By Dilys Gannon

Echinacea is undoubtedly one of the most popular and widely used plant herbs, and yet, perhaps, one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted. It certainly has a long history and much has been written about.

Belonging, as it does, to the daisy family, its simple outward appearance hides a power which may not as yet, be fully understood, investigated or recorded, in spite of the vast library of information which abounds. Within its long history lies the studies completed by the Eclectic Movement, although some of their research may have been lost because of the chequered history of that movement.

Echinacea, or Purple Coneflower, was an herb favored by the Eclectic school of herbalists and was intimately associated with them. In the 1850's, the "Eclectics" were involved in one of the greatest herbal medicine movements the modern world has known up to that time. Eclectic herbal medicine integrated Native American herbs, and the Western scientific knowledge of the day. During those early days, the Eclectics were on the verge of a phenomenal discovery. They independently evolved a system of health and medicine that was astonishingly similar to the medical systems in China and India. In their heyday, Echinacea was the sacred healing herb of the Plains Indians of North America.

A native plant of the United States of America, it was used by North American Indians for everything from colds, sore throats to snake bites. The work Echinacea is derived from the Greek echinos the word for sea urchin, which is a direct reference to the prickly scales of the dried seed portion of the flower.

In total there are some nine species, the most commonly used being E. angustifolia, E. purpurea. and
E. pallida. Of the three species mentioned, the E. purpurea is definitely the most commonly used, grown and purchased, particularly in reference to the common cold. However, the E. angutifolia, with its root length of up to 3-4 feet is the plant with which the Eclectics experimented and studies the most because of its powerful constituents. Important sections of the Eclectics’ research has been lost (or destroyed), so it may not be easy to establish how valuable and powerful their research into this species became.

Although Echinacea had been used for thousands of years previously by Native American Indian tribes, it is probably the research carried out by the Eclectic School of Medicine that has given such a continued interest in this herb.

The Eclectic School of Medicine was started on the East Coast of the United States of America in 1845 by Dr. Wooster Beach. As a conventional doctor, Wooster Beach had been trained in the practice of leeching, bleeding, purging and cauterisation, popular at that time. Patients were routinely burnt and poisoned within an inch of their lives and Wooster Beach took issue with these practices. His philosophy was that physicians should work in tune with the body, at the same time using nature to assist the healing.

Many famous homoeopaths and general physicians were trained at his school. The common interest being their wish to use natural means as a cure. To mention only two examples:

1) Dr. James Tyler Kent (1849–1916), who in the opinion of his pupils and followers was second to none to Hahnemann, and perhaps event greater, being described by one writer as “one of the greatest masters in medicine the world has ever known.”

2) Dr. John Uri Lloyd (1849-1938), twice president of the American Pharmaceutical Association
 and founder of Lloyds Brothers Pharmacy.

It is interesting to note that although Wooster Beach was a practising physician in New York, where he founded the school, it was soon to move to Ohio because of continued harassment and ridicule by the medical establishment of the day.

This move to Ohio brought them in contact with Echinacea, the home of the three most commonly mentioned species. There they met people who gave them information about the uses of Echinacea. Anxious to forge a new medical practice by researching into new medicines, this information did not fall upon deaf ears.

In the beginning the Eclectics used E. angustifolia for the same purpose as the Native Americans, but later applied it to an ever-growing list of conditions, with a variety of success, there being some failures noted and recorded.

In 1847 Wooster Beach published ‘The Medical & Botanical Dictionary’. At that time Echinacea was known as Rudbeckia and under this name it was included in this dictionary.

It was in Dr. John King’s ‘King’s Dispensary’ that we find the first Eclectic medicinal use of Echinacea where it is recorded that E. angustifolia be used for kidney disorders and E. purpurea for syphilis.

Brief mention of E. purpurea is made at this time and seems to be dismissed for further study as it is
E. angustifolia that the Eclectic movement turned to for medicinal usage and greater research. 

Towards the year 1885 when conventionally trained doctors were in short supply in Ohio a ‘self-professed’ doctor by the name of Dr. Meyer from Pawnee, Nebraska brought to the attention of the Eclectics further interest in E. angustifolia.

In an Eclectic medical book written by Dr. Felter, he tells how a ‘country doctor’ put E. angustifolia into the minds of every Eclectic. He makes the following statement:

‘The introduction of Ehinacea into professional practice is due conjointly to Dr. H.F.C. Meyer, of Pawnee City, Nebraska., and the late Prof. John King. The former had, for many years….been using the plant without knowing its botanical position. In a letter to Prof. King…in 1886, he communicated to the latter his uses of the drug, as he had employed it for 16 years. His claims for the remedy were based upon the conclusion that it was ‘and antispasmodic and antidote for blood poisoning’.

The enthusiastic doctor had been using it in a secret mixture with wormwood and hops, which he had denominated ‘Meyer’s Blood Purifier’. Among his claims for it was its antidotal action upon the poison of various insects and also that of the rattle-snake. Meyer stated that he even allowed a rattler to bite him, after which he bathed the parts with some of the tincture, took a drachm (dram) of it infernally and laid down and slept, and upon awakening all traces of swelling had disappeared!

Dr. Felter then lists the following ailments treated by Dr. Meyer: malarial fever, cholera morbus, cholera infantum, boils, and internal abscesses, typhoid fever (internally and locally to abdomen), ulcerated sore throat, old ulcers, poisoning from rhus, erysipelas, carbuncles, bites and stings of bees, wasps, spiders, etc. nasal and pharyngeal catarrh, haemorrhoids, various fevers, including typhoid, congestive and remittent trichinosis, nervous headache, acne, scrofulous ophthalmia, milk crust, scald head, and eczema, also colic in horses.

The Eclectics overlooked their scepticism for someone who was an ‘unqualified doctor’ and listened to what he had to report. One of the reasons for this may lie within the fact that Dr. Meyer came from Pawnee, Nebraska. Pawnee is the name of a well-known Native American tribe who used this plant and from them he may have gained much knowledge.

Dr. I.J.M. Goss, MD published a book entitled ‘The Practice of Medicine on the Specific Art of Healing’ Chicago 1888 in which E. angustifolia is highly recommended for treating infectious diseases, such as rabies and syphilis, which were both prevalent at the time. In this book he quotes both his own experience and case histories and that of Dr. Meyer. One important piece of information comes from him and that is a saturated tincture should be made of the fresh root (saturated tinctures were a minimum of a 1:1 ratio, if not stronger – one part Echinacea root and one part alcohol). Goss recommended that it should be prescribed in large amounts 3 millilitres of saturated tincture three times a day.  His message was to use 
E. angustifolia strong and frequently. This is something which is not apparent on today’s bottles of Echinacea, although the majority sold in shops come under the heading of E. purpurea and it is difficult to find retail outlets selling E. angustifolia.

(Editor's Note:  If anyone knows of a supplier of E. angustifolia please let us know)

Life in Ohio was a constant source of gangrenous infections as people were constantly cutting and chopping themselves to pieces because of the equipment they used to build buildings, fell trees and generally work with the primitive tools which were available. Life on a cattle ranch was certainly unhygienic and yet with the use of E. angustifolia, the Eclectics found they could treat all problems.

In 1892 a book entitled ‘The Physician’s and Student’s Ready Guide to Specific Medication’ published by The Little Printing Company, Bradford, Ohio, written by Dr. J.S.Neiderkotrn, for the first time
E. angustifolia is described as an ‘alterative’, informing us that the Eclectics had found another use for the plant. 

It is in the book entitled ‘Dynamical Therapeutics – A work devoted to the Theory and Practice of Specific Medication with special references in the newer remedies’ published in 1898 and written by Dr. H.T. Webster that we find an interesting development regarding diphtheria. He also makes mention of other Eclectic doctors and their research and case histories. 

One of the most successfully recorded uses of E. angustifolia by the Eclectics was against diphtheria. Diphtheria is caused by a bacterium cornebacterium diptheriae and often presents itself in the first instance as a case of tonsillitis. Gradually the bacteria produce toxic compounds that damage the cells of the body with disastrous consequences. 

Dr. Webster also recommended the use of E. angustifolia in cases of typhoid fever which was a common killer on the Western frontier. He reported that the high fever soon reduced when E. angustifolia was administered. Other infectious diseases mentioned in his book were infections of the digestive tract, giardia (also known as mountain fever or beaver fever), cholera, dysentery and advised that the patient should ‘get down’ as much E. angustifolia as possible. These diseases were potentially terminal diseases, especially for children. It was, therefore, the power of the usage of E. angustifolia that made them pay it particular attention.

It is with the name of Dr. Finley Ellingwood who wrote ‘American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy’ published in Chicago 1919 that we end the history of the Eclectic movement as it was shortly after this that the Eclectic Institute closed its doors after 80 years, orthodox medicine had won.

It was indeed a sad time as their work on cancer had only just begun. Had they been working today when cancer is on the increase their studies might have been greater, as it was, their main work was devoted to the bacterial ills of the day which in their own way created the same ravages that cancer is creating now. 

Since the demise of the Eclectic movement it would appear that very little research has been done into the uses of E. angustifolia. Antibiotics took over the lives of the medical profession and herbal medicine lost its popularity until somewhere in the 1980’s when people became disenchanted with modern orthodox medicine. At the same time gardening was extremely popular and E. purpurea became a popular plant to embellish the garden. In 1997 Americans spent some $365 million dollars on Echinacea and profits in both America and Britain for the sale of E. purpurea have been climbing ever since. Its use for the common cold, ‘flu and throat infections is all that the present public know of its benefits. In most health food stores and by most pharmacies purchasers are instructed to take it in small quantities and for short periods. This is contrary to the findings of the Electrics who advised that E. angustifolia should be taken in large quantities (as mentioned above) and for much longer periods (depending on the length of the illness and the prevention path).

In PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) Medical Economics Company, Montvale, New Jersey, published 1998 (First edition). Only brief mention is made of E. angustifolia

So what of the present and future? E. angustifolia could be said to be still in its ‘experimental’ stages and perhaps it has been set aside in the search for help with cancer in favour of other, better tried and tested herbs such as Maitake (Grifola frondosa). In my own work I have been using it where white blood cells are low and where bacterial and skin infections are present. My days of trial are still very young, so it is difficult to report on ‘improved’ status. However, as it has no known side effects, I know my experimenting will not harm my clients.

In 1988 German scientists experimented with all three species of Echinacea, and came to the conclusion that E. purpurea was the most powerful immune booster. Since then, sales have increased enormously. As their ‘testing’ was carried out on mice, I feel we should be further investigating the work of the Eclectic movement if we are to discover more.