Capsicum

Common Name: Cayenne

Tincture: (1:3)@70%.
Constituents: Alkaloid (capsaicin) 0.1-0.22%, related to piperine and pellitorine;
Flavonoid glycosides; Carotene pigment (capsanthine); Ascorbic acid; Volatile oil.
Comment: The central physiomedical circulatory stimulant.
Article: Red Cayenne Peppers [Capsicum minimum]
Red peppers are hot! Not only are these gastronomic delights an interesting addition to the evening's fare, but they also hide buried within them a hidden treasure of healthful properties.
I remember watching the Oprah Winfrey Show on TV once, where a guy was going to prove his manhood by eating like candy a couple of hot cayenne peppers. However, even before he ate the peppers the producers (maybe it was the gaffers)
had to escort the mysteriously crippled man from the set. He eyes were watering and his nose was streaming nasal fluid. He could hardly speak, as his nose was oozing so much nasal drip. He couldn't see, his eyes were so full of tears.
What had happened to this man? The man had, in effect, accidentally pepper-sprayed himself. He had been holding the red peppers in his hot, sweaty hands while awaiting his turn to be interviewed. Unfortunately, this man was only accustomed to eating red peppers and not accustomed to handling them for any period of time. The essential oils from the peppers had leeched onto his hands, he had rubbed an itchy eye... and then he was in trouble.
Red pepper in the eyes will cause them to be super stimulated. They will well-up and pour fluid. The fluid will drain from the eyes down through the nose and super stimulate the nasal passages. Want to clear your sinuses? Snort a bit of red pepper.
We aren't talking the big, red bell peppers that are seen alongside the green peppers in every grocery store. By red capsicum pepper we're talking the red chillies or bird peppers. They is hot!
For some odd reason the habit of eating hot peppers is common among peoples who live in very hot climates. Hot red peppers can be found as part of their everyday food. Native peoples in hot climates make drinks of peppers soaked in
water and mixed with natural sugars to remove fevers. Curiously, we who live in cold climates avoid hot peppers like the plague. This is unfortunate.
In Grieve's, A Modern Herbal, it states that red peppers are said to be unequalled in warding off diseases. And I would have to agree with this statement. I would go so far as to say that copious amounts of red pepper can
potentially allay almost any disease which comes to plague mankind. If you are stout enough of soul, then red pepper is your treatment of primary resort. Actually, around the 1830's, red pepper was used to very good effect in all
manner of disease such as dysentery, yellow fever, tetanus, pneumonia, asthma, cirrhosis of the liver, and many others. Those who lived through these serious afflictions were the clients of herbalists, those who died were the patients of
doctors. There is no reason to believe that red pepper would not work equally as well today.
As had happened with the Oprah goof, red pepper can be used to good effect in stimulating the body as a whole to fight off disease and remove toxins. All good herbalists of the North-East North American herbal tradition use special
red peppers in 1/3 - 1/2 of all the preparations they make. Red peppers enhance the activity of many herbs with which they are mixed.
Red pepper is a strong stimulant to the body and a rubefacient (warming feeling). It is superior in removing congestions and morbid matter, and restoring the circulation of the body. Put another way, it is great for all manner of inflammation. Inflammation from infection and arthritic complaints respond well to red pepper taken both internally and externally. Warming creams are made from red peppers to massage onto pulled and strained muscles. Natural, deep-heating rubs invariably contain red pepper oils. Red pepper is also a persistent heart stimulant.
It seems that whatever the allopaths (regular doctors) decide to test red peppers for, the answer is always the same: red peppers reduce the effects of disease and speed health improvements. Want to reduce blood pressure? Take red pepper. Want to reduce cholesterol? Take red pepper. Want to throw off that cold? Take red pepper. It seems the allopaths are getting a bit gun-shy about testing red peppers any further. The younger doctors seem to have forgotten that during the early part of this century, testing of drugs against herbs was abandoned by pharmaceuticals because herbs always came out on top. Drugs can be patented; herbs cannot be patented.
The pharmaceuticals make a chemical marijuana -- not as good (I'm told). The druggies make a chemical St. John's Wort -- not as good. They make a chemical red pepper -- also, no where near as good as the healthful, whole red
pepper.
Check back a few Herbinator stories for the Cold Sore article. Notice that red pepper was recommended in the treatment of painful shingles. The pharmaceuticals make a chemical shingles drug called Zostran (or something like
that). It is a chemical construct of one of the ingredients isolated from red peppers. They use it in an attempt to mimic the effectiveness of red pepper in the treatment of shingles. Again, it comes up short.
Herbs are used wholistically. That means the whole is greater than the sum of the parts (2 + 2 >= 4). Using the whole herb will always be more effective than using some constituent part that has been removed from the herb,
slightly modified (for patent purposes), and then used toward the profitable treatment of disease. Maybe it is the profit motive itself that sullies the effectiveness of the pharmaceutical contrivances. Do-do-'do-do, do-do-'do-do
(Twilight Zone theme).
Red pepper is a powerful herb. If you are one of those who believes that super-germs will wipe out mankind or that a plague will ravage the ranks of the human species, then keep a little hot, red pepper in the medicine cabinet and
laugh at the impending apocalyse.

Purposes:   (See also Disease: Signs & Symptoms)

Used In:    (See Formulas)

Antispasmotic powder #2DC129                  
Antispasmotic Tincture #2DC124              
Appetite Capsules                                        
Asthma Decoction #1DC142                          
Asthma Tonic #1DC143                                  
Bladder Tonic #1DC161                                
Brain Inflammation Pills #2DC74            
Chlorosis Tonic #1DC166                            
Chorea Pills                                                  
Colic Capsules #1DC139                              
Colic Decoction #1DC138                            
Composition Powder #2DC96                        
Compound Lobelia Capsules #2DC127        
Diptheria Decoction #1DC128                    
Dropsy Decoction #1DC160                          
Dysuria Tonic/G #1DC162                            
Epilepsy Decoction #1DC136                      
Epistaxis Decoction #1DC170                    
Erysipelas Tonic #1DC148                          
F C Powder #1DC171                                      
F R Powder #1DC171                                      
Fever Capsules #1DC124                              
Gall Tonic #1DC156                                      
Gastritis Tonic #1DC152                            
Good General Tonic #1DC167                      
Jaundice Tonic #1DC156                              
Laxative Capsules #1DC155                        
Liver Compound #2DC111                              
Liver Inflammation Caps                            
Lower Bowel Tonic                                        
Lumbago Tonic #1DC163                                
Lung Tonic Syrup #2DC53                            
Menorrhagia_Tonic                                        
Nerve Tonic #1DC137                                    
Pleurisy Tonic #1DC145                              
Pneumonia Tonic #1DC146                            
Post-Epilepsy Tea #1DC136                        
Quinsy Tonic #1DC147                                  
Rheumatism Capsules #1DC178                    
Rheumatism Decoction #1DC178                  
Ulcer Paste #2DC24                                      
Uteritis Tonic #1DC168                              

Properties:   

Stimulant                                

Contraindication(s):   

Clinical:     2 ml per 100 ml tincture.

Clinicals:    

arteriosclerosis                  
BREATHE EASY+1 dr thymus  
inflammation                          
PULMONARY OEDEMA                  

Constituents:   

Materia Medica:    (See Materia Medica.)