Uva Ursi has been known and used medicinally for hundreds of years, and modern science has proven that the plant is indeed helpful in treating certain conditions, mostly related to the urinary tract, kidneys, and bladder. 

Taken internally as a tea or infusion (see below for specifics), Uva Ursi is helpful for relieving problems associated with kidney infections, prostate inflammation and enlargement, urinary tract infections, bladder infections, kidney stones, nephritis, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, and spleen, pancreas, and small intestine disorders.  For females, it is useful for dysmenorrhea, cystitis, and bloating associated with menstruation.  In addition, it is also sometimes used as a tonic, detoxifying the urinary system and thus improving overall health.

Externally, Uva Ursi has antiseptic and astringent properties, and can be made into an ointment for treatment of cuts, scrapes, cold sores, herpes breakouts, and yeast infections.

For medicinal uses, harvest healthy-looking leaves in the fall, and dry on screens in the shade, then grind or use whole.  Whole or ground leaves can be soaked in brandy (3 tablespoons ground, or 10 whole leaves or so to a pint of brandy) and the resulting liquid added to water for an infusion (1 teaspoon per cup of water up to three times per day.   For urinary tract problems in particular, you should feel relief within a few days, and it is not recommended that you take any Uva Ursi preparations continuously for any longer than one week. 

CONTRAINDICATIONS:  Uva Ursi is safe in moderation, but can be mildly poisonous if overused.  Thus, do not exceed recommended dosages.  Symptoms of overdose include nausea, vomiting, and stomachache.  Do not use if pregnant, as this herb is a uterine stimulant.  Do not take if you suffer from high blood pressure, and  not administer to children under 12.