Native Americans used boneset to eliminate infection or disease through fever reduction, sweating, and bowel evacuation. They introduced the herb to the colonists, who adopted it to treat malaria and other diseases that cause fever. Boneset became popular during shortages of quinine, the main treatment for malaria at the time.
Boneset comes from the dried leaves and flowering tops of the perennial herb Eupatorium perfoliatum, which grows throughout much of the United States and parts of Canada. Some people claim it got its name from its alleged ability to relieve dengue (“breakbone”) fever. It was included in the United States Pharmacopeia, the legal compendium of drug standards, from 1820 to 1916 and the National Formulary from 1926 to 1950. However, the conventional medical community has never advocated its use. More recently, boneset has been included in homeopathic preparations and herbal mixtures sold in Europe and to practicing herbalists.
Common doses of Boneset
Boneset is available as a tea, an extract, and a topical cream. Some experts recommend the following doses:
- As an extract, 10 to 40 drops (2 to 4 grams of plant material) mixed in a liquid taken orally daily.
- As a tea, 2 to 6 teaspoons of crushed dried leaves and flowering tops steeped in 1 cup to 1 pint of boiling water.
Why people use Boneset herb
- Acute bronchitis
- As a expectorant
- As a sedative
- Fever
- Flu
Side effects of Boneset
Call your health care practitioner if you experience any of these possible side effects of bone set:
- allergic reaction
- diarrhea
- vomiting
Boneset also can cause liver damage.
Interactions
Combining herbs with certain drugs may alter their action or produce unwanted side effects. Tell your health care practitioner about any prescription or nonprescription drugs you’re taking.
Important points to remember
- Don’t use this herb if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.
What the research shows
Although boneset has been used to reduce fever for more than 200 years, no clinical studies show that it’s effective for this purpose. A German study found no difference between aspirin and a homeopathic boneset remedy in relieving discomfort from the common cold.
Medical experts discourage medicinal use of boneset because they don’t know enough about its safety and effectiveness. And because proven remedies already exist for many of the herb’s claimed therapeutic uses, researchers aren’t likely to conduct more boneset studies.
Other names for Boneset : –
Other names for boneset include agueweed, crosswort, eupatorium, feverwort, Indian sage, sweating plant, throughwort and vegetable antimony.
A product containing boneset is sold as Catarrh Mixture.