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irritations to the intestines, kidneys, skin, and stomach. Epileptics should be careful with rosemary
and other herbs heavy with camphor (CAN). CAN cautions that camphor in the volatile oil may
cause convulsions. Michael Castleman is apparently talking about the herb, not the more dan-
gerous EO, when he says, “Like most other herbs, rosemary should be used in large amounts
only in consultation with your health care provider. If you are pregnant, you should avoid such
amounts because they can cause uterine contractions” (Castleman, 1996). The Herbal PDR scares
the pants off us by saying large doses of rosemary leaves (more likely the oil), inadvisedly have
been used to attempt abortion, may lead to coma, gastroenterosis, nephrosis, pulmonary edema,
spasm, uterine bleeding, vomiting, and even to death. But this seems to be speculation! The PDR
concludes “No documented cases have come to light.” Just another dead-end on another biblio-
graphic echo (PHR; PH2).
Extracts (Rosemary) — LD50 = 5 ml/kg orl rat, >10 ml/kg der rbt, EO antispasmodic at 25
mg/kg (CAN). Major source of the COX-2 inhibitor, oleanolic acid, at 1% (COX). EO antiseptic
against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, molds, Corynebacteria, Escherichia, Staphy-
lococcus, and Vibrio. Carnosol and ursolic acid inhibit many food spoilage microbes Escherichia,
Kluyveromyces, Lactobacillus, Pseudomonas, Rhodotorula = BHA, BHT; carnosol > ursolic acid
as antioxidant. Rosemary oil is effective against opportunistic infections like Cryptococcus
neoformans (JBU). Rosemary oil as well as its bornyl acetate and cineole are antispasmodic, on
smooth muscle (guinea pig ileum) and cardiac muscle (guinea pig atria). In smooth muscle,
borneol is considered the most active, by antagonizing acetyl choline. The antispasmodic action
of rosemary as preceded by contractile action, due to pinenes, which are spasmogenic on smooth
muscle, inactive on cardiac muscle. Rosemary oil relaxes the Oddi’s sphincter contracted by
morphine. Activity increases with incremental oil doses reaching an optimum at 25 mg/kg, at
which the unblocking effect was immediate. Beyond that dosage, the response was again delayed.
Smooth muscle stimulant and analgesic actions have been documented for a rosmaricine deriv-
ative (CAN).ROSE-OF-SHARON (Hibiscus syriacus L.) ++Activities (Rose-of-Sharon) — Analgesic (f; FAY); Antibacterial (1; FAY); Antiedemic (f; FAY);
Antiinflammatory (f; DAA); Antipyretic (f; FAY); Astringent (f; FAY); Bitter (f; FAY); Carminative
(f; DAA); Demulcent (f; FAY; LMP); Detoxicant (f; FAY); Diuretic (f; DAA; FAY; HHB); Emollient
(f; LMP); Expectorant (f; FAY; HHB); Fungicide (1; FAY; X739389); Hemostat (f; DAA); Sto-
machic (f; DAA; HHB); Vermifuge (1; FAY).Indications (Rose-of-Sharon) — Abscess (f; FAY); Ameba (f; DAA); Appendicitis (f; FAY);
Ascariasis (f; DAA; LMP); Asthma (f; FAY); Athlete’s Foot (f; FAY); Bacteria (1; FAY); Bleeding
(f; DAA; FAY; LMP); Boil (f; FAY); Bronchosis (f; FAY); Burn (f; FAY); Cancer (f; ABS; FAY);
Carbuncle (f; FAY); Cold (f; DAA); Colitis (f; DAA); Cough (f; FAY); Dermatosis (f; DAA; FAY);
Diabetes (f; FAY); Diarrhea (f; FAY; MPI); Dysentery (f; FAY; MPI); Dysmenorrhea (f; DAA;
MPI); Dyspepsia (f; LMP); Eczema (f; FAY); Enterosis (f; DAA; LMP); Fever (f; FAY); Fungus
(1; FAY; X739389); Gas (f; DAA); Gastrosis (f; DAA); Headache (f; FAY); Hemorrhoid (f; FAY);
Impetigo (f; FAY); Infection (1; FAY; X739389); Inflammation (f; DAA); Itch (f; DAA; FAY);
Leukorrhea (f; DAA; LMP); Migraine (f; FAY); Mycosis (1; FAY; X739389); Nausea (f; DAA;
LMP); Neurodermatosis (f; FAY); Pain (f; FAY); Proctosis (f; FAY); Prolapse (f; FAY); Pulmonosis
(f; FAY); Ringworm (f; FAY); Sore (f; FAY); Swelling (f; FAY); Vaginosis (f; FAY); Water Retention
(f; DAA; FAY; HHB); Worm (1; DAA; FAY).Dosages (Rose-of-Sharon) — 3–9 g dry flowers, 30–60 g fresh flowers (FAY). 3–9 g dry bark;
30–60 g fresh root (FAY).