Bark, elder

Also in the 17th century John Evelyn wrote in his Herbal, "If the medicinal properties of its leaves, bark and berries were fully known, I cannot tell what our countryman could all for which he might not fetch a remedy from every hedge, either for sickness or wounds." Evelyn also claimed that elder would help assist longevity and was effective "against all infirmities, whatever."... 

The Iroquois used a decoction of elder pith as an internal remedy for gonorrhea and also to treat heart disease. They used a poultice of the berries to reduce fever and swellings caused by the mumps. The twigs were administered to children when a laxative was needed. The Iroquois also applied the powdered root and bark to heal a newborn s navel. Berries were fed to those convalescing to improve their strength. 

Elder flowers have a special affinity for the blood, lungs, liver, kidneys, bladder, bowels and skin. The bitter bark of elder has an effect upon the stomach and colon. 

The flavor of elder bark is sweet at first and then becomes nauseatingly bitter. As a medicine, elder bark primarily affects the liver, kidneys, stomach and... 

Elder bark is contraindicated during pregnancy and for people with a yin-deficient condition (lacking moisture). For others it should only be used with great caution. 

Cathartic. Elder has a history of being used as a remedy for acute constipation. Parts used leaves, inner bark. 

Diuretic. Elder enhances kidney activity and helps to clear heat or infection through the urinary system. Parts used flowers, berries, inner bark, leaves. 

Emetic. Elder can help relieve the body of toxins and allergic offenders by inducing vomiting. Part used inner bark. 

Emollient. Used externally to soothe, soften and protect the skin, elder makes an excellent ointment for burns, sores and hemorrhoids. Parts used flowers, inner bark, leaves. 

Hydragogue. Elder is able to discharge watery fluids through the intestines and help relieve edema. Part used inner bark. 

There must be a good reason to use elder bark as a medicine because it is strongly purgative. It may be wise to consult with an herbalist first. To make tea from the bark, simmer 2 oz. of bark in I quart fresh cold water. Simmer until it is reduced by half. Strain. Take 2 to 4 oz. at a time. 

Elderberries are considered excellent sources of vitamins A and C. The high potassium phosphate content in the flowers may be part of what helps elder calm the nerves. The potassium sulfate present in the flowers, leaves and bark may be a factor in why elder helps relieve excess mucus. 

Simmer some cinnamon Cinnamomum species) bark in 2 cups of water then add 1 tsp. of elder flowers or berries to make a warming tea on chilly days. 

Elder bark, taken from older branches and combined with an iron mordant yields a black color for wool. 

Be mindful of all the cautions about using elder bark and roots (see page 7981) however, if you decide that you still want to harvest this part of the elder, collect in the fall of the second to fourth years. When the elder material is dry, store in a glass jar, protected from light and heat. Dampness will cause the blossoms to get musty and lose their aroma. Use within a year. Nature will provide more the next year. 

The leaves, root and bark are considered safest for external use only. However, European elder has less toxicity than the western varieties. The bark, if used internally, should be only the European variety aged for at least one year to avoid cyanide toxicity. 

Sambucus coreana Kom. Klob. Alisova S. latipinna Nakai S. manshurica Kitag. S. peninsularis Kitag. S. sieboldiana (Miq.) Blume ex Graebner var. miquelii (Nakai) S. williamsii Hance Jie Gu Mu (Elder) (leaf, flower, stem, root bark) Chlorogen acid.60 Diaphoretic, diuretic, carminative, treat arthralgia, fever. 

Turner NJ, Hebda RJ. Contemporary use of bark for medicine by two Salishan native elders of southeast Vancouver Island, Canada. J Ethnopharmacol 1990 29(l) 59-72. 

Viburnum opulus. Cramp bark high bush cranberry cranberry tree water elder squaw bush snowball bush. Dried bark of Viburnum opulus L., var. americanum Ait., Caprifoliaceae. Habit. Europe, Asia, northern North America, south to Pennsylvania. Constit. Vibumin, bitter resin, tannin, sugar citric, malic, oxalic, and valeric acids. 

The analgesic properties of willow tree bark, from which salicylic acid comes, have been known for well over 3,500 years. They were first described in Egyptian scrolls dating to about 1550 and were later recommended by a number of ancient authorities, including the famous Greek physician Hippocrates (c. 460-370 ), the Roman encyclopedist Aulus Cornelius Celsus (c. 10 -date of death unknown), the Roman philosopher Pliny the Elder (23 ce-ce), and the Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides (40-90 ce). 

The leaf, bark, seed, and raw unripe fruit of European elder, American elder, and related Sambucus species contain the cyanogenic glycoside sambunigrin, ingestion of which may cause vomiting or severe diarrhea (Buhrmester et al. 2000 ... 

Asia and Mongolia, Boehringer 1206 826) and a lectin (SNA) from the bark of Elder (Sambucus nigra, Boehringer 1206 940) . After densitometry of the Coomassie Blue stained bands (CBB, Fig. 1) and of the lectin stained bands (Fig. 2), densitometer values in arbitrary units were determined. A glycoprotein to protein ratio (G = LEG CBB) was calculated. This ratio G was taken as a measure for the intensity of glycation, which is characteristic for each purified protein, as will be shown for example by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). 

SNA Sambucus nigra Bark from Elder Gal(2-6-NANA) negative LF 4a. 

Bark of American elder and bark, leaf, flower, root, and fruit of European elder have been reported to be used in cancers. ... 

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