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| Departments » Herbal Medicine » Materia Medica » Cetraria islandica |
Note - the monographs are provided for informational purposes only, and are not to be used for self-medication.
Cetraria islandica (Iceland Moss)
| Botanic Name | Cetraria islandica |
| Common Name | Iceland Moss, Cetraria, Iceland Lichen (Grieve) |
| Family | Parmeliaceae |
| Parts Used | Dried
Lichen (Mills)
The entire plant (Hoffmann) Thallus (McGuffin) |
| Habitat | On barren stony ground throughout all northern countries and mountainous areas elsewhere; it is locally common in Britain (Mills) |
| Constituents | Mucilages
(including lichenin) (Mills),(Hoffmann)
Bitter Acids (Mills) Bitter fumaric acids (Hoffmann) Usnic acid (Hoffmann) Some iodine (Hoffmann) Traces of Vitamin A (Hoffmann) |
| Actions | Soothing
and healing on the gastric wall (Mills)
Nourishing (Mills) Locally demulcent and healing (Mills) Demulcent (Hoffmann) Anti-emetic (Hoffmann) Expectorant (Hoffmann) |
| Applications | To
gastritis and other irritations and inflammation of the stomach (Mills),(Hoffmann)
To contain vomiting arising from such a cause (Mills),(Hoffmann) Particularly useful in stomach problems in cachexic and debilitated conditions (Mills),(Hoffmann) As a soothing demulcent (Hoffmann) Respiratory catarrh (Hoffmann) Bronchitis (Hoffmann) |
| Body Systems | Digestive, Respiratory |
| Dosage | 1-2 gm
dried lichen tds (Mills)
1-2ml tincture tds (Hoffmann) 1:5 40% 1-1.5 mls tds (BHP) |
| Combinations | With Ballota nigra for nausea and vomiting(Hoffmann),(BHP) |
| C/I Cautions | Contraindicated in gastro-duodenal ulcers due to mucosa irritating property (McGuffin) |
| BHP S/I | Cachexia with vomiting |