Botanical Index No. 532

Hyssop

hyssopus officinalis

Medicinal Actions

Colic, Antibacterial, Anticapillary Fragility, Antidiaphoretic, Antiedemic, Antiherpetic, Antiinflammatory, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Antiviral, Astringent, Carminative, Circulostimulant, Convulsant, Decongestant, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Expectorant, Fungicide, Insecticide, Sedative, Stimulant, Stomachic, Uterotonic, antiinflammatory, capillary-protective

Primary Conditions Treated

Cold Sore Congestion Cough Cramp CVI Dysmenorrhea Dyspepsia Dysuria Earache Edema Enterosis Fever Fibroid Frostbite Fungus Gas Gout Hemorrhoid Hepatosis Herpes HIV Hoarseness Infection Inflammation Insomnia Jaundice Lice Mastosis Mycosis Myosis Nervousness Neurosis Night Sweats Obesity Ophthalmia Pharyngosis Pulmonosis Rheumatism Roundworm Sclerosis Sore Throat Splenosis Sprain Stomachache Swelling Tonsilosis Urethrosis Uterosis Varicosis Virus Water Retention Worm Wound diabetic retinopathy varicosities colds fevers gallbladder and liver complaints Abortifacient Insectifuge Nervine Pectoral Vermifuge Asthma Athlete’s Foot Bacteria Bronchosis Bruise Cancer feet liver neck spleen throat uterus uvula Candida Capillary Fragility Cardiopathy Catarrh Cholecystosis Circulosis Cold edema hemorrhoid hyperglycemia inflammation varicose veins

General Dosage

1–2 tsp herb/cup water up to 3 ×/day; 2 tsp herb in tea; herb mashed in honey taken several ×/day for worms; handful of herb boiled in 0.25 liter for toothache, applied topically; 2–4 ml liquid herb extract; 445 mg capsules; 1–2 drop EO as expectorant. Dry hyssop of that strength would only take 10 grams to provide the 600 mg diosmin considered antiinflammatory and capillary-protective.

Safety & Contraindications

Class 2b. Emmenagogue and uterotonic.“Health hazards not known with proper therapeutic dosages”. Not to be used by pregnant women. Extracts — Hyssop oil is powerfully neurotoxic, there have been several cases of epileptiform seizures. Hyssop is a convulsant because of its pinocamphone and iso-pinocam-phone content; this toxicity often refers to injections. At levels of 2.5 mg/kg, injections into dogs produced almost immediate epileptiform seizures. With rats it took more than 130 mg/kg. Intraperitoneal pinocamphone was a convulsant and lethal to rats at levels higher than 0.05 ml/kg. “Even dermal administration of hyssop oil should be avoided in those vulnerable to seizures”. Some EOs may be hazardous to people with epilepsy, especially those EOs that are rich in artemisia ketone, camphor, pinocamphone, pulegone, and thujone. Some scientists consider ketones in general to be highly stimulant to the CNS, and hence are contraindicated for people with epilepsy. According to the Lawrence Review on Natural Products, hyssop, an ingredient in cold and cough preparations, appears to exert its demulcent and expectorant effects via its EO. However, injections of the oil may be convulsant and neurotoxic at 130 mg/kg, and a rodenticide at 1250 mg/kg, probably due to isopinocamphone and pinocamphone. Pinocamphone may be present at quantities as high as 13,000 ppm, isopinocam-phone at 6500 ppm. Intraperitoneal injections from 4 ml/kg to 200 ml/kg produce a generalized crisis in rats leading from CNS convulsions to death. Anti-HIV and antiviral activities need to be confirmed. Oral administration of the oil can also be dangerous. Three cases of clonic spasms have been reported, two adults each taking 10–30 drops each pure EO, and a 6-year-old child taking 2–3 drops a day over several days. Remember, I council in all cases against pure EO. I scored hyssop with three pluses, meaning that I think it is safer than coffee as an herbal medicine. vulsions to death. Anti-HIV and antiviral activities need to be confirmed. Oral administration of the oil can also be dangerous. Three cases of clonic spasms have been reported, two adults each taking 10–30 drops each pure EO, and a 6-year-old child taking 2–3 drops a day over several days. Remember, I council in all cases against pure EO.

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