HERBAL FIRST AID- Tinctures,ointments,syrups,concentrates,oils

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HERBAL FIRST AID " - Tinctures,ointments,syrups,concentrates,oils

JoAnn Guest

Oct 13, 2004 13:37 PDT

 

 

Part II

http://www.herbsfirst.com/NewsLetters/0801firstaid2.html

 

We are waiting for the millennium, but before that time comes, we

may go through a great deal of hard times and tribulation. Some of

us will be prepared to survive the holocaust or natural disasters

that may occur, and others will be as unprepared as a featherless

turkey in a snowstorm.

 

 

As we write this newsletter, we hope that you will be among the

prepared. All the food you have

stored will do you no good if your family becomes ill and needs the

attention of medication and/or herbs. The transportation system

which connects all the people of the U.S.A. may fail; the rails of

the railroads will become rusty, and perhaps standard medicines will

become unobtainable. The electricity may no longer be the servant of

man, making a phone call to a hospital, doctor's office, or pharmacy

impossible.

 

If you think this message was meant to scare you, it was. It was

meant to frighten you into being prepared by having on hand some of

the simple remedies that can see you and your family through a

crisis. You will be

able to help many people that would otherwise needlessly suffer from

common ailments.

 

In the following pages we will give you some general guidelines for

the preservation and storage of herbs and herbal formulas. Of course the herbs

must be kept in rodent-proof and insect-proof containers, and away from the

deteriorating elements of heat, cold, and moisture.

 

The last pages will help you to gather herbs and dry them. The herbs

and formulas are suggestions that are to be expanded upon according to the

requirements of your own families and friends.

 

-

THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE HERBS FOR LONG-TERM SHORTAGE

 

I. DRIED AND POWDERED HERBS:

 

Be sure that the herbs are absolutely dried, for if they are sealed

in a container with the slightest amount of moisture left in, the entire supply

will mold and be useless for anything except compost. Bulk herbs may be stored

in dark-colored glass bottles with tight-fitting lids.

 

The thing about storing herbs in glass is to remember to put padding

between the bottles so that they are not broken in an earthquake, for example.

The best herb containers we have found are the new, clean, metal one

gallon paint containers with the tight-fitting lids. Fill the can up

as full as possible with the herbs in order to crowd out as much oxygen as

possible.

 

Dry ice can often be placed in the container to eliminate

oxygen from the can. This would slow down the oxidation rate of the

herbs. These cans can be sealed further by waxing the lid fitting.

 

Dried powdered herbs can also be stored in gelatin capsules in

dark-colored glass jars, plastic jars or metal containers well

sealed.

 

Herbs stored in this manner should keep their potency for several

years or more.

 

II. TINCTURES:

 

Tinctures are a concentrated liquid herbal extract using alcohol,

apple cider vinegar, or vegetable glycerine. Often the healing properties of the

herb are better extracted with the above solvents than just plain water.

 

Tinctures are easy to make and they are great for storage because

they take up so little room. To make a tincture we take one ounce of

the dried herbs to a pint of grain alcohol such as eighty proof vodka.

 

Put these into a glass jar, and close the jar. Shake the jar vigorously several

times a day for fourteen days. (Some herbalists say that tinctures are more

potent when begun on the new moon.) In emergency situations we have made

tinctures in as little as three days, but for full potency, fourteen days is

standard. Do not exceed fourteen days.

Strain off the liquid, squeezing all the liquid from the solid

herbs. Discard the solids.

 

Bottle the tincture in dark colored glass bottles and cover it

tightly. If you are going to store the tincture for the future, melt some

paraffin wax and dip the stoppered bottle top into the wax to

prevent evaporation through microscopic air leaks around the stopper.

 

Tinctures will last indefinitely. We have opened up tinctures that are still

potent after twenty years of storage.

 

These tinctures can be administered as is, a few drops at a time, or

diluted in distilled water or juice. If you do not wish to take the

alcohol internally, you may put several drops of tincture into a cup

of

hot water and the alcohol will evaporate off leaving the healing

properties of the herb in the water. Alcohol is used when there are

resinous or oily properties in the herb. Glycerine or cider vinegar

will

not often be able to extract these oils and resins.

 

Tinctures are usually made with dried herbs because they take up

one-eighth the room as of fresh herbs.

 

 

Pure vegetable glycerine can be used in a tincture as follows: You

may make a concentrated tea by allowing about one-third to three-fourths of the

original water to evaporate off of an already strained tea. Do this on low

heat--never boil. Then add one-third to three-fourths parts of vegetable

glycerine to the cooled tea. This may also be put into dark colored glass

bottles and stoppered. The vegetable glycerine acts as a preservative and a

healing and soothing agent.

 

Another way to make it is to soak four ounces of powdered herb in a

pint of solution made from one-fourth pint (four ozs.) of vegetable

glycerine and three-fourths pint (12 ozs.) of steamed distilled water. Put the

lid on the jar. Shake the jar vigorously every day for ten days and strain and

bottle as in the first tincture recipe.

 

Glycerine is naturally sweet and will often impart a pleasant flavor to many

herbal preparations.

 

An example is the home-made cough syrup made from fresh onions,

licorice root, raw honey and glycerine. Make sure you obtain the pure vegetable

glycerine for your formulas.

 

The glycerine sold in most drugstores are either synthetic (inorganic) or made

from animal by-products. There

is an excellent discourse on vegetable glycerine in Doctor Shook's

Advanced Treatise in Herbology with more recipes using glycerine.

 

III. OINTMENTS:

 

An ointment is made from dried herbs soaked in olive oil, often

aromatic herb oils are added. This is heated at a low temperature, usually under

130Ï F. The solids are strained out and melted beeswax is added to solidify the

oil to a spreadable consistency. If the ointment is not solidified sufficiently,

add more beeswax. If it is too solidified add olive oil. While ointment is still

liquid, pour into small, white glass jars, such as the cold cream type jars.

Seal the jars with lids; the lids may also be waxed with paraffin wax.

 

 

VALUABLE OINTMENTS SUITABLE FOR STORAGE

 

Stings & Bites Ointment: Good for any insect bite or other poisonous

bites, such as from scorpions, snakes, bees, wasps, ants, etc. Very

useful when the red streaks of blood poisoning have appeared on the

skin.

 

They will recede back toward the point of origin with plantain

ointment. Collect plantain while it is available; some years it is

scarce. The people will thank you for taking it from their lawns,

for they consider it an obnoxious weed.

 

 

Cayenne ointment: Made with cayenne, olive oil, aromatic oils, and

beeswax. Useful for sore muscles or wherever heat is needed

externally.

 

Comfrey ointment: A fabulous healing ointment for cuts, burns,

abrasions, dry, sore or chapped areas, wounds, etc.

 

Itch ointment: Useful when any type of eczema or rash appears on the

skin. Relieves itching in minutes.

 

Complete Tissue ointment: A convenient and compact way to store the

herbs in the Bone, Flesh and Cartilage Formula, containing oak bark,

mullein, walnut leaves, marshmallow root, comfrey root, wormwood,

lobelia, skullcap, gravel root, beeswax and olive oil. This is one

of

nature's finest combinations of herbs for healing any injury to the

bone, flesh or the cartilage.

 

Rash Ointment: Comfrey, Marigold, and Marshmallow Root ointment:

Another soothing and healing ointment for poison ivy, oak, etc.

---

 

TINCTURES SUGGESTED FOR STORAGE

 

TINCTURE OF CAYENNE: This tincture heals wounds, cuts through mucus,

good for sore throats, and tonsillitis; milder solutions can be used

in the nose, eyes, and ears for cleaning up microscopic " lounge

lizards " in infections. Has been successfully used for resuscitation of newborn

infants; a few drops administered orally. The best and safest stimulant known to

man.

 

TINCTURE OF LOBELIA: It is made with apple cider vinegar instead of

alcohol. Lobelia lends its properties better to apple cider vinegar.

It is good to remove obstructions from any part of the body.

Emetic.

Neutralizes vaccines, treats lockjaw and tetanus. Also useful in

mononucleosis. Wonderful in labor and childbirth. Especially good

for lung ailments where phlegm is present.

 

 

SYRUPS

 

One of the best preparations to have on hand is the hawthorn berry

syrup. Hawthorn berries are well known as a cardiac tonic, and have

been used for centuries.

 

If the heart has not been fed with the proper foods, the hawthorn berry syrup

can be used to return the weakened heart to a

state of good repair.

 

Hawthorn berries is one of the richest foods for the heart that we have. It has

been successfully used to treat leakage

of the heart, rapid and feeble heart action, lesions left by former

heart attacks, insufficiency in the valves, cardiac dropsy,

hypertrophy, and other functional and congenital heart disorders.

 

There are several hundred types of heart diseases known to the medical

profession, but the good thing about hawthorn berry syrup is that it will heal

all of them,

including 'broken hearts'.

 

It is made with hawthorn berry (Crataegus oxyacantha of the rose family)

concentrate, grape brandy and pure vegetable glycerine as medicinal aids and

preservatives. The recommended

dosage is 1/2 teaspoon three times a day. We must remember that any

remedy is far more effective when we follow the mucusless diet.

 

 

HAWTHORN BERRY SYRUP - HEART FOOD RECIPE

 

We always use stainless steel, Pyrex glass, or uncracked porcelain

utensils in preparing a formula.

 

Never aluminum, Teflon, copper,

iron, or cracked porcelain.

 

If you use the fresh hawthorn berries put them into a pan and fill

the pan with distilled water 2 inches from the top of the pan. If you have dried

berries, reconstitute the berries until they are about their normal size and

then add water to cover the berries and add an additional inch of water.

 

Simmer this mixture on a low simmer (under

130 degrees Fahrenheit) for about 15 or 20 minutes. Stir while

simmering. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it steep for 15 to 20

minutes. Strain the liquid off of the top of the solids. Set aside the liquid in

a clean container.

 

Mash the remainder of the berries and cover them with steam

distilled water, adding an additional inch of water to the solution. When

distilled water is used, the resulting tea is more potent than with ordinary tap

water. Simmer this mixture for 20 minutes, stirring while you are simmering.

Remove pan from heat. Let steep for 20 minutes.

Strain off the liquid and press the excess liquid from the solids.

 

Combine the second batch of liquid with the first batch of liquid.

Stir them together. Put them into a clean pan on low heat.

 

Simmer slowly with the lid off, stirring while simmering. If you do

not have the patience to simmer and stir, then put the mixture into a double

boiler so that it will not burn. Simmer the liquid to 1/4 its original amount.

(if you have one gallon as the original amount, you will want to reduce it to

one quart).

 

Be sure to stir the mixture regularly so that it will not burn. You will now be

left with a thick hawthorn berry solution, a 7x or 7 power concentrate. Let us

suppose, for convenience,

that you have one quart of solution. Add to this 1/4 quart (or one

fourth the amount of the solution) of grape brandy and 1/4 quart of

pure vegetable glycerine.

 

The vegetable glycerine is United States Pharmaceutical grade of glycerine

derived from plant sources. Stir

the mixture thoroughly. Bottle it in dark colored bottles and cork it tightly.

To preserve the heart tonic for future use, turn the bottle upside down in

melted paraffin wax in order to wax the lid on and form an air-tight seal.

 

This is one of the only good tasting herbal preparations we have, so

don't let relatives and occasional guests gulp it down

indiscriminately after you have spent so many hours in the preparation of it.

 

A lady suffering from cardiac dropsy used the syrup and she was able

to see her ankles for the first time in four years. My father-in-law

was born with leakage of the heart and had to be carried on a pillow as a baby.

 

He began taking the hawthorn berry syrup at the age of 62

years. At 65 he was given a clean bill of health. He lived to the age of 81 and

never suffered a heart attack.

 

Hawthorn berry syrup is high in calcium and is an excellent food for

the veins and arteries.

 

 

ANTI-PLAGUE FORMULA

 

This next formula is a must. We have been warned by the scriptures

of the coming of great plagues. Some visionaries see death in the

streets by possible nuclear wars. But ordinary medical and hospital systems may

be destroyed or greatly set back. Doctors will have to decide which

cases they can accept and which they will have to reject. All manner

of

infectious diseases abound and filth and vermin may infect the

cities as

survivors struggle for existence.

 

The anti-plague formula is in part based on the four thieves vinegar

which consists of garlic, vinegar and other herbs used by several

men

while the plague ravaged the European Continent. It enabled them to

loot

the bodies of plague victims without contracting the disease

themselves.

When the King of France caught them and questioned them about their

immunity to the disease, they paid off with the herbal formula

instead

of their lives. Through the auspices of the good Lord, we have added

to

the original garlic and vinegar formula and have come up with a new

and

improved plague formula. It will aid in warding off infectious

diseases

and we have testimonies that it cures everything from car sickness

to

influenza.

 

We recommend that you have on hand several gallons of this mixture

and

store it in glass bottles in such a manner that the bottles will not

bump against each other (as in a earthquake) and break, spilling out

the

precious contents.

 

Perhaps you can insulate the bottles in cardboard cartons with other

packing materials surrounding them. Here is how to prepare the

formula;

because there are so many ingredients, we suggest an " anti-plague

formula party " in which each person prepare one of the concentrates

and

then everyone combines all the liquid as stated in the instructions.

 

PLAGUE FORMULA:

 

Mix well the following liquid ingredients:

 

8 parts apple cider vinegar

 

5 parts glycerine U.S. P.

 

5 parts honey

 

2 parts garlic juice, fresh

 

2 parts comfrey root concentrate

 

1 part wormwood concentrate

 

1 part lobelia leaf and/or seed concentrate

 

1 part marshmallow root concentrate

 

1 part oak bark concentrate

 

1 part black walnut bark concentrate

 

1 part mullein leaf concentrate

 

1 part skullcap leaf concentrate

 

1 part uva ursi, hydrangea, or gravel root concentrate

 

TO MAKE CONCENTRATES:

 

Each concentrate should be made individually. Start by soaking the

herb

for four hours or more in enough distilled water to cover it

completely.

After soaking, add more distilled water so that the total added

equals

16 oz. (.5 liter) water per 4 oz. (113 grams) herb. Use a multiple

of

these amounts for a larger quantity of formula. Using these amounts

approximately one gallon (3.75 liters) of the formula will be

produced.

 

After adding the appropriate amount of distilled water to the soaked

herb, simmer the herb on very low heat in a covered pan or double

boiler

for thirty minutes. Then strain the liquid into a clean pan. Put the

liquid into a double boiler or on very low heat (uncovered) and

simmer

(steam) it down to one fourth of the original volume (4 oz. 1256

ml).

Only after all ingredients have been prepared should the liquids be

mixed.

 

Do not use aluminum, Teflon, or cracked porcelain. Glass, corning

ware

or stainless steel or whole porcelain are best.

 

(dose 1 tsp. 3 times a day; or 1 tablespoon every 1/2 hour if

infected)

 

 

OILS

 

These should all be organic; mineral oil is never used.

 

 

OILS FOR STORAGE

 

OLIVE OIL: Commercial olive oil should be cold pressed, if possible,

and

already hermetically sealed in cans. Often it is possible to obtain

pint, quart, or gallon cans from a supplier. The smaller cans will

be

used more quickly and freshness will be better assured. If cans are

not

available, olive oil can be purchased in bottles and should be

stored so

they will not break. Olive oil has healing properties and bacteria

cannot grow in it. It is good for massage, and can be used in making

ointments. Oils of various herbs can be made from olive oil and the

herb.

 

Examples of herb oils made with olive oil:

 

OIL OF GARLIC: Made from fresh garlic, crushed or sliced and placed

in a

Pyrex cake pan, covered with olive oil, and put in a warm (not hot)

area, such as a radiator or warm oven or sunny place for about

twelve

hours. The oil is then filtered and the solids are discarded. Bottle

the

oil in dark bottles, stopper the bottle and was the stopper, store

in a

cool place.

 

OIL OF MULLEIN, Respiratory Massage Oil: Made by low heating dried

mullein and olive oil (under 130ÏF) for several hours until the oil

from

the mullein comes out into the olive oil. Bottle in dark bottles and

wax

stopper. Store in a cool place. Many different herb oils can be

extracted with the olive oil method.

 

CASTOR OIL: This oil can be obtained commercially and is used for

the

liver fomentation to open the capillaries of the liver. It is an

excellent external healing oil for discomforts of windburn and is

good

for massage. But we never use castor oil internally or for a

laxative.

 

WHEAT GERM OIL: In the past we have advised folks to obtain wheat

germ

oil in quart cans in a veterinary brand such as Rex, but we have

found

that recently they have been adding very high amounts of vitamins A,

D,

and E, to each ounce of oil to bolster up the health of farm

animals.

The source of the vitamins may very well be synthetic and toxic.

Until

we can find an unadulterated, economical source of the oil, we have

to

recommend the oil from the nutrition stores which is safe for human

use.

 

 

There are many other oils such as organic oil of wintergreen, oil of

cinnamon, anise seed oil, etc., which can be obtained commercially

and

stored for future use.

 

 

COLLECTING HERBS

 

Ideally you should gather your own herbs. In this way you are

assured of

the source of their origin, and will not have doubts regarding

handling,

drying procedures, and purity. There are many handbooks available on

herbs and identification--such can be obtained in health food

stores,

libraries, or agricultural extensions of the states. In addition,

there

is an increasing number of people who are interested in the subject

and

often take others on 'herb walks' to identify herbs in the field.

Check

with your local university or college botany department for classes

in

identification of local plants.

 

Wild herbs generally have more medicinal value than cultivated

varieties

because they select their own sites. Cultivated herbs will suffice

if

wild varieties are unavailable. See to it that you select a patch of

herbs that are in a clean area. A roadside growth is exposed to

fumes

from automobiles, dust or chemical pollution will obviously not be

as

wholesome as herbs growing in a remote meadow. Don't hesitate to

gather

herbs in your back yard, however, Plantain, for example, grows

profusely

some years on lawns and should be gathered when it's abundant.

Sometimes

an herb is present one year and absent another depending on seed and

weather condition. So gather them while you may. A word of caution

about

picking herbs (weeds) in public parks; the lawns are often sprayed

with

toxic herbicides and dog feces are present in parks. The latter can

be

carriers of parasites.

 

Remember, when you harvest a plant, never take more than one-third

of

the plant or the plant will die. The native Americans had a good

practice. They never took a plant unless they first offered a prayer

of

thanksgiving to the Creator for its use.

 

Herbs should be collected in dry weather.

 

ANNUALS

 

Plant types:

 

The herbs are generally gathered according to their particular

growth

cycle; annuals, biennials or perennial.

 

ANNUALS: These plants have one growing season-the seed germinates,

the

plant flowers and bears fruit, and then dies.

 

BIENNIALS: These plants germinate and establish a good root system

during the first year, flower and bear fruit at the end of the

second

year, and then die. A good example of this would be burdock, wherein

the

first year a very powerful root is developed, but no blossom or

seed.

During the second year, the blossoms come and the seeds are gathered

but

at this time the root is pithy and almost worthless.

 

PERENNIAL: These plants live and bear fruit a number of years before

they die.

 

Time of day: Gather in the cool of the morning after the dew has

evaporated, or in the evening before the dew forms on the plant.

Gather

before the sun is high, for the sun causes the leaves to droop, and

some

of the plant's valuable oils are released into the atmosphere.

 

Where to gather: Preferably gather wild plants from high, dry soils,

exposed to clean air and abundant sunshine.

 

Gathering plant parts: In all cases, gathering must be selective

according to the type of plant and the part to be used.

 

AROMATICS: (Such as pennyroyal, peppermint, spearmint.) Gather after

the

flower buds are formed and the flower is just about to open. In such

plants the extremely volatile medicines will be lost if gathered at

the

wrong time.

 

BARKS: Or cortices. Gather either in the spring or autumn. Resinous

barks: (such as cinchona, wild cherry, viburnum, white oak, rubus,

pomegranate, cascara sagrada, junglans, cinnamon, sassafras,

cascarilla). Preferably gather in the spring before the flowering

season.

 

Other gummy barks: Preferably gather in autumn after the foliage has

fallen. Generally the barks from younger trees should be used, as

their

medicinal properties are usually more viable and easily extracted.

Take

care to separate the decayed parts and impurities from the good

barks to

be used, and the rougher barks should be tossed (this is scraping or

shaving the outer bark), and only the inner bark used.

 

BUDS: (Such as quaking aspen, cloves). Gather nicely formed, before

the

flower expands.

 

BULBS: (Such as squills, garlic). Gather after the leaves of the

plant

die.

 

BERRIES: (Such as buckthorn, elder). Gather when ripe. Elderberries

should be gathered when dark, and do not pick too green. Hawberries

of

the hawthorn tree should be picked when they are black and almost

ready

to shatter. Juniper berries and bayberries should be gathered when

just

ripening, but not quite mellow. Juniper berries are usually in two

sets

of berries on the bush, the green ones and the dark ones. The dark

ones

are second year and ripe berries--pick these, but never use the

green

ones.

 

EXCRESCENCES: (Such as nutgall, oakgall). Gather when the leaves are

matured--after the strength has risen from the roots.

 

FLOWERS: And petals (Such as sambucus, lavender, clover, camomile,

and

coltsfoot.) Gather when about to open from the bud, but any lengthy

delay will result in loss of the essential oils. With larger

flowers,

the petals should be removed before drying. With some flowers, only

the

petals are preserved and the colorless claws are cut away, but

flowers

having an odorless calyx are entirely preserved. When the flowers

are

too small to pick singly, cut with part of the stalk.

 

FRUIT: (Such as juniper, hops, dill, black pepper, cayenne, cardamon

seed.) Gather when succulent and ripe (except when specified to be

gathered in the unripe stage, as with cubeb), but before they fall

spontaneously.

 

GUM-RESINS: (Such as camphor, copaiba, gambage.) The gums and resins

which come to the surface of barks are easier to collect in the cool

of

the day (morning and evening) when they are more solidified. A

tapping

procedure can also be used to extract the saps.

 

LEAVES: (Such as rosemary, eucalyptus, uva ursi, senna, buchu.)

Gather

as soon as fully matured, before flowering or after maturation of

the

fruit. The medicinal value shifts in the growing stages from the

leaf

again. Take care to gather the leaves when the potency is highest in

that particular part. Never totally strip any herb when gathering

leaves; avoid damage to the plant.

 

Take a few leaves from this area and from that area, and get ample,

but

do not rob any bush or tree of all its leaves. The large leaves

appearing before the stalk appears usually are more juicy and

valuable

than those that extended later from the stalk, as the former have

the

full nourishment of the root, but these often lose their value and

die

as the stalk begins to rise.

 

Annuals: Gather when about to flower or in flower.

 

Aromatic annuals: Gather after the flower buds are formed.

 

Biennials: Gather the leaves of the second year of growth only

(first

year leaves do not have their full medicinal value), before the

stalk

begins to shoot.

 

Perennial: Gather before flowering (especially if fibers thereafter

become woody).

 

Leaves on stalks or stems should be stripped as soon as possible,

and

all other leaves should be cut close to the root.

 

Leaves should be shaken clean and not washed; they may be wiped.

 

HERB (whole): (Such as chondrus, pulsatilla, lobelia, peppermint,

catnip, horehound.) Gather when the heads are formed for flowering,

but

not yet opened. The plant after this begins to lose potency, to

decay

medicinally. If used fresh (e.g., for an infusion), cut only the

tops

(see " Tops " ).

 

Annuals: Cut three to four inches above ground to allow a second

growth.

 

 

Perennial: Cut the side branches two-thirds down the stalk.

 

OLEORESINS: Similar to gum resins.

 

RHIZOMES: Or rhizomata. (Such as ginger, calamus, iris, geranium,

podophyllum, valerian, arnica, serpentaria, hydrastis.) Similar to

roots, (see below).

 

ROOTS: or radices. (Such as comfrey, sarsaparilla, poke, ginseng.)

The

roots of annuals and biennials usually have limited value whereas

the

roots of perennial possess great virtue, which generally increases

in

potency over the years. Roots are usually gathered in the early part

of

spring (last of February, early part of March) when the plant juices

are

concentrated.

 

Roots of Annuals: Gather before the flowering season and not after,

because then the root becomes less active.

 

Biennial roots: Gather in the autumn of the first year, after the

foliage has fallen; use only seedling roots, when the full medicinal

strength becomes concentrated.

 

Perennial roots: Gather in autumn after the leaves and flowers (or

tops)

are fully matured, or in the springtime before growth period

commences -

the gathering in the fall after the sap returns to the roots and in

the

spring before the sap begins to run. If the root is covered by tough

bark (such as pareira, ipecac), it should be peeled while fresh,

wherein

it slips easily and does not adhere.

 

SEEDS: Seeds or burrs, pits, etc. (Such as colchicum, almond,

pumpkin,

mustard, linseed, nutmeg, burdock, sweetpit apricot.) There are

three

kinds of seeds; those with naked heads (fennel, parsley), those in

pods

(mustard, cresses), and those surrounded by fleshy fruit (melon,

cucumbers).

 

Umbels or naked heads: The heads should be plucked when the seeds

are

brown and the stalks are dry-looking; they can be separated with

slight

threshing. Do not wait too long in harvesting or else the seeds will

drop. Umbels can be gathered easily by spreading paper in a basket

and

cutting them directly into it; to prevent the loss of seeds that are

ready to fall, take care to thresh very gently the seeds in the

finer

heads or pods, so as not to bruise the seeds; the umbels can be

rubbed

between the palms of the hands, with the seeds and chaff being

separated

through an appropriate sieve which permits passage of the seed, but

not

the coarser chaff. The chaff may also be separated by holding the

seeds

high and pouring them slowly in a gentle breeze onto a canvas or

other

appropriate covering. Oily seeds from odorous plants and those

containing volatile, effervescent principles must be gathered every

year, as much potency is lost in storage. Other seeds with more

permanent and stable properties can be kept several years.

 

Pods: Seeds in pods should be left of the plant until fully ripe and

mature, and plucked after the plant begins drying; and these seeds

may

be separated (dislodged) from the pods with a strong stroke or two

of

the plant upon the floor.

 

Fleshly fruit: The seeds of fleshy fruit must be removed and

separated

from the surrounding membranes and wet matter, which should be

removed

after the meat or fruit has become fully ripe and succulent.

 

SPROUTS: Collect before the buds open.

 

STALKS: Gather in autumn, soon after the flowers decay.

 

STEM: Herbaceous: Gather after foliage has appeared, but before the

blossoms develop.

 

Woody: Gather in autumn after the foliage falls and the leaves

decay,

and before vegetation occurs in the spring.

 

TOPS: (Such as broom, eternal flower.) Tops are gathered when the

whole

herbs are to be used fresh, with the tops three to four inches long,

but

gather only one inch or less when consumed raw.

 

TUBERS: Tubors or bulbs or corms. (Such as colchicum, Indian turnip,

jalap.) Gather same as roots. Be sure that tubers are not damaged in

collection, because many of them lose medicinal potency when cut

into

too deeply.

 

TWIGS: (Such as dulcamara, scoparius, Dyer's greenwood.) Gather soon

after the flowers have decayed.

 

WOODS: (Such as auassia, guaiacum.) Gather when the active

principles

are most concentrated in them, which is in the spring or autumn, and

preferably from older trees. The alburnum part (the young soft wood

of a

dicotyledonous stem, the tissue outside the heart wood and near the

cambium) is to be rejected, and with resinous woods only the heavier

material that will sink in water should be selected.

 

Herbs that grow moldy, smell musty, or become lighter or brown by

too

much heat or sunlight in in the drying process have lost much of

their

medicinal value. Dry all herbs carefully.

 

 

 

 

GENERAL DRYING INSTRUCTIONS

 

Outdoors: Spread a thin layer of the herb on a drying screen

(ordinary

window screens covered with cheesecloth, fiberglass screening)

mounted

on sawhorses or legs, placed in racks, propped on chairs, etc., to

permit free air circulation both over and under, turning the herb

occasionally. Drying should be done in the shade, never in direct

sunlight, as quickly as possible so that both the volatile

principles

and leaf color are retained (three or four days are usually

sufficient).

Herbs that are dried too slowly (not enough warmth, too much

moisture in

the air) or with too much heat (direct sunlight) will lose active

principles or the volatile particles.

 

Indoors: Dry in a dust-free room, at mild temperature, and away from

direct sunlight (an attic with cross-ventilation is especially

good).

The herbs may be spread out on a drying screen, or they may be tied

in

small bundles and hung with the flower heads downward from a line or

cord stretched across the room (this is especially good for leafy

foliage and when the whole herb is dried). When a drying rack is

used,

turning the herb occasionally will prevent molding; and in all

instances, the herb must be crackly-dry (snap or crumble at slight

bending or pressure) before storing, or else the moisture remaining

in

the herb will cause molding. Those herbs dried on a line or cord

should

be removed as soon as fully dried, for they will attract dust and

insects.

 

Artificial Heat: Oven drying is generally poor because of the

difficulty

in accurately regulating the temperature and, if done improperly,

the

oils evaporate and the herb becomes scorched. But when controlled,

artificial drying is possible (under 130ÏF), infinitely more value

will

be retained by this quick drying process. The herbs dried quickly

will

have little odor when they are perfectly dry, but after a period of

time

some moisture is absorbed again from the atmosphere and they regain

their proper odor. When artificial heat is being used (such as an

electric burner or a gas burner), have a fan with an automatic

switch,

so that whenever the heat is on, the fan is on, and whenever the fan

is

off, the heat automatically stops. The fan may also be operated by

itself. A thermostat would do this automatically.

 

Separate and label: Be sure to keep all herbs separated and labeled

during the drying process as the dried herbs look different from the

green plant, and in most cases, identification will be most

difficult.

 

 

 

 

DRYING PLANT PARTS

 

AROMATICS: These herbs should be dried according to the part that is

to

be used, but be very careful that they are not piled (a single layer

is

best here) and that drying is moderate; always in the shade or

indoors.

 

BARK: Most barks are best used fresh, yet they retain their

medicinal

value well when dry. For easy handling and usage, bark should be cut

into moderately small pieces before drying. These may be dried

outdoors

with moderate sun heat, layering them on sticks, slats, boards,

etc., a

few inches apart to allow free air circulation, but must be taken

indoors at night into a well-ventilated room, allowing spaces

between

pieces for free air circulation. Barks may be tested for dryness by

bending slightly, and if no moisture is present, they will snap

immediately:

 

BUDS: Dry similar to leaves.

 

BULBS: These can be dried in the shade with good air circulation, or

better still, they can be hung from rafters in net bags.

 

BERRIES: These must be dried in the shade in moderate temperature,

and

never too quickly. They should only be one layer of berries on the

drying rack because they mold very easily.

 

EXCRESCENTS: Appendages of plants (such as burrs, briers, or galls

of

oaks) require only a few days' exposure to the air on a table before

storing.

 

FLOWERS: Flowers are usually used fresh, but can be preserved in the

form of syrup (as cloves or poppy), in conserves (cowslip), or

dried,

although the drying must be done quickly and carefully. Flowers are

dried variously--some use only the petals, some are preserved in the

whole head, others retain the leaves about them, while still others

remove the flower and use only the hip. Flowers should not be

exposed to

direct sunlight during drying, and the addition of a slight degree

of

artificial warmth is best to hasten the process. A good test for

flowers

is that medicinal value is lost when the color and odor are gone.

 

FRUIT: This is dried variously. Shaded fruit should be cut into

relatively thin pieces, as chunks that are too large will mold

readily;

but fan drying and the application of artificial heat is good (under

130ÏF). When drying fruit, MCP pectin may be sprinkled on it for

longer

storage life and tangy flavor. Use one package for five quarts. You

can

shake it out from a salt shaker. Don't ever use sulphur dioxide for

drying fruit. It is highly poisonous.

 

GUM-RESINS: These do not have to be dried when they are kept in

closed

containers, or they may be dried and crystallized (either way is

good).

 

HERBS: Remove dead or decayed matter, spread thinly on a drying rack

or

tie in very small bunches and hand about one foot apart on lines

across

a well-ventilated room, until completely dry.

 

LEAVES: Pluck from the stem (except those with small leaflets such

as

thyme and wintery savory). Spread loosely upon a drying rack away

from

direct sunlight (allowing free air circulation over and under), and

stir

sufficiently to avoid molding.

 

RHIZOMES: Dry same as roots.

 

ROOTS: Most roots may be dried and preserved for a period of time,

but

certain roots lose their medicinal virtues by drying (such as poke

root), and must be used fresh or kept buried in the sand or covered

with

soil to keep them from deteriorating rapidly. The roots to be dried

should be cleaned (a brush is excellent or a little cold water may

be

used) and the decayed matter, fibers, and little roots removed and,

with

the exception of certain resinous roots, the worm-eaten roots should

be

discarded. The thick and strong roots should be split, cut, and

sliced

immediately into small pieces (while the roots are yet green and

fresh),

as this will hasten the drying and curing process, and hinder mold.

If

the root is covered by a tough bark, peel it off immediately; the

longer

you wait, the more difficult it will be. Non-aromatic roots

(consisting

principally of fiber or a small top) may be dried artificially with

heat

under 130ÏF; aromatic roots should be dried in a current of cold air

and

turned frequently. It is always better to dry roots in a dark room,

as

sunlight will turn the lighter hue to a darker and more unsightly

one.

Before storing roots in some appropriate container, always test for

dryness, which is, if they snap in two when slightly bent, then they

are

thoroughly dried.

 

SEEDS: Seeds growing in umbels, naked heads or pods should be left

on

the plant until ripe, then separated (as heretofore described)

spread

onto drying screens, on heavy cloth, or on canvas laid on the floor

of a

well-ventilated, warm room and left five to six days; then the chaff

should be removed (as heretofore described) in a gentle breeze; then

the

seeds are spread out again on the cloth covered drying screen

another

seven to ten days, turning them frequently. The seeds of fleshy

fruit,

after they are separated from the surrounding membranes and wet

matter,

should be placed on a table or dry place and rubbed occasionally

during

the drying process, so that they will be clean when dry. Generally,

seeds are gathered when fully ripe, however, they need little care,

and

after three to four days on a clean floor or wire mesh (where there

is

free passage of air, but not exposure to sun), the seeds are ready

for

storage.

 

SPROUTS: Dry the same as leaves or herbs, indoors, and away from

sunlight.

 

STEMS: Dry same as leaves and twigs.

 

STALKS: Dry same as bark, because they are a tough type of herb.

 

TOPS: Dry carefully, as with leaves and flowers.

 

TUBERS: Dry similar to roots.

 

TWIGS: Dry same as leaves, but slightly longer.

 

WOODS: Dry same as barks, but here, any sunlight will turn the

lighter

woods dark.

 

The best thing about having a good first aid kit and emergency

storage

is never needing to use it, but having it readily available if you

ever

have to use it. We hope these suggestions will come in handy in

helping

you be prepared for emergencies. However, remember to seek the help

of a

physician, if needed, and not try to help or heal someone when it is

beyond your ability to do so.

 

Used by Permission - Dr. Christopher's Newsletters - Volume 3 Number

2

 

return to newsletters

 

 

 

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DISCLAIMER

 

The information provided here is for educational purposes only, and

should not be used to diagnose and treat diseases. If you have a

serious

health problem, we recommend that you consult a competent health

practitioner.

 

After each product is a list of what it has been used to aid. We are

not

claiming that the product will cure any of these diseases or that we

created them to cure these disorders. We are merely reporting that

people have used the product to aid these conditions.

 

Finally, we wish to caution you that the information on this web

site is

for educational purposes only. Always consult with a qualified

health

practitioner before deciding on any course of treatment, especially

for serious or life-threatening illnesses.

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes