How to Use Indian Pipe and Eyebright

Eyebright and Indian pipe are both medicinal herbs that may be used in eye washes to treat inflammations of the eye. Drugs.com identifies several conditions for which eyebright is useful including inflammations of the eye, nose and lungs. Eye surgeon, Dr. Brian Wachler, incorporates eyebright into a cosmetic procedure to treat discolored and blood-shot eyes. Indian pipe is less commonly known in the United States but according to Wildflowers of the Southeastern U.S., it was used quite commonly by medicinal healers before the start of the twentieth century.

Things You'll Need

• Eyebright (powdered or whole)
• Indian pipe root
• Cup
• Teapot with cover
• Kettle
• Water
• Flour sieve
• Eye dropper (optional)
• Cotton ball (optional)

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Instructions

Eyebright

• 1

  Make a tea of eyebright herb. Heat two cups of water in a teapot. Add one or two teaspoons of whole herb or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of powdered eyebright to the hot water.

• 2

  Cover the teapot. Allow tea to steep for about five minutes.

• 3

  Drink the tea. Herbalists believe that if drank two to three times per day, eyebright's antibacterial properties are effective against infection.

• 4

  Wait for the tea to cool and add to an eye dropper. In the absence of clinical evidence, it is believed three applications per day for three to seven days will clear conjunctivitis.

• 5

  Apply eyebright to mucus membranes instead of dropping directly into the eye. Dab a cotton ball into the tea for topical application to mucus membranes or add to gauze for a compress.

Indian Pipe

• 6

  Rinse Indian pipe root to remove soil deposits that adhere to the root. Expose the wet root to air dry until it is just damp.

• 7

  Put the root into a flour sieve and strain it with water. Use 1/2 ounce of root for every pint of water.

• 8

  Drink five glasses of this infusion five times per day. Herb Data New Zealand explains that it may be combined with rose water and drank for the treatment of ulcers and bladder inflammation as well.

• 9

  Use Indian pipe topically like eyebright as well. Add some to an eye dropper for direct eye insertion or dab some on a cotton ball for mucus membrane application.