Witch hazel is one of the only medicinal plants approved by the FDA, and it is even listed in the official rmacopoeia (USP).
Witch hazel has been used by the Indians to treat various ailments for hundreds of years and is a sacred tree in the eyes of the Native Americans. They boiled the stems of the shrub and made a decoction to treat swelling, tumors and inflammation. Indian tribes have different methods of use, and medical applications to this day are roughly in the knowledge passed down by the Indians.