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| minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and strain. Add enough water to make one quart. Keep refrigerated. The suggested dose is 2 ounces mixed with warm water, taken once daily on an empty stomach. |
| Cleavers |
| (Galium aparine) |
| Part used: Whole herb |
| Actions: Diuretic, aperient, lymphatic, tonic, alterative, astringent, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, antibiotic |
| Indications: Cleavers is highly esteemed as a lymph system tonic. It is effective against chronic inflammatory conditions, including psoriasis, eczema, arthritis and swollen lymph nodes. It is excellent in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. It is useful in tonsillitis and adenoid conditions. It has a long history of use in the treatment of ulcers, especially in combination with demulcents, and in the treatment of tumors. Its diuretic effects make it a safe and useful tonic in cystitis. |
| It is most effective as a fresh plant juice or succus, 1 to 2 ounces taken up to four times per day, or as a liquid extract, taken in 1/2-teaspoon to 1-teaspoon (2-1/2 to 5 ml) doses. An infusion of cleavers is best used for urinary problems such as cystitis and for reducing fevers. A cloth dipped in the infusion and wrung out can be applied topically as a compress on burns and itchy or inflamed skin conditions. The infusion can also be used as a hair rinse for dandruff. The infusion of cleavers is made by pouring 8 ounces of boiling water over 3 teaspoons of freshly dried herb and steeping 15 minutes. Because cleavers contains up to 90 percent water, many herbalists suggest drying it prior to preparation. |
| In The Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine, Daniel B. Mowrey suggests combining cleavers with uva ursi and buchu for maximum benefit for acute urinary tract inflammation. Eclectic physicians used it for eliminating kid- |
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