Een wintergroen, kruipend, halfhoutige plant van slechts enkele centimeters hoog. Jonge twijgen draadachtig, bijna vierkant; bladeren eirond, glanzend donkergroen, tot 1 cm, vaak wit geaderd. Bloeit in juni-juli aan het einde van de twijgen met enigszins opstaande, witte, vaak iets roze, geurende tot 1.5 cm grote, trechtervormige bloemen. Vruchten bolvormig, 6 mm groot en rood van kleur. De smaakvolle vruchtjes blijven vaak tot na de winter aan de plant. Behalve als er patrijzen in de buurt zijn, want de Nederlandse naam is patrijsbes.
De plant is vernoemd naar John Mitchell, een botanicus uit Virginia en een correspondent van Linnaeus. Het verspreidingsgebied van deze plant is in het oosten en midden van Noord-Amerika, van Nova Scotica tot Florida en westelijk tot Texas. Deze plant houdt niet van kalk, gedijd goed in de schaduw of halfschaduw, en is vochtminnend. De plant is in Engeland rond 1761 geïntroduceerd door John Bartram.
Squaw vine: Overview
Alternative Names: Squaw vine, partridgeberry, squaw berry, checkerberry, deerberry, winter clover, twinberry, and hive vine.
Squaw Vine is famous for its use by women for a wide range of gynecological complaints. It is reputed to promote an easy labor by aiding contractions of the womb during childbirth and is also recommended for dysmenorrhea and other painful conditions of the female reproductive tract.
History; Source
Squawvine's name refers to its use by Native American women as a remedy for a range of conditions. Squawvine is also referred to as "partridge berry" because some people consider the other name to be insulting to Native American women.
Native Americans ate the berries and made them into a jelly, which was eaten in case of fevers.
The plant was used to ease menstrual cramps, strengthen the uterus for childbirth, and prevent miscarriage. During the final 2 to 4 weeks of a Native American woman's pregnancy, she drank tea made from squawvine leaves so that childbirth was less painful.
In folk medicine, squawvine continued to be a remedy for women's disorders. In addition to conditions related to childbirth, the herb was used to treat postpartum depression, irregular menstruation, and bleeding. In addition to treating internal ailments, a squawvine wash was said to provide relief to sore eyes. Squawvine is still used in folk medicine to treat conditions including anxiety, hemorrhoids, insomnia, muscle spasms, edema, and inflammation.
Squawvine is an evergreen herb that is native to North America, growing in the forests and woodlands of the Eastern United States and Canada. Usually found at the base of trees and stumps and growing year round, herbalists recommend collecting the herb when the plant flowers during the months of April through June.
Why it is Recommended
Squawvine is most beneficial in childbirth. It strengthens the uterus, tones the uterine lining, helps prevent miscarriage, and relieves congestion of the uterus and ovaries. Its antiseptic properties make it valuable for treating vaginal infections, and is a natural nerve sedative.
Squawvine is among the best remedies for preparing the uterus (and whole body) for child birth. For this purpose this herb has been traditionally taken for several weeks before the child is due. Squawvine may also be used for the relief of painful menstrual periods. As an astringent, it has been used in the treatment of colitis.
The herb is taken for painful menstruation and to tone the prostate. It is also said to help promote fertility and to increase the flow of mother's milk.
Furthermore, squawvine is recognized by practitioners of alternative medicine for its effectiveness as a diuretic. It is used to treat such urinary conditions as suppression of urine. Squawvine is also a remedy for diarrhea, shrinking tissues, muscle spasms, and nerves.
Squawvine is still used as an eye wash. It is also used as a skin wash and to treat colitis.
Instructions
Squawvine tea, which is also known as an infusion, is made by pouring 1 cup (240ml) of boiling water over 1 tsp (1.5gm) of the dried herb. The mixture is steeped for 10 to 15 minutes and then strained. Squawvine tea may be taken up to three times a day. Women seeking relief for difficult or painful menstruation can combine squawvine with cramp bark and pasque flower.
Squawvine tincture can be used in an infusion. The dosage is 1-2ml in 1 cup (240ml) of boiling water. The tincture dosage can be taken three times a day.
Squawvine is often used in combination with Raspberry.
Side-Effects; Counter-Indicators and Warnings
There are no known side-effects from using squawvine. Little research has been done, however, on its safety.
Pregnant women should not take squawvine during the first two trimesters of pregnancy.
Squaw vine as an aphrodisiac
The key to squaw vine’s aphrodisiacal properties for women lies in its beneficial effect on the female reproductive system. The herb has been used for ages by Native American tribes for strengthening the uterus and treating various types of menstrual disorders. Studies have shown that the major components in squaw vine are saponins and mucilage which is why it is probably advised for painful periods and to prepare the uterus for childbirth. Unspecified alkaloids, glycosides and tannins have been reported among other components whose effects are still largely unknown. Traditionally squaw vine has been used by women of Cherokee and Penobscot tribes for bringing about an easy childbirth and thereafter a quick recuperation of the uterus. The herb is generally taken in the last four weeks of pregnancy to tone the muscles of the uterus, stimulate uterine contractions and post-delivery, expel the afterbirth. Crushed berries of the plant mixed with myrrh are sometimes used to make a paste for sore nipples among breastfeeding women. Other than this, squaw vine is also a popular remedy for menstrual irregularities. Conditions like painful and irregular menstruation as well as a body weakened by childbirth prevent women from experiencing sexual pleasure. By treating such disorders, herbs like squaw vine heal the body and enable women to have healthy sex.
Yet another way in which squaw vine is believed to promote healthy sexual function is by its antiseptic action. Certain compounds in squaw vine are thought to kill harmful microbes which is why the herb may be useful in treating vaginal infections and even certain types of sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea. Infections of the genito-urinary tract also interfere with sexual pleasure and anything which is effective in treating them can be considered to act as an aphrodisiac.
Squaw vine is also useful in treating a range of gastro-intestinal disorders like diarrhea and colitis. This is because of the mucilage present in the herb allows a protective coating on the walls of the intestine. The same action makes squaw vine effective in the treatment of stomach and peptic ulcers. According to some sources the astringent properties of the herb also make it useful for treating digestive disorders.
As a mild diuretic, Squaw Vine is thought to promote suppressed urine and is also said to be effective in some cases of dropsy (edema), which is the retention of fluid by the body that causes swelling and discomfort.
Using squaw vine
For medicinal purposes the aerial parts of the plant, like the vines, leaves and berries are used in herbal preparations. In the natural state, Squaw vine can be taken in the form of tea or a herbal infusion. To make this pour a cup of boiling water onto l teaspoonful of the herb and let infuse for 10-15 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day. Squaw vine works best in combination with other herbs. As parturient to prepare for childbirth it may be used with Raspberry Leaves. For dysmenorrhoea squaw vine can be combined with Cramp Bark and Pasque Flower.
Other than this squaw vine can also be taken in the form of extract which is available in capsules, tinctures and liquid extracts. For tincture, the usual dosage is l-2 ml three times a day and as capsules two of 600 mg each may be taken every day. One teaspoonful of liquid extract may be taken three times a day. For external application, squaw vine may be crushed with myrrh and applied on sore breasts among lactating women.
The possible side effects of using squaw vine
Ingestion of squaw vine or its extracts may lead to mild side effects like heartburn and irritation of the gastro-intestinal tract and at times may even bring about irritation in mucous membranes. In rare cases, hepato-toxicity many occur brought on by overdose or excessive use.
Since use of squaw vine may lead to uterine contractions among women it should be avoided till the last month of pregnancy. Also people having a history of liver conditions should use squaw vine with extreme caution. Since the safety of the herb has still not been extensively studied, it should be used only under the supervision of a healthcare provider.
Native American tribes of North America were among the first people to recognize the beneficial effects of squaw vine which is probably how the herb got its name and another common term, the Squaw berry. With the arrival of the English colonizers in the seventeenth century, the larger world became aware of the herb and even among the settlers, squaw vine was used as a remedy for menstrual problems and an aid to childbirth. The vine was in fact included in the United States National Formulary from 1926 through 1947. Even though the medicinal claims of squaw vine have not been confirmed by modern science, it continues to be popular in North America as a herbal supplement for uterine health and even as an aid to women opting for homebirth. This beneficial action of squaw vine on the reproductive system of women makes it a useful aid in promoting female sexual health and pleasure.
Mitchella in de homeopathie
Mitchella repens is inheems in Noord-Amerika. Voor de bereiding van het homeopathisch geneesmiddel Mitchella repens worden de verse, bovengrondse delen gebruikt. Mitchella repens heeft geen Nederlandse naam.
Persoonsbeeld:
Vrouwen met problemen met de baarmoeder, waardoor ze ook problemen met de urinewegen krijgen.
Opvallende symptomen:
Pijnlijke menstruatie.
Tussentijdse bloedingen uit de baarmoeder.
Helderrood bloed.
Blaasklachten als begeleidend verschijnsel.
Irritatie van de blaashals en aandrang om te plassen.
Erger door:
Onbekend.
Beter door:
Onbekend..
Toepassingen:
Pijnlijke menstruatie.
Baarmoederbloedingen.
Potentie en dosering:
Mitchella repens D6, 3x daags 5-10 druppels of 2-3 granules. Mitchella repens uitsluitend gebruiken op advies van een arts of therapeut.