Sores

Sores

I want to open this chapter with a couple of remarkable stories of just what herbs can do when it comes to healing sores.

I have a friend whose father has diabetes. Like many people with diabetes, he developed foot problems to the point where his doctor advised amputating one of his toes, which had become seriously ulcerated. My friend came to me and asked if I knew of any herbal alternatives to help her father avoid such a drastic measure.

In my usual cautious way, I told her that as a botanist I do not prescribe. But I added that before I had a toe amputated, I'd try comfrey, either as a poultice or a strong wash, to treat the diabetic ulcer. After my friend's father used the comfrey wash for just a week, she reported, his toe improved remarkably. His doctor canceled plans for the amputation.

Here's another true story: A television crew out of Baltimore was doing a feature on medicinal herbs in my herb garden one Friday afternoon. The interviewer spotted some comfrey and asked what it was good for. I answered, "Sores and other wounds, especially indolent ulcers--that is, slow-healing sores."

I started to move on, but then I remembered that I had an indolent ulcer on my right shin. It was a sore, scabbed over, with raised edges, that wasn't getting any worse but certainly wasn't showing any signs of healing, either. It had remained basically the same for weeks.

With the cameras whirring, I raised the leg of my blue jeans and revealed the sore. Then I rubbed it with some fresh comfrey leaves that I had crushed and balled up in my hand. The abraded sore started bleeding. With the cameras still whirring, I grabbed some astringent geranium and rubbed it on to stop the bleeding. It worked. We moved on to other herbs, but just three days later, the following Monday, the sore had healed over.

I wouldn't have believed that story if it had not happened to me. As a scientist, I can't be certain whether the healing came from the comfrey, its abrasive application, the sunshine, the geranium, the comfrey-geranium com- bination or just good luck. But you can bet your bottom dollar that the next time I am faced with a stubborn sore of any kind, I'll venture back to my herb garden for comfrey and geranium.

Green Pharmacy for Sores

Okay. I've said my piece and I've made my point. I need add only that there are a number of herbs in addition to comfrey that can be used to treat sores.

Calendula (Calendula officinalis). Commission E, the group of experts that advises the German government about herbs, endorses calendula as effective for reducing inflammation and speeding the healing of sores. The flowers are used externally in infusions, ointments and tinctures. Calendula also helps prevent staphylococcus infection.

A while back, West Virginia herbalist Jim Foltz gave me some calendula salve. Like Commission E, Foltz firmly believes that this herb is good for treating sores. I found out how good while on a trip to the Amazon. To show some workshop participants how the Peruvian burn-tree got its name, I tied a piece of the tree's inner bark around my right ankle. Soon I had a circular burn where the bark had contacted my skin. Later on, the burn blistered and became somewhat infected. That was when I applied some calendula salve and discovered how well it worked. The burned area healed quite nicely.

You can buy a number of commercial creams and ointments containing calendula. Follow the package directions.

comfrey (Symphytum officinale). comfrey has a long history of use for treating sores and other wounds. It works because it contains allantoin, a compound that promotes new cell growth. In addition, allantoin is an anti-inflammatory that stimulates the immune system. The astringent tannins in the plant may also help.

I'm not sure if comfrey is a scoundrel or a superstar. It has been vilified by experts who point out that it contains carcinogenic compounds called pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can cause severe liver damage if the herb is ingested. But other experts praise its powers, when it's used externally, for speeding the healing of sores and cuts, including surgical incisions.

I think that there is good reason to use comfrey externally, and little hazard in doing so. I also think that there is much more risk of hazard if you ingest it. But warnings about internal consumption shouldn't stop us from getting it. We would lose a fine medicinal herb if we allowed ourselves to be bullied out of using comfrey externally simply because ingesting it may be hazardous.

You can use fresh comfrey as a poultice or make a strong tea to use as a wash. For treating more serious leg ulcers, Rudolf Fritz Weiss, M.D., the dean of German medical herbalists and author of Herbal Medicine, recommends using a leaf or root poultice for the first few days. After that, you can switch to comfrey ointment or make a comfrey paste and cover it with a firm compression bandage.

Dragon's blood (Croton lechleri). This is one of the rising herbal superstars from Amazonia. Widely available in Latin America, it's still pretty hard to find in the United States, although I suspect that it will become more available here soon.

Dragon's blood is the source of two drugs now in clinical trials sponsored by Shaman Pharmaceuticals, the South San Francisco pharmaceutical firm that has been working with native healers in the Third World. Unfortunately, like most drug companies, Shaman Pharmaceuticals is going for isolated chemical extracts--the "magic bullet" approach--rather than using the whole herbal product.

My Peruvian shaman friend Antonio Montero Pisco recommends using whole dragon's blood rather than any of its isolated compounds. I agree. When I'm in tropical Peru, I use the whole herb immediately whenever I get a cut or abrasion.

Camomile (Matricaria recutita). Most Americans think of this herb as a pleasant beverage tea, which it can be. But camomile is also anti-inflammatory, immune-stimulating and antiseptic. It's widely used in Europe to treat leg ulcers.

The preferred preparation is a camomile extract, but using compresses soaked in a strong tea would be a close approximation. To make the tea, put a large handful of fresh camomile flowers or several teaspoons of dried herb in a cup and cover with boiling water. Let the tea cool, then strain it and apply with a sterile cloth (a cloth bandage works nicely).

If you have hay fever, however, you should use camomile products cautiously. Camomile is a member of the ragweed family, and in some people, it might trigger allergic reactions. The first time you use it, watch your reaction. If it seems to help, go ahead and use it. But if it seems to cause or aggravate itching or irritation, simply discontinue use.

Country mallow (Sida cordifolia). The leaves of this wiry perennial weed contain a water-soluble fiber called mucilage, which helps soothe sores when applied in a poultice. In addition, according to unpublished research that I'm familiar with, the plant also seems to possess broad-spectrum antiseptic powers, which would be helpful in treating sores.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). The Germans use large oral doses of ginkgo to treat leg ulcers, reportedly with good results and no toxicity. I would try it. To use this herb, you'll need to buy a 50:1 extract at a health food store. (Active constituents are not present in high enough concentrations in the fresh leaves to warrant using them.) You can try 60 to 240 milligrams a day, but don't go any higher than that. In large amounts, ginkgo may cause diarrhea, irritability and restlessness.

Teatree (Melaleuca, various species). I'm just one of a growing number of herbalists who now carry teatree oil in my first-aid kit, ready for use as a handy antiseptic. I'm convinced that it's a good one. Teatree oil has been shown effective against a broad range of bacteria.

Since some people find teatree oil irritating to the skin, I suggest diluting it by adding several drops to a couple of tablespoons of any vegetable oil. If this irritates your skin, discontinue use. Just don't take teatree oil, or any essential oils, internally. They are extremely concentrated, and even small quantities of many of them can be poisonous.

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica). In clinical trials in Brazil and elsewhere, gotu kola has proven useful in treating skin ulcers, surgical wounds, gangrene, skin grafts and traumatic skin injuries. The herb works by stimulating regrowth of normal connective tissue that underlies the skin. The active
constituent appears to be asiatic acid. I'd suggest using one of the standardized extracts of gotu kola that are sold here.

To use the extract externally, soak a cotton ball in the liquid and wipe it over the affected area. You can also drink gotu kola: Make a tea following the instructions on the package or bottle.

Tea (Camellia sinensis). Tea contains many of the same compounds that are found in dragon's blood. It's antiseptic and astringent and helps promote skin healing. You can have a cup of tea and then lay the moist, spent tea bag on your sore.