This month let's take a closer look at one of the more obscure herbs in the Tonic. It has been my experience that not many people are acquainted with Angelica archangelica. Yet it may well be one of the very most important herbs in the Tonic. The plant goes by several common names: Alexanders, American angelica, angelica, archangel, bellyache root, masterwort, goutweed and several others. Historically, angelica has been considered somewhat of a magical herb dating back over 1000 years. In Europe, it was not uncommon for people to make angelica leaf necklaces to ward off the supernatural and to help prevent colds and other illnesses. The plant has a strange name, "archangelica." There is an interesting story behind it. During the bubonic plague in Europe, circa 1665, a monk apparently dreamed he encountered an angel who showed him an herb that could cure the plague. The monk named the plant archangel in honor of the angel in his dream. The plant, of course, was angelica and the name stuck. Oh yes, and by the way, an extract of angelica was added to the official English remedy for the plague, developed by the Royal College of Physicians. Now we don't know for certain whether the remedy really worked, but modern science has verified the antibacterial properties of the plant, and the plague was caused by a bacteria, so. . .

There is something else about angelica that raises the curiosity about this plant. Perhaps you have heard of the Doctrine of Signatures. This was a medieval belief that the physical appearance of a plant - it's color, shape, design, size - suggested to the careful observer something about its healing properties. Thus, for example, the walnut looking something like the human brain, should be good brain food. In this case of angelica, it can be observed that it has hollow stems, as do several other plant species. What might that mean? If you guessed 'respiratory system,' you are good candidate material for a medieval herbalist. And so it was that angelica became a standard treatment for all kinds of respiratory ailments, including tuberculosis.

Moving ahead many decades, the pioneers from Europe made a remarkable discovery: The American Indians of several tribes used angelica for exactly the same conditions. The only thing that really surprised these guys was the fact that the Indians did it without access to the Doctrine of Signatures.

But was either group right? Or was it all hogwash? It turns out that over and over again scientists have observed a very significant smooth muscle relaxation property in angelica extracts. One of these smooth muscle groups was the trachea (throat). Relaxing the tracheal muscles would indeed improve the ability of air to move through these passages and result in the symptomatic relief of a variety of respiratory ailments including colds, flu, bronchitis, pleurisy, asthma, and yes, even tuberculosis. Angelica is especially useful for ailments accompanied by fever, or in need of some degree of expectoration.

The reader will have noticed that the list of names at the top of this column included "bellyache root." This term refers to another common use of angelica in America: treatment of several forms of digestive disorders, including flatulent colic, stomachaches, indigestion, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting and anorexia. These properties would be very useful in the Tonic. In fact, among all indications for angelica, those for improved gastrointestinal health are probably the strongest. Looking at the plant as tonic, we should expect both stimulating and soothing properties. As a digestive stimulant, angelica stimulates the appetite. As a depressant, it relaxes the smooth muscles of the duodenum to allow better elimination and exhibits a hypotensive and anti-spasmolytic action on other muscles of the GI tract.

But do me a favor. Unless you are a trained, experienced herbalist, don't go looking for this herb in the wild, even though it can be found there in abundance. It is easily mistaken for water hemlock, a poisonous and deadly plant. And using fresh angelica can be tricky itself, since the fresh roots are also poisonous and must be dried to eliminate the hazard. Best advice: Leave it to the experts - you know who - and you will derive all the benefits simply by consuming their Tonic. Rejoice.

Just after I finished writing this article, I received an email that expressed concerns about the safety of angelica for pregnant women, and asked if Angelica archangelica was the same as Angelic chinensis, otherwise know as dong quai.