This is the species that grows on my Farm, and which is well known by many of my Mi'kmaw friends. I have used it for acne and mouth blisters on my children. The Mi'kmaw elders commonly make a salve with it.
GoldenThread
Here are some other species of Coptis and their medicinal properties:
* = Chemical(s) found in plant shown to be effective
for the ailment medicated
** = Plant itself shown to be effective for the ailment
medicated
Thu Nov 20 21:11:23 US/Eastern 1997
From hrbmoore@Rt66.com (Michael Moore)
If you want to see what Coptis (Goldthread) LOOKS like, I have three JPEGS of Goldthreads that can be viewed on my web site. The 800 or so images are all listed by genus, although I plan on getting up a linkpage by common name pretty soon. Goldthread, in my opinion, is possibly the queen of remedies for stomatitis and slowly healing mouth sores (Myrrh and Anemopsis being preferable for acute problems). If you ever get a chance to gather some, be sure to use the leaves and stems as well...all parts of the plant are active. The constant reference to Goldthread Roots is a clumsy remnant of the crude drug trade of a century ago...the dried roots could be stored in burlap bags for a DECADE, the foliage lasted but a year or two. With drastic loss of wild places in the last century, we need to revamp our often wasteful use of herbs, gathered according to standards set in greener (and profligate) times.
Michael Moore (hrbmoore@rt66.com) http://chili.rt66.com/hrbmoore/HOMEPAGE