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 | Clubmoss Other Names: Muscus Terrestris repens. Vegetable Sulphur. Wolf's Claw.
Botanical Name: Lycopodium clavatum (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Lycopodiaceae |
Habitat: |
This species is found all over the world and occurs throughout Great Britain, being most plentiful on the moors of the northern counties.
Though this species of Club Moss occurs in Great Britain, the spores are collected chiefly in Russia, Germany and Switzerland, in July and August, the tops of the plants being cut as the spikes approach maturity and the powder shaken out and separated by a sieve. Probably the spores used commercially are derived also from other species in addition to Lycopodium clavatum.
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Medicinal Usage: |
The part of the plant now employed is the minute spores which, as a yellow powder, are shaken out of the kidney-shaped capsules or sporangia growing on the inner side of the bracts covering the fruit spike. Under the names of Muscus terrestris or M. clavatum the whole plant was used, dried, by ancient physicians as a stomachic and diuretic, mainly in calculous and other kidney complaints; the spores do not appear to have been used alone until the seventeenth century, when they were employed as a diuretic in dropsy, a drastic in diarrhoea, dysentery and suppression of urine, a nervine in spasms and hydrophobia, an aperient in gout and scurvy and a corroborant in rheumatism, and also as an application to wounds. They were, however, more used on the Continent than in this country and never had a place in the London Pharmacopoeia, though they have been prescribed for irritability of the bladder, in the form of a tincture, which is official in the United States Pharmacopoeia.
The spores are still medicinally employed by herbalists in this country, both internally and externally, as a dusting powder in various skin diseases such as eczema and erysipelas and for excoriated surfaces, to prevent chafing in infants. Their chief pharmaceutical use is as a pill powder, for enveloping pills to prevent their adhesion to one another when placed in a box, and to disguise their taste. Dose, 10 to 60 grains. They have such a strong repulsive power that, if the hand is powdered with them, it can be dipped in water without becoming wet. |
Ancient Lore: |
C O M M O N C L U B M O S S
(Lycopodium clavatum)
Common names: Vegetable Sulphur and Wolf's Claw. This mossy evergreen plant has 1 to 2 metre long ramblers which trail along the forest ground with their hair-like roots. From these ramblers grow 7 to 10 em. high forked branches soft to the touch. The 4 year old plants develop yellowish spikes which yield the pollen, called Club Moss powder, which is homoepathically employed for excoriated surfaces of the skin.
The Club Moss is a radium containing plant and easily distinguished by its widely ranging, rope-like ramblers and the yellow pollen of the spikes. It is found all over the world and occurs in high forests on Northern slopes and in moors. If the forests are cut down, the plant turns yellow and shri- vels up, since it looses its life force through the direct sunlight.
For gout and rheumatism, even if the joints are deformed, for chronic constipation and piles, Club Moss tea is recommended. However, people who suffer from diarrhoea should use the tea only with the greatest caution as cramps in the intestines could develop. Club Moss is never boiled, water is poured over it. The tea is useful for all complaints of the urinary. and reproductive organs, for inflammations and hardening of the testes, formation of gravel in the kidneys and renal colic. For inflammation of the liver, growth of the connective tissues of the liver, even if malignant, Club Moss is indispensable. With its use the convales- cent quickly regains his strength. The husband of an acquaintance of mine suffered for years from shortness of breath at night which was treated as asthma. It got worse until one day he visited the doctor again. "if you don't stop working immediately you']] be a dead man in a week." The doctor transferred him to a hospital in my hometown. From his wife 1 learned that he suffered from hardening of the liver(cirrhosis of the liver) in its last state. Shortness of breath at night is one symptom of it. After a time he was sent home, a doomed man. On my advice the woman got some Club Moss which helped very quickly. Don't you think it a miracle if 1 tell you that this man lost his terrible nightly shortness of breath after his first cup of Club Moss tea?
If you know someone in your circle of friends suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, even if it is very bad, give this person hope and point to our radium containing Club Moss so important in herbal medicine. During a walking tour through the forest which 1 undertook with a small group of people in UpperAustria, 1 pointed out to the Botanist, Dr. Bruno Weinmeister, the medicinal value of Club Moss in regard to cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. He thereupon told of the following event: As a young student he and his friends had been walking in the mountains. On the path to the hut between dwarfpines he found a Club Moss rambler. In high spirits, he wound it around his hat. In the hut one of his friends got a terrible cramp in his foot, that is, the foot stood at an angle to the knee. Everyone tried to help. The hutkeeper brought "Franzbranntwein" (an embrocation made of diluted spirits of wine and essence) and massaged the foot without success. Following a suggestion, the young Weinmeister wound the Club Moss around the cramped foot up to the knee. In a moment the foot turned back to its normal position. Now he thought this was a coincidence. Perhaps the cramp would have gone without the Club Moss. On the way home he picked a handful of Club Moss for his landlady who suffered from leg cramps. These brought the lady immediate relief. A few years later, Dr. Weinmeister talked about this incident to a specialist and learned from him that the Common Club Moss is a radium containing plant. Since then many people have been cured of cramps in the legs and feet with the help of a Club Moss pillow.
A friend was taken to hospital since she could not urinate. The upper arm was quite swollen. After she had left the hospital it started again and was as before. Luckily 1 had some Club Moss at home, as my mother-in-law - her age at that time was 86 years - suffered from cramps in her legs. My assumption that my friend suffered from a cramp in her bladder was confirmed when 1 applied a small bag of dried Club Moss to the region of the bladder and in a few minutes she was able to urinate normally.This small bag of Club Moss she kept applied to the region of the bladder for a few more days. 1 myself suffered from high blood pressure for years. Mostly this was due to overfunctioning of the kidneys. Therefore 1 applied a small bag stuffed with Club Moss to the kidney region overnight. The next day my blood pressure was down from 200 to 165. Since then 1 apply a small bag filled with Club Moss to the kidney region from time to time. For cramps in the leg, the Club Moss is placed in a cloth and tied around the calf. Foot baths can be taken, and also sitz baths for cramps in the bladder (see General Information "sitz bath").
War and accident injuries leave scars which sometimes cause cramps. A disabled soldier had a large scar on his back. This scar gave him from time to time terribly painful cramps which caused heavy per- spiration all over. The pain spread over his scalp. Through the use of the Club Moss pillow and baths 1 was able to relieve this man's pain of 30 years duration. The Club Moss powder, also sold as "Club Moss Spores", heals bedsores of seriously ill people in a short time.The Club Moss powder is finely and gently spread over the open sores. Generally there is a noticeable relief after the first use.
DIRECTIONS
Infusion: 1/4 litre of boiling water is poured over a level teaspoon of Club Moss, infused for a short time. Only 1 cup is taken in sips on an empty stomach, half an hour before break- fast. For cirrhosis and malignant diseases of the liver, 2 cups are drunk daily.
Club Moss Pillow: Dried Club Moss (100 gm., 200 gm. or 300 gm. depending on the size of the area affected by a cramp) is stuffed into a pillow which is applied to the aching area over- night. This pillow retains its effect for one year. |
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