Western Herbalism
Lavender
Lavandula spp.
Also known as True Lavender, Lavender Flowers, Lavandula.
External. Spirit of lavender is an agreeable and soothing lotion for the headache of debility and in fevers. The compound tincture is frequently added to carbonate of ammonium, and constitutes “smelling salts” for the relief of headache and tendency to fainting.
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Indications what the tradition reached for it in
- Cuts
- Wounds
- Gastrointestinal spasms
- Insect sting
- Muscle spasms
- Gas/bloating
- Skin abrasions
- Anxiety
- Pain (musculoskeletal)
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Headache (tension)
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Burns
- Abdominal distension
- Bloating
- Colic
- Cramps
- Digestive discomfort
- Flatulence
- Gas
- Nervous tension
- Restlessness
- Stress
- Headache
- Digestive complaints
- Sleep disorders
- Improved concentration
- Dyspepsia
- Insect bites
Safety
Pregnancy: Limited safety data in pregnancy
The record lists 2 contraindications; open the plate in the library to read them in full.
Dosing as the sources wrote it
| Preparation | As written | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Tincture (1:2-1:5) | 1-3 ml TID | 1-3 mL |
| Infusion | 2-3 tsp/c BID-TID | |
| · Internal: 1-4 drops (20-80 mg) on a sugar cube | ||
| · Liquid extract (1:2): 2-4.5 mL/day | 2-4.5 mL | |
| · As a bath additive: 20-100 g lavender flowers are commonly steeped in 2 L boiling water, strained, and then added to the bathwater | 20000-100000 mg | |
| Topical (diluted in carrier) | Topical: typical 1-3% in carrier; face/sensitive 0.5-1; dermal maximum 5%. Among the gentlest oils; usable neat on a small burn by experienced users, otherwise diluted. |
Doses are reproduced from the sources for practitioners and are not a recommendation for any person.
From the sources
Action and Therapy. External. Spirit of lavender is an agreeable and soothing lotion for the headache of debility and in fevers. The compound tincture is frequently added to carbonate of ammonium, and constitutes “smelling salts” for the relief of headache and tendency to fainting.
Properties and Uses. Lavender flowers are very diffusive in action, of equally relaxing and stimulating properties, influencing the nervous peripheries. They are used mostly as an adjunct to other agents in nervous agitation and restlessness, with prostration-their own action being soothing, and rendering stronger articles more acceptable to the stomach. The oil is used for the same general purposes, and also as an ingredient in many of the finer colognes and other perfumes.
Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage. Oil of lavender possesses stimulant and carminative properties, and is sometimes administered in hysteria, nervous debility, and headache. Its fragrance renders it an important article in perfumery, in which it is principally used. Its dose is from 1 to 6 drops.
Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage. Spirit of lavender is a pleasant carminative and stimulant. Externally it is used as a cooling lotion in headache and febrile complaints, and as an agreeable perfume. The dose is from ½ to 1 fluid drachm, in sweetened water.
Drawn from Cook's Physio-Medical Dispensatory; Scudder's Specific Medication and Specific Medicines; King's American Dispensatory, 18th edition (Felter and Lloyd); Felter's Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and the Bountiful Herbs editorial.
In formulas
Lavender stands in 16 documented formulas in the library, among them Anxiety & Stress Relief Formula, Headache & Migraine Formula.
Often paired with
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cloveSyzygium aromaticum
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LeatherwoodDirca
Lei wanOmphalia lapidescens
Lemon BalmMelissa officinalisThe whole plate is in the library. The compass, Compare, the Sky of eleven hundred plants and the formulary open with an email address and a password, free, with the formula builder and its safety engine. Herbert without limit, his formulating, clients, the handouts and the labels are the paid room.
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