Scullcap (also spelled "Skullcap") has traditionally been used internally for nervousness and convulsions, irritability, insomnia, and neuralgia. Scullcap may act as a sedative, to relax spasms, lower fever and stimulate the kidneys, and has anti-toxic effects.

Scullcap is an excellent tonic for the nervous system. It is good for treating anxiety, insomnia, and nervous headache.

Indigenous to North America, scullcap is very abundant throughout the land, growing in damp places, ditches, meadows and by the sides of ponds, from Connecticut, south to Florida and Texas.

Scullcap is considered by some to be a natural alternative to the sometimes-beneficial, yet chemical, effects of Methadone treatment during withdrawal from drug addictions, especially opiates, tranquilizers and barbiturates. Scullcap may be an herb of choice for drug or alcohol-dependent people while undergoing a program to remove the addiction. Excessive use of scullcap may cause confusion, giddiness, stupor and twitching.