GLOSSARY OF TERMS ESSENTIAL OIL EFFECTS

Abortifacient:  Capable of inducing abortion
Amenorrhoea:  The absence of menstruation
Analgesic:  Relieving or deadening pain
Anaphrodisiac:  Lessening sexual desire
Anthelmintic : A vermifuge, destroying/expelling intestinal worms
Anti-arthritic:  An agent which helps to combat arthritis
Anti-allergenic:  Reduces symptoms of allergies
Antibacterial:  Fights bacterial growth
Anti-convulsant:  Helps control convulsions
Anti-depressant:  Helps with depression and lifts the mood
Anti-dontalgic:  Relieves toothache
Anti-emetic:  Reduces the severity or incidence of vomiting
Anti-fungal: Prevents the growth of fungi
Anti-galactagogue:  Impedes/lessens the flow of milk
Anti-hemorrhagic:  A substance preventing or combating bleeding
Antihistamine:  Counteracts allergic reaction
Anti-infectious:  Prevents against infection
Anti-microbial:  A substance reducing or resisting microbes
Anti-parasitic:  Acts against parasites
Anti-phlogistic:  Counteracts inflammation
Anti-pruritic:  Relieves or prevents sensation of itching
Anti-pyretic:  Reduces fever
Anti-rheumatic:  An agent which helps to combat rheumatism
Anti-sclerotic:  Helps to prevent hardening of arteries
Anti-seborrheic:  Helps control the oily secretion from sweat glands
Antiseptic:  A substance helping to control infection
Anti-spasmodic:  A substance to help prevent/ease spasms and relieve cramps
Anti-sudorific:  A substance to help lessen sweating
Anti-tussive:  Relieves coughing
Aperient:  Mild laxative
Aphrodisiac:  Increases sexual desire and sexual functioning
Apoplexy:  Sudden loss of consciousness, a stroke or sudden hemorrhage
Bactericidal:  An agent destroying bacteria
Calmative:  A sedative
Cholagogue:  Stimulating the secretion of bile into the duodenum
Decongestant:  A substance which helps to relieve congestion
Demulcent:  An agent protecting mucus membranes and helps stop irritation
Depurative:  Helps to detoxify and combat impurities in the blood and body
Detoxifier:  Helps detoxify and combat impurities in the blood and body
Diaphoretic:  A substance which helps to promote perspiration
Dysmenorrhoea:  Painful menstruation
Emetic:  Inducing vomiting
Emmenagogue:  Inducing or assisting menstruation
Expectorant:  A substance that helps to expel mucus from the lungs
Febrifuge:  Helps to combat fever
Fungicide:  A substance which destroys fungal infections
Galactagogue:  Helps to increase milk secretion
Gemicidal:  An agent that destroys micro-organisms
Hemostatic:  Helps to stop bleeding
Hepatic:  Pertaining to the liver
Hepatoxic:  An agent having a toxic or harmful effect on the liver
Menorrhagia:  Excessive blood loss during menstruation
Metrorrhagia:  Uterine bleeding outside the normal menstrual cycle
Nervine:  Strengthens and tones the nerves and nervous system
Neurotoxin:  A toxic or harmful effect on the nervous system
Parturient:  Assisting and helping childbirth
Pathogenic:  An agent causing or producing disease
Soporific:  Substance which helps to induce sleep
Stomachic:  A substance which helps with the digestion and helps to improve appetite
Styptic:  An agent that stops external bleeding
Sudorific:  An agent causing sweating
Vasoconstrictor:  Agent causing the contraction of blood vessel walls
Vasodilator:  Agent causing the dilation of blood vessel walls
Vermifuge:  An agent expelling intestinal worms
Vulnerary:  An agent applied externally which helps to heal wounds and sores and helps to prevent tissue degeneration