Parts used: Bark Properties Aromatic, astringent, expectorant Primary nutrients Calcium, copper, iodine, manganese, nickel, sodium, vitamins A and C, zinc Traditionally, white pine bark was used for treating colds, coughs, scurvy, kidney ailments, chest congestion and dysentery. A poultice was applied to wounds to speed healing. The bark is an excellent expectorant. It helps reduce mucus secretions that occur with the common cold.