Guaiaci, Guaiacum
Pock Wood, Lignum Sancti, Lignum Vitae
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578
Icones Plantarum Medcio-oeconomico, Vietz, 1800
Atlas der officinellen pflanzen, Felix, 1899
LEFT: GUAIACUM WOOD; RIGHT: GUAIACUM GUM
1. Mass of chips showing white non-official pieces. 2. Portion of
a boring from a bowling ball. 3, Projecting fibers of the wood.
Squibb’s Atlas of the Official Drugs, Mansfield, 1919
Botanical name:
Guaiacum officinale
Parts used:
Wood; Gum
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Bitter, Pungent
Classifications:
2B ATTENUATERS
3A. SUDORIFICS & DIAPHORETICS. 3M. ARTHRITICS
4k. ARTHRITIC
Uses:
1. Promotes Sweat, Resists Poison:
-Tonsillitis
-“Resists Poison and Venom, and cleansing the Flesh, Blood and humors of all manner of Putrefaction’” (Salmon)
-a specific for Syphilis (especially with Sarsaparilla)
-chronic skin diseases, Ulcers, Scabs, Leprosy
-Syphilis and other venereal diseases
2. Clears Wind-Damp, Moves the Blood, Resolves Swellings:
-Scrofula, Lymphadenitis
-chronic Rheumatism, Rheumatoid Arthritis, sub-acute and chronic Rheumatic pains of all types, Gout
-“all chronic diseases proceeding from Cold and Moist causes”. (Gerard)
-“Amenorrhea and Dysmenorrhea when due to atony of the pelvic viscera”. (Thomas, The Eclectic Practice of Medicine, 1907)
3. Clears Damp, Promote Urine:
-Edema, fluid retention
4. Settles Wind, Stops Spasms:
-chronic Vertigo and Epilepsy
Dose:
Infusion of the Wood: 250mg–2 grams;
Decoction of the Wood: 2–4 oz. of the wood in a pint of water, boiled, and taken in wineglassful doses throughout the day;
Tincture of the Wood (1:5): 10–30 drops, up to 40 or 50 drops, 2–3 times daily;
Fluid Extract of the Wood: 5–30 drops, up to 60 drops has been given;
Powdered Wood: 30–60 grains;
Powdered Resin: 5–15, or 20 grains.
Preparation of the Resin:
Guaiacum Wood may be boiled in a salt solution or Sea water which will more or less totally liberate the resin from the wood. Alternatively, the wood chips may be extracted with alcohol, and the resin then precipitated by pouring into water. It is then collected, and dried.
Main Combinations:
1. Syphilis, chronic Skin disorders (and other Blood-Toxin conditions):
i. Guaiacum with Sarsaparilla
ii. Guaiacum with China root
iii. Guaiacum with China root, Bittersweet
iv. Guaiacum with Sassafras, Sandalwood
v. Guaiacum with Sassafras, Licorice
vi. Guaiacum with Couch Grass root, Licorice
vii. Guaiacum with Burdock, Dandelion
viii. Guaiacum with Burdock, Juniper
ix. Guaiacum with Burdock root, Box Wood, Juniper berries
x. Guaiacum with Bittersweet, Madder, Marshmallow root, Burdock root, Fennel seed
xi. Guaiacum with Sarsaparilla, Senna, Rhubarb, Sassafras, Aniseed (Dispensatorium Pharmaceuticum, 1777)
xii. Guaiacum with Sarsaparilla, China root, Burdock root, Dandelion, Rhubarb, Licorice
2. Syphilis, Apoplexy, Paralysis, Edema, Asthma, with Sarsaparilla, China root, Blessed Thistle, Juniper berries, Ginger (as in Compound Guaiacum Water)
3. Chronic Rheumatism:
i. Guaiacum with Celery seed, Licorice
ii. Guaiacum with Salts of Hartshorn (Deer horn)
iii. Guaiacum with Senna, Turbith, Colchicum (A Treatise on Foreign Drugs, Geoffroy and Thicknesse, 1749)
4. Arthritis and Rheumatism:
i. Guaiacum with Cream of Tartar
ii. Guaiacum with Bittersweet
iii. Guaiacum with Rhubarb, Flowers of Sulphur (equal parts)
iv. Guaiacum with Aconite (Dispensatorium Fuldense, 1791)
v. Guaiacum with Polypody, Sarsaparilla, China root, Colchicum (Pharmacopoeia Wirtembergica, 1798)
vi. Guaiacum with Mustard, sublimed Sulphur, Saltpeter, Rhubarb (as in Compound Guaiacum Confection, ‘Chelsea Pensioner’)
5. Chronic Gout and Arthritic complaints, Guaiacum has been combined with Colchicum
6. Chronic Gout, Syphilis, Guaiacum (1 oz.), Burdock root (2 oz.), Sassafras (1 oz.), Licorice (½ oz.). Decoct. (Sobernheim, 1840))
7. Catarrh, Gout, Rheumatism, Guaiacum with Raisins, China root, Licorice root, Cinnamon, Lesser Galangal (Decoction for Gout)
8. To promote Urine, Guaiacum with Sassfras, Licorice, Coriander seed
9. Diet Drink: Guaiacum with Sassafras, Sarsaparilla, China root, Licorice. This was decocted and taken throughout the day as ‘common drink’ for chronic diseases such as Venereal Disease, Epilepsy, Migraines and chronic Headaches, Gout, Tumors, Cancer etc.
10. Chronic Mercury poisoning, Mercurialism: Guaiacum, China root, Sassafras, Mezereon bark, Licorice; decoct. (Sobernheim, 1840)
11. Scrofula and Cancer, Guaiacum with Sassafras, Sarsaparilla, Dead Nettle, Ground Ivy, Herb Robert and Pill Millipedes
12. Tinea, Guaiacum, Bittersweet, Coriander, Calendula, St. Johns wort, Pansy leaf, Magnesium Sulphate, Senna (Memorial Pharmaceutique, 1824)
Major Formulas:
Decoction of Guaiacum and Sarsaparilla
Decoction of Guaiacum Compound
Decoction of Woods
Decoction for Arthritis (Mynsichts)
Compound Guaiacum Confection (Chelsea Pensioner)
Wine for Arthritis
Elixir Salutis, Elixir of Health
1. Anti-Arthritic Powder:
i. Guaiacum resin, Cream of Tartar (15 grains each). Take as a dose 3 or 4 times daily. (Pharmacopoeia extemporanea, Augustin, 1822)
i. Guaiacum resin (2 drams), Cream of Tartar (half oz.), Licorice (1 dram), Tartarized Antimony (2 grains) (Pharmacopoeia Pauperum Hamburgensis, 1804)
2. Sudorific Pills:
i. Guaiacum resin Camphor (1 dram each), Tartarized Antimony (4 grains), Extract of Bittersweet (sufficient). Make pills of 4 grains each. (Memorial Pharmaceutique, 1824)
3. Compound Tincture of Guaiacum Wood:
i. Guaiacum wood shavings (3 oz.), Sassafras wood (2 oz.), Rhodium wood (half oz.), Red Sandalwood, Yellow Sandalwood (1 oz. each), Alcohol (2 lbs.). Digest for 2 days, express, filter. Stimulant, diaphoretic, alterative; used for Gonorrhea, Syphilis and Rheumatic disorders. (Dispensatorium Pharmaceuticum, 1777)
Cautions:
1. Not used during Pregnancy
2. Nausea and stomach disturbance may accompany use of Guaiacum. Reduction of dose, a break in treatment of cessation of treatment is sometimes necessary.
3. It can rarely cause allergic reactions and skin rashes in some people.
4. Large doses cause vomiting, purging and congestive headaches.
Main Preparations used:
Decoction, Extract, Tincture, Spirit and Salt of the Ashes (rarely)
1. Water Extract of Guaiacum:
i. Guaiacum shavings (1 pound), Spring Water (6 pounds). Digest for 4 days in a warm place, then boil briefly; press and evaporate to the proper consistency.
ii. most exhausted it with several boilings, added the decoctions, then evaporated.
iii. Shavings of Guaiacum 1 lb.
Boil in a gallon of water down to half, and do this 4 times using fresh water each time. Put these waters together, strain, then evaporate in a water bath. When nearly all the water is boiled away, add a little Rectified Spirit to bring the extract to a uniform mass.
The Spirit is added because when the water is nearly gone, the extract will start to form lumps; the Spirit gives a uniform consistency. (From The Dispensatory of the Royal College of Physicians)
2. Alcohol Extract of Guaiacum:
i. Cover Guaiacum shavings with alcohol, enough to cover by 4 finger-breadths. Digest in a warm place, strain; boil the residue in water for 1 hour and press hard. Evaporate the decoction to the thickness of honey, gradually adding the tincture towards the end, stirring continually to an extract. (Pharmacopoeia Herbipolitania, 1796)
3. Tincture of Guaiacum Wood:
i. Guaiacum shavings (5 oz.), Rectified Alcohol (2 lbs.). Digest and filter. (Pharmacopoeia Oldenburgica, 1801)
ii. Gum Guaiacum in Powder 2 oz., Rectified Alcohol 1 lb.
Dissolve, digest 10 or 12 days, then decant it.
“It has all the virtues of the Gum, besides which, it strongly provokes the terms, and expels the dead child”.
Dose: ½–1 spoonful, usually taken in wine. (Salmon)
4. Oil and Spirit of Guaiacum
Put shavings of Wood of Guaiacum into a Retort, and distill in sand. The Oil which first comes over is thinner and sweeter, and should be kept alone; if it is Rectified with much water, it will become sweeter. It may also be Rectified with toasted Bread and a little Tartar which ‘loosens the Fetid Fatness’. The Distilled Water or Acid Spirit which comes over after may also be retified from its phlegm in the gentle heat of a bath.
Salmon said: 1. That the receiver should be very large ‘lest it break by Violence of the vapours’; also that it must be very well luted. 2. the fire must be gradually increased until the receiver is so hot the hand can only touch it ‘a pretty while’; this heat must be continused for 20 hours or more until the receiver grows cold. 3. ‘the Spirit comes first alone in the form of white vapours, then the Oil, with the rest of the Spirits which falls to the bottom in a brown blackish liquor’. The Oil may be separated from the Spirit by wetting some brown paper with Spirit of Guaiacum in a glass funnel, and filtering the mixed Oil and Spirit; the Spirit will be entirely filtered, leaving the oil in the Paper. 4. From 1 lb. of Guaiacum, you should receive 10 oz. of the spirit, 1.5 oz. of Oil, leaving about 4 oz. of Caput Mort. or coals in the bottom of the still, of which a Salt may be made.
The Oil is a specific against the French Pox and Pocky Nodes, as well as Epilepsy, and Toothache; it also was used for fits of the mother, and expels a Dead Child. Externally, it cures Gangreen, Old Ulcers, and rotten bones. This is the more potent preparation. Dose: 2-4 drops, often taken in Cinnamon Water.
The Spirit is good for the same purposes, besides which it dissolves Pearl and Coral, and the Shells of Fishes. It is very good for Old sores, Ulcers, and burnings. Dose: 6-10, or 12 drops. (Salmon; Royal Chemistry 1670)
Click the above Tabs for more information on this medicine
-This wood became very popular in the 16th Century when it was found to be an effective cure for Syphilis and other toxic conditions of the blood.
You must be logged in to view this content, please login. If you're not a member then Click this link to subscribe
