i bought these stone roots from a fellow forager in the Appalachian mountains

they are of excellent quality and stone root only grows in excellent soil.

i long steeped them in grain alcohol 

because as their name implies, 

the roots are impossibly hard.

this is a remedy that can be incredibly important 

so we need the extraction process to be sufficient

 

presentation really depends on a person's constitution

but there is constriction/congestion/incorrect tension in one place 

that can cause consequences elsewhere. 

sometimes veinous congestion happens because of tension that is restrictive and sometimes it happens because of laxity

stone root is a stimulating astringent, but like many astringents it seems to act more on correcting tension

rather than being purely drying + toning or 'tightening up' 

stone root is an important remedy for deep congestion and stagnation

in veins and lymph. this often manifests as 'pelvic congestion' 

with varicose veins, palpable inflammation of nodes, 

menstrual and reproductive issues in women (dark clotted blood, pain, different kinds of adhesions etc)

stone root is a specific for hemorrhoids and congested/obstructed feelings in the throat or rectum

there may be a lot of water weight, especially in the lower body. 

from a holistic point of view, the kidneys may not be functioning as they should be (edema)

though there may be nothing clinically awry. 

there could be obstruction feelings in the lower body

but they could also be higher, in the liver or spleen. 

(the eclectics raved over its utility for gall bladder stones) 

there could be blood pressure issues and or heart issues 

this could be due to veinous tension/laxity/congestion in the lower in the body

and or could be affecting the heart, liver (portal vein) in much the same way. 

stone root is an absolute specific for respiratory conditions and irritations that are the result of heart issues

i have seldom seen such enthusiasm and assurance for this serious of an indication from old physicians 

but stone root is a very safe herb from the mint family and i would love to see it be of service to those 

with heart and related respiratory conditions. 

the old literature suggests that doses of 2-5 drops are excellent 

and that in serious situations 10 drops was appropriate for short durations until they come around. 

you should notice a change in a week or two

i do recommend that you slowly allow these low doses to gradually do their work 

or you may find that more forward measures act differently and dry you out rather than tone + correct the vascular system.

a note on varicose veins: 

i cannot promise that stone root will make them go away entirely, though i am very curious. i would assume it would take 6 months or so to properly find out. this seems to be a remedy that keeps working beyond the time it's used. 

from what i understand, it could reduce some of the appearance, but the effects are mostly internal and practical rather than cosmetic. i have heard that sage essential oil used externally can greatly reduce the appearance of varicose veins but have not had the occasion to see for myself. i would love some feedback or personal testimonials if you have any information.

i consult for free for your safety and benefit. please feel free to reach out with questions or an outline of your situation and i would be happy to respond promptly