Skullcap Tincture

4 oz. brown bottle tinctured Scutellaria galericulata. Skullcap helps almost any pain, myalgia, or neuralgia from spinal or peripheral nerve irritability without organic causes, including shingles. Click on heading for more information.

Skullcap is a delicate, erect perennial with smooth, square stems. The leaves are opposite, thin and egg-shaped, with toothed margins. The flowers are blue, two-lipped, and in elongate groups on stalks in the upper half of the plant.

Constituents: Lignin, tannin, essential oil, flavonoids (scutellarin), scutellonin, bitter (scutellaine) palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, phenols, tannin, calcium, and B vitamins.

Analgesic – Skullcap helps almost any pain, myalgia, or neuralgia from spinal or peripheral nerve irritability without organic causes. Acupuncturists and massage therapists often use Skullcap Message Oil topically to lessen surface irritability. Thirty to 40 drops of the fresh plant tincture also relieves pain due to early Multiple Sclerosis.

Dermatological aid – Shingles, early nerve pain from herpes (before eruptions) can be treated by taking 20 to 30 drops of fresh plant tincture three to four times daily, until symptoms subside. Skullcap Message Oil is also beneficial in controlling itching and pain when applied externally.

Sedative – Skullcap calms the emotions, quiets overexcitability, and improves motor ability and impairment of the senses. Use 20 to 30 drops of fresh plant tincture for most cases. Thirty drops in a small amount of warm water is helpful in inducing sleep when wakefulness is caused by distress, exhaustion or fear.

Seizures – Where overt drug treatment is unwarranted, Skullcap can successfully control minor seizures. If 40 drops of fresh plant tincture is taken during the aura phase of epilepsy, Skullcap can often prevent a seizure. The same dosage taken in a small amount of water before bedtime may prevent petit mal while sleeping in epileptic individuals.

Stress – One of the Skullcap's flavonoids is transformed by hydrolysis into scutellarein, which helps stimulate the brain to produce more endorphins. It can therefore enhance awareness and calmness. Panic attacks, restlessness, stress induced headaches and emotional trauma can all be treated with Skullcap. Use 20 drops of the tincture for mild cases of stress and up to 60 drops for more serious conditions.

Veterinarian aid – It is used in the treatment of panic, fits, chorea, meningitis, nervous spasms, gastro-enteritis, lack of appetite and sterility. Tincture the fresh flowering tops. Administer 20 to 25 drops for small animals and up to 1 Tbsp. per dose for large animals. For off-season female cat calling administer a mixture of 4 drops of tinctured fresh Valerian root and 8 drops tinctured fresh Skullcap flowers nightly. Skullcap/Valerian Root Tincture may also be used for pain relief. Administer 10 to 15 drops for small animals and up to 3 tsp. per dose for large animals.