Elecampane, of the aster family, is a valuable herb for the lung, having antibacterial and expectorant effects. It is a stimulating, cleansing tonic, and alterative to the mucous membranes, the lungs and respiratory system, and to the digestive system. It is used as an antiseptic expectorant, antitussive, and diaphoretic for diseases of the respiratory tract like asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, and cough associated with tuberculosis. It is anthelmintic, and helps improve stomach function, treating nausea and diarrhea, and is diuretic. Elecampane is particularly effective in the treatment of acute and productive coughs like the cough that persists following a flu or severe cold.