Northern White Cedar : Medical Uses

northern white cedar

A group of white cedar. Giambrone and Stadlin (2013).

The Cupressacease family is famous for its incense oil and potion. So, it is worth to explain more on that. Those trees include white cedar produce aromatic oil as part of their daily life. The one from white cedar is named cedar leaf oil. It has a good use today. The odor of oil in cedar can be used as aromatic ingredient in soap liniment, and the oil itself can be used as cleaner, sterilizer.Industries today extract oil from boughs and leaves through steam distillation.

Native Americans use cedar for medicinal uses much more completely than us. For example, Kaniwaki people use branches for steam bath to treat cold and fevers in women after delivery; use cones for treating babies’ colic; and the wood are uses as baking powder for cooking. At Rapid Lake, settlers crush branches and poured with boiling water to produce a vapor which can release toothache; and the branches can also be boiled in water as tea for treating rheumatism. To treat rheumatism, it is better to choose the young fresh tips. The way we remit toothache is also useful for treating flu and cold, if you inhale the vapor in a towel and put upon forehead. There was another functional medicine called Thuja tincture during 19th century, which was made from new-born, fresh twigs and leaves. Unfortunately, for today, those natural resources are used less and less.