Nature has blessed us with an array of healing herbs and plants. When there were no signs of allopathy, humans were dependent on traditional treatment methods to get cured for the severest of ailments. Extracts and tinctures made from these herbs have been used in folk, ayurvedic, and homeopathic medicines for ages. Concentrated herbal formulas and tinctures are made by fusing the bark, berries, and dried, semi-dried, or fresh leaves. While extracts are mostly in raw form, a tincture is a solution that has ethanol or alcohol as its solvent. It is more effective due to the dense concentration of herbs in a relatively smaller dose. In homeopathy, mother tinctures are routinely prescribed for the treatment of many chronic ailments.
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Catalpa, the Indian Bean tree (Catalpa bignonioides) is a genus of flowering plants in the Bignoniaceae. Also called cigar tree or lady cigar or Catawba; despite the name, Indian added is a native to the United States. An ornamental garden tree consisting of bean-like seed pods, its name is derived from the Creek word Kutuhlpa implying ‘a winged head’. The seeds and pods of this tree were used back in the 19th century in ancient medication. The other common type of catalpa is the Chinese catalpa (Catalpa Ovata), native to Asian regions. Extracts of both varieties that harbor lovely cream-colored tubular flowers, brown bark, and dark green leaves are used to treat asthmatic problems, whooping cough, heart conditions, weak pulse, and bring down high malarial fevers besides treating skin woes. Mostly used as a mother tincture for a lot of medical conditions, this ornamental tree has a moderate life span - of about sixty years and is sought after for its wide host of healing benefits and course appearance. The extracts are also concocted into herbal teas- since it is a potent antidote for snake bites and are also a laxative owing to their strong purgative properties. Catalpa herb is a mild narcotic and thus has been a remedial solution to cure sleep disorders.
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The fancy plant with white or lavender-flecked flowers is safe to use topically on the skin for alleviating skin anomalies. However, it is best to supervise these herbal preparations before administering or applying them to check for co-morbid health conditions if any.
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