Borage

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This ancient cultigen and spice plant, which is

common in Europe and North America, is

purported to have psychoactive or hallucinogenic

effects (Farnsworth 1972, 68*; Schultes and

Hofmann 1980,367*). Borage contains the slightly

toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids lycopsamine and

intermedin, as well as their acetyl derivatives,

amabiline and thesinine (Roth et al. 1994, 169*).

In phytotherapy, borage is indicated for several

conditions that are at least partially related to

consciousness (Haas 1961): An invigorating tea of

leaves and flowers is ideal for stress, depression, or

following a treatment with cortisone. Borage mitigates

fever, dry coughs, and skin rash. The oil of

the seeds is helpful for menstrual problems,

nervous intestinal complaints, high blood pressure,

and hangovers" (Bremness 1995, 233*). Borage

pills are sold to dehydrate and "purify the blood."

Flowers harvested during the time of blossom are

ingested as a folk medicinal sedative (Ratka 1992).
Literature

Haas, H. 1961. Pflanzliche Heilmittel gegen Nervenund

Geisteskrankheiten. Arzneimittel-Forschung

4:49-59.

Ratka, Otto. 1992. Borago. In Hagers Handbuch der

pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5th ed., 4:528-32.

Berlin: Springer.