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Boneset is an erect perennial growing to a height of 5 feet. It has tapering lance-shaped leaves and many white or purple flowers. The fruit is a tufted achene. The plant has only a weak odor but a very bitter taste.
Native to eastern North America, boneset is found in meadows and marshland. It is gathered when in flower in summer.
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Boneset Historical Use
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Do not be confused by it’s name, boneset has nothing to do with bones. The name comes from it’s early use in relieving the symptoms of break bone fever, or dengue. Boneset was a favorite remedy with native North American tribes. The Menominees used it to reduce fever, the Iroquois and Mohegans for fever and colds, the Alabama’s for upset stomachs, and the Creeks for body Discomfort. European settlers learned of the plant’s benefits, and by the 18th and 19th centuries it was regarded as a virtual cure-all. During the American Civil War, soldiers used it not only to treat fever but as a tonic to keep them healthy.
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Boneset Remedy For
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Boneset loosens phlegm and promotes its removal through coughing. It has a tonic and laxative effect and has been taken for rheumatic illness, arthritis, skin conditions and worms.
Contraindications
- allergic hypersensitivity can result in contact dermatitis due to the sesquiterpene lactone constituents that are found in Asteraceae, especially in other members of the Eupatorium genus (empirical)6,10
- pregnancy due to abortifacient effect of high nitrate content (PO in cattle)6
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Boneset Active Constituents
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Flavonoids (astragalin, eupatorin, hyperoside, rutin)
Polysaccharides (heteroxylans),
Sesquiterpene lactones (eupafolin, eufoliatin, eufoliatorin, euperfolide, euperfolitin),
Calcium, magnesium, PABA, potassium, vitaminB-complex and C.
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Boneset Typical Dosage
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To treat colds, flu, arthritis, and for minor soreness, use an infusion or tincture. For an infusion, use 1-2 teaspoons of dried leaves per cup of boiling water. Steep for 10-20 minutes. Drink up to 3 cups a day. The taste is very bitter and astringent. It may be mixed with sugar or honey and lemon, or mix it with a herbal beverage tea. In a tincture, use ½ to 1 teaspoon up to 3 times a day.
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Boneset Side Effects
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Do not eat fresh boneset; it may be toxic if taken in excessive doses. In large amounts boneset may cause nausea, vomiting, violent diarrhea, increased respiration, muscle tremors, and in high doses, even coma and death.
The Food and Drug Administration lists boneset as a herb of “undefined safety.”
Potentially liver-damaging chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids are found in some plants similar to boneset. The levels are minimal in boneset and no liver damage has been reported. Nevertheless, patients with liver problem should avoid boneset, and no one should take it consistently for six months or longer.
Boneset should not be taken by children under the age of 2, or by pregnant or lactating women.
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