Glossary Of Terms

Absorbent: Attaches to other substances and either neutralizes or renders harmless

Adaptogen: A plant property that increases the resistance to stress

Alternative: Alters the existing nutritive and excretory processes and gradually restores normal body function

Analgesic: A plant property that relieves pain

Anodyne: Relieves pain externally

Antacid: Corrects acid conditions in the stomach, bowels, and blood

Anthelmintic: Expels or destroys intestinal worms

Anti-abortive: Counteracts abortive tendencies

Anti-arthritic: Relieves and heals arthritic conditions

Anti-asthmatic: Relieves asthma

Anti-bilious: Eliminates a biliary or jaundice condition in the body

Antibiotic: Inhibits growth and destroys viruses and bacteria

Anti-catarrhal: Eliminates mucus conditions

Anti-depressant: Relieves symptoms of depression

Anti-emetic: Relieves stomach sickness; prevents vomiting

Antihistamine: Neutralizes the effects of histamine in an allergic reaction

Anti-hydropic: Eliminates excess body fluids or dropsy

Anti-inflammatory: To counteract and diminish inflammation and its effects on the body

Anti-lithic: Helps prevents the formation of gravel and stones

Antioxidant: A plant property that prevents free radicals of oxidative tissue or cell damage

Anti-periodic: Relieves malarial-type fevers and chills

Anti-phlogistic: Reduces inflammation or swelling

Antipyretic: Reduces temperature in fevers

Anti-rheumatic: Prevents, relieves, and cure rheumatism

Anti-scorbutic: Prevents and cures scurvy

Anti-scrofulus: Heals scrofula (tubular condition of the lymph nodes)

Antiseptic: Prevents the growth of bacteria

Antispasmodic: Relieves nervous irritability and reduces or prevent excessive muscular contractions

Anti-syphilitic: Relieves and cures syphilis or other venereal diseases

Anti-venomous: Use as antidotes to animals, vegetables and mineral poisons

Anti-zymotic: Destroys or arrests the action of bacterial organisms

Aperient: Mild laxative, softens stool without purging

Aphrodisiac: Increases sexual functions and desires. 

Aromatic: Has fragrant smell with a pungent and spicy taste, which stimulates the gastro-intestinal mucous membrane

Astringent: Increases tissue tone and firmness, contracts tissue

Balsamic: Mitigate, soothe and heal inflamed parts

Bitter: The bitter taste on the tongue stimulates bile and digestive juices, preventing indigestion and gas

Blister: Cause blistering on the skin when applied locally

Calefacient: Used as diffusive stimulants and which cause capillary circulation, giving an external sense of warmth

Cardiac Depressant: Lessen and are sedative to the heart’s action

Cardiac Stimulant: Used to increase and give greater power to the heart’s action

Carminative: Contains a volatile oil that expels gas from the stomach, intestines, and bowels

Cathartic: Causes rapid evacuation of the bowels

Caustic: Burn or destroy living tissue

Cell Proliferant: Promote rapid healing and restoration

Cephalic: Particularly healing to cerebral conditions and diseases

Cholagogue: Promotes the flow of bile

Condiment: Used to season or flavor food, increases digestive activity

Coloring Agent: Used for coloring or dyeing purposes

Cordial: Combine the properties of a warm stomach and a cardiac stimulant

Corrective: used to alter and lessen the severity of action of other herbs, especially cathartics or purgatives

Cosmetic: Tonics for the skin and are used to improve the complexion and beautify the skin

Counter-Irritant: Cause irritation by local application in one part and therapeutically relieve pain in another more deep-seated part

Demulcent: Relieves internal inflammation, gives protective coating

Dental Anodyne: Used locally to relieve pain from an exposed nerve filament in the tooth

Deobstruent: Overcomes obstructions, aperients

Deodorant: Eliminates foul odors

Depresso-motors: Diminish muscular movement by action on the spinal centers

Depurant: Removes impurities and cleanses the blood

Desiccant: Able to dry surfaces by absorbing moisture

Detergent: Cleansing to wounds, ulcers, etc. and to the skin itself

Diaphoretic: Increases perspiration, stimulating, neutral, relaxing

Digestant: Contain ferments and acids, that aid in the solution and digestion of food

Diluent: Dilute secretions and excretions

Discutient: Dissolves and removes tumors and abnormal growths

Disinfectant: Eliminate or destroy the noxious properties of decaying organic matter and prevent the spreading or transfer of infection

Diuretic: Increase flow of urine, removes water from the body

Drastic: Hyper-active cathartics, producing violent peristalsis, watery stools and griping pain

Emetic: Induce vomiting

Emmenagogue: Female correctives to the reproduction organs, which stimulate and promote a healthy menstrual function, flow, and discharge

Emollient: Applied externally to soften and soothe the skin

Errhine: Increases nasal secretions from the sinuses

Exanthematous: Healing to skin eruptions or to skin diseases of an eruptive nature

Excito-motor: Increase motor reflex and spinal activity

Expectorant: Removes mucus from nose, throat, lungs and bronchial passages

Febrifuge: Reduces fever

Galactogogue: Increases the secretion of milk

Galactaphyga: Diminishes or stops the secretion of milk

Hemostatic: Internally astringent, stops internal bleeding or hemorrhaging

Hemetic: Rich in iron and manganese, augment and enrich the red blood cells

Hepatic: Used to strengthen, tone and stimulate liver secretions

Herpatic: Healing to skin eruptions and scaling diseases such as ringworm

Hypnotic: Powerful nervine relaxants and sedatives that induce sleep

Hypertensive: Used to increase blood pressure

Hypotensive: Used to lower blood pressure

Iatrogenic: Literally, “physician induced”, conditions, diseases, or other adverse reactions caused as a result of medical treatment

Insecticide: Used to destroy insects

Irritant: Produce a greater or lesser degree of vascular excitement when applied to the skin surface

Laxative: Promotes bowel action, a mild purgative

Lithotriptic: Stimulates and cleanses the lymphatic system

Local Anesthetic: Produce loss of sensation where applied locally to a surface

Maturating: Promote the maturation or ripening of tumors, boils, ulcers, etc.

Mucilage: Soothes inflammation

Mydriatic: Causes dilation of the pupil

Myotic: Causes contraction of the pupil muscles

Narcotic: Powerful anodyne-hypnotics

Nauseant: Produces nausea or an inclination to vomit

Nephritic: Influences the kidneys and are healing in kidney complaints

Nervine: A tonic to the nervous system

Nutritive: Nourishing and building to body tissues

Ophthalmic: Healing to disorders and diseases of the eyes

Oxytocic: Assists labor and promotes easy childbirth

Parasiticide: Kills and removes parasites from the skin

Parturient: Kill or destroy animal and vegetable parasites within the body

Pectoral: Helps relieve chest and respiratory problems

Peristaltic: Stimulates and increases muscular contractions

Protective: Serve as protective coverings to abraded, inflamed or injured parts when applied locally to a surface

Pungent: Cause a sharp, pricking, acrid and penetrating sensation to a sense organ

Purgative: Causes strong bowel movement

Refrigerant: Have cooling properties, lower the body temperature and relieve thirst

Resolvent: Promote the dispersion of inflammatory deposits and their absorption into excretory channels

Rubefacient: Stimulate redness and increased blood supply to the skin

Sedative: Reduces excitement and nervous reactions

Sialagogue: Promotes increased flow of saliva

Soporific: Induces a relaxing sleep, which cause sneezing

Stimulant: Increase energy and quickens the actions of the body system

Stomachic: Gives strength and tone to the stomach

Styptic: Contracts tissues or blood vessels, checks bleeding

Sudorific: Stimulates profuse sweating when taken hot and acts as a tonic when taken cold

Taeniafuge/Taeniacide: Expel or kill tapeworms in the intestinal track

Tonic: Increases energy and systemic tone through nutrition

Vermicide: Expels and destroys worms without expulsion from the bowels

Vermifuge: Expels and destroys worms be expelling from the bowels

Vulnerary: Promotes cellular growth, heals cuts, burns and wounds