Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) has been used historically by some Native American tribes as a medicinal agent to stimulate the digestive system. It has also been used medicinally as a remedy for fevers, as an expectorant for chronic bronchitis and as a local application in chronic eczema, especially when secondary to varicose ulcers.
Bloodroot is generally prescribed as an external treatment as it is poisonous if ingested in large amounts. In toxic doses, it causes burning in the stomach, intense thirst, vomiting, faintness vertigo, intense prostration with dimness of eyesight. Bloodroot grows primarily in North America and in India. Sanguinarine, the major active compound found in bloodroot, is a very impressive natural medicine. Sanguinarine is a benzophenanthrene alkaloid. It has also been …
