Witch Hazel
Parts Usually Used
Bark and leaves
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Witch hazel is a tall, deciduous shrub or small tree; growing to a height of up to 15 feet, the stems and branches are covered with scaly gray to light, brown bark. The alternate, elliptic to obovate leaves are coarsely toothed and often are finely hairy on the veins underneath. The fragrant, light yellow flowers have 4 strap-shaped petals and grow in nodding, axillary clusters, blooming in autumn when the leaves are falling.
The fruit is a woody capsule which ejects two shining black seeds when they ripen during the summer or autumn following the flowers. Another variety: The Chinese witch hazel (H. japonica), Chinese name Chiu-lu-mei, does not seem to have been used medicinally in China.
Where Found
Grows in damp woods from Nova Scotia to Georgia and Nebraska, Minnesota south to Florida and Texas; it is also cultivated elsewhere for its autumn-blooming flowers.
Medicinal Properties
Astringent, hemostatic, sedative, styptic, tonic
Biochemical Information
Tannin, traces of essential oil, flavonoids, choline and a saponin. The bark contains less tannin.
Legends, Myths and Stories
Witch hazel was first used, as far as we know, by the Native Americans. The Native Americans watched for this plant to be in bloom; they took it as an indication that the frost was entirely gone and they might sow their corn. Also, it was a good spring herald for a good horse race. Many wells have been dug in this land where the witch hazel has indicated. ” Despite the unscientific concept, some folks still swear by its many successes.
Witch hazel’s name is thought to be derived from early American settlers who used this plant’s forked branches as a divining rod in their searches for water or gold, just as the hazel’s branches were used in England. It is also possible that the name was transferred from the English wych-hazel, or wych-elm, with its ultimate origin in the Old English word wican, meaning “to yield”.
The reference, of course, would be the springiness of the wood.
Uses
Herbalists historically utilized the leaves and bark to prepare astringents, which were administered internally for diarrhea or employed as gargles and rinses for throat irritations and colds. Practitioners also prepared topical washes and douches from these parts for leukorrhea. Ointments and poultices were traditionally applied to skin irritations, insect bites, minor burns, poison ivy, bruises, and varicose veins.
The inner bark was fashioned into poultices intended for hemorrhoids and eye inflammation, and tradition ascribed sedative and hemostatic properties to it. Folk traditions also involved preparing a tea from the twigs, which was consumed for coughs and asthma, or rubbed onto athletes' legs to address lameness, swellings, and muscle stiffness. Externally, practitioners recommended the plant for sore muscles, minor pains, and itching.
Additionally, historical texts recorded the use of powdered preparations, sometimes combined with water or honey, as topical dressings for scrapes, abrasions, burns, and scalds, as well as washes for sunburns, rashes, and use as an aftershave.
How Sold
Over-the-counter products are available in every pharmacy. Bottled witch-hazel water, widely available, is a steam distillate that does not contain the astringent tannins of the shrub. It contains an alcohol that is not intended for internal use.
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 Chinese Medicinal Herbs , compiled by Shih-Chen Li, Georgetown Press, San Francisco, California, 1973. Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A. , Houghton Mifflin Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10000 The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , by Dr.
A. , 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT. 06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. , Lotus Press, PO Box 325, Twin Lakes. , Copyright 1988, published 1992 The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 Indian Herbalogy of North America , by Alma R. , 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