Georgetown University Medical Center Department of Physiology and Biophysics >> Complementary and Alternative Medicine
 URBAN HERBS: Medicinal Plants at Georgetown University
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CANADA THISTLE
Cirsium arvense

Location
Around the helicopter pad south of the Research Building.

Description
The Canada thistle has creeping underground stems with small, numerous purple or occasionally white flower heads (Newcomb 1977).

History
American Indians used a tea made from the roots of Canada thistle as a tonic for the intestines and as a treatment for worms (Foster & Duke 1990)

Current Medicinal Uses
A leaf tea made from Canada thistle is used as a tonic and diuretic and has been used for tuberculosis. Root tea is used to treat diarrhea (Foster & Duke 1990), and has emetic properties (Lewis & Elvin-Lewis 1977).   Externally, Canada thistle has been used for skin eruptions, skin ulcers, and poison-ivy rash (Foster & Duke 1990).

References
Foster S, Duke JA. Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1990. (p. 166)

Lewis WH, Elvin-Lewis MPF. Medical Botany: Plants Affecting Man’s Health. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1977. (p. 277)

Newcomb L. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1977. (p. 430)
Disclaimer
Information on this website is for educational purposes only. Many herbs historically used for medicine are considered too toxic to use today; some of these herbs have caused deaths. Do not ingest these herbs based on information on this website. We have not provided sufficient information for the safe medicinal use of any of these herbs, nor sufficient information for treatment of poisoning. All recreational use of these herbs is dangerous.
 Georgetown University Medical Center Department of Physiology and Biophysics >> Complementary and Alternative Medicine