fight impurities of the blood
• fight against skin problems like acne and psoriasis
• detoxify the body by increasing the production of bile, as well as frequency of urination
• help treat indigestion
• treat rheumatism
• help in weight loss

Blue Flag tea can be an effective laxative, diuretic and as an emetic. It is also effective in reducing inflammation of the skin, decreasing the symptoms of skin infections. It is also good in treating burns, bruises and wounds. Blue Flag Tea side effects Until further studies are conducted, pregnant and nursing women should avoid intaking this type of tea. Blue Flag tea has proven its efficiency in dealing with severe liver-related diseases. Also, applied topically, it can treat skin problems, but not only.... blue flag tea for a healthy liver

Malva sylvestyis. N.O. Malvaceae.

Synonym: Cheese Flower, Common Mallow, Mauls.

Habitat: Around ledges and roadsides.

Features ? Several erect, hairy stems, two to three feet high. Leaf and flower stalks also hairy. Roundish leaf has five to seven lobes, middle one longest. Numerous flowers (June-September), large reddish-purple, clustered four or five together on axillary stalk.

Part used ? Flowers, herb.

Action: Demulcent, mucilaginous, pectoral.

1 ounce to 1 pint infusion makes a popular cough and cold remedy.... blue mallow

Colloquial term for Hapalochlaena spp.... blue-ringed octopus

Squaw root. Papoose root. Caulophyllum thalictroides L Mich. Root and rhizome. Action: anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic (womb), oxytocic, emmenagogue, anti-rheumatic. Excellent relaxing and stimulating nervine for the womb. Its principle influence is on the generative system and the sympathetic nervous system connected thereto, soothing and imparting tone to each. (J.T. Lyle) North American women gathered it along the trails for easy childbirth and to promote rapid recovery. Not given before pregnancy is commenced. For great exhaustion before labour with feeble results.

Uses: Early American settlers and Indians claimed its power to prevent premature labour and miscarriage, prolonged painful labours and rigidity of the os. Indicated in labour with no expulsive effort and to counter false labour pains with bearing down sensations in the abdomen. Dr Farrington (Ellingwood’s Therapeutist) knew a single dose to arrest them after lasting several hours.

For persistent amenorrhoea and to increase menstrual flow; painful adolescent menses. Habitual abortion. Painful inflammation of the vagina, internally; and as a douche. Adolescent leucorrhoea. Acute rheumatic pains of the menopause. Combines well with Motherwort for rapid recovery after childbirth. Preparations. Thrice daily, or as dictated for an acute condition.

Powder: by capsule or for decoction: dose, 0.3-1g.

Liquid Extract BHP (1983): 1:1 in 70 per cent alcohol; dose, 0.5-1ml. Tincture. One to ten parts 70 per cent alcohol. Dose: 1-2ml.

Note: Chiefly used the latter half of pregnancy. ... blue cohosh

Blueness of ears, hands, feet or nose, due to slow circulation of the blood through the small vessels of the skin. See: ACROCYANOSIS. ... blue flesh

A blue-black pigmented spot found on the lower back and buttocks at birth. The spots are a type of naevus and are caused by a concentration of melanocytes (pigmentproducing cells). Mongolian blue spots are commonly found in black or Asian children, and they usually disappear by the age of 3–4 years.... mongolian blue spot

the characteristic appearance of a patient suffering from heart failure as a result of *chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, marked by *cyanosis, oedema, and breathlessness at rest. The left ventricle of the heart is enlarged (see cor pulmonale).... blue bloater

Acorus calamus

Araceae

San: Vaca, Ugragandha, Bhadra;

Hin: Bacc, Gorbacc;

Ben: Bach; Mal:Vayampu;

Tam: Vasampu;

Kan: Bajai;

Tel: Vasa Vadaja

Importance: The sweet flag is an important medhya drug, capable of improving memory power and intellect. It is used in vitiated conditions of vata and kapha, stomatopathy, hoarseness, colic, flatulence, dyspepsia, helminthiasis, amenorrhoea, dismenorrhoea, nephropathy, calculi, strangury, cough, bronchitis, odontalgia, pectoralgia, hepatodynia, otalgia, inflammations, gout, epilepsy, delirium, amentia, convulsions, depression and other mental disorders, tumours, dysentery, hyperdipsia, haemorrhoids, intermittent fevers, skin diseases, numbness and general debility. It is reportedly useful in improving digestion, clearing speech and curing diarrhoea, dysentery, abdominal obstruction and colic. It is also useful in infantile fever, cough bronchitis and asthma. The drug is reported to cure hysteria, insanity and chronic rheumatic complaints. The rhizome is an ingredient of preparations like Vacaditaila, Ayaskrti, Kompancadi gulika, Valiya rasnadi kashaya, etc.

Distribution: The plant is a native of Europe. It is distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics, especially in India and Sri Lanka. It is found in marshes, wild or cultivated, ascending the Himalayas upto 1800m in Sikkim. It is plentiful in marshy tracts of Kashmir and Sirmoor, in Manipur and Naga Hills.

Botany: Acorus calamus Linn. belonging to the family Araceae is a semi -aquatic rhizomatous perennial herb. Rhizome is creeping, much branched, cylindrical or slightly compressed, light brown or pinkish brown externally, white and spongy within. Leaves are bright green, distichous, ensiform, base equitant, thickened in the middle and with wavy margins. Flowers are light brown and densely packed in sessile cylindric spadix. Fruits are oblong, turbinate berries with a pyramidal top. Seeds are few and pendant from the apex of the cells (Warrier et al, 1993).

Another species belonging to the genus Acorus is A. gramineus Soland, the roots of which are used in tonic, antiseptics and insecticidal preparations (Chopra et al, 1956).

Agrotechnology: Acorus is a hardy plant found growing from tropical to subtropical climates. It needs a good and well distributed rainfall throughout the year. It needs ample sunlight during the growth period as well as after harvest for drying the rhizomes. It may be cultivated in any good but fairly moist soil. It is usually grown in areas where paddy can be grown. It comes up well in clayey soils and light alluvial soils of river bank. The field is laid out and prepared exactly as for rice, irrigated sufficiently and after ploughing twice, watered heavily and again ploughed in the puddle. Sprouted rhizome pieces are used for planting and pressed into the mud at a depth of about 5cm at a spacing of 30x30cm. The rhizomes are planted in such a way that the plants in the second row comes in between the plants of the first row and not opposite to them. FYM is to be applied at 25t/ha. Fertilisers are applied at 25:50:60 kg N:P2O5:K2O/ha/yr. Whole of FYM and 1/3 of N, P2O5 and K2O are to be added in the field during March - April as a basal dose. The remaining 2/3 of nutrients is to be given in two equal split doses at 4 months and 8 months after planting. The field is to be regularly irrigated. About 5 cm of standing water is to be maintained in the field in the beginning. Later, it is to be increased to 10 cm as the plant grows. The field is to be regularly weeded. About 8 weedings are to be carried out in all. At each weeding the plants are pressed into the soil. The plant is attacked by mealy bugs. Both shoot and root mealy bugs can be controlled by spraying the shoot and drenching the roots of grown up plants with 10 ml Methyl parathion or 15ml Oxydemeton methyl or 20ml Quinalphos in 10 litres of water. The crop is ready for harvest at the end of first year. The field is to be dried partially so that sufficient moisture is left in the soil to facilitate deep digging. The leaves start turning yellow and dry, indicating maturity. The rhizome will be at a depth of 60cm and having about 30-60cm spread. Therefore, harvesting is to be done carefully. The rhizomes are to be cut into 5-7.5cm long pieces and all the fibrous roots are to be removed. Yield of rhizome is about 10t/ha (Farooqi et al, 1991).

Properties and Activity:Rhizomes, roots and leaves yield essential oil. The important constituents of the Indian oil are asarone and its -isomer. Other constituents are and -pinene, myrcene, camphene, p-cymene, camphor and linalool, sesquiterpenic ketones like asarone, calamone, calacone, acolamone, iso-acolamone, acoragermacrone, epishyobunone, shyobunone and iso- shyobunone. Alcohol present is preisocalamendiol. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons like elemene, elemane and calarene are also present. Tricyclic sesquiterpenes present are caryophyllene, humulene, guaiene, S-guaizulene, arcurcumene, -cadinene, cadinane, calamenene, calacorene, dihydrocalacorene(calamenene), cadalene and selinene. Roots yield acoric acid as a main constituent in addition to choline. Plant also yields a flavone diglycoside- luteolin 6,8-C-diglucoside.

-asarone is the ma jor constituent of essential oil from rhizome (Dandiya et al, 1958,1959; Raquibuddoula, 1967).

Rhizome is insecticidal, pisicidal, spasmolytic, hypothermic, CNS active and analgesic. Essential oil is anticonvulsant. Rhizome is acrid, bitter, thermogenic, aromatic, intellect promoting, emetic, laxative, carminative, stomachic, anthelmintic, emmenagogue, diuretic, alexeteric, expectorant, anodyne, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, antiinflammatory, sudorific, antipyretic, sialagogue, insecticidal, tranquillizer, sedative, analgesic, antithermic, antiasthmatic, hypotensive, respiratory depressant, aperitive and tonic.... sweet flag

n. a type of *protozoan with one or more fine whiplike threads (see flagellum) projecting from its body surface, by means of which it is able to swim. Some flagellates are parasites of humans and are therefore of medical importance. See Trypanosoma; Leishmania; Giardia; Trichomonas.... flagellate

n. (pl. flagella) a fine long whiplike thread attached to certain types of cell (e.g. spermatozoa and some unicellular organisms). Flagella are responsible for the movement of the organisms to which they are attached.... flagellum

an oxazine chloride, used for staining lipids and lipid pigments. Nile blue A (Nile blue sulphate), which stains fatty acids, changes from blue to purplish at pH 10–11.... nile blue

a dye used in microscopy for staining basophilic substances in tissue specimens.... toluidine blue

Water flag. Iris versicolor L. and I. caroliniana Watson. French: Iris. German: Blaue Iris. Spanish: Mavi Susan. Italian: Giglio azzura. Dried rhizome, root.

Action: anti-inflammatory, astringent (liver), cholagogue, diuretic, laxative, stimulant, anti-emetic, blood and lymph purifier, anti-obesity. A powerful alterative for passive sluggish conditions involving the liver, gall bladder, lymphatics, veins and glandular system. Restores loss of tonicity to involuntary muscle structures.

Uses: Chronic liver conditions to increase flow of bile. Cirrhosis, psoriasis, eczema and scrofulous skin disorders, acne, shingles, anal fissure. Combines well with Yellow Dock, Red Clover. Poke root and Queen’s Delight for skin disorders BHP (1983). Soft goitre (persist for months). Migraine or sick headache of liver origin. Reported to be of value in thyroid deficiency. Jaundice (Dr M.L. Tyler). Uterine fibroids: combined with Goldenseal and Balmony (Priest). Promotes secretions of pancreas, intestines and salivary glands.

Traditional combination: With equal parts Yellow Dock and Sarsaparilla as a powerful lymph cleanser. Henry Smith MD. “I use Blue Flag when there is any local disease involving the lymph glands. The vessels become enlarged and congested because of obstruction. Disease in these vessels is the forerunner of chronic skin disease. Blue Flag can be given in expectation of satisfactory results.”

Colonel Lydius, explorer. “The Indians take the root, wash it clean, boil it a little, then crush it between a couple of stones. They spread this crushed root as a poultice over leg ulcers. At the same time, the leg is bathed with the water in which the root is boiled. I have seen great cures by the use of this remedy. (Travels in North America, II. 606)

Preparations: Thrice daily.

Decoction: half a teaspoon to each cup water; simmer gently 15 minutes: dose – one-third cup. Liquid Extract, BHC Vol 1. 1:1, 45 per cent ethanol. Dose: 0.6-2ml.

Tincture, BHC Vol 1. 1:5, ethanol. Dose: 3-10ml. Powdered root. Half-2g.

Blue Flag is an ingredient of Potter’s Irisine Mixture.

Note: Tincture is best made from fresh root in early spring or autumn. ... blue flag root

Eucalyptus globulus var. globulus

FAMILY: Myrtaceae

SYNONYMS: Gum tree, southern blue gum, Tasmanian blue gum, fever tree, stringy bark.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A beautiful, tall, evergreen tree, up to 90 metres high. The young trees have bluish-green oval leaves while the mature trees develop long, narrow, yellowish leaves, creamy-white flowers and a smooth, pale grey bark often covered in a white powder.

DISTRIBUTION: Native to Tasmania and Australia. Mainly cultivated in Spain and Portugal, also Brazil, California, Russia and China. Very little of this oil now comes from its native countries.

OTHER SPECIES: There are over 700 different species of eucalyptus, of which at least 500 produce a type of essential oil. Many have been extracted simply for experimental purposes, and research is still being carried out with regard to the different constituents of each oil. In general, they can be divided into three categories. 1. The medicinal oils containing large amounts of cineol (or eucalyptol), such as the blue gum, but increasingly the blue malee (E. polybractea), the narrow-leaved peppermint (E. radiata var. australiana) and the gully gum (E. smithii). 2. The industrial oils containing mainly piperitone and phellandrene, such as the peppermint eucalyptus (E. piperita), grey peppermint (E. radiata var. phellandra) and increasingly the broad-leaved peppermint (E. dives var. Type). 3. The perfumery oils containing mainly citronellal, such as the lemon-scented eucalyptus (E. citriodora). See also Botanical Classification section.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: A traditional household remedy in Australia, the leaves and oil are especially used for respiratory ailments such as bronchitis and croup, and the dried leaves are smoked like tobacco for asthma. It is also used for feverish conditions (malaria, typhoid, cholera, etc.) and skin problems like burns, ulcers and wounds. Aqueous extracts are used for aching joints, bacterial dysentery, ringworms, tuberculosis, etc. and employed for similar reasons in western and eastern medicine. The wood is also used for timber production in Spain.

ACTIONS: Analgesic, antineuralgic, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, balsamic, cicatrisant, decongestant, deodorant, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic, parasiticide, prophylactic, rubefacient, stimulant, vermifuge, vulnerary.

EXTRACTION: Essential oil by steam distillation from the fresh or partially dried leaves and young twigs.

CHARACTERISTICS: A colourless mobile liquid (yellows on ageing), with a somewhat harsh camphoraceous odour and woody-sweet undertone. It blends well with thyme, rosemary, lavender, marjoram, pine, cedarwood and lemon. (The narrow-leaved eucalyptus (E. radiata var. australiana) is often used in preference to the blue gum in aromatherapy work, being rich in cineol but with a sweeter and less harsh odour.)

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Cineol (70–85 per cent), pinene, limonene, cymene, phellandrene, terpinene, aromadendrene, among others.

SAFETY DATA: Externally non-toxic, non-irritant (in dilution), non-sensitizing. ‘When taken internally eucalyptus oil is toxic and as little as 3.5ml has been reported as fatal’..

AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE

Skin Care: Burns, blisters, cuts, herpes, insect bites, insect repellent, lice, skin infections, wounds.

Circulation Muscles And Joints: Muscular aches and pains, poor circulation, rheumatoid arthritis, sprains, etc.

Respiratory System: Asthma, bronchitis, catarrh, coughs, sinusitis, throat infections.

Genito-Urinary System: Cystitis, leucorrhoea.

Immune System: Chickenpox, colds, epidemics, ’flu, measles.

Nervous System: Debility, headaches, neuralgia.

OTHER USES: The oil and cineol are largely employed in the preparation of liniments, inhalants, cough syrups, ointments, toothpaste and as pharmaceutical flavourings also used in veterinary practise and dentistry. Used as a fragrance component in soaps, detergents and toiletries – little used in perfumes. Used for the isolation of cineol and employed as a flavour ingredient in most major food categories.... eucalyptus, blue gum