Echinacea angustifolia syn. E. augustifolia

Actions:	ALTERATIVE, Analgesic, Anesthetic (mild), ANTISEPTIC, Bactericide, Deoderant, Depurative, Diaphoretic, Digestive, IMMUNOSTIMULANT, Insecticide, LYMPHATIC, Parasiticide, Sialagogue, Stimulant, Tonic (general, digestive)
	NOTE: There is quite a bit of dispute over whether Echinacea is an antibiotic or not. I have been taught that it is not, though some still insist that it is. Echinacea boosts the body's own immune system, which creates its own antibiotics, however, this does not make it (the herb) an antibiotic. Research has also been done on the plant to determine if it is an antibiotic or not. Results proclaim that Echinacea is definately NOT an antibiotic so in these files it will not be listed as such.

Uses:	Root:	Fresh scraped: Bites (snake), Hydrophobia, Septicemia
	Internal:	Acne, Bad breath, Bladder (infections), Blood (poisoning, purifier), Boils, Fevers, Gangrene, Infections, Inflammation (general, mammary glands), Intestines (antiseptic), Leukemia, Leukopenia, Lymphatic (congestion, to drain, general, swelling), Poisoning (bites, blood, snake bite, uremic), Skin (diseases), Tonic (digestive, general), Tonsillitis, Venereal diseases
	External:	Pain, Swellings, Wounds

	Homeopathic:	Appendicitis, Bites (rabid animals, snake), Blood (poisoning), Carbuncles, Diphtheria, Fever (enteric), Gangrene, Poisoning (blood, rhus, snake bite, wounds), Pyoemia, Rhus poisoning, Scarlatina, Septicemia, Struma, Syphilis, Typhoid, Ulcers, Vaccinations (side effects of), Wounds (poisoned)
	Contains:	Vit. A, Vit. C, Vit. E, copper, iodine, iron, potassium, sulphur.

Abscesses (cellular, general, teeth), Acne, Adynamic fever, AIDS (helps protect against getting), ALTERATIVE, Anesthetic (mild), ANTISEPTIC, Appendicitis, Bactericide, Bad breath, Bedsores, Bites (brown recluse, poisonous, rabid animals, snake, spider), Bladder infections, BLOOD (builder, diseases, poisoning (advanced, general), purifier), BOILS, Burns, Cachexia (cancerous), Cancer, Canker sores, Carbuncles, Colds, Deoderant, Digestion (aids), Diphtheria, Eczema, Fevers (adynamic, enteric, general, typhoid), Flatulence, Flu, Gangrene, Gas (intestinal), Glands (lymph, swollen), Gonorrhea, Gums, Herpes (sores), Herpes I and II (used with Burdock (Arctium lappa)), Hydrophobia, IMMUNOSTIMULANT, Indigestion, Infections (external, general, internal, septic, sores, staph, throat), Inflammations (general, mammary glands, pelvic (acute, general)), Insecticide, Intestines (antiseptic), Leukemia, Leukopenia, LYMPH GLANDS, LYMPHATIC (drains, general, congestion of, swelling), Mastitis (in dogs and dairy animals), Mucous membranes (bluish in color, general), Pain, Parasiticide, Perionitis, Pimples, Poisoning (bites, blood, rhus, snake bite, uremic, wounds), Preventative (colds, flu), PROSTATE (enlargement, weakness), Pus, Pyoemia, Rhus poisoning, Salpingitis, Scarlatina, Septicemia, Sialagogue, Skin (diseases), Sores (bed, canker, general, hard-to-heal, herpes, infected), Spinal meningitis, Staphlococcus auereus, Stimulant, Strep throat (acute, general), Strep throat, Streptococcus meumorie, Struma, Swellings (lymph, painful), Syphilis, Teeth (abscessed), Throat (infections, sore, strep), Tonic (digestive, general), Tonsillitis, Toothaches,Tuberculosis, Tumors (malignant), Typhoid, Typhoid fever (when used with Myrhh), Ulcers, Uremic poisoning, Vaccinations (side effects of), Venereal diseases, Weight loss (with chickweed), Wisdom teeth (abscessed), Wounds (general, hard-to-heal, open, poisoned)

Notes:	When purchasing Echinacea from an herb shop, be sure to ask the herbalist for a small pinch of the herb before purchasing. Place just a bit in your mouth and chew it twice to break it up and wet it a bit, then set it on the tip of your tongue. If you feel a tingle (or even in some cases a mild burning), then it is good quality Echinacea! Be warned, though.. some people can't stand the taste of Echinacea, so you might not want to try this, or have a tissue on hand to spit the herb back out upon.

	Protection against AIDS? You bet! Echinacea is one of the main ingredients in a couple of herbal formulas recommended by doctors to help protect against getting AIDS!! It may not work 100%, but it's hope for those with AIDS that a cure may soon be found! "Resist-All" and "Herpes" are the formula names and you can get them from:

		Great American Natural Products, Inc.
		4121 - 16th Street
		St. Petersburg, FL 33703

		Phone: (813) 521-4372

	Echinacea is said to work best on non-chronic illnesses.

	Preventative:	Many people take Echinacea every day as a preventative; however this method will result in the gradual resistance of the body to the herb. Instead, try taking Echinacea for a week, then stopping for a week, then taking it again for a week. By alternating weeks, you can boost your immune system, yet still allow your body the chance to rest. Besides, it saves you 50% of the money you spent since you're using Echinacea only half the time!

Notes:	Preparation notes:	Another interesting debate about this plant is that some say that only alcohol can effectively draw out its medicinal properties, while others say that preparing this plant in alcohol eliminates its effectiveness. While I have not yet used Echinacea in tincture form, I have made several effective teas and decoctions out of it.
		It is said that the soil and weather conditions surrounding a plant's growth affect its medicinal effectiveness and while that is most certainly true, it is also said that Echinacea is very sensitive to such conditions.
		I have also read warnings on preparing Echinacea. These warnings state that extreme care should be used as Echinacea is a very sensitive herb and the slightest thing gone wrong in making medicinal preparations or drying the plant can dramatically reduce the effectiveness of this herb. Personally, I haven't found the plant to be as sensitive as some say, but then again, I'm one of those people who can grow roses anywhere I put them, ignore them and watch them bloom beautifully time after time. ^_^
		Echinacea is reported to taste terrible, however, I love the taste (and often get strange looks for saying so). So, for those of you who can't stand the taste of Echinacea, it is not recommended that you disguise the taste with sweeteners. Instead, try adding Spearmint, or try it as a tincture. If you're worried about the alcohol, then try it as an apple cider vinegar tincture. A few drops of tincture can be added to a glass of water and drunk, or, for the bold, a few drops of tincture under the tongue (to help avoid the taste) and swallowed.

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Parts Used:	Flowers, Leaves, Root, Stalk
	NOTE: Some say that only the FLOWER is the active part, others say only the ROOT is. Personal experience and experience of fellow herbalists show that ALL parts work.