Itchy, Brown Cowage Pods

I came across some itchy, brown cowage pods this morning, I tried not to touch them. Cowage (Mucuna pruriens) is also known as cowitch, cowhage, velvet bean, sea bean, Lyon bean, and Buffalo bean.

We always weed out the cowage vine since the wind would blow their fuzzy hairs unto our skin and unto clothing hanging outdoors, causing us to itch terribly. I remember an incident concerning some teenaged boys who were disappointed with the handymen that worked around their yard. These men did not shower after a hot, sweaty day of hard work. To stop this habit of theirs, the boys rubbed a few cowage pods unto their dress clothing and waited for them to change out of their work gear.

That day they had a good laugh when the saw the men change out of their clothing in lightening speed. They shook the cowage hairs from their dress clothes and began washing and scrubbing themselves to be relieved of the severe itching. This was not just a funny prank, they actually got the men to bathe.

The cowage is a legume and a medicinal herb. All parts of the cowage – the bean pod, seeds, and hairs are used to make medicine.I read that cowage is used for treating Parkinson’s disease, as well as relieving pain and fever, arthritis, parasitic infections, and hyperprolactinemia. It is also used for:

anxiety
bone and joint conditions
inducing vomiting
treating snake bites and
treating scorpion stings.

Despite its medicinal benefits, the cowage has side effects that include headache, pounding heartbeat, and symptoms of psychosis such as confusion, agitation, hallucinations, and delusions. Cowage is also known to make certain diseases worse. It should not be taken by persons with heart disease, diabetes, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), stomach ulcers, mental illness, and skin cancer (melanoma). Do not take cowage if you are scheduled for surgery.