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- Heartwood
- The central portion of a tree trunk.
- Heilpraktiker
- A German medical qualification for alternative practitioners, which has the equivalent status to orthodox medical training.
- Hemoptysis
- The spitting or coughing of blood or bloody mucus.
- Hemostatic
- A styptic; any substance that arrests hemorrhage or promotes blood clotting.
Some are used only for internal bleeding, while others treat both internal and external bleeding. Some herbs have the peculiar ability of stopping the bleeding in one group of organs only. For example, Linaria elatine is remarkably effective in reducing bleeding from the ear, nose, and throat, but cannot arrest bleeding elsewhere in the body.
- Hepatic
- Any herb that stimulates or aids the function of the liver or gall bladder.
- Herb
- A plant lacking persistent woody parts.
- Herbaceous
- Non-woody.
- Hesparin
- A natural anticoagulant produced by liver cells as a polysaccharide.
- Hesperidin
- A phytochemical found in milk thistle seeds; an antioxidant that protects capillaries and strengthens cell membranes.
It works well against liver disease and protects against ultraviolet rays.
- Holistic Medicine
- A form of therapy, or combination of therapies, aimed at treating the whole person and not just parts where symptoms occur.
Practitioners strive to find the cause rather than simply masking symptoms.
- Honey
- A sweet by-product of bees that is softening, healing, and binds other ingredients together.
- Hydragogue
- A substance causing the discharge of watery fluid, as from the bowels.
Hypericin
- The active component of St.John’s Wort which helps to improve mood, possibly by regulating neurotransmitters in the brain.
- Hypoglycemic
- Any substance that lowers blood sugar levels.
- Hypotensive
- Characterized by or causing low blood pressure.
