Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) was used in the Americas by Cherokee Indians as a cathartic and as a solution for skin problems. Nicholas Culpeper, the 17th-century herbalist, said that a poultice of the bruised leaves of Buckthorn would help stop the bleeding from a wound. He also believed that an application of the bruised leaves would get rid of warts. Buckthorn is a close relative of Cascara Sagrada. It helps the bowels evacuate normally, by stimulating the flow of bile from the liver to the gall bladder. It does not grip or cramp and it has a calming effect on the gastrointestinal tract, without being habit forming, when used as directed. When taken hot, Buckthorn will produce perspiration and lower fevers.