Cough horehound

Benefits The herb is an aromatic bitter that has been used to stimulate digestive juices. The herb is also a traditional expectorant. Folklore This herb was used as far back as ancient Egyptian times as a cough remedy. More recently it has been made into candy cough sweets. At one time horehound ale was brewed particularly in the East Anglia region of the United en used in liqueurs (Bown, 2003 British Gruenwald et al., 2002 Hutchens, 1973). 

Miscellaneous Natural Products. The long list of natural products used in early cough preparations has diminished to the point where only a few are still mentioned. Four natural products still used occasionally outside the United States are squill, horehound, cocillana, and ipecac. 

White horehound is stated to have expectorant and antispasmodic properties. Traditionally, it has been used for acute or chronic bronchitis, whooping cough, and specifically for bronchitis with nonproductive cough. 

Coltsfoot leaves are used in a decoction of 1 ounce to 1 1/2 pints of water, simmered down to 1 pint, which is taken in teacupful doses. Its expectorant and demulcent action is of great help in cough remedies when in conjunction with pectorals such as Horehound. The leaves also form a useful constituent of asthma and whooping-cough medicines, and are smoked as a relief against asthma, bronchitis and catarrh. 

Horehound is probably the best known of all herbal pectoral remedies, and is undoubtedly effective in coughs, colds and pulmonary complaints. The whole herb is infused in 1 ounce quantities to 1 pint of water, and taken frequently in wineglass doses. 

The refreshing and healthy Horehound Beer or Ale is brewed from this herb, and a Horehound candy is made which, when properly prepared, is one of the best of "cough sweets."... 

Coughs, colds and bronchial complaints generally. Hool prefers this herb to the white Horehound Marrubium vulgare), and makes wide claims on its behalf. He recommends it in the treatment of consumption, various menstrual troubles, and parturition—in the last-named instance combined with Motherwort. "In chronic coughs, accompanied by spitting of blood," he tells us, "it will be found most excellent, either of itself or combined with other reliable remedies such as Lobelia, Marshmallow, Hyssop, etc."... 

Horehound has been used as an herbal remedy for the treatment of respiratory disorders, including asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, and tuberculosis, but not atherosclerosis. 

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