Usnea:

The Herbal Antibiotic

AND OTHER MEDICINAL LICHENS

Botanica Press, Capitola, CA

Other books in the "Herbs and Health" series
by Christopher Hobbs:

Milk Thistle-The Liver Herb

Medicinal Mushrooms

Echinacea! The Immune Herb

Natural Liver Therapy

Copyright September, 1986

2nd revision March, 1988
3rd revision February, 1990
by Christopher Hobbs

Paul Bergner, editor

Beth Baugh, copy editor
Christopher Hobbs, cover photo
Usnea longissima on Madrone
Illustrations: Ira Kennedy

Botanica l'ress
Box 742
Capitola, CA 95010
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

History ofTraditional Uses of Lichens 1

Lichen dyes 4
Signatures, skull, and astrological signs 5

Chemistry of Lichens 6

Scientific investigation and traditional uses

Iceland moss 7
Lungwort 8
Usnea 8
Description of Usnea species 10
Medicinal uses of Usnea species 11
Clinical and laboratory work 11
Identifying Usnea 12
More effective than penicillin 12
Proven clinical uses 12
General indications for Usnea 14
Usnea in Chinese Medicine 14
Specific treatment uses 15
Toxicology of Usnea 16

Recipes 17

References 18
 Usnea
Antibiotic and Antifungal Herb
and other Medicinal Lichens

INTRODUCTION

T hey are bright red and yellow, and grow on rocks. They are long
wispy strands of gray-green hair, hanging like beards from h ard-
wood trees in rainy forests . Or they are floppy and leaf-like. Some
have raised vein-like structures, and look like something out of a
g rade B science-fiction movie that might fall on your neck and
take over your mind .

No, these arc not plants from Mars or figments of a Star Trek
set designer's imagination. They are lichens - highly specialized
plants with a long history of use. Dye for Scottish tweeds, a
medieval hair wash, fodder for caribou, an ingred ient in an
Icelandic bread recipe, the color for the chemist's litmus paper,
and modern European antibiotic ointments and treatments for
athlete's foot all come from lichens 1•

A science fiction writer would have trouble conceiving of an

organism as strange as a lichen. Not really a "plant", a lichen is
two o rganisms living together as one in a symbiotic relationship.
A fungus base provides a rigid structure on which chlorophyll-
bearing algae spread out and provide food sugars for both. It is
nature's version of a solar collector. The two become so
interwoven that they act like a single new living entity. Their
reproductive structures are different from either the algae or the
fungus. They also produce different chemicals than either of the
original organisms - chemicals with unique medicinal properties.

Umea 1
 Information about the medicinal uses - both traditional and
modern - of these strange and useful plant forms is not solely
the interest of the esoteric "Lichenologist". The following facts
can be of practical value to you in your daily life:

./ Extracts from some species are common ingredients of high-

quality herbal products throughout Europe .

./ They contain powerful antibiotic compounds useful for

urinary and respiratory tract infections, athlete's foot and
other fungal infections .

./ Researchers have isolated immune-strengthening compounds

from some lichen species .

./ The medicinal species are easy to identify, and there are few, if
any, harmfullook-alikes.

./ They are very abundant and can be gathered throughout the

world.

HISTORY AND TRADITIONAL USES

A distinguished traveler making his way through the valley of

the Nile in 1864 discovered a vase from the 18th dynasty ( 1700-
1600 B.C.), with contents undisturbed for 3000 years. In the
vase were Juniper berries and a lichen, Evernia furfuracea.
Evernia does not grow in Egypt, but was imported for its food
value and curative properties. Egyptians still imported this
medicinal lichen from Europe until this century. This story, from
a published note by Muller-Argau (1881 ), shows how people
have appreciated the medicinal properties of lichens throughout
our recorded history.

The Chinese also used species of lichens, probably thousands

of years ago. Early Chinese herbalists recommended Usnea
longissima (Sun Loin Chinese) as an expectorant and as a powder

2 Usnea
application to heal external ulcers. U. longissima is still used
today-as a tincture to treat tuberculosis lymphadenitis.

Likewise the ancient Greeks used lichens as medicines.

Hippocrates recommended a lichen, perhaps Usnea bat·bata, for
uterine complaints. Although these ancients knew of lichens, it is
difficult to determine which genera or species they were writing
about. Before the 1700's most lichens, mosses and liverworts
were lumped together under ''lichen", "moss" , or "musci" 2•

Some Lichens and their Uses

Alectoria jubata Amerindian wild food plant.
Borrera flavicans To poison wolves3
Cladonia pyxidata Whooping cough; dose-1 teacup
Evernia prunastri Astringent; lung complaints
Gyrophora cylindrica "Tripe de roche"-emergency food
Lecanora parel/a A dye plant, litmus paper
Parmelia aquila Astri ngent, for asthma and old coughs
Parmelia abessinica Ingredient in a curry powder
Peltidea aphthosa Purgative and anthelmintic. Swedish
peasants boil in mil k for thrush in
children.
Rami/ina farinacea Yields a mucilage similar to gum arabic
Rocella tinctoria Source of the famous orchil dye; also a
cough remedy
Umbilicaria esculenta Sold in Japan as "iwa-take", or "rock
mushroom"-a delicacy
Umbilicaria spp. "Rock tripe" used by Franklin and his
crew as a survival food.
Unsea plicata Astringent; whooping cough 4

Umea 3
 Today's three most commonly used medicinal lichens, Usnea
("Old Man's Beard"), Cetraria (Iceland Moss), and Lobaria
pttlmonaria (Lungwort) probably originated in Scandinavia.
Pereira states that the Danish apothecaries used Iceland Moss in
the late 1600's 5 •

British Herbalist John Gerard illustrates Usnea florida in his

Herbal, but doesn't give any uses for it. He recommends another
lichen, which he calls Muscus guernus, for strengthening the
stomach and staying nausea6 • Gerard and other writers detail
additional lichens in use in England. T he accompanying chart
(on page 3) summarizes these and other uses.

Lichen dyes

Lichen dyes provided the distinctive coloring of the original

Harris Tweeds, still made in Scotland. The famous purple dye,
orchil, known to the ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Greeks,
is made from the lichen Rocella tinctoria, and other species. This
purple dye was highly esteemed in both the ancient and medieval
worlds, and a cloth dyed with it was even more beautiful than the
famous Tyrian purple made from a species of mollusk. In the
Middle Ages it fell out of favor, as blue and green colors became
more popular. This recipe for the dye comes from about 1540:

4 Umea
 Spread out the dye and allow the excess moisture to evaporate
and it will take on the odor of violets. The resulting paste can be
stored for future use.

An alternative method that proves more effective, is simpler,

and certainly more hygienic - albeit less authentic- uses only
ammonia, omitting the urine and other salts.

One Rocella species, Rocella babingtonii, is common on trees

in California from San Francisco Bay south into Baja. It is flat,
branched, white to light gray, and 4-8 em long. This species can
be used as a source for the purple dye.

Signatures, Skulls, and Astrological Signs

In the 15th century A.D. the belief was popular that God
marked certain plants in a way so people could recognize their
medicinal uses. Applying this "Doctrine of Signatures", people
took the appearance of some lichens to indicate what part of the
body they would affect. Thus a leafy lichen with raised vein-like
markings resembling lung tissue was a lung remedy. The long
gray-green strands of "Old Man's Beard" was a specific for the
hair and scalp. Modern science has now verified some of these
traditional uses, and the lichens are still used in these ways in
some cu'ltures.

Lichens that grew on the bare skulls of corpses were

treatments for epilepsy and other ailments of the head. In the
mid-eighteenth century, many practitioners subscribed to this
"heady" medicine and paid a handsome price for it. Collectors
even devised a method for cultivating the lichen by making a
paste of it and spreading it on a likely skull to grow, esteeming
the cultivated variety as highly as the wild kind. Some even held
that the bearer of this lichen would be "impenetrable as not to be
pierced with a musket bullet."

Usnea 5
 Astrological conditions also supposedly influenced healing
with lichens. Their virtues were thus greater when "the moon is
in the increase in the house of venus7 ."

CHEMISTRY

The mystery in the chemistry of lichens concerns their

"secondary compounds", which are not by-products of normal
plant metabolism. Because it takes extra energy to produce
them, scientists speculate that they must have an important value
to lichens, such as protecting them from attack by bacteria,
fungus and other microorganisms, and from browsing by deer
and other animals. Scientists have been most interested in the
antibiotic properties.

Lichen chemistry is complex and varied - more than 200

compounds have been identified, and much remains to be
discovered. These compounds are usually species-specific, and are
used to identify particular lichens. The compounds of most
interest are as follows:

.I Lichen acids (antibiotic; precursors to dyes)

.I Polysaccharides (immune stimulating)

.! Mucilage (soothing to mucous membranes)

.I Anthraquinones, including endocrocin (laxative)

.I Fatty acids

.I All essential amino acids .

.I Vitamins (a small quantity)

.I Carotene

6 Usnea
 Pollution and Heavy Metals

Because lichens grow slowly and are long-lived, they

sometimes accumulate potentially toxic heavy metals, although
levels should pose no problem for people using lichens
medicinally - the amount consumed is too small. The lead and
selenium content of Finnish Icelandic Cetraria was relatively
low-only twice that of wheat. The iron content is exceedingly
high (530 mg/kg of dry weight)8 • As a safety measure, it is wise
to pick lichens at least 200 feet from well-traveled roads, factories,
o r other sources of pollution.

MODERN VERIFICATIONS OF TRADITIONAL USES

Iceland Moss

The most widely used of the lichens throughout the ages in

Western medicine is Cetraria islandica, the Iceland Moss. The
famous botanist Linneaus was influential in establishing its long-
standing importance in medicine. Iceland Moss has been used
since the 1700's for chronic ailments of the respiratory, urinary
and digestive systems.

Scandinavians and Icelanders harvest Iceland Moss

commercially and consume it widely. People in these countries
have long mixed this lichen with cereal grains or mashed potatoes
to make "an uncommonly healthful bread9 ." It is thus sometimes
called briidrnose (bread-moss). Other traditional uses include
porridges, gruels and decoctions. See the accompanying recipes.

The consistency of a decoction is almost like jello. This is

traditionally flavored with sugar, lemon peel, white wine, or
aromatic spices like ginger and cinnamon, to make a "very
agreeable kind of diet", nutritive for those recuperating from
illness10 •

Those using Cetraria for b uilding up the weak and the sick
did not know about the water-soluble immune-stimulating

Umea 7
polysaccharides in lichens which may explain, in part, their
effectiveness in recuperation. Polysaccharides are giant sugar ·
molecules which occur widely in lichens, some fungi, and higher
plants such as Echinacea spp. and Astragalus membranaceus.
They are immune stimulating11 , increasing the phagocytic
potential of the reticuloendothelial system (RES) 1z. Thus the
immune system may be better prepared to clear the body of
cancer cells, bacteria, toxic wastes and virus-infected cells.

Scientists now know that the water extract (the polysac-

charides) of Cetraria will inhibit plant viruses (on the tobacco
plant.) These extracts also caused a 89% inhibition of cancer in
infected mice13 • One researcher found that 46-49% of the
carbohydrates of an Iceland Moss bread were digested.
Wallerstein found that 53-64% of lichenin, a main polysaccharide
in Iceland Moss, was assimilatcd14 •

Lungwort

Another well-known medicinal lichen is Lobaria pulmonaria,

the Lungwort. Because of its resemblance to lung tissue, it was
thought to be a gift to mankind as a lung remedy. It was boiled
in milk to make a "cough tea", or "lichen chocolate", and proved
to be quite beneficial.

During W.W. II both the Germans and the Americans

investigated many lichen species for their antibiotic properties.
They found more than 50% of the species tested active-mostly
against gram positive bacteria such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus
and Pneumonococcus.

Usnea

Usnea, or Old Man's Beard, hangs in gray-green strands from

pines, oaks, Douglas fir, apple trees and other fruit trees in
orchards and forests throughout the northern hemisphere. The

8 Usnea
Usnea species are the most common source of antibioti.c and
antifungal lichen acids, particularly usnic acid. They have
widespread potential for medicinal applications.

I have collected one species ( U. longissima- ~ee cover) in

California for more than 5 years, and have manuf<.cture·d a liquid
extract that has proven effective for urinary tract infections and
upper respiratory infections. Chinese herbalists have used this
same species for thousands of years, calling it "Sun-Lo". The
Malayans still use some Usnea species as a general tonic and a tea
for colds.

The name "Usnea" may have originated at the time of the

Arabian school of medicine and pharmacy - the name is not in
the literature of the ancient Greeks or Romans. The Formulary of
AJ-Kindi (ca. 850) calls Alectoria usneoides "ushna," and
recommends it for a swollen spleen 15•

Modern Germans also recognize the medicinal value of Usnea.

"Hagers Handbook", an authoritative German reference on
medicinal plants, says of Usnea:

Generally, Usnea in the earlier therapeutics besitie other lichens

found wide application against mucous membrane conditions,
hemorrhage, diarrhea, and dysentery as welt as stomach weaknesi6 •

Usnea Species Used in Medicine

U. hirta (l.)
U. barbata (l.)
U. florida (l.) Wigg
U. longissima (Acn.)
U. dasypoga (Ach.) Rohl [umlaut] emend. Mot.
U. bayle
U. lobata Hoffm. and U. diffracta
Source: Hagers Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis (14)

Usnea 9
 The accompanying charts and drawings show the major
medicinal species of Usnea, including those found abundantly in
the Western U.S., and some of their medicinal uses.

Usnea Species
Abundant in the
Western U.S.
U. Californica- a
long pendulous species
attached to branches
of trees and large
shrubs, especially
Oaks, Manzanitas, and
Pines, that may be a
variation of U.
ceratina. (figure 1)

U. ceratina- com-
mon tufted or pendu-
lous Usnea growing
on trees. The main
branches are very
papillate (beset with figure 1
stubby projections).
(figure 2)
U. dnsypoga - This
species nas branches
that are more slender
than the others, and
the papillae are
smaller.
figure 3
U. longissima - very
long main stalk -
short, regular branches
(see cover). (figure 3)

figure 2

10 Umea
 Clinical and Laboratory Research

The discovery of penicillin during World War II stimulated the

search for other antibiotic substances from plants. Lichens
attracted interest as early as 1944 because of their traditional uses.
More than 50% of the species tested contained antibiotic lichen
acids. Many of these acids are active, the most common being
usnic acid of Usnea and other genera.

These lichen acids are effective against gram positive bacteria,

such as Streptococcus (strep throat etc.) Staphylococcus (impetigo,
etc.), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and other fast-growing species.
The acids have little effect on gram negative bacteria such as
Salmonella and E. coli that inhabit the digest ive tract17• This may
be a mixed blessing. It would be nice if Usnea extract inhibited
Salmonella and other pathogenic bacteria of the gram -negative
type. On the other hand it is good that E. coli is not much
affected. E. coli can be beneficial, and is particularly disturbed by
broad-spectrum antibiotics such as penicillin.
Other gram-negative bacteria in the human intestine may also
be beneficial, part of our "body ecology", so it is noteworthy that
Usnea may not adversely affect them.

Medicinal Uses of Some Usnea Species

Usnca spp. Constituents Activity Source

U. hirta usnic, thamnolic, antibiotic, esp. (l)
usnaric acids, etc. sodium salts
U. barbata barbatolic, usnic in homeobathJ:; (2)
lobaric, tartaric HPUS 8. ea ache,
acids, vit. C sunstroke
U. florida usnic, stictinic, tuberculosis (3)
lobaric acids antibiotic
U. longissima usnic, evernic expectorant (3)

Usnea 11
figure 4 figure 5
• The outer cortex contains the antibi- Rami/ina retict~lata
otic substances. The inner core con- (common Usnea look-alike)
tains the immune-stimulating poly- • Not veined, no inner
saccharides. core.

More Effective than Penicillin

Usnic acid is more effective against some bacterial strains than

penicillin. For instance, usnic acid completely inhibited the
growth of different strains of human tuberculosis in dilutions of
1:20,000-1:50,000, and weakened their growth at 1:200,000-
1:2,000,000. It inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus,
Streptococcus and Pneumonococcus at 1:20,000.

12 Umea
 Penicillin and usnic acid have
different modes of action. The
penicillin molecule very closely
resembles a structural component in
the cell walls of gram positive
bacteria. The bacteria incorporate
this penicillin molecule into their
cell walls and the resulting structure
is not sound. The bacteria swell up
and burst. The penicillin does not
harm human cells because their cell
walls are very different.

Scientists think that usnic acid

works by disrupting cellular
metabolism, either by preventing the
formation of ATP (the cells' energy
source) from ADP, or by
uncoupling of oxidative
phosphorylization 18 • Human cells
are far less permeable to usnic acid
and are not affected.

Usnea may also be superior to

the drug Flagyl (metronidazole).
Usnea is effective against
T1·ichomo1~as, a parasite which can
cause, among other things, a serious
infection of the uterine cervix.
Flagyl is widely prescribed for
Trichomonas infection, but it can
also cause cancer. Mter oral
administration it can be found in the
bloodstream, cerebrospinal fluid and
breast milk. Nursing mothers
should strictly avoid this drug.
(Physician's Desk Reference, 1983,
p. 1874)

Usnea 13
 Usnic acid is poorly water soluble. This may make it at times
unavailable to the site of an infection, but offers the advantages of
slow absorption or slow, steady and longer lasting release into a
site of infection. This is one reason why so many European anti-
bacterial and anti-fungal creams and balms are made from Usnea
species.
Besides its strong selective anti"bacterial activity, Usnea has the
great advantage in offering support to the natural defenses of the
body.
Polysaccharides from several Usnea spp. have shown anti -tumor
activity in various animal species19 .

TOXICOLOGY

Usnic acid has the potential to be toxic, but because it is

poorly and slowly absorbed when in either a tea or alcoholic
solution, there is little cause for concern. The LD 50 (i.v.) is 25
mg/kg in mice2°. It is best not to swallow the alcoholic tincture
without diluting it, as it can be irritating. Large quantities of a
strong tea of some lichens could cause gastro-intestinal upset,
because of the irritating nature of the lichen compounds. As with
all herbal medicines, it is best to start with a low dose and slowly
'work up to a full therapeutic or nutritional dose. This allows the
body to adjust to the energy of the particular herb or
combination, and if one pays attention, is a way to determine
whether it is the right remedy, or one that might prove to irritate
or in some way be unsuitable.

It is noteworthy that very few lichens are poisonous.

Exceptions are two bright yellow or orange alpine species,
Letharia vulpina and Cetraria penastri (Ahmadjian & Hale).
The fonner was used by northern people to poison wolves. As a
general rule, it is best to avoid the use of any bright-colored
lichens growing in the high mountains.

14 Usnea
 Chinese Medicine

U. longissima, a West Coast species is called "Sun Lo."

Traditional Uses: expectorant, surface treauncnt of

ulcers

Energy: cooling

Taste: slightly bitter

Direction: alcohol preparation - surface acting

water extract, decoction - internal
acting

Meridians: lung, spleen, kidney

Form: Whole lichen t11allus is collected from

trees, powdered and tinctured, or t11e
whole herb is decocted for tea, up to
lOgrams/ day.

Use: Usnea tincture is t11e strongest form

for antibiotic use - the usnic acid is
poorly water soluble.

Dilute the tincture before using - it

can be irritating.

Other forms: decoction, tea, oil, commercial

creams and salves

Usnea 15
 General Indications

Infection, inside or outside the body, by gram positive bacteria,

fungus, protozoa (Trichomonas), or yeast.

Systems affected:

./ Urinary tract
./ Respiratory Tract
./ Gastrointestinal tract

Actions:

./ Antibiotic
./ Immune strengthening
./ Papaverine-like activity (relaxing to smooth muscle,
especialty the colon or bronchi.)

it to ;a, fii}e pc;>w:der.

16 UmetJ
 Specific Treatments

./ Use a dropperful 2-3x/day for acute bacterial infection.

./ Apply full-strength or diluted 50-50 with water (check for in-
dividual sensitivity first!) with a cotton swab externally for any
cuts, especially if infected. Apply full strength $everal times a
day for impetigo.
./ Put a dropperful in water and gargle several times a day for
sore throat or strep throat.
./ P ut drops of tincture in water, and fill a plastic spray bottle
(old antihistamine sprayer, etc.) and squirt a small quantity up
the nasal passages several times daily for sinu.s infection. To
this mixture it is good to also add a few drops of sage oil or of
golden seal tincture.
.! Add to formulas for colitis, any urinaty tract -infection (such
as 1wethritis or cystitis), or hmg and b1·onchiat tract condi-
tions (such as bronchitis, pleurisy, pnmmonia or tt~bem~losis) .

./ Put a dropperful in water and use as a douche, taking it inter-

nally as well, for Tricho1nonas.

./ The tea from the whole lichen can be combined with 3 grams
(a few slices) of licorice, and a few slices of ginger root for
colds and fltl. Drink 1 cup of the decoction up to 3 times a
day for up to 10 days, if needed.

Kids will neglec:nheir corn-flakes after they _

gefa taste of these!
. Boil the llcheri 1~1'-3.or 4 waters, discarding eat~· time. (To get rid
· · of blt1er ta~le.l :: .. ,; · .· ·• . . · .·. .. · .· , . .,
. si~~er a~dslir.u~tn thick.
· .Skim. :offthe
' . .~c~ik
.. . . .·

Usnea 17
 GENERAL REFERENCES

Ahmadjian, V. and Hale, M., eds. 1973. The Lichens. New

York: Academic Press.

Asahina, Y. & S. Shibata. 1954. Chemistry of Lichen St~bstances.

Tokyo: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Chang, H. -M. & P. P. -H . But. 1986. Pharmacology and Appli-

cations of Chinese Materia Medica, 2 vol. 's. Philadel-
phia: World Scientific.

Culberson, C. 1969. Chemical and Botanical Guide to Lichen

Products. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.

Culberson, W.L. 1986. Natural-Product Chemistry in the

Systematics of the Lichen Fungi. The Bryologist 89: 89.

Johnson, R.B., et al. 1950. The Mode of Action of the Antibi-

otic, Usnic Acid. Arch. Biochem. 28:317-23

Kok, A. 1966. A Short History of the Orchil Dyes. The Liche-

nologist 3: 248-272.

List, P.H. & L. Horhammer. 1979. Hagers Handbuch der

Pharmazeutishen Praxis. New York: Springer-Verlag.

Llano, G.A. 1948. Economic Uses of Lichens. Economic Bot.

2:15-45.

Nearing, G.G. 1962. 1he Lichen Book. Ashton, MD: Eric

Lundberg.

Nishikawa, Y., et at. 1973. Studies on the Water Soluble Con-

stituents of Lichens. I. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 21: 1014.

Porcher, F.P. 1854. On the Medicinal and Toxicological Prop-

erties of the Cryptogamic Plants of the United States. Trans. Am.
Med. Assoc. 7: 167-284.
18 Umea
Richardson, D. 1975. The Vanishing Lichms. West Vancouver,
BC: Douglas David and Charles Limited.

Shibata, S., et al. 1968. Polysaccharides in Lichens and Fungi. I.

Antitumour Active Polysaccharides of Gyrophora esculenta
Miyoshi and Lasatlia papulosa (Ach.) Llano. Chem. Pharm. Bull.
16: 2362-2369.

Shibata, S., et aL 1968. Anti tumour Activities of Lichen

Polysaccharides. Z. Krebsforsch. 71: 102.

Sm ith, A. 1921. Lichens. London: Cambridge Univer-

sity Press .

The Physicians) Desk Reference. 1983. Oradel, NJ: Medical

Economics Company Inc.

Thompson, J.W. 1974. American Arctic Lichens. New York.

Columbia University Press.

Thompson, W., ed. 1978. Medicines From the Earth. Maiden-

head, England: McGraw-Hill.

Weiss, R.F. 1988. Herbal Medicine (translated from the 6th,

1985, German edition) . Beaconsfield, England: Beaconsfield
Publishers Ltd.

Usnea 19
 NUMBERED REFERENCES
1. Llano, G.A. 1948. Economic Uses of Lichens. Economic Botany
2:15
2. Gerard,}. 1633. The Herbal. Revised and enlarged by T. Johnson,
reprinted by Dover Publications, NY. 1975
3. Redwood, T. 1857. A Supplement to the Pharmacopeia. London:
Longman & Co.
4. Lindly, }. 1838. Flora Medica. London: Longman, Orne, Brown,
Green and Longmans.
5. Pereira, J. 1843. The B/ementsofMateriaMedica. Philadelphia: Lea
& Blanchard.
6. Gerard, op cit.
7. James, R. 1747. Pharmacopeia Universalis: or A New Universal
English Dispensatory. London: J. Hodges, at the Looking-Glass.
8. Airaksincn, M.M., et al. 1986. Toxicity oflceland Lichen and
Reindeer Lichen. Arch Toxical, Suppl. 9: 406-409
9. Llano, ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Wagner, H. and Proksch, A. 1983. Immunostimulatory Drugs
From Fungi and Higher Plants, from Progress in Medicinal and
Economic Plant Research, Vol. 1. London: Academic Press.
12. Nishikawa, Y. & H . Ohno. 1981. "Studies on the Water-soluble
Constituents of Lichens. "IV. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 29: 3407-3410
13. Fukuok, et al. 1968. Polysaccharides in Lichens and Fungi II.
Gann 569:421 -432.
14. Llano, op cit.
15. Levey, M. 1966. The Medical Formulary or Agrabadhin or AI-
Kindi. Madison: University ofWisconsin Press.
16. List, P.H. and Horhammer, L. 1979. Hagers Handbt#chder Phar-
mautltis•hm Praxis. New York: Springer-Verlag.
17. Asahina, Y. & S. Shibata. 1954. Chemistry of Lichen Substances.
Tokyo: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
18. Lawrey, op cit.
19. Shibata, et al. 1968, op cit. Anti tumour activities of lichen polysac-
charides. Z. Drabsforsch 71: 102.
20. The Merck Index, 9th ed. 1976. Rahway, NF: Merck & Co.

20 Usnea