Pennyroyal
Parts Usually Used
The herb and oil
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
The American species of pennyroyal is an aromatic, soft-hairy annual plant; the erect, square, branching stem grows from 6 to 16 inches high and bears small, opposite, thin, ovate leaves which are sparingly toothed. Axillary clusters of small, tubular, lavender or purplish flowers; calyx two-lipped, with 3 short and 2 longer teeth; appear from June to October. The whole plant has a pleasant, aromatic odor.
European pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium), or true pennyroyal, is similar to the American species in odor and uses. Do not confuse the two herbs.
Where Found
Found in dry fields and open woods along the Atlantic coast and west to Minnesota and Nebraska.
Medicinal Properties
Carminative, diaphoretic, emmenogogue (promote menstruation), antispasmodic, mild sedative, sudorific, stimulant, aromatic Oil: anti-emetic (Do not use in pregnancy), anti-spasmodic, rubrifacent
Biochemical Information
Ketone puligone and about 1% volatile oil.
Legends, Myths and Stories
Flavorful and fragrant tea with a somewhat minty taste. Another of the teas used as an oriental tea substitute during the American Revolution. Back in olden times when abortion was illegal, pennyroyal was used to induce abortion. In some cases it resulted in hemorrhage and serious complications for the mother. Therefore, it should never be used for that purpose. Helps in labor and delivery, though.
Do not use without medical supervision. The oil of this herb is a good insect repellent. Strip the leaves from the stalk, put the leaves in a muslin bag, sew up the bag and put in pets bed. Fleas are chased away. Or sprinkle with pennyroyal oil or essence.
Uses
In nineteenth-century medicine, herbalists commonly administered pennyroyal to induce perspiration at the onset of colds and to promote menstruation. Native American traditions utilized pennyroyal tea for headaches, menstrual cramps, and general pain. Historically, practitioners also employed the tea as an external wash for skin eruptions, bruises, rashes, and itching. Traditional sources recorded its use for conditions such as phlegm, respiratory complaints, jaundice, nausea, toothache, mouth sores, sore gums, colic, fainting, fever, gout, gas, and stomach pain.
Furthermore, the oil was applied externally in folk practice for rheumatism and as an insect repellent, while the plant itself historically served as a culinary flavoring.
How Sold
The oil externally applied wards off mosquitoes. For this purpose it is used alone or combined with citronella.
Warning
All essential oils are life-threatening if taken internally. To take pennyroyal oil internally to terminate an unwanted pregnancy is very dangerous and in a few cases has resulted in death. There is possible fetal damage from the use of pennyroyal in any form during pregnancy. Ingesting essential oil can be lethal; contact with essential oil (a popular insect repellent) can cause dermatitis.
May cause severe kidney/liver damage used in excess of 2 ounces. Do not be used during pregnancy, it is a uterine stimulant. Use only with medical supervision.
Bibliography
The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. , Loma Linda, CA 92354, Original copyright 1939, revised edition 1994 Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , Simon & Schuster/Fireside, Rockefeller Center 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 The Herbalist Almanac , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1988, fifth printing, 1994 Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973.
Indian Uses of Native Plants , by Edith Van Allen Murphey, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, copyright 1958, print 1990 Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , Copyright 1988, published 1992 American Folk Medicine , by Clarence Meyer, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1973 Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements , by James F.
D. and Phyllis A. , Garden City Park, NY Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary , 15th Edition, F. A. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 An Instant Guide to Medicinal Plants , by Pamela Forey and Ruth Lindsay, Crescent Books (January 27, 1992). The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988.
The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H. Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974