hamamelis virginiana

action	anodyne, antidiarrheal, antiemetic, antirheumatic, antiseptic, astringent, blood cleanser, emetic, febrifuge, hemostat, panacea, refrigerant, sedative, tonic
body	eye, skin
common name	american witch-hazel, common witch hazel, hazel nut, pistachio, snapping hazel, spotted alder, striped alder, tobacco wood, winterbloom, witch hazel
family	hamamelidaceae
indigenous use	appalachian, cherokee, chippewa, danish, dutch, french, german, iroquois, italian, menominee, mohegan, potawatomi, spanish
native habitat	forest
range	allegheny portage railroad national hist, big south fork n. river & rec. area, big thicket n. preserve, blue ridge parkway, cape cod national seashore, catoctin mountain park, chattahoochee river, chesapeake and ohio canal, congaree swamp national monument, cumberland gap national historic park, cumberland island national seashore, cuyahoga valley national recreation area, friendship hill national historic site, george washington memorial parkway, germany, great smoky mountains national park, harpers ferry national historic park, horseshoe bend national military park, hot springs national park, indiana dunes national lakeshore, johnstone flood national memorial, kennesaw mountain, mammoth cave national park, moores creek national battlefield, morristown national historic park, national river, obed wild & scenic river, prince william forest park, rock creek park, roosevelt vanderbilt nat. hist. site, saint croix national scenic river, saint-gaudens national historic site, saratoga national historic park, shenandoah national park, shiloh national military park, sleeping bear dunes national lakeshore, us
use	chew stick, medicine, poultice, steam-bath, tea
used to treat	backache, bruises, cancer, common cold, cough, diarrhea, eye ailments, eye irritation, heart ailments, inflammation, insect bites, kidney ailments, lameness, myalgia, nerves, obesity, orthopedic ailments, piles, poison ivy, pulmonary ailments, respiratory ailments, skin ailments, skin irritation, sprains, throat ailments, toothache, tuberculosis, tumor, vaginitis, venereal ailments, women's ailments
comments	Used as an astringent, gargle and douche. Apply externally to bruises and sprains. Use the inner bark as a poultice on irritated eyes. Place witch hazel twigs in water and add hot rocks in an enclosed room to create a sauna for sore muscles.