First  Aid Kit - Bryonia alba                                                                                                                 

aka: White Bryony,  Wild Hops, Devil's Turnip

Bryonia is a member of the gourd family and found in Western Asia and Northern Africa as well as the rain forests of South America..

All parts of Bryonia alba contain byonin, which is poisonous and may cause illness or death. Forty berries are fatal to an adult human, so no grazing please !  A milky sap produced by the plant will cause a mild to severe skin irritation if handled without gloves.. The root resembles a large turnip, and has a very bitter taste and smell.  It is considered a noxious weed, grows as a vine and has been known to choke and kill large trees. 

Even something this poisonous and destructive can be employed homeopathically to bring relief to those suffering from a number of ailments, in addition to the ones discussed in this article.

The homeopathic remedy is made by expressing the juice from the fresh root dug up before the flowering time.  The juice is then diluted and prepared according to homeopathic pharmaceutical procedures, creating a healing remedy from what was a poisonous  plant.

All illness and injury symptoms requiring Bryonia alba are made worse from movement and the sufferer wants to stay absolutely still.  The injured party will cry out sharply, due to their sensitivity to the pain. A "Strange Rare and Peculiar" symptom of Bryonia is that the person feels better from applying pressure or lying on the painful area. You can read more about "Strange, Rare, and Peculiar" in an article, appearing earlier on this blog.

If you ever come across someone who has fractured a rib after violent coughing, Bryonia will both quell the cough and ease the pain emanating from the fracture.

© Lynn Cremona 2012, all rights reserved.

The information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care.