Talk:Achillea millefolium

Origins

In the introduction it is stated that Yarrow is native "in California and other areas of the Western United States." So it originated there? Because that is what this degree of exclusive specificity implies. Yet elsewhere it is stated that it is "native in the Northern hemisphere". Also obviously it would not have been known in the ancient world were this the case. So clearly it did NOT originate specifically and exclusively in the Western United States.

This needs rewriting. Either the specific reference to the Western United States needs to be augmented and converted into an inclusive list of ALL the places it is native, or this statement should be deleted altogether. I am just passing through and know little of Yarrow; which is why I read the article; so I don't feel qualified to fix this myself. Is there a botanist in the house? Hawthorn 21:20, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Fixed. Most of that section was verbatim from a USDA document (it's not a copyvio since works produced by the United States government are in the public domain).--Curtis Clark 21:31, 9 September 2007 (UTC)

Photo

I uploaded a photo I took of a yarrow plant but am not sure how to link it into this article. zadcat

All you have to do is put the image's page in double brackets like this [[Image:Yarrow.jpg]]. It does appear that attribution info is missing from the image. Could you state on that page where you obtained the image and it's copyright status? --mav

Sorry to be stupid - it's the first image I've uploaded. I took the photo myself. Where do I put this information? zadcat

No. You are not at all being stupid. There is just much to learn here in wikiland and nobody expects you or andybody else to know everything right away (or ever for that matter -- I know I don't know it all yet and I've been around since January). All that needs to be done is for you to simply mention that you took the photo yourself on the image's page and you either; release it under terms of the GNU FDL or you place it in the public domain (there are other options too but they are more complicated). In the future the easiest thing to do is just state all this when you are uploading an image -- all that text is placed into the image's page for you by the software. You can access the image's description page by clicking on the image. --mav

Thank you. We probably need to disambiguate from Yarrow which is a random number generator and the subject of some of the links here. --zadcat

Having both on the same page seems OK for now. If and when a split has to be made I would keep the plant here and place the number generator in another article (the plant being the main use of the word). Can the computer program be naturally disambiguated? I do hate having to use parenthesis for things. This should also be done in disambiguation block format (see Blackberry for an example). --mav

Human Uses

I'm a bit wary of putting so much detailed information about medicinal uses into the article without a medical disclaimer. Is this necessary or am I simply being paranoid? Lisiate 00:06, 9 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Oklahoma herb grower here - I've used yarrow on multiple occasions - as medicine - for cuts. This plant material pressed fresh into a wound has staunched the flow of blood many times. Nearly cut the end of a finger off with garden shears - no stitches used - just two applications of yarrow and bandage - looks better than my hernia repair by MD. Husband cut end of thumb, bleeding so bad pressure and cold water didn't slow it down, yarrow stopped the blood - virtually no scar - nail into foot from bottom - again, stops bleeding - only recommendation/action we took was - tetenas shot if long time since last one.70.142.56.112 15:30, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

There appears to be a lot of duplication in the uses section - the whole of this section could do well with sorting and checking, with medicinal uses scattered throughout mixed with non-medical uses, etc, etc. - MPF 14:12, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

Word origin Achillea. Do you have a reference for this? I was under the impression that it just came from the character, Achilles, himself and had nothing to do with using it as a medicinal plant. User:Amhernandez 18:45 24 May 2006

Missing use?

The major use that I know of for yarrow is to stop diarrhea or extreme vomiting during flu. This is quite common I think, both in my family and in others. I do not see it listed?--Filll 15:15, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

Herbal Medicine

The herbal medicine section definitely needs a tidyup. I think it very important to distinguish between effects which can be scientifically verified, "traditional uses" and old wives tales. I'll contribute to tidying up this section, but I dont have time to do everything. Having had a look through the article, I have listed some of the effects that it is credited with. It is hard to believe just how much this plant is credited with!

I've found some references for the effects:

Spasmolytic (muscle relaxant), Choleretic (increases bile secretion), Antiphlogistic (reduces inflamation)Benedek, B; Kopp, B. (2007). "Achillea millefolium L. s.l. revisited: Recent findings confirm the traditional use". WMW Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift 157 (13-14): 312. doi:10.1007/s10354-007-0431-9. 

I have yet to find references for (Currently looking):

Effect on Colds, Effect on Influenza, Anti-allergenic properties, Procoagulant effects, "Urinary disorders", "Menstrual problems", "Cardiovascular complaints", "Varicose veins", Quinine substitute, Analgesic effects (painkiller), Antipyretic (reducing fever), Sedative effects, Flatulence, Reducing swelling of "Secret parts".

Please feel free to add references to this.Fitz05 (talk) 23:49, 14 September 2009 (UTC)

And even where references are given, they sometimes don't substantiate the claim if you actually read them. The reference for "Swedish scientists prove it repels mosquitoes" mentioned neither Swedish scientists nor mosquitoes, so I removed it. This isn't the first time I've found it so... Cjsunbird (talk) 14:04, 14 April 2010 (UTC)

Milk Stew Recipe

This easily prepared delicacy has been passed on over several generations, stemming back from my grandmother that lived close to the German-Czech border known as Bohemia. This dish is most recommended for children or the elderly, those with a weakened stomach, or someone recovering from a liquid diet. If you like the taste of yarrow appealing you may consider this a gourmet dish.

Also, I never wash the yarrow to keep the flavor. Obviously yarrow is not a recommended food staple if you harvest the leaves in high-traffic suburban areas or if your environment contains pesticides and other contaminants. I can vouch for the quality of this recipe and slight variations, ingredient-wise. However, I would prefer to eat yarrow freshly harvested from the mountain meadows of the alps. Otherwise pick your own preferred source of yarrow, I am certain it will be just as good.

This recipe serves one or two people - it is a very simple dish but we ate it frequently in early summer just before or during the early blooming season:

First, pick about a good heaping handful of yarrow. Perhaps most importantly, pick the yarrow just before consumption, literally minutes prior to adding them to this dish below. Also, be certain to pick smaller stems that are most delicate and sprouting with very little bitterness to them. Consider increased heating times for larger, dark-green stems. Don't boil or overheat otherwise the flavor and nutritious value will be entirely lost.

Once you're back in the kitchen pick a medium sauce pan and heat up a heaping tablespoon of butter. Melt the butter under low temperature but don't brown it. Mix in two tea spoons of white flour and mix it into the butter while increasing temperature slightly. You can add additional flour but it will add to the consistency of the soup. Consider this your base.

Set aside 1 1/2 cup of warm, whole milk and slowly mix it into the base. You will see the consistency of your milk stew thickening as you let it simmer for a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt to offset the slight bitterness of the yarrow. Take the freshly harvested yarrow and mix it into the milk stew. Heat the soup for thirty seconds or less while stirring its content clock-wise. Enjoy!

|In the southern hemisphere should we stir it anticlockwise? ;-) Yes, you may. For folks living in or near Ecuador please don't stir at all, you can swallow it straight down.

Hair loss

I removed the following from the article: "Washing your hair with an infusion of yarrow will prevent baldness, but will not cure it if it already has begun." Pubmed searches for all combinations of "achillea"/"yarrow" "hair"/"alopecia" returns no results. If anyone has any evidence that yarrow prevents hair loss please restore the text, but I think it is very likely false.

WikiProject Food and drink Tagging

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Gap

Is there some way to get rid of the gap between the top of the article and the first sentence? — Preceding unsigned comment added by AlexGu100 (talk • contribs) 16:41, 10 March 2011 (UTC)

neutrality

i question the neutrality of sections of this article

"Yarrow has seen historical use as a medicine, often because of its astringent effects.[1] Decoctions have been used to treat inflammations, such as hemorrhoids, and headaches. Confusingly, it has been said to both stop bleeding and promote it. (Depending on the form it is administered it can do both, which is why when dabbling in using herbs for medicine it is proper to contact a herbalist or other expert. Achillea Millefolium has been used with great success in promoting blood flow, as well as staunching blood flow when properly used.)[citation needed] Infusions of yarrow, taken either internally or externally, are said[by whom?] to speed recovery from severe bruising. The most medicinally active part of the plant is the flowering tops. They also have a mild stimulant effect, and have been used as a snuff. Today, yarrow is valued mainly for its action[clarification needed] in colds and influenza, and also for its effect on the circulatory, digestive, excretory, and urinary systems. In the nineteenth century, yarrow was said to have a greater number of indications than any other herb.[citation needed] It is believed[by whom?] that anti-allergenic compounds can be extracted from the flowers by steam distillation. The flowers are used to treat various allergic mucus problems, including hay fever. Flowers used in this way are harvested in summer or autumn, and an infusion drunk for upper respiratory phlegm or used externally as a wash for eczema.[citation needed]"

all this info is speculative with no citations can this be resolved? --Troyeseffigy (talk) 17:10, 18 November 2011 (UTC)