Medicinal Actions Dictionary ALTERATIVE: A vague term to indicate a substance which alters a condition by producing a gradual change toward the restoration to health.
ANODYNE: Eases pain.
ANTHELMINTIC: Expels or destroys intestinal worms.
ANTIBACTERIAL: Destroys or inhibits bacteria.
ANTIDOTE: Agents which counteract or destroy the effects of poison or other medicines.
ANTISCORBUTIC: Counteracts scurvy.
ANTISEPTIC: Destroys or inhibits bacteria.
ANALGESIC Relieves pain topically.
ANESTHETIC: Relieves pain.
ANTI-INFECTIOUS Helps prevent contracting infection.
ANTI-INFLAMATORY Relieves inflammation.
ANTIMICROBIAL Destroys pathogens.
ANTIOXIDANT Neutralizes cell damaging free radicals in the body.
ANTIPHLOGISTIC Checks and counteracts inflammation.
ANTIPUTRESCENT Prevents purification.
ANTIPYRETIC Relieves itching.
ANTIRHEUMATIC Prevents and relieves rheumatism.
ANTISEBORRHEIC Prevents excess seborrhea.
ANTISPASMODIC: Prevents or allays spasms or cramps.
APHRODISIAC: Stimulates the sex organs.
APERIENT: Herbal agents that are mild laxatives to the intestines, being gentle in peristaltic action.
APPETIZER: Stimulates the appetite.
AROMATIC:
Agents which emit a fragrant smell and produce a pungent taste. Used chiefly to make other medicines more palatable.
ASTRINGENT: Causes contraction of tissues.
BALSAMIC: A healing or soothing agent.
BITTER TONIC: Bitter tasting properties which stimulate the flow of saliva and gastric juice. Used to increase the appetite and aid the process of digestion.
CARDIAC: Agents which have an effect on the heart.
CARMINATIVE: Expels gas from the stomach, intestines or bowels.
CATHARTIC: Causes evacuation from the bowels. There are different types of cathartics. Aperient or laxatives are mild and gentle in their actions. Purgatives are powerful and produce copious evacuations and are used only by adults afflicted with stubborn conditions.
CHOLAGOGUE: Increases the flow of bile and promotes it''s ejection.
CICATRISANT Encourages the healing of wounds.
CORDIAL: Invigorating and stimulating.
COUNTERIRRITANT: Agents applied to the skin to produce an irritation for the purpose of counteracting a deep inflammation.
DEMULCENT:
Soothing, bland. Used to relieve internal inflammations. Provides a protective coating and allays irritation of the membranes.
DEPURATIVE: A purifying agent.
DETERGENT: Cleansing.
DETOXIFYING Removes toxins.
DIGESTIVE: Aids digestion.
DIAPHORETICS: Herbal agents that increase eliminative secretions through the sweat glands, thus facilitation elimination of toxic and accumulative waste matter.
DIURETICS: Herbal agents that promote secretions of the urinary system, increasing toxic elimination and accumulative matter along with excess water.
EMETICS: Herbal agents that cause evacuation of the stomach contents via induced vomiting and are usually anti-poisonous.
EMMENAGOGUES: Herbal agents that act upon the reproductive system by strengthening and balancing the cellular tissues by regulating the body''s hormonal flow.
EMOLLIENTS: Herbal agents that soothe and soften the external skin surfaces and promote healing by removing foreign toxic matter through absorption.
ERRHINE: Subses which, when applied to the lining membrane of nostrils, creates a discharge of mucous.
EPISPASTICS: Causes blisters, when applied to the surface of the body, and causes sloughing.
EXPECTORANTS: Herbal agents that act upon the mucosal membranes of the respiratory tract, facilitating catarrhal discharge, by rendering them less viscid.
FEBRIFUGE: Reduces fever.
FUNGICIDAL Kills fungus.
GALACTAGOGUE: Promotes the secretion of milk from the nursing breast.
GERMICIDE: Destructive to germs.
HAEMOSTATIC: Capable of slowing down or stopping hemorrhage.
HYPNOTIC: Capable of inducing sleep.
INVIGORANT: A strengthening agent.
IRRITANT: Capable of producing local inflammatory reaction.
LAXATIVE: Causes the bowels to act.
MUCILAGINOUS: Emits a soothing quality to inflamed parts.
MUCOLYTIC Loosens and expels mucous.
MUSCLE RELAXANT: Relaxes the muscles.
NARCOTICS: Herbal agents that have a sedative effect by diminishing the action of the nervous system and vascular system.
NERVINES: Herbal agents that regenerate the entire nervous system, having a calming effect, by altering deranged nervous tissues and neutralizing toxins, that cause irritation of the nerve fibers.
NUTRIENT or
NUTRITIVE: Nourishing.
OXYTOCIC: Capable of producing uterine contractions.
PECTORAL: Relieves affections of the chest and lungs.
PURGATIVE: Causes copious evacuations from the bowels. More drastic than laxatives or aperient, and are generally combined with other agents to control or modify their actions. Used only by adults.
REACTIVATOR: Restores to a state of activity.
REJUVENATOR: An agent which imparts renewed vigor.
RESTORATIVE: Restores the normal function of the system.
RUBEFACIENT:
A substance used externally which causes redness and increased blood supply when rubbed into the skin.
SEDATIVE: Calms the nerves.
SIALAGOGUES: Increases the flow of saliva.
SOPORIFIC: Induces sleep.
SPECIFIC: Agent or remedy that has a special effect on a particular disease.
STIMULANTS:
Equalizes circulation and regenerates the tissues of the arterial system.
SUDORIFICS:
Increases perspiration, thus facilitating the elimination of toxic waste through the skin.
STOMACHIC: Stimulate the flow of digestive secretions and increases the volume.
TENIAFUGE: Expels tapeworm.
TONICS: Tones the ailmentive tract, thus correcting problems of the digestive system. Promotes regeneration of tissues throughout the body.
TOPICAL: Applied to the skin only.
VASOCONSTRICTOR Constricts blood vessels.
VASODILATOR Dilates the blood vessels.
VERMIFUGES: Kills and/or expels parasites or worms.
VESICANT: Raises blisters.
VULNERARY: Tone and heal the muscular and skeletal systems and are often employed along with emollients as a poultice for external wounds