Rosmarinus officinalis
Part Used: Fresh flowering branches
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is the evergreen shrubby herb with linear, revolute, dark green leaf above and paler and glandular beneath, with an odour pungently aromatic and somewhat camphoraceous. The flowers are small and pale blue. Researches have shown that Rosemary is rich in volatile oils, flavanoids and phenolic acids, which are strongly antiseptic and anti-inflammatory. The whole plant is antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, astringent, cardiac, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, nervine, stimulant, stomachic and tonic. In folk medicine, Rosemary was used to make salves for poorly healing wounds and eczema. In homeopathic medicine, the herb is used for female sexual disorders. Rosemary is a stimulant of the circulatory system. It is used to treat bites and stings externally. Internally it is used to treat migraines, bad breath, and to stimulate the sexual organs. It is also used to treat nervous disorders, upset stomachs, and is used to regulate the menstrual cycle and to ease cramps. It is commonly used as a remedy for appetite loss, blood pressure problems, liver and gallbladder problems, and rheumatism. Rosemary is a circulatory and nervine stimulant, which in addition to the toning and calming effect on the digestion is used where psychological tension is present. It is also useful for flatulent dyspepsia, headache or depression associated with debility. Externally, it may be used to ease muscular pain, sciatica and neuralgia. It acts as a stimulant to both the hair follicles and circulation in the scalp and thus may be helpful in premature baldness.
Rosemary is specifically indicated in depressive states accompanied by general debility and indications of cardiovascular weakness and is of value as a tonic for elderly people with weak circulation, particularly after a debilitating illness such as influenza and pneumonia. The flavonoid diosmin improves the circulation and strengthens fragile blood vessels. Diosmin is reported to be more effective in decreasing capillary fragility than rutin. The herb is of benefit in palpitations and other signs of nervous tension which affect the circulation. The camphor has a general tonic effect on the circulation and nervous system, especially the vascular nerves, making it an excellent drug for all states of chronic circulatory weakness including hypotension. It is beneficial in dyspeptic conditions with flatulence and signs of liver inadequacy. It is of particular value in atonic conditions of the stomach where there is also generally poor circulation. The herb reduces flatulence and is stimulating to the digestion, liver and gallbladder, increasing the flow of bile; as rosmaricine breaks down in the body it stimulates the smooth muscle of the digestive tract and gallbladder.
References:
PDR Health. http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/herbaldrugs/102420.shtml
Holistic Online. http://www.holisticonline.com/Herbal-Med/_Herbs/h288.htm
Purple Sage Botanicals. http://www.purplesage.org.uk/profiles/rosemary.htm
