Quercus alba
Part Used: Dried inner bark
White Oak (Quercus alba) is a tree among widespread across eastern North America, growing as high as 100 feet and can live as long as 1,000 years. The main constituents of White Oak are tannin and quercin. Tannin is present in the bark at approximately 11 percent and accounts for white oak’s bitter and astringent qualities. It also contains the minerals manganese, calcium and zinc. It has antiseptic; astringent; and tonic properties. White Oak was often used medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes, who valued it especially for its antiseptic and astringent properties and used it in the treatment of many complaints.
The inner bark of White Oak contains 6 - 11% tannin, which has powerful antiseptic and astringent properties and is also expectorant and tonic. The bark is boiled and the liquid drunk in the treatment of bleeding piles and diarrhoea, intermittent fevers, coughs and colds, consumption, asthma, lost voice etc. The bark has been chewed as a treatment for mouth sores. Externally, it is used as a wash for skin eruptions, burns, rashes, bruises, ulcers etc and as a vaginal douche. It has also been used as a wash for muscular pains.
References:
Plants for a Future. http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Quercus+alba&CAN=LATIND
1001 Herbs. http://www.1001herbs.com/whiteoakbark/index.html
