Luck
Rasia, Rasine, Rasja, Rasya, Rosa, Rosella, Roselle, Rosena, Rosenah, Rosene, Rosetta, Rosette, Rosey, Rosheen, Rosie, Rosina, Rosine, Rosio, Rosita, Rosy, Roza, Roze, Rozele, Rozella, Rozene, Rozina, Rozsa, Rozsi, Rozsika, Rozy, Ruza, Ruzena, Ruzenka, Ruzha, Ruzsa, Rosai, Rosay, Rosee, Rosae, Roesia, Rohais, Rhosyn, Rois, Roisin, Ros, Russu, Ruusu, Rozeena, Rozyuka, Rhodia... rose
Teething. Teas: Spearmint, Roman Chamomile, Peppermint. 1 heaped teaspoon to cup boiling water; infuse 15 minutes; frequent teaspoon doses. Alternative: place one Chamomile flower in feeding bottle. Essential oils: rub gums with diluted oils: Spearmint, German Chamomile, Peppermint or Mullein. Urinary Tract Infection, Cystitis or urethritis.
Teas: Horsetail, Couch Grass, Golden Rod, Rosehip. Dandelion coffee. For pus in the urine: 1-5 drops Tincture Myrrh in cup of warm water: Dose: 1-2 teaspoons thrice daily. Fullness under the eyes may indicate Bright’s Disease for which specialist opinion should be obtained without delay.
Diet. Wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread, pasta, two servings fresh fruit and vegetables daily. Little lean meat, poultry, fish. Dairy products: yoghurt, cheese, milk in moderation. Fresh orange juice, raw fresh vegetable salads. Oatmeal (porridge oats) is sustaining to the nervous system.
Avoid: crisps, fizzy drinks, hamburgers, biscuits, chocolate, sugar-filled snacks, alcohol, strong tea and coffee.
Supplement. Most children may benefit from one zinc tablet weekly.
Medicine doses. See: DOSAGE.
Fish oils. As well as to help children guard against winter illnesses, Cod Liver oil supplements may help them later in life against arthritis, heart disease, psoriasis, eczema and other inflammatory disorders.
Aspirin. It is clear that a link exists between Reye’s syndrome and aspirin. Aspirin is not advised for minor viral illness in children. ... roseola
Habitat: Commonly grown in Indian gardens.
English: Madagascar Periwinkle (Vinca major L. Pich. and Vinca minor Linn. are known as Greater Periwinkle and Lesser Periwinkle respectively).Folk: Sadaabahaar, Nayantaaraa, Nityakalyaani.Action: The cytotoxic dimeric alkaloids, present in Madagascar Periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus L. Don, Vincea rosea L., and used for the treatment of certain type of cancer, have not been found in V. major.
Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar Periwinkle) : cytostatic, anti-neoplas- tic, slows down growth of cells by su- pressing immune response. Vinblas- tine and Vincristine are said to prolong remission of leukaemia to more than five years. These chemotherapeutic agents are toxic to the nervous system. Vinblastine is also used for breast cancer and Hodgkin's disease.Vinca major L. Pich. (Greater Periwinkle): astringent, anti-haemorrha- gic; used for menorrhagia and leu- corrhoea. Contains indole alkaloids including reserpinine and serpentine; tannins.Vinca minor Linn. (Lesser Periwinkle): astringent; circulatory stimulant. Leaves—stomachic and bitter. Root— hypotensive. Used for gastric catarrh, chronic dyspepsia, flatulence; also for headache, dizziness, behaviours disorders. A homoeopathic tincture is given for internal haemorrhages.... catharanthus roseusRanna, Rosana, Rosanagh, Rosanna, Rosannah, Rosanne, Roseann, Roseanna, Rosehannah, Rossana, Rossanna, Rozanna, Rozanne, Rozeanna, Rosanie... roseanne
Roselanie, Roselany, Roselaney, Roselanee, Rosalanea... roselani
Habitat: Native of West Indies; commonly grown in Indian gardens.
English: Madagascar Periwinkle.Ayurvedic: Sadaapushpaa, Sadam- pushpa, Nityakalyaani, Sadaaba- haar.Siddha: Nithiya kalyani, Sudukadu mallikai.Action: Cytotoxic.
Over one hundred monomeric and bisindole alkaloids have been isolated.The indole alkaloid, vincamine, is a vasodilator; the bisindole alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine proved to be highly effective as cancer chemothera- peutic agents.Vinblastine and vincristine are clinically used in a number of thrombo- cytopenic disorders, such as refractory idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpurea and haemolytic anaemia.Vinblastine in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents (cis- platin and bleomycin) is used for the treatment of metastatic testicular cancer; also against bladder cancer, breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma in combination with other drugs.Vincristine, in various combinations, is highly effective in acute leukemia in children and lymphocytic leukemia; and pediatric tumours. (The Treatise on Indian Medicinal Plants.)... vinca roseaHabitat: Thickets, woods and shady waysides.
Features ? The stem of this well-known wild plant is slender, square and hairy; it gives off a few distant pairs of rough, oblong leaves with rounded teeth. Purplish flowers, arranged in a terminal, oval spike, bloom in July and August. The roots are white and thready. Bitter to the taste, the odour is slight and pleasant.Part used ? The whole herb.Action: Aromatic, astringent and alterative.
It is highly recommended for biliousness, stomach cramp and colic, and as a tonic in digestive disorders generally. It is a helpful component of prescriptions in the treatment of rheumatism and blood impurities. A wineglass of the ounce to pint infusion may be taken frequently.Tilke is interesting on Wood Betony, as his remarks show that the herb was as popular a carminative a hundred years ago as it is to-day ? "This herb boiled with wine or water," he tells us, "is good for those who cannot digest their meals, or have belchings and a continual rising in their stomach."... wood betonyConstituents: cardiac glycosides with Digitalis-like action. Enhances the organs of sense: mouth, nose and eyes.
Uses: Heart disorders.
An ingredient of Paracelsus’s “Elixir of Life”. ... christmas rose
Constituents: flavonoids, tannins, vitamins, carotenoids.
Natural source of Vitamin C.
Action. Antidiarrhoeal, anti-stress.
Uses: Rose hip capsules or tablets are taken as a prophylactic against colds and infections.
Teabags offer a popular daily ‘health’ tea as an alternative to caffeine drinks. See: VITAMIN C.
GSL ... dog rose
Habitat: Heaths, commons, woods.
Features ? Very similar in appearance to the ordinary garden, or culinary sage. Part used ? Herb.Action: Diaphoretic, astringent, emmenagogue, tonic.
In feverish colds and faulty menstruation due to chills. Wineglass doses of the 1 ounce to 1 pint infusions are taken warm. Hool tells us that Wood Sage "combined with Comfrey and Ragwort, freely influences the bladder," and that it is "an appetiser of the first order, and as a tonic will be found equal to Gentian."... wood sageProlonged use may cause weight gain.... pityriasis rosea
FAMILY: Lauraceae
SYNOYNMS Ho oil, ho-wood il, shiu oil, ho-leaf oil.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: A tall, tropical evergreen tree, quite dense with small white flowers and black berries, which grows up to 30 metres in height. This is the same tree that produces camphor comes from the wood of the tree.
DISTRIBUTION: Native to China, Japan, Taiwan and south-east Asia. It is now cultivated in many tropical and sub-tropical countries including India, Australia, Madagascar and parts of the USA where it has naturalized.
OTHER SPECIES: Cinnamomum camphora is a large genus with many subspecies which yield a volatile oil on distillation, including ho oil (wood and leaf), camphor, apopin, sassafras and ravintsara. All these essential oils, although derived from the same principal botanical species, differ in their chemical profile enormously depending on their country of origin as well as the part of the plant used to extract the oil. There are thus many different subvarieties of the camphor tree found throughout Asia, for example the Yu-sho in China and the Sho-guy variety found in Taiwan. Ho (wood and leaf) oil is derived both from the Hon-sho and Ho-sho varieties growing mainly in Japan and Taiwan. This variety has linalool as its major constituent.
Rosewood (Aniba rosaedora), a native tree of the Amazon, also yields an oil very rich in linalool. However, rosewood became endangered due to over-harvesting and although plantations have since been planted, it will take time for the trees to mature. Rosewood oil and ho wood oil are very similar in nature, and since ho wood is more renewable, it is increasingly used as a replacement for the former. However, ho leaf oil, distilled from the leaves of C. camphora, is gradually beginning to replace ho wood oil in aromatherapy usage, because its scent is smoother, containing hardly any camphor-like notes.
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: Ho wood has traditionally been used for making the handles of Japanese swords and knives because it is soft and will not scratch the blades. It is also used nowadays for ornamental parts of houses, carpentry and cabinet making, as it is of a very similar beauty to rosewood. Ho wood oil became very popular in Taiwan during the 1900s as a linalool-rich product, locally referred to as shiu oil. C. camphora was also heavily exploited as a source of camphor in Japan and Taiwan until World War II.
The high ‘linalool’ content makes Ho oil a potent immune system stimulant (good for infections such as cold or ’flu) as well as a powerful relaxant or sedative … soothing yet uplifting in effect. Recent studies also suggest that the oil may play a role as a cellular stimulant and tissue regenerator, being beneficial for complaints associated with the skin.
ACTIONS: Analgesic, anti-fungal, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, bactericidal, immune support, sedative, tonic. It is also believed to be a mild aphrodisiac.
EXTRACTION: Steam distilled from the leaves (ho leaf oil) and wood (ho wood oil)
CHARACTERISTICS: Ho wood oil is a pale yellow liquid with a soft, warm, floral, spicy-woody scent with a slightly camphor-like undertone. The leaf oil has a sweet-fresh, green-floral and woody scent. It blends well with basil, bergamot, cedarwood, chamomile, lavender, lime, geranium, juniper, neroli, petitgrain, myrtle, sandalwood, ylang ylang and spice oils.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Ho (wood and leaf) oil contains up to 99 per cent linalool, with traces of limonene, myrcene, gamma-terpinene and other components. Ho wood oil generally contains higher levels of cineol. Japanese ho oil ‘A’ quality has a linalool content of 94 per cent or more; a ‘B’ grade has 85–90 per cent linalool.
SAFETY DATA: It is non-toxic and non-irritant but with possible sensitization in some individuals.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE
Skin Care: Acne, cuts, dermatitis, stretch marks, scars, wounds & general skin care: dry, oily, mature and sensitive skin.
Circulation Muscles And Joints: Aches and pains caused by inflammation.
Respiratory System: Chills, coughs and colds, ’flu.
Immune System: Low libido and frigidity: boosts vitality.
Nervous System: Anxiety, depression, insomnia, nervous tension, stress.
OTHER USES: The use of C. camphora as a source of ho leaf and wood oil has expanded in recent years and it is now an important source of natural linalool (which is still preferred over the synthetic form) for some fragrance applications in the perfumery industry. Indeed, ho leaf and wood oil has largely displaced the use of rosewood as a source of natural linalool. It is also an effective insect repellent.... ho wood
FAMILY: Rosaceae
SYNONYMS: Rose maroc, French rose, Provence rose, hundred-leaved rose, Moroccan otto of rose (oil), French otto of rose (oil), rose de mai (absolute or concrete).
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The rose which is generally used for oil production is strictly a hybrid between R. centifolia, a pink rose, and R. gallica, a dark red rose. This variety, known as rose de mai, grows to a height of 2.5 metres and produces an abundance of flowers with large pink or rosy-purple petals. There are two subspecies – one is more spiny than the other.
DISTRIBUTION: The birthplace of the cultivated rose is believed to be ancient Persia; now cultivated mainly in Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, France, Yugoslavia and China. The concrete, absolute and oil are mainly produced in Morocco; the absolute in France, Italy and China.
OTHER SPECIES: There are over 10,000 types of cultivated rose! There are several subspecies of R. centifolia, depending on the country of origin. Other therapeutic species are the red rose or apothecary rose (R. gallica) of traditional Western medicine, the oriental or tea rose (R. indica), the Chinese or Japanese rose (R. rugosa) and the Turkish or Bulgarian rose (R. damascena) which is also extensively cultivated for its oil. Recently rosehip seed oil from R. rubiginosa has been found to be a very effective skin treatment; it promotes tissue regeneration and is good for scars, burns and wrinkles. The wild rose (Eubatus rubus) is now also being used to produce a rare absolute with a rich, spicy-earthy fragrance. See also entry on damask rose and the Botanical Classification section.
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: The healing virtues of the rose have been known since antiquity and although roses are rarely used in herbal practice nowadays, up to the Middle Ages they played an essential part in the materia medica, and still
fulfil an important role in Eastern medicine. They were used for a wide range of disorders, including digestive and menstrual problems, headaches and nervous tension, liver congestion, poor circulation, fever (plague), eye infections and skin complaints. ‘The symbolism connected with the rose is perhaps one of the richest and most complex associated with any plant ... traditionally associated with Venus, the Goddess of love and beauty, and in our materialistic age the Goddess is certainly alive and well in the cosmetics industry for rose oil (mainly synthetic) is found as a component in 46% of men’s perfumes and 98% of women’s fragrances.’.
The French or Moroccan rose possesses narcotic properties and has the reputation for being aphrodisiac (more so than the Bulgarian type), possibly due to the high percentage of phenyl ethanol in the former. For further distinctions between the different properties of rose types, see damask rose.
ACTIONS: Antidepressant, antiphlogistic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, anti-tubercular agent, antiviral, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericidal, choleretic, cicitrisant, depurative, emmenagogue, haemostatic, hepatic, laxative, regulator of appetite, sedative (nervous), stomachic, tonic (heart, liver, stomach, uterus).
EXTRACTION: 1. Essential oil or otto by water or steam distillation from the fresh petals. (Rose water is produced as a byproduct of this process.) 2. Concrete and absolute by solvent extraction from the fresh petals. (A rose leaf absolute is also produced in small quantities in France.)
CHARACTERISTICS: 1. The oil is a pale yellow liquid with a deep, sweet, rosy-floral, tenacious odour. 2. The absolute is a reddish orange viscous liquid with a deep, rich, sweet, rosy-spicy, honeylike fragrance. It blends well with jasmine, cassie, mimosa, neroli, geranium, bergamot, lavender, clary sage, sandalwood, guaiacwood, patchouli, benzoin, chamomile, Peru balsam, clove and palmarosa.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: It has over 300 constituents, some in minute traces. Mainly citronellol (18–22 per cent), phenyl ethanol (63 per cent), geraniol and nerol (10–15 per cent), stearopten (8 per cent), farnesol (0.2–2 per cent), among others.
SAFETY DATA: Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE
Skin care: Broken capillaries, conjunctivitis (rose water), dry skin, eczema, herpes, mature and sensitive complexions, wrinkles.
Circulation muscles and joints: Palpitations, poor circulation.
Respiratory system: Asthma, coughs, hay fever.
Digestive system: Cholecystitis, liver congestion, nausea.
Genito-urinary system: Irregular menstruation, leucorrhoea, menorrhagia, uterine disorders.
Nervous system: Depression, impotence, insomnia, frigidity, headache, nervous tension and stress-related complaints – ‘But the rose procures us one thing above all: a feeling of well being, even of happiness, and the individual under its influence will develop an amiable tolerance.’.
OTHER USES: Rose water is used as a household cosmetic and culinary article (especially in Persian cookery). The concrete, absolute and oil are employed extensively in soaps, cosmetics, toiletries and perfumes of all types – floral, oriental, chypres, etc. Some flavouring uses, especially fruit products and tobacco.... rose, cabbage
FAMILY: Rosaceae
SYNONYMS: Summer damask rose, Bulgarian rose, Turkish rose (Anatolian rose oil), otto of rose (oil), attar of rose (oil).
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Small prickly shrub between 1 metre and 2 metres high, with pink, very fragrant blooms with thirty-six petals, and whitish hairy leaves. It requires a very specific soil and climate.
DISTRIBUTION: Believed to be a native of the Orient, now cultivated mainly in Bulgaria, Turkey and France. Similar types are grown in China, India and Russia; however, India produces only rose water and aytar – a mixture of rose otto and sandalwood.
OTHER SPECIES: There are many different subspecies: the Turkish variety is known simply as R. damascena. ‘Trigintipetala’ is the principal cultivar in commercial cultivation, known as the ‘Kazanlik rose’. Bulgaria also grows the white rose (R. damascena var. alba) or the musk rose (R. muscatta) which is used as a windbreak around the damask rose plantations. See also cabbage rose and the Botanical Classification section.
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: ‘The damask rose, on account of its fragrance, belongs to the cephalics; but the next valuable virtue that it possesses consists in its cathartic quality ... oil of roses is used by itself to cool hot inflammations or swellings, and to bind and stay fluxes of humours to sores.’.
Rose hips are still current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, mainly due to their high vitamin C content (also A and B). For further general properties, see entry for cabbage rose.
ACTIONS: See cabbage rose.
EXTRACTION: 1. Essential oil or otto by water or steam distillation from the fresh petals. 2. A concrete and absolute by solvent extraction from the fresh petals.
CHARACTERISTICS: 1. A pale yellow or olive yellow liquid with a very rich, deep, sweet-floral, slightly spicy scent. 2. The absolute is a reddishorange or olive viscous liquid with a rich, sweet, spicy-floral, tenacious odour. It blends well with most oils, and is useful for ‘rounding off’ blends. The Bulgarian type is considered superior in perfumery work, but in therapeutic practice it is more a matter of differing properties between the various types of rose.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Mainly citronellal (34–55 per cent), geraniol and nerol (30–40 per cent), stearopten (16–22 per cent), phenyl ethanol (1.5–3 per cent) and farnesol (0.2–2 per cent), with many other trace constituents.
SAFETY DATA: Non-toxic, non-irritant, nonsensitizing.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE See cabbage rose.
OTHER USES: See cabbage rose.... rose, damask
FAMILY: Lauraceae
SYNONYMS: A. rosaeodora var. amazonica, bois de rose, Brazilian rosewood.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Medium-sized, tropical, evergreen tree with a reddish bark and heartwood, bearing yellow flowers. Used extensively for timber. NB: This is one of the trees that is being extensively felled in the clearing of the South American rainforests; the continual production of rosewood oil is consequently enviromentally damaging.
DISTRIBUTION: Native to the Amazon region; Brazil and Peru are the main producers.
OTHER SPECIES: There are several species of timber all known as rosewood; however, the essential oil is only distilled from the above species. French Guiana used to produce the cayenne rosewood (Ocotea caudata), which is superior in quality to the Peruvian or Brazilian type.
HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION: Used for building, carving and French cabinet making. Nowadays, most rosewood goes to Japan for the production of chopsticks.
ACTIONS: Mildly analgesic, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antimicrobial, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, bactericidal, cellular stimulant, cephalic, deodorant, stimulant (immune system), tissue regenerator, tonic.
EXTRACTION: Essential oil by steam distillation of the wood chippings.
CHARACTERISTICS: Colourless to pale yellow liquid with a very sweet, woody-floral fragrance with a spicy hint. Blends well with most oils, especially citrus, woods and florals. It helps give body and rounds off sharp edges.
PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS: Linalol (90–97 per cent) in cayenne rosewood; in the Brazilian oil slightly less (80–90 per cent). Also cineol, terpineol, geraniol, citronella!, limonene, pinene, among others.
SAFETY DATA: Non-toxic, non-irritant, nonsensitizing.
AROMATHERAPY/HOME: USE
Skin care: Acne, dermatitis, scars, wounds, wrinkles and general skin care: sensitive, dry, dull, combination oily/dry, etc. ‘Although it does not have any dramatic curative power ... I find it very useful especially for skin care. It is very mild and safe to use.’.
Immune system: Colds, coughs, fever, infections, stimulates the immune system.
Nervous system: Frigidity, headaches, nausea, nervous tension and stress-related conditions.
OTHER USES: Once extensively used as a source of naturallinalol, now increasingly replaced by the synthetic form. Acetylated rosewood oil is used extensively in perfumery work – soaps, toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes. The oil is employed in most major food categories, alcoholic and soft drinks.... rosewood
Health Encyclopedia