Butcher's
Broom
Ruscus Aculeatus
 Butcher's
Broom, also known as box holly or knee holly, is a fairly
common, short evergreen shrub of the family Liliaceae, native
throughout the Mediterranean region from the Azores to Iran. The
history of Butcher’s
Broom use in herbal medicine is a long one. As
early as the first first century, Dioscordides recommended butcher’s
broom
as a laxative and diuretic. The seventeenth-century apothecary-astrologer
Nicholas Culpeper suggested that a decoction of the root be drunk
and a poultice of the berries and leaves applied to facilitate the
knitting of broken bones. However, the drug never became popular in
either Europe or the United States and was seldom mentioned in
standard references on drugs.
Butcher’s Broom was researched by the French in the 1950’s and they
found that an alcoholic extract of the herb rhizomes (underground
stems) produced vasoconstriction (narrowing of vessels) in test
animals. The active principles of Butcher’s
Broom that produced the
constructive effects were steroidal saponins. Research also found
that the extract has anti-inflammatory properties.
In
the United States 20-30% of the people that go on the operating
table, either die in the operating room or in recovery afterwards.
The major cause is thrombosis (blood clots). In Europe, where
Butcher’s Broom is used extensively, thrombosis is rare and unusual.
Butcher’s
Broom is also useful for people who stand for lengthy
periods of time or who are pregnant and feel a heavy feeling in the
legs. Butcher’s
Broom improves peripheral circulation, while also
increasing circulation to the brain, legs and arms. Butcher’s
Broom
is also a useful treatment for hemorrhoids.
Uses:
Aneurysm, Arteriosclerosis, Blood Clots (prevention), Brain
Circulation, bruises, Capillary Weakness, Dropsy, Edema (legs),
Headaches, Hemorrhoids, Inflammation (general), Jaundice, Leg Cramps,
Menstrual Problems, Phlebitis (vein), Stroke Prevention, Surgery,
Thrombosis (blood Clotting, Gravel, Tumor (prostate), Urination (scant),
Varicose Veins
Sources:
Little Herb Encyclopedia, by Jack Ritchason; N.D., Woodland Publishing Incorporated, 1995
Nutritional Herbology, by Mark Pedersen, Wendell W. Whitman Company, 1998
Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs, Rodale Press, Emmaus, Pennsylvania 1987
The Ultimate Healing System, Course Manual, Copyright 1985, Don Lepore
Planetary Herbology, Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., Lotus Press, 1988
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