Medicinal Uses:
Blackfoot Indians used wild licorice leaves to make poultices for earaches. All parts of the plant are medicinal, but the roots are the most active part. Roots were used for toothache, fever and to strengthen the voice for singing by the Keres and Bannock Indians. A tea of the root was used to speed the delivery of the placenta after childbirth, it was also used to treat coughs, diarrhea, chest pains, fevers in children, stomach aches etc. It was also used as a wash or poultice on swellings.The Pawnee Indians used a poultice of steeped leaves applied to ears for earache. They also made a decoction of the root as a febrifuge for children with fevers. The Lakota Indians used the roots and Canadian milk vetch roots used for spitting of blood, and they chewed the roots as a remedy for the flu, and for toothache. The Cheyenne Indians used an infusion of roots or leaves taken for diarrhea.
Clinically wild licorice is useful against gastric and duodenal ulcers, bronchial asthma and is an additive in cough syrups. Wild licorice can increase blood pressure as well. Glycyrrhizin, the sweet tasting compound is the acid ammonium salt of nitrogenous tri-basic acid, called glycyrrhizic acid. The potassium acid salt of this acid is very sweet. The free acid, prepared from the lead salt, forms a brown, gelatinous mass soluble in hot water and has a bittersweet taste and acid reaction. The root of wild licorice contains up to 6% Glycyrrhizin. Licorice can induce a hypermineralocorticoid syndrome. Current literature usually refers to the effects of sweets containing glycyrrhizin, but little is known about the consequences of prolonged intake of "pure" licorice.