Called “ague weed” by Native Americans, the settlers called it Indian Sage. It has also been referred to as thoroughwort, sweating plant, feverwort, crosswort, and wild sage. The Chippewa Indians charmed deer by rubbing the root fibers of the herb boneset on the whistles they made to call deer.
A summer perennial, boneset flowers in July and August. It grows wild in wet, sunny meadows, often growing near milkweed. Boneset flowers have a fuzzy appearance. White blossoms with long projecting threads are clustered in rounded heads. The leathery veined leaves appear to have been pierced by the stem as they surround it.
Medicinal Uses of Boneset Herb
Boneset was at one time listed as an official medicine in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia. In the mid 19th century, many drugstores carried the herb leaves, and during the Civil War, boneset tea substituted for quinine in the Confederate Army. Homemade boneset herbal tea has been used to treat fever and colds, dengue, constipation, pneumonia, influenza, rheumatism and ringworm. It has also been used as a pain reliever for broken bones.A boneset herbal tea was given for snakebite, and the leaves of the medicinal plant used as a homemade poultice on the wound.
Herbalists now use boneset, or Eupatorium perfoliatum, for rheumatic problems and muscle pain of influenza. In Chinese medicine, boneset treats tightness of the chest, summer colds, bad breath and heat stroke. Flu and malaria are treated with boneset in homeopathy.
Active ingredients of this medicinal plant are flavonoids that include rutin, kaempferol and quercitin. The volatile oil contains sesquiterpene lactones. Other active ingredients are glycoside, polysaccharides and eupatorin.The whole plant is harvested for medicine, and used as a tea, tincture, or homeopathic preparation.
Relief is felt as the boneset medication reduces muscle spasms and tension. As the blood vessels are dilated by the plants properties, sweating is induced. Boneset is also used as a mild homemade herbal laxative and to increase bile flow.
Warning: Do Not Confuse Boneset with Comfrey
It is important to properly identify boneset as Eupatorium perfoliatum. Through the centuries, another traditional herb has gone by the name boneset. Comfrey, Symphytum officinal, has a similar leaf structure but flowers in late spring instead of summer. The flowers are bright blue and bell like. This plant should not be taken internally as it has recently been discovered that the plant is carcinogenic.
The alkaloids in boneset can cause liver damage. Several countries have banned the use of comfrey as a medicine. The US Food and Drug Administration has advised removing comfrey as a dietary supplement from the market.
Sources:
Sanders, Jack. The Secrets of Wildflowers. CT: The Lyons Press, 2003.
Polunin, Miriam, Robbins, Christopher. The Natural Pharmacy. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1992.
Patrice Campbell - Patrice Campbell is a freelance writer working from the Denver, CO area. As an experienced news reporter and lifestyle writer, Patrice ...
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