Indigo (A.K.A. Baptisia) is used in the West and the East. It has antiseptic properties for treating wounds and various skin conditions.
It is an excellent astringent, making it useful for dressing all kinds of ulcerations, malignant ulcers (including syphilitic ulcers), and mouth sores especially when accompanied by foul breath, loss of appetite, and general gastric disturbance.
But did you know?
- While indigo-dyed jeans rose into fashion in the late 1800s, now known as “blue jeans,” early American settlers – and Native Americans before them – used False Indigo as a dye to achieve blue-colored dyes for clothing and artwork.
- Indigo, while not recommended in high doses due to toxic alkaloids, also contains polyphenols that make indigo powder a not uncommon ingredient in smoothies or sweets.
- Indigo is known for Clearing Heat and Toxins in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and is considered best at fighting respiratory infections that include high fevers such as diphtheria or malaria.
