Uses: Laryngitis. Chronic bronchitis. Safe for children’s chest troubles. Traditional: for coughs, colds and sore throats. Buds used by North American Indians for muscular and circulatory aches and pains (Dr A. Clapp, 1852).
Side effects. None known.
Preparations: Tea. 2-3 buds to each cup boiling water; infuse 15 minutes. Half-1 cup 3-hourly, acute cases; thrice daily, chronic.
Tincture, BHC (vol 1). 1:5 45 per cent Ethanol, 4-8ml.
Balm of Gilead Cough Mixture (Potter’s). Each 10ml contains Acet. Scill. BP 0.339ml; Acetic acid (5.5 per cent) extractive from Lobelia (1-12.5) 0.148ml; Ipecac Liquid extract BP 0.004ml; 30 per cent alcoholic extractive (1:1) from each of 100mg Balm of Gilead buds and 200mg Lungwort lichen in a sweetened flavoured vehicle. ... balm of gilead
Action: powerful relaxant to the central nervous system, vasodilator, analgesic; to calm down physical violence in hysteria and reduce a dangerously high pulse rate. Antispasmodic, hypotensive (transient). Tranquilliser. Combines well with Hawthorn for cardiac arrhythmias. No evidence of dependence in clinical use.
Use s. Pressive nervous headache (constrictive migraine). Facial neuralgia, cramp, intermittent claudication, pain in womb and ovaries, temporal arteritis. Pain in tail bone at base of the spine (coccydynia). Spasm of the osteopathic lesion. Great restlessness, convulsions, contracted pupils and circulatory excitement.
Avoid in heart disease and low blood pressure. Practitioner use. Tincture Gelsemium, 2-5 drops, 2-3 times daily. Pharmacy only sales.
A weaker tincture may frequently be used with good effect: 5 drops to 100ml water – 1 teaspoon hourly. (Dr Finlay Ellingwood) ... gelsemium
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