Latin Name: Gossypium hirsutum
Alternate Names: Upland Cotton, Mian Hua Gen (Chinese)
Family: MALVACEAE
Parts Used: Root bark, seeds.
Properties: Abortifacient, Antibacterial, Antitumor, Antitussive, Antiviral, Aphrodisiac, Emmenagogue, Galactagogue, Hemostatic, Nutritive, Oxytocic, Parturient, Uterine Tonic, Yang Tonic.
Internal Uses: Dysmenorrhea, Endometriosis, Flu, Frigidity, Impotence, Malaria, Ovarian Cancer, Uterine Fibroids, Uterine Inflammation
Internal Applications: Tea, Tincture, Capsules.
The seeds, not bark, are effective as a galactagogue and anti-malarial. The root is effective for menorrhagia caused by fibroids.
Cotton is being investigated as a contraceptive for men and women. It decreases sperm count and causes the degeneration of sperm cells. It also discourages the implantation of the fertilized egg. It was noticed that in China there was a reduction in the number of births where cottonseed oil was used in cooking. Slave women in America, who often were cotton pickers, used this herb to terminate unwanted pregnancies. Since it contracts the uterus, it was once used instead of ergot to hasten a difficult labor. It has also been used to improve orgasmic contractions. It constricts blood vessels and hence circulation in the reproductive area.
Culinary uses: Seeds have been used as food. Oil from the seeds is used in cooking.
Energetics: Sweet, Sour, Warm, Dry.
Chemical Constituents: Polyphenolic glycoside (gossypol), flavonoids (quercimetrin), phenolic acid, betaine, resin, catechol, phytosterol.
Contraindications: Avoid during pregnancy. Large doses can cause nausea and vomiting. Since cotton is not usually considered a food crop, cottonseed oil, unless it is organic, is likely to be high in herbicides and pesticides.
Comments: The hairs of the seed have been made into fabric for over 2,500 years. Oil is used in soap manufacturing.