O
Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Oregon Grape) — Class 2b. Canada
requires bilingual warning against use during pregnancy (AHP). “Not allowed as a non-medicinal
ingredient in oral use products in Canada” (Michols, 1995). “Hazards and/or side effects not
known for proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2). If Barney is right in saying that “goldenseal should
not be taken for long periods of time,” I suspect that the same would be true for those herbs
containing similar compounds, such as barberry, goldthread, oregon grape, and yellow root
(Barney, 1996). Therefore, I have lowered their safety ratings to one +. “Large doses of berberine
can cause fatal poisoning” (CRC). White and Mavor preclude use in children under 1 year old,
or during pregnancy (WAM). An alternative source of the COX-2 inhibitor, berberine (COX;
FNF). Recently shown to contain a pump-efflux inhibitor, 5'-methoxyhydnocarpin (5'-MHC)
synergistic with antiseptic alkaloids.
ORIENTAL ARBORVITAE (Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco) +Synonyms: Biota orientalis, Retinispora juniperoides Carriere, Thuja orientalis L., Thuja orientalis
f. juniperoides (Carriere) Asch. & Graebn., T. orientalis var. aurea (Carriere) Rehder.
Activities (Oriental Arborvitae) — Allergenic (1; WOI); Antipyretic (f; LMP; WOI); Aphrodisiac
(f; LMP); Astringent (f; LMP); Cicatrizant (f; DAA); Diuretic (f; WOI); Emmenagogue (f; LMP);
Hemostat (f; LMP; PH2); Orexigenic (f; LMP); Propecic (f; PH2); Stomachic (f; LMP); Tonic (f;
LMP; WOI); Toxic (1; PH2).
Indications (Oriental Arborvitae) — Alopecia (f; PH2); Amnesia (f; DAA); Anorexia (f; LMP);
Apprehension (f; DAA); Asthma (f; DAA); Bleeding (f; LMP; PH2); Bronchosis (f; DAA); Burn (f;
DAA); Cancer (f; JLH; LMP); Carcinoma (f; JLH); Cardiopathy (f; LMP); Cold (f; LMP); Consti-
pation (f; DAA); Convulsion (f; DAA); Cough (f; LMP; PH2); Dermatosis (f; LMP); Duodenosis (f;
LMP); Dysentery (f; LMP; PH2); Dysmenorrhea (f; DAA); Epistaxis (f; PH2); Fever (f; LMP; WOI);
Gastrosis (f; LMP); Gonorrhea (f; LMP); Gray Hair (f; HH2); Headache (f; HH2); Hematuria (f;
PH2); Hemoptysis (f; PH2); Hepatosis (f; LMP); Hysteria (f; LMP); Insomnia (f; HH2); Metrorrhagia
(f; HH2); Nausea (f; LMP); Neurasthenia (f; DAA); Neurosis (f; HH2); Pain (f; LMP); Palpitation
(f; LMP); Parasite (f; LMP); Respirosis (f; LMP); Rheumatism (f; LMP); Spermatorrhea (f; DAA);
Ulcer (f; LMP); Uterosis (f; HH2); VD (f; LMP); Vomiting (f; HH2); Wound (f; DAA).
Dosages (Oriental Arborvitae) — 3–9 g leaf (HH2); 3–18 g leaf (PH2).
Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Oriental Arborvitae) — Not covered (AHP).
“Health hazards not known with proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2). But PH2 suggests the dose of
3–18 g, rather high for an herb they describe as “severely toxic.” If they are correct in their
calculations, the herb would contain only 240 ppm thujone, much less than sage, for example.
ORIENTAL BITTERSWEET (Celastrus paniculatus Willd.) XSynonym: C. dependens Wall.
Activities (Oriental Bittersweet) — Abortifacient (f; KAP; WOI); Analgesic (1; JE42:193); Anti-
aging (f; PM8:125); Antibacterial (1; WO2); Anticonvulsant (1; KAP); Antidote, opium (f; LMP);
Antiemetic (1; WO2); Antifertility (1; JE28:293); Antiinflammatory (1; WO2; JE42:193); Antiox-
idant (1; PM8:125); Antipyretic (1; WO2); Antispasmodic (1; KAP); Antispermatogenic (1;
JE28:293); Antistress (1; WO2); Antiulcer (1; WO2); Antiviral (1; KAP); Aphrodisiac (f; DEP);
Cardiodepressant (1; MPI; WO2); Cerebrotonic (f; KAB; PM8:125); Depurative (f; KAB); Dia-
phoretic (f; DEP; KAB; WO2); Diuretic (f; DEP); Emetic (f; WO2); Emmenagogue (f; KAB;
WO2); Expectorant (f; KAB); Hypokinetic (1; MPI); Hypotensive (1; MPI; WO2); Immunomod-
ulator (f; PM8:125); Insectifuge (1; WO2); Memorigenic (f; KAB; WO2); Nervine (f; DEP; WO2);