Y Section

Yucca, Adam's Needle, Spanish bayonet, Joshua tree, Yucca batata, Yucca filamentosa, L., Y. spp.

Yellow dock see Dock.

Achillea millefolium L.

Compositae/Asteraceae

Medicine: Taken as tea, aerial parts (leaves and flowers) are warming increasing perspiration. May reduce inflammation externally and internally. Digestive aid. Diuretic, may lower blood pressure (hypotensive), relaxes spasms of digestive tract and other musculature. Styptic, reported to have anti-hemorrhage activity internally and externally. Internally for colds flu, measles. Thins and causes mucus to flow. Also, has been used for diarrhea, arthritis, menopause, hypertension, In China to protect against thrombosis after stroke or heart attack. Has been used externally for wounds, hemorrhoids, inflamed eyes, nosebleeds, ulcers. Can be combined with elderberry flowers and/or berries.

Commission E approved use: To treat loss of appetite, liver and gall bladder complaints, dyspepsia.

Caution: May make you more photosensitive, sensitive to light. Also contains small amount of carcinogen and liver toxin thujone. If allergic do not use.

Chemistry: Anti-inflammatory azulene. Achilleine in yarrow suppresses menstruation and arrests blood flow. Yarrow reportedly used to slow heavy menstruation. Coumarin in yarrow balances effect of achilleine. Achilleine lowers blood pressure.(2) (6)

Preparation: Used fresh or dried. Use whole aerial parts of herb, flowers and leaves. Use about 3 times as much fresh herb as dried. Make infusion or tea.. Tea is bitter, if too strong add more water. Dried herb may be stirred into hot lard (pork lard penetrates deeply into human skin) and made into a topical wound dressing. See video Native American Medicine for details. Yarrow may also be tinctured in glycerin or alcohol see Meuninck's Herbal Preparation and Nutritional Therapies video for tincturing details. To link to the herbal preparations section in this index click here.

Yohimbe Bark

Pausinystalia yohimbe

Rubiaceae

Medicine: Indole alkaloids extracted from these large African evergreen trees act as a sexual stimulant and a treatment for erectile dysfunction. Bark as a poultice for itch and skin infections. The drug acts as a stimulant; aphrodisiac; local anesthetic; hypertensive cardiac stimulant.

Sexual stimulant trial suggests that 10 mg of yohimbine hydrochloride three times daily taken orally for eight weeks showed improved sexual satisfaction and increased desire. -Vogt; brandl, Kockott et. al.....Double Blind placebo controlled safety and efficacy trial with yohimbine hydrochloride in the treatment of nonorganic erectile dysfunction. International Journal of Impotentcy Res. 1997 Sept: 9 (3) pp. 155-61.

Chemistry: indole alkaloids: yohimbine; tannins

Contraindications: Use only under the supervision of a holistic medical practitioner. this is a controlled substance in many countries. Drug increases blood pressure and may induce depression. May lead to hepatic disease and renal failure.

Yucca, Adam's Needle, Spanish bayonet, Joshua tree

Yucca batata, Yucca filamentosa, L., Y. spp.

Liliaceae

Food: We eat the white flowers from this plant. Fold them fresh in frittata, omelet. Garnish a plate with them. Shred onto salads. the fruits of these plants are edible, a few species more edible than others. Y. baccata has large succulent fruit which is bland tasting.

Medicine: The root decoction is claimed to restore hair (folklore). Yucca root extract is a surfactant, wetting agent, used in soaps. Root water decoction has been drunk to treat arthritis, a potentially risking proposition with so little study of the plant having been performed.

Adam's Needle, Yucca filamentosa, root with its steroid saponins has been decocted and used to treat gallbladder and liver problems. In Europe ground dried leaves, and extracts of the plant are available for medicinal use.

Folk Tradition: Use infusion of root water to kill lice and grow hair. See video: Little Medicine.

Chemistry: Phyto sterols: aglycones including gitogenin and tigogenin.

Wildlife/Veterinarian/Garden: One cubic inch of the roots of Y. baccata or Y. filamatosa may be pureed in two cups of water, strained and filtered into a plant sprayer. Add another pint of water and use this spray on fruit and vegetables. Organic, water soluble, a good alternative to more toxic sprays.

Notes: Yucca flower shoots, the tall stalk that bears the flowers is dried and used by Native Americans as arrow shafts and fire starting spindles for Indian matches and bow and drill primitive technology fire starting techniques. See our video Survival Seventeen Ways to Start a Fire Without a Match.