Guest guest Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 <<<<Is this a multi purpose all healing type of tincture?>>>> Hi, Caroline, Welcome. I’ll let someone else answer the tincturing question but I’ve attached 4 emails that Suzi posted awhile back. They’ll get you started on what cayenne can do!! Anna *Your Health Is In Your Hands* Originally from South America, the cayenne plant has spread across the globe both as a food and as a medicine. Cayenne is very closely related to bell peppers, jalapeños, paprika, and other similar peppers. The fruit is used. In what conditions might cayenne be supportive? Bursitis, diabetic neuropathy, osteoarthritis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, shingles (herpes zoster), postherpetic neuralgia. Historical or traditional use: The potent, hot fruit of cayenne has been used as medicine for centuries. It was considered helpful for various conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, including stomachaches, cramping pains, and gas. Cayenne was frequently used to treat diseases of the circulatory system. It is still traditionally used in herbal medicine as a circulatory tonic (a substance believed to improve circulation). Rubbed on the skin, cayenne is a traditional, as well as modern, remedy for rheumatic pains and arthritis due to what is termed a counterirritant effect. A counterirritant is something which causes irritation to a tissue to which it is applied, thus distracting from the original irritation (such as joint pain in the case of arthritis). Active constituents: Cayenne contains a resinous and pungent substance known as capsaicin. This chemical relieves pain and itching by acting on sensory nerves. Capsaicin temporarily stimulates release of various neurotransmitters from these nerves, leading to their depletion. Without the neurotransmitters, pain signals can no longer be sent.1 The effect is temporary. Capsaicin and other constituents in cayenne have been shown to have several other actions, including reducing platelet stickiness and acting as antioxidants. How much should I take? Creams containing 0.025-0.075% capsaicin are generally used. There may be a burning sensation for the first several times the cream is applied, but this should gradually decrease with each use. The hands must be carefully and thoroughly washed after use, or gloves should be worn, to prevent the cream from accidentally reaching the eyes, nose, or mouth, which would cause a burning sensation. Do not apply the cream to areas of broken skin. A cayenne tincture can be used in the amount of 0.3-1 ml three times daily. Are there any side effects or interactions? Besides causing a mild burning for the first few applications (or severe burning if accidentally placed in sensitive areas, such as the eyes), there are no side effects from use of the capsaicin cream. Very high intake of cayenne internally may cause ulcers, but the necessary amount is rarely achieved with sensible intake. As with anything applied to the skin, some people may have an allergic reaction to the cream, so the first application should be to a very small area of skin. Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and to prescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian Shillington Doctor of Naturopathy Dr.IanShillington “CAPSICUM” BY DR. JOHN R. CHRISTOPHER FAMILY: SOLANACEAE (‘Solamen’ in Latin means “quieting”); these are nightshades, which include: tomato, potato, red/green bell peppers; eggplant; and the deadly nightshade, henbane, Jimson weed, the petunia, and tobacco. There are 75 genera and over 2000 species; most are herbs, some are small shrubs, and a few are small trees. The leaves show great variation in size and shape but are always arranged in an alternate fashion on the stems. It is the flowers, however, as is true of most plant families, that offer the best characteristics for the recognition of the family. Both sepals and petals are present. The five united or partially united petals usually form a symmetrical corolla, which is wheel or bell shaped. The stamens, usually five in number, attached near the base of the corolla. The superior ovary contains two cavities. At maturity, the ovary becomes a fleshy or dry fruit containing many seeds. The fleshy type of fruit is called a berry and is the more common type in the family; the dry fruit is known as a capsule. Presumably all members of the family developed from one common ancestor in the remote geological past. (p.16) The name “Cayenne” is derived from the river Cayenne in French Guiana. Pepper is a misnomer when applied to Cayenne; Cayenne is commonly called Guinea Pepper in England and Europe. As an herb for health our attention is concerned with CAPSICUM ANNUM AND CAPSICUM FRUTESCENS; AKA “bird pepper’ or ‘guinea pepper’. COMMON NAMES: African pepper; African red pepper; American red pepper; bird pepper, capsicum, cayenne, cayenne pepper, Spanish pepper, Casique or Poivre de Cayenne (French); Spanisher Pfeffer or Scholtenpfeffer (German). IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS: The most pungent is the yellowish red fruit of Sierra Leone; the African birdseye Cayenne (Capsicum fastigiatum) are small, pungent, bright pods and retain the heat in the body longer than any other variety. Zanzibar chilies often have the stalks attached. The African varieties grow on shrub-size plants and the fruit is small and pungent, while the American varieties are herb-size plants with the fruit being larger and heart shaped. PART USED—FRUIT (the oil is in the seeds). THERAPEUTIC ACTION: Stimulant, tonic, carminative, sialogogue (stimulates the secretion of saliva), stomachic, rubefacient, pungent, alterative, astringent, antispasmodic, sudorific, emetic, antiseptic, condiment, anti-rheumatic. • Cayenne is a medicinal and nutritional herb; it is the purest and most certain stimulant. There can be little doubt that Cayenne furnishes one of the purest and strongest stimulants, which can be introduced into the stomach; while at the same time it has nothing of the narcotic effects of ardent spritis. It is said to have been used with success in curing some cases or disease that had resisted all other remedies. It is no doubt the most powerful stimulant known; its power is entirely congenial t nature, being powerful only in raising and maintaining the heat on which life depends. It is extremely pungent, and when taken, sets the mouth as it were on fire; this last, however, but a few minutes, and I consider it essentially a benefit, for its effects on the glands causes the saliva to flow freely, and leaves the mouth clean and moist. • Practice has proved Cayenne to be a PURE STIMULANT; one that may be safely administered and efficaciously applied, under every disease, whenever anything in the form of a stimulant is required by the system; in fact, no other medicine can as easily restore and retain the vital heat of the body. It also excites and promotes profuse perspiration, and in all cases in perfect harmony with the animal economy. It imparts a pungent heat to the throat and mouth, but this may be considered as indicative of its good qualities, for it is thus made to act powerfully on the salivary glands without injuring them and preserves a good tone to the digestive organs. The warmth that it imparts to the stomach causes an equal distribution of the fluids, without which health cannot possibly be retained in a animal economy. When taken into the stomach, it retains its heat longer than any other stimulant; at times it imparts a powerful sense of heat to the bowels, occasioned by the sudden expansion of the parts which have previously been cramped and contracted with pain. The active stimulus of the pepper thus operating upon the parts affected, produces a speedy reaction in the system, removing the obstructions by natural evacuations and profuse perspiration. • Cayenne as a nutritional herb: start with a small amount of 40 thousand Skoville unit Cayenne, take approximately a level ¼ teaspoon, or one ‘0’ capsule full. Stir into a small amount of water and drink. Do this twice a day. When adjusted to this level of Cayenne then increase the daily amount gradually over a period of time, I suggest 12-18 months, until one teaspoon is being consumed three times a day. To begin with it is best to use Cayenne just before a meal. Over time Cayenne can be taken on an empty stomach, again start out with small amounts and increase gradually over time. • This herb is a great food for the circulatory system in that it feeds the necessary elements into the cell structure of the arteries, veins and capillaries so that these regain the elasticity of youth again, and the blood pressure adjusts itself to normal. It rebuilds the tissue in the stomach and heals the stomach and intestinal ulcers; in equalizing the blood circulation, Cayenne produces natural warmth; and in stimulating the peristaltic motion of the intestines, it aids in assimilation and elimination. • When the venous structure becomes loaded with sticky mucus, the blood has a harder time circulating; therefore, higher pressure forces the liquid through. Cayenne regulates the flow of blood from the head to the feet so that the pressure is equalized; it influences the heart immediately, then gradually extends its effects to the arteries, capillaries, and nerves (the frequency of the pulse is not increased, but is given more vigor). Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and to prescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian Shillington Doctor of Naturopathy Dr.IanShillington • CIRCULATION—Warming; dilating; specific for varicose veins; equalizes the blood pressure in the arterial and venous system; equalizes; • FOR: allergies; muscle cramps; improved digestion; more pep and energy; wound healing with minimal scar tissue. • Cayenne is a counter-irritant; brings blood t the surface to take toxins away. • Capsicum supports the natural beat (rhythm) of the viscera and interior actions of the glandular, circulatory, lymphatic, and digestive systems. It has been used with great success as a cure for spotted fever (?); the most active stimulant to support and re-animate feeble or exhausted powers. (p. 66) • This is a medicine of great value in the practice, and may be safely used in all cases of disease, to raise and retain the internal vital heat of the system, cause a free perspiration, and keep the determining powers to the surface. The only preparation is to have it reduced to a fine powder. For a dose, take from half to a teaspoonful in hot water or tea sweetened with honey. • Dr. Coffin includes Cayenne pepper in his composition powder to restore the normal function of the body in the various stages of pregnancy and childbirth. For morning sickness he recommends a combination of ‘White poplar bark, agrimony, centaury, raspberry leaves, yarrow and rhubarb, each a quarter of an ounce, steep in two quarts of water, strain, and add while hot two teaspoons of powdered cinnamon, half a teaspoonful of Cayenne pepper, and let the patient take one tablespoonful every three hours until the symptoms are removed if this should not relieve, give an emetic and repeat if necessary. o For heartburn, Dr. Coffin recommended four ounces of white poplar bark to one quart of water to which was added ½ ounce of powdered myrrh and ½ teaspoon of Cayenne. o Cayenne is included n various formulas by Dr. Coffin for the relief of difficulty in passing urine, swelling of the legs, pains in the back, colic, cramps, convulsions, and flooding preceding miscarriage. • Capsicum is a powerful rubefacient. • Capsicum is a general nervous stimulant; a specific for delirium tremens. • For atonic gout, in paralysis, in dropsy, in tympanitis, and in the debilitated stages of fever. • For Scrofulous; dyspepsia; flatulence; an excellent carminative. • For sore throat—gargle (prepare the gargle with honey); for spasmodic and irritating coughs; heartburn and diarrhea; • Enables feeble stomachs to digest food; for atonic dyspepsia; specific for hemorrhoids; cures intermittent fever; Capsicum has the power to control menorrhagia; relieves sea-sickness; • In delirium tremens it is beneficial by enabling the patient to retain and digest food. • Capsicum is particularly efficient in tonsillitis, and the sore throat of scarlet fever and in diphtheria no application is so efficient as a strong gargle or wash make with Capsicum. • Promote digestion; relieves pains of the womb; removes obstructed menstruation; for quinsy; for all diseases of the throat; use as a plaster with honey for rheumatic pains, pains of the joints, gout, swellings & c; Use outwardly as a liniment, apply it warm or hot for arthritis and rheumatism; gargle for scarlet fever; use an infusion for ulcers in the mouth, strep throat or tonsillitis. (p.103) • Cayenne is an excellent remedy for a cold; mix infusion with slippery elm and molasses or honey, and take in doses throughout the day; also excellent for sore throat and coughs. • Cayenne mixed with pennyroyal taken for three days will expel the deadbirth from a miscarriage. • Eases toothache; preserves the teeth from rotting, and when rubbed on the gums, stimulates them enough to prevent pyorrhea. • Excellent for any type of internal hemorrhage, (create an infusion with bethroot or star root); • Capsicum is an important remedy in cholera; Capsicum stops vomiting (combine with equal parts of Capsicum and common table salt, one half ounce of each, one pint of good vinegar, give in tablespoon doses for cholera, vomiting cholera morbus. • In chronic lumbago a plaster of Capsicum with garlic, pepper and liquid amber (silarasa) or storax is an efficient stimulant and rubefacient application. (p105) • When made in to a lozenge with sugar and tragacanth it is a remedy for hoarseness. • For a carminative make pills of equal parts of Capsicum, rhubarb and ginger or aloes. • Combine Capsicum with cinchona for intermittent and lethargic affections and for atonic gout and in advanced stages of rheumatism. • Combine with asafoetida and sweet flag root or camphor in the form of pills in cases of cholera. • Capsicum has a powerful action on the mucous membrane, and in hoarseness and sore throat, and in putrid throat a gargle made of Capsicum is particularly beneficial. • By pouring hot vinegar upon the fruits of Capsicum all the essential qualities are preserved. This vinegar is an excellent stomachic. • The whole plant steeped in milk is successfully applied to reduce swellings and hardened tumors. • An infusion with cinnamon and sugar is a valuable drink for patients suffering from delirium tremens as it satisfies the craving in dipsomaniacs. A dose of ten grains of finely powdered capsicum seed, given with an ounce of hot water, two or three times a day, sometimes shows wonderful effects in cases of delirium tremens. • Capsicum can be used in snake bite. • As well as the fruit being used as a spice, the leaves were applied to ulcers and headaches. (p.111) • Capsicum is given internally in atonic dyspepsia and flatulence. It is used externally as a counter-irritant in the form of ointment, plaster, medicated wool, & c. for the relief of rheumatism and lumbago. • Oral administration of Capsicum may stimulate the gal bladder reflex. • Capsicum either contains a cholagogue, or acts as a powerful stimulus upon the mucous membrane of the duodenum. • In “The Antibacterial Effects of Spices,” “?nine of the spices were found to be active. Garlic, particularly, and onions were active against all organisms (streptococci, Escherichia coli, Bacillus prodigiosis, B. proteus, B. subtilis, Shigella paradysenteriae Flexner, Ebertherla typhsa, Salmonella enteriditis, and Vibrio cholerae). The seven other spices (clove mustard, radish, horseradish, marjoram sage, paprika) were weaker and to attack some of the microorganisms. The action of garlic was by far the strongest. The most active spices come from members of the Liliaceae, then follow the Cruciferae, Myrtaceae and finally Libiatae. In mustard seeds, radish and horseradish, the antibacterial action was proportional to their content of mustard oils. Spices containing essential amounts of tannic substances or alkaloids were also effective. Garlic and onions were more effective when crushed then when segmented. Garlic was also active at a distance through the air but not onions, while both showed a diffusive inhibiting activity in agar. Bacteria could not be made resistant to spices. From this it seems apparent that a combination of garlic and cayenne would be very effective bestowing an immunity to unwanted bacteria upon the human system. • Red Pepper, a too much forgotten therapeutic agent against anorexia, liver congestion, and vascular troubles. Capsicum is highly effective in causing hemorrhoids to regress; and these fruits have the same action on varicose veins. The results are attributed to alkaloids or glucosides in the peppers. • Excessive amounts of Capsicum (above 20 grams, thus, nearly an ounce) may induce frequent bowel movements. • Capsicum stimulates the appetite, more especially as a hot climate tends to produce anorexia. We have always held the saliva is the key that unlocks the door to digestion. Capsicum, a sialogogue, will stimulate the flow of saliva and will be very helpful to people who have become accustomed to ‘inhaling’ their food and thus robbing themselves of the benefits of saliva in the digestive process. Capsicum would stimulate their flow of saliva as they return to a healthier attitude toward eating. • Capsicum may be valuable in the prevention and treatment of blood clots. • Capsicum is very soothing; it is effective as a poultice for rheumatism, inflammation, pleurisy, and helpful also if taken internally for these. For sores and wounds it makes a good poultice. It is a stimulant when taken internally as well as being antispasmodic. Good for kidneys, spleen and pancreas; wonderful for lockjaw; will heal a sore ulcerated stomach; Capsicum is a specific and very effective remedy for yellow fever, as well as other fevers and may be taken in capsules followed by a glass of water. (p.119). • It is part of a liniment, which may be made as follows: o 2 ounces of gum myrrh. o One ounce of golden seal o On half ounce of Capsicum, 90K or stronger. o Put this into a quart of rubbing alcohol, or take a pint of raspberry vinegar and a pint of water. Add the alcohol or vinegar to the powder. Let it stand for a week or ten days, shaking every day. This can be used where ever liniment is used or needed. It is very healing to wounds, bruises, sprains, scalds, burns, and sunburns, and should be applied freely. Wonderful results are obtained in pyorrhea by rinsing the mouth with the liniment or applying the liniment on both sides of the gums with a little cotton or gauze. • Capsicum is an almost certain remedy for yellow fever, and almost every other form of human malady. There is, perhaps, no other article which produces so powerful an impression on the animal frame that is so destitute of all injurious properties. It seems almost incapable of abuse. Thus it is jot only stimulant, but antispasmodic, sudorific, febrile, anti-inflammatory, depurating, and restorative. It is powerful to arrest hemorrhage from the mucous membranes. When the stomach is soul, a strong dose of the powder will excite vomiting and an enema of it and lobelia and slippery elm will relieve the most obstinate constipation. Taken in powder in cold water it is sure to move not only the internal canal, but al the splanchnic (Greek, of or relating to viscera) viscera, as the liver, the kidneys, the spleen and the pancreas, the mesentery (tissue that connects the intestines with the wall of the abdominal cavity), & c. o Capsicum along with lobelia, some good astringent, such as bayberry or sumac leaves, a good bitter, a mucilage, a good sudorific and the vapor bath, must ever constitute the basis of the most effective medication. (p.120) Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and to prescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian Shillington Doctor of Naturopathy Dr.IanShillington • There are several species of Capsicum, but the most prominent are the Capsicum Annum and the Capsicum Fastigiatum-Guinea or African Bird’s Eye Pepper. Capsicum, strange though it may seem, is not a true pepper. The popular but erroneous idea is that anything that is hot is a pepper, and that therefore Capsicum must belong to the pepper family. Capsicum contains a resin and an oil, both of which are very acrid, sharp and biting. Its properties are completely extracted by 98% alcohol, and to a considerable extent by vinegar or boiling water. o One of the best Liniments in use is prepared as follows: ? Boil gently for ten minutes one tablespoonful of V in one pint of cider vinegar. Bottle that hot, unstrained. This makes a powerfully stimulating external application for deep-seated congestions, sprains, & c. • Capsicum is a pure stimulant, permanent in its action, and ultimately reaching every organ in the body. It creates at first a sensation of warmth, which afterwards becomes intense, and in large does strongly excites the stomach, which influence can be utilized in the administration of emetics, when the emesis is delayed and needs to be accelerated. For this purpose give a quarter of a teaspoonful in syrup. o Capsicum by its sudden and intense stimulation of the stomach, will produce hiccoughs. o It acts mainly upon the circulation, but also on the nervous structures. Its influence, which is immediate on the heart, finally extends to the capillaries, giving tone to the circulation, but not increasing the frequency of the pulse so much as giving power to it. In prostrating fevers and putrescent tendencies it may be used in full quantities combined with other suitable agents. It is a good addition to relaxant cathartics, to prevent griping and facilitates their operation when the tissues are in a sluggish condition. In cases of constipation, Capsicum is efficacious in stimulating the peristaltic motion of the bowels. For this effect, give small doses daily. Of course, constipation never can be cured by physic alone. Temporary relief may be obtained from cathartics, but any medicinal efforts must be combined with proper diet in order to effect a permanent cure. • Capsicum is valuable in all forms of ague (fever marked by paroxysms of chills and sweating that occur at regular intervals, as in Malaria) by sustaining the portal circulation. In cases of chill, give large doses of Capsicum. By a large dose is meant is 10 to 15 grains, or a No. 0 capsule (10 grains) to a No. 00 capsule (15 grains). • In coughs where there is an abundant secretion of mucus in the respiratory passages, Capsicum increases the power of expectoration, and thus facilitates its removal. In connection with Capsicum may be mentioned the slippery elm compound, which is excellent for coughs. o Cut obliquely into small pieces about the thickness of a match, one ounce or more, of slippery elm bark; add a pinch of Capsicum, flavour with a slice of lemon, sweeten with sugar, and infuse one pint of boiling water. Take this in small doses, frequently repeated. Let a consumptive patient drink a pint of this each day. It is one of the grandest remedies and demulcent properties. As slippery elm is mucilaginous it will roll up the mucus material troubling the patient, and pass it down through the intestines. It is also very nourishing, and possesses wonderful healing properties. o For an infant’s food mix (slippery elm) with an equal quantity of milk, and leave out the lemon and cayenne. • Capsicum is good in coughs, torpor of the kidneys and to arrest mortification. It is good in all forms of low disease. • The key to success in medicine is stimulation and Capsicum is the great stimulant. There are many languid people who need something to make the fire of life burn more brightly. • It is excellent in yellow fever, black vomit, putrefaction or decay, given frequently in small does. It is good, also, in asthmatical asphyxia (i.e., when a person cannot get their breath), combined with lobelia in what would be called the Lobelia Compound. It is good in profound shock. For local application it is effective as the base of a stimulating liniment. It is not injurious to the skin. Finance: Get your refund fast by filing online Federal Law requires that we warn you of the following: 1. Natural methods can sometimes backfire. 2. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before using any natural remedy. 3. The Constitution guarantees you the right to be your own physician and to prescribe for your own health. We are not medical doctors although MDs are welcome to post here as long as they behave themselves. Any opinions put forth by the list members are exactly that, and any person following the advice of anyone posting here does so at their own risk. It is up to you to educate yourself. By accepting advice or products from list members, you are agreeing to be fully responsible for your own health, and hold the List Owner and members free of any liability. Dr. Ian Shillington Doctor of Naturopathy Dr.IanShillington Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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