Herbal First Aid & Making Remedies

Originally posted by Northern Raider
You two ladies should get togther somewhere central and open an apothacary, how about somewhere like...... Salem in Oregon

NR left wondering if these gals just happen to own a black cat ?

Haha, I would love to have a genuine herbal apothacarium, if the FDA wasn't in the business of giving those guys so much #.

Funny thing is that I am horribly alergic to cats... if I look at one my nose turns into a faucet...

reply to post by BindareDundat


A mixture of fenugreek and thyme is an excellent headache remedy, as is white willow bark--this is the plant that asprin is synthasized from.

Funny thing is that fenugreek smells like chicken soup... it smells like it would taste good, but actually tastes horrible!

Oh yes, one for backaches or muscles ache...

Mix 2 tbs Slippery elm, 1 tsp lobelia, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. Mix until it is pulpy and apply to sore area.

Have we talked about slipper elm yet? Excellent herb for colds and sore throats, but also good for every poltice because it is very fibrous and will give the mixture some bulk so it doesn't slide around.

Me personally, I like to use medical tape to secure a peice of plastic wrap around poltices.

Continued from the Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody


Infections

Modern science attributes infections to bacteria and viruses. Previous generations blamed flying venom, “elf-shot” or the evil eye, while Chinese medicine attributes chills and fevers to “six evils” related to climatic factors - wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire - and blames “pestilence” for severe epidemics. Many herbs traditionally used to fight infections have been identified as potent antibiotics and immune system stimulants. Unlike wide-spectrum orthodox antibiotics, they are specific in the microbes they attack, so have less impact on the friendly bacteria in the gut, making the digestive upsets that can follow orthodox medication less likely. Herbs can help to control the course of an illness as the body works to restore balance. Common colds, for example, may be “hot” or “cold” in character, or alternate between the two as the illness progresses. “Cold” conditions need warming herbs such as ginger, gui zhi, or angelica; “hot” infections can be cooled with herbs that promote sweating, such as boneset, catnip, peppermint, or mulberry leaf.


Colds & Influenza


Garlic (parts used roots)

Antimicrobial; antifungal; suitable for a wide range of infectious conditions. Eat up to six fresh cloves a day in acute conditions, or take commercial capsules.

Combinations: Best as simple, limit the odor by eating parsley.

Cautions: If it irritates the stomach, take ginger or fennel tea. Avoid therapeutic doses during pregnancy and lactation.



Gui Zhi (parts used twigs)

Warms “cold” conditions, promotes sweating; antibacterial. Take a decoction or tincture; use bark (Rou Gui) if Gui Zhi is unavailable.

Combinations: For chills, mix a little fresh ginger root.

Caution: avoid in pregnancy. Not suitable for “hot” feverish colds.


Boneset (parts used aerial)

Promotes sweating, reduces fever, expectorant; good for hot feverish colds and influenza with muscle pains. Take an infusion or tincture three to four times a day.

Combinations: For feverish colds and influenza, combine with yarrow, elderflower and peppermint.

Caution: high doses can cause vomiting.


Catnip (parts used aerial)

Cools fevers, promotes sweating; astringent in mucous congestion. Take an infusion or tincture three to four times a day.

Combinations: For feverish colds, can be mixed with yarrow, elderflower, boneset, ground ivy, angelica or mulberry leaf to enhance specific actions.

Caution: none.



Boils & Abscesses


Lian Qiao (parts used fruit)

Antibacterial, anti-inflammatory; reduces heat; resolves abscesses and boils; cools fevers. Take a decoction.

Combinations: combine with cooling herbs such as jin yin hua, burdock seeds, or huang qin, or antibacterial like purple coneflower in capsules.

Caution: use before boils start to suppurate. Avoid in diarrhea.


Figwort and Xuan Shen (parts used leaves and roots)

Anti-inflammatory antibacterial; cleansing, so it is good for toxic conditions. Make a poultice from figwort leaves; take a decoction of xuan shen or a tincture.

Combination: add cooling herbs such as lian qiao, jin yin hua, goldenseal, or huang qin to the decoction, and take antibacterials like purple coneflower in capsules.



Weak Immune System


Huang Qi (parts used roots)

Increases production of white blood cells and strengthens the immune response; antibacterial; energy tonic; strengthens wei qi, or defense energy. Take a decoction or tincture.

Combinations: for debilitated conditions, add other energy tonics such as licorice, dang gui, and bai zhu.

Caution: avoid if condition involves excess “heat” or yin deficiency.


Purple Coneflower (parts used roots)

Antibacterial, antiviral; strengthens resistance to infections; useful for all septic or infectious conditions. Take 500 mg powdered root in capsules or 10 ml tincture. Repeat up to four times a day.
Combinations: Use as simple, or add phlegm-reducing remedies like elderflower and catnip or fever herbs like yarrow or boneset, depending on symptoms.

Caution: high doses can occasionally cause nausea and dizziness.


Next post by me will cover Respiratory Problems.

Continued from the Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody


Respiratory Problems

A holistic approach to health us particularly relevant to respiratory problems. To blame chest complaints on infection, industrial pollution, or an ailing heart is to address only part of the problem: emotional and spiritual factors must be considered as well. In Chinese medicine, the lungs are associated with grief, and it is notable that chest complaints often follow a bereavement or other sorrow, and that chest infections tend to strike when we feel down - perhaps from a disliked job or unhappiness at home. Herbs cannot always resolve these underlying problems, but strengthening lung tonics like elecampane or cowslip, which also act on the nervous system, can help. Breathing and breath have much greater significance in Eastern systems of medicine that they do in the mechanistic Western model. In Ayurvedic medicine, for example, breathing is regarded as the life force, and breath control is an important Yogatic art. In Chinese medicine, too, the breath is equated with qi (vital energy) and controls its flow: respiratory problems are seen not only as damaging to the vital energy but also signifying qi weakness or imbalance. The wide range of herbal respiratory remedies can relieve symptoms and restore inner balance, to tackle the underlying cause of the condition.


Coughs

Marshmellow (parts used flowers, leaves, roots)

Demulcent and expectorant; sooths inflamed respiratory mucous membranes. Take an infusion or tincture, or take 5 ml syrup made from leaves or flowers.

Combination: can be combined with phlegm-reducing herbs like ground ivy, or additional expectorants such as mulberry bark or white horehound.

Caution: none.


Hyssop (parts used aerial, essential oil)

Warming, expectorant, antispasmodic; useful for thin, water phlegm and coughs associated with bronchitis. Take an infusion or tincture, or mix 5 ml essential oil with 20 ml carrier oil for a chest rub.

Combination: combines well with restoratives like elecampane and white horehound in chronic conditions; use 2 parts hyssop to 1 part other herb.

Caution: none.


Sang Bai Pi (parts used root bark)

Cooling expectorant, antitussive; good for “hot” conditions. Take a decoction or tincture.

Combination: Combine with soothing and cooling herbs like amrshmellow leaf or ribwort plantain, or with thyme if there is an infection.

Caution: none.


Anise (parts used tincture, seeds)

Relaxing expectorant, antiseptic and carminative; good for irritant dry coughs and bronchial infections. Take 1 -2 ml tincture three times a day or dilute 10 ml essential oil in 25 ml carrier oil as a chest rub.

Combination: combine with 1 - 2 ml wild lettuce for irritant coughs, or 2 - 3 ml thyme or hyssop tincture in infections. Add 10 drops eucalyptus oil to chest rub.

Caution: none.


Wild Cherry (parts used bark)

Cough suppressant; useful for dry, irritant, or nervous coughs. Take an infusion, or a tincture in 2 ml doses.

Combination: combine with astringents like mullein, tonics such as elecampane, or additional cough suppressants like wild lettuce in severe cases.

Caution: can cause drowsiness; avoid in acute infections.



Excessive Phlegm


Marsh Cudweed (parts used aerial)

Anti-inflammatory; tones up the respiratory system. Take an infusion or tincture.

Combination: combine with phlegm-reducing herbs like elderflower, cang er zi, or goldenrod, using 2 parts marsh cudweed to 1 part other herb.

Caution: none.


Silverweed (parts used aerial)

Astringent and phlegm-reducing; cooling for “hot” phlegm conditions. Take an infusion or tincture.

Combination: combine with cooling and phlegm-reducing herbs like ribwort plantain, or antibacterials like garlic.

Caution: none.


Elder (parts used flowers)

Reduces phlegm; anti-inflammatory and expectorant; useful for upper respiratory tract and musus associated with colds and hay fever. Take an infusion or tincture.

Combination: can be combined with other drying or astringent herbs such as yarrow, ground ivy, goldenrod, agrimony, or bistort to enhance action. Use 3 parts elderflower to 1 part other herbs.

Caution: none.


Goldenrod (parts used aerial)

Drying astringent, phlegm-reducing; anti-inflammatory for the mucous membranes. Take an infusion or tincture.

Combination: can be combined with other phlegm-reducing herbs such as marsh cudweed or xin yi, or demulcents like ribwort plantain.

Caution: none.



Sinusitis


Ground Ivy (parts used leaves)

Phlegm-reducing and astringent; drying for mucus in the sinuses and bronchi. Take an infusion or tincture.

Combination: Can be used with other phlegm-reducing herbs like elderflower or ribwort plantain. Use 2 parts ground ivy to one part other herbs.

Caution: none.


Goldenseal (parts used roots, Rbizome)

Powerful cooling astringent reduces phlegm. Take one 400 - 500 mg capsule of powder or 1 ml tincture three times a day.

Combination: add eyebright powder to capsules.

Caution: avoid in pregnancy or high blood pressure.


Bayberry (parts used bark)

Warming and astringent; stimulates the circulatory system. Use powder as a snuff, or add 5 ml tincture to 20 ml emulsifying ointment and use as a sinus massage.

Combination: Add 2 - 3 drops eucalyptus oil to ointment as an antiseptic and antispasmodic.

Caution: avoid in very “hot” conditions.


Cang Er Zi (parts used fruit)

Warming, phlegm-reducing; useful for sinus headaches and allergic rhinitis. Take a decoction or tincture.

Combination: Generally used in complex combinations of 10 - 15 other herbs to produce specific actions. For sinusitis, add herbs like xing yi, lian Qiao, or mulberry bark.

Caution: very high doses can case a drastic fall in blood sugar.

...continued with Bronchitis

Continued from the Complete Medicinal Herbal by Penelope Ody


Bronchitis


Elecampane (parts used roots)

Lung tonic and expectorant; restorative and warming; good for weakened lungs and stubborn coughs. Take a decoction, tincture or syrup.

Combination: Use as simple, or add 10 ml horsetail juice to heal lung damage; other restorative lung herbs than can be added include hyssop, white horehound and anise.

Caution: none.


White Horehound (parts used aerial)

Antispasmodic, demulcent, and expectorant; relaxes the bronchi and eases congestion. Take an infusion, tincture or syrup; suck horehound candy (avail commercially).

Combination: Can be combined with tonics like elecampane, hyssop or warming expectorants like angelica. Use 2 parts white horehound to 1 part additional herb.

Caution: none.


Cowslip (parts used roots)

Potent expectorant, good for loosening old phlegm and easing stubborn, dry coughs. Take a decoction, tincture of syrup.

Combination: Can be combined with strong expectorants like bloodroot and soothing demulcents such as ribwort plantain or licorice. Use 2 parts cowslip to 1 part additional herbs.

Caution: do not take high doses in pregnancy. Avoid if taking warfarin.



Thyme (parts used aerial, essential oil)

Antiseptic and expectorant; useful for thick, infected phlegm and dry, difficult coughs. Take an infusion, tincture or syrup; for a chest rub, mix 10 drops essential oil in 20 ml almond oil.

Combination: can add additional expectorants such as mulberry bark, or healing herbs like horsetail for damaged lungs; the chest rub can be enhanced with 5 drops hyssop or peppermint essential oil.

Caution: avoid in pregnancy.



Asthma


Roman Chamomile (parts used essential oil, flowers)

Anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic; useful for allergic asthma. Add the essential oil to a chest rub or steam inhalant; immerse 1 tbsp flowers in a bowl of boiling water for a steam inhalant at the first sign of an attack.

Combination: support with internal medicine as for bronchitis.

Caution: do not exceed stated dose. Do not use essential oil in pregnancy.


Ma Huang ( parts used twigs)

Bronchial relaxant and relaxes the blood vessels; warming for all “cold” conditions of the chest. Use only with professional guidance; maximum permitted dose is 2.5 ml of 1:4 tincture three times a day.

Combination: can be prescribed in combination with infusions of white horehound or hyssop. Pill-bearing spurge and gum plant are often added as addition antispasmodics.

Caution: take only as prescribed. Avoid in hypertension, glaucoma or taking MAO inhibitors.


Eucalyptus (parts used essential oil)

Antiseptic, antispasmodic and expectorant. Mix 1 - 2 ml in 25 ml carrier oil for a chest rub; place a few drops on a pillow or handkerchief as an inhalant.

Combination: add a total of 10 -15 drops thyme, peppermint, lemon balm, anise or fennel essential oil to increase antiseptic and expectorant actions.

Caution: none.


Gumplant (parts used aerial)

Antispasmodic and expectorant; eases bronchospasm. Immerse 15 g in 500 ml water for an infusion and take up to 5 ml a day in doses of 1 - 2 ml.

Combination: can be combined with additional antispasmodics such as pill-bearing spurge ( up to 1 ml tincture per dose) or with other tonics like cowslip or elecampane.

Caution: do not take if you have low blood pressure, since it reduces blood pressure. High doses can irritate the kidneys.


..continued next (when I have time) with Eyes, Ears, Mouth & Throat

3. Comfrey Ointment: speeds healing by encouraging cell growth; use only on clean cuts because the rapid healing skin may trap dirt.

reply to post by BindareDundat


www.umm.edu...

" However, the herb contains dangerous substances called pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are highly toxic to the liver and can cause death. In July 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required that dietary supplement manufacturers immediately remove all oral comfrey products from the market. The United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Germany also have banned the sale of oral products containing comfrey."

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are also absorbed through the skin, and harmful amounts may build up in the body. Care should be taken when using an ointment containing comfrey (see "How to Take It" section), and it should never be used on broken skin.

How to Take It
Pediatric

Never give a child comfrey by mouth, and do not apply creams or ointments containing comfrey to a child's skin.

Adult

Never take comfrey by mouth. Severe liver poisoning and even death may occur.

Use only herb and leaf ointments, creams, and other topical preparations. Because toxic alkaloids can be absorbed through the skin, follow these safety recommendations:

Never apply comfrey to broken skin.
Use only small amounts of comfrey-containing creams for no longer than 10 days at a time.
Do not use any comfrey product for more than 4 - 6 total weeks in a year."

Just found this researching your ingredients....thought it might be helpful to point out not to take this orally...star & flag for your post!