BONESET
Boneset has nothing at all to do with mending bones. The name is derived from its use for lowering fevers. In earlier days, break bone fever was the term used for a particular type of illness (dengue). American Indians introduced the use of boneset leaves and flowering tops to the early settlers for the treatment of colds, catarrh, influenza, rheumatism, and all kinds of fevers, including break bone (dengue), intermittent (malaria), and lake (typhoid). To break up colds and flu, the medication is taken in the form of a hot tea to induce sweating and relieve the associated aches and pains. For loss of appetite, indigestion, and as a general bitter tonic, cold boneset infusion is recommended thirty minutes before meals. In either case, the remedy is a bitter, astringent one with a nauseous taste. The hot version is much more likely to cause vomiting than the cold. Chemical studies have identified some of the constituents of boneset, which include various flavonoid pigments, sterols, and triterpenes. Eclectic physicians reported using boneset as an effective preventative and treatment for the "Spanish influenza" epidemic of 1918, as well as flu epidemics of the nineteenth century. The plant held official medication status in the United States from 1820 to 1950, even though boneset was rarely prescribed by physicians. Nevertheless, there is presently a revival of interest in the use of boneset among herbalists who employ it primarily to relieve fevers. Although safer and more effective treatments, such as common aspirin, certainly exist, it is comforting to know that the medical literature is essentially devoid of reports of adverse incidents attributed to boneset. Given the presence of potential immunostimulating polysaccharides, is deserving of closer scientific scrutiny. HOMEOPATHY Boneset was traditionally used for fevers and is said to be a principal Native American remedy for malaria. It became known to the European settlers and was used in New York in 1830 to treat malaria. The plant is used in herbal medicine for flu with aches and pains. Eupator is used mainly to treat flu and other feverish illnesses where characteristically there is tremendous bone pain and fever with scanty perspiration and restlessness because of the pain. The bones often feel as if they have been broken. The head, eyeballs, and chest are sore and there is a desire for ice-cold water and cold food. There may be a cough that exacerbates symptoms and can be relieved by going on all fours.
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