Lobelia was used by the American Indians for various health care purposes and as a tobacco substitute. White men first observed Lobelia's beneficial properties in 1785, and it was introduced into medicine in 1807. It was recommended for use in the treatment of asthma by Cutler in 1813 and introduced to the English medical profession by Reece in 1829. In western herbology, Lobelia is recommended as a balancing herb in herbal combinations much as Licorice is used in Chinese herbology.Lobelia is a valuable systemic relaxant, with a depressant action on the central and autonomic nervous systems. It is primarily used in bronchitic asthma and bronchitis, where it acts as a respiratory relaxant while at the same time stimulates catarrhal secretion and expectoration. |
