Skullcap Herb Uses

Skullcap ("Scutellaria") is a genus related to mint. There are over 900 species of skullcap, 90 in North America alone. American and Chinese skullcap are the two species most commonly used in traditional medicine. American skullcap ("Scutellaria lateriflora") is a perennial native to Canada and the eastern United States. It grows in woodlands, moist ditches and thickets. Chinese skullcap ("Scutellaria baicalensis") is native to China and Russia, and is common throughout Asia as a powerful cure-all. Both types of skullcap treat coughs and colds and are an antispasmodic.

General Internal Uses

• Skullcap can be used as a tonic to promote well being.

  American skullcap is used by alternative medicine practitioners as a tonic to improve a person's general feeling of well-being. It is also used to promote menstruation, to treat inflammation and as an antispasmodic. One type of American skullcap, nicknamed "maddog," was a traditional cure for hydrophobia, or rabies. Chinese skullcap is used in Asia as a cure for many internal ailments. These include bronchitis, hepatitis, diarrhea and even tumors. Practitioners prescribe Chinese skullcap for treatment of elevated plasma lipids, high blood pressure (hypertension) and even some allergies.

Mood Disorders

• Skullcap is sometimes used as a sleep aid.

  American skullcap has been used to treat mood disorders such as anxiety and hysteria. Its use as a calming medication has also led some practitioners to prescribe it as a sleep aid. IThey especially recommend it to menopausal women as a stress reliever. Skullcap has also been used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Nervous Disorders

• Skullcap has been used to treat the effects of alcohol withdrawal.

  American skullcap has traditionally been used to treat a range of nerve disorders. These include epilepsy, St. Vitus' dance and neuralgia. It has also been used as a means of easing delirium tremens caused by withdrawal from drugs or alcohol. Ironically, some Native American tribes smoked the skullcap plant as part of certain ceremonies and as an aid to seeing visions.

Veterinary Uses

• Epileptic horses can be treated with skullcap.

  Skullcap can be used to treat epilepsy in horses. To brew a mixture to treat one horse, boil three pints of water and pour this over two handsful of skullcap. Let the mixture steep for a few minutes and add a tablespoon of honey. Give the horse one pint twice a day.

Warnings About Use

• Pregnant women should avoid taking skullcap.

  Patients who take skullcap should be careful not to take large quantities of the herb, since it is a very potent medicinal and can cause confusion, stupor and twitching. It is best to be under the care of a trained practitioner. Since skullcap increases and encourages menstruation, women who are pregnant never should take it. In addition, people with liver disorders should avoid skullcap, because studies have shown that it may cause liver damage.