| Directions for Use of Non-Poisonous Herbs |
| Granulated or finely cut herbs should be steeped. Usually about a heaping teaspoonful of the herbs to a cup of boiling water for twenty minutes, then strain, and take one cup one hour before each meal and one cup before going to bed. You may take more or less according to need. If the tea is too strong, use less herbs per cup. Roots and barks are prepared differently than cut herbs. Roots must be simmered for about a half hour or more. Do not boil them hard however. Should you gather the bark and roots yourself, cut or crush them fine. If you gather or raise herbs and barks use good judgement when making teas, should they be to strong add more water. Leaves and flowers should never be boiled. To pepare these parts of the herb steep them in boiling water in a covered dish for twenty minutes, just as you would make a normal pot of tea. If you boil them it will evaporate the aromatic proporites of the herbs. Powdered herbs may be mixed in cold or hot water. Usually the dose is around one half teaspoon to one fourth a glass of water. Follow the herb by drinking one glass water, either hot or cold. Herbs should take effect quicker when taken with hot water. You may also want to mix the powedered herbs with food (like mashed potatoes) to take them. When taking herbs use good judgement in the amount of herbs taken. "If one can cure, two can kill." Usually four cups a day, one cup an hour before each meal and a cup when going to bed is common dosage. However, everyone is different and if the results of the herb is not good then the dose, or particular herb, may need to be adjusted. Also, beware of the cautions of some herbs and do not take more than recommened of substances that are "very powerful;" this could result in death or harm to you. People with sensative stomaches (due to a condition such as ulcerated stocmach, etc.) may become sick and/or nauseated after taking some herbs. If this happens don't worry it is merely the condition of the stomach not the herbs. If the stomach is very sensative start by taking teaspoonful doses of tea, around every fifteen minutes and increase the amount until able to take the required amount. If somone become sick or otherwise ill after taking an herbal rememdy and it is NOT a symptom of the condition for which the herb was taken, immediately seek outside help either though a hospital or herbalist. If you find the taste of a herbal tea disagreeable, then you make add malt sugar or honey. Honey is ecspecially helpful for children who are not likely to drink something they don't enjoy the taste of. When sweetening teas DO NOT use Cane Sugar. Also, you should NEVER mix herbal remedies and drugs; prescription or otherwise! You do not know what they will do together and more often than not it results in serious harm and even death. NEVER preapre herbs in aluminum utensils, I always use enamel or stone. Syrups are a very common way to take herbs and can last a long time. A simple syrup can be made from dissolving three pounds brown sugar in a pint of boiling water, boil until thick. After boiling add any medicinal substance you like. For making syrups you can use malt honey, bee's honey, or karo syrup. If you want to make herb syrup add the cut herbs (for granulated sift), and boil to a syrupy consistency, strain, and bottle. Lemon Syrup; boil one pint of lemon juce ten minutes, strain, add three pounds of brown sugar, and boil a few minutes longer. Wild Cherry Syrup; 2 oz. wild cherry bark, 2 oz. cubeb berries, 2 oz. mullein, 2 oz. skunk cabbage, and 2 oz,. lobelia herb. Add four quarts boiling water, simmer 10 minutes, and let stand until almost cold then strain into a porcleain cooking dish, add four pounds of brown sugar. Then boil all that down to a meduim thick syrup; it must be thick so it will not sour. Add the jucie of four lemons and boil two or three minutes longer. Strain again. Let cool and then use and/or bottle. Herbal Salves aren't very hard to make either. Use fresh flowers, barks, leaves, roots, or dried granulated, or powdered herbs. If you can gather the herbs yourself and use them fresh, but be sure to cut them finely. Use one pound of herbs to one and a half pounds coca fat or pure vegetable oil, and four ounces beeswax. In warmer climates use more beeswax (this keeps the salve firm). Mix all the ingredients together, cover, and place in hot sun or oven, with the fire low, for three or four hours. Strain though a fine sieve or cloth. When the mixture is cold it will be ready for use but it can be used before cold. Poultices confuse many people, but they needn't be so mystifiying. Keep in mind that you do not warm over a poultice once it has been used, do not let it become cold. You should always have a second poultice ready upon removing the first. When making a poultic herbs are best when granulated or ground up. For powdered herbs mix with just enough water to make a thick paste. For granulated herbs mix with water, cornmeal, or flaxseed to get the thick paste. If you have fresh, green leaves beat them up, steep, and apply them to the affected parts. Poultices are most commonly used for enlarged glands (such as glands of the neck, breast, groin, prostate, anywhere). Another common used is for boils, carbuncles, abcesses, and eruptions on the skin. It is a good idea before using a poultice to bathe the affected area in mugwort, or if mugwort is unavable cleanse with peroxide before apply the poultic. Liniments are also not hard to make and common household items. They are used for all pains, painful swellings, boils, skin eruptions, bruises, and many other things. Liniments should be applied every few minuts for an hour or two. Some limiments are useful in headaches when applied to the temples, forehead, and back of the neck. To make a liniment combine two ounces powdered myrrh, on ounce powedered golden seal, one-half ounce cayenne pepper, and one quart rubbing alcohol (70 per cent). Mix together and let stand for seven days, shake well every day, decant off, and bottle in corked bottles. If you do not have golden seal, it can be left out. This is just one liniment recepie, but there are many more. Laxatives are used to move the bowels and many herbal laxatives can be made. A common laxative is equal parts buckthron bark, rhubarb root, cascara sagrada bark, calamus root, and fennel seed; mix thoughly. Then take one small fourth teaspoonful in a forth a glass of water and follow this with a glass of hot water. Take this after each meal for slow digestion or half a teaspoon before going to bed. You may decrease or increase the amount taken to your own needs but be careful when administering herbs to children. This is a gentle laxative that will prevent gas and fermentation. It is always a good idea to keep a nervine tonic on hand to soothe and relax and quiet the nerves after a hard day's work. This tonic is fairly harmless; combine equal parts of gentain root, scullcap, burnet root, spearmint, and wood bethony. Take one-half teaspoonful mixed in one-half glass of cold water, followed by a glass of hot water, an hour before each meal and when going to bed. This can also be put into capsules, and the dose may be increased a little. Emetics are also something that should be found in every household. An emetic is given to empty the stomach or cleanse it. This is usually done in nausea when there is a lot of undigested food that needs to be cleaned out. Another use for emetics is when poisons have been taken internally, or someone has been bitten by a poisonous snake or mad dog. Weak people, or people subject to hemmorhages of the stomach however should not take an emetic. Should the need arise to clean out the stomach in such people this can be done though fasting, and mild herb laxatives and enemas. To take and emetic drink five or six cups of lukewarm water (so you will not become dehydrated while vomiting). If vomiting doesn't occur touch the back of the throat far down and it will bring up the contents of the stomach (gag reflex). In rare cases one may need to drink more. This should be reapated until the stomach is empty and the water comes back clear. Adding a teaspoon of salt can be helpful. After taking an emetic a tea made of catnip, spearmint, or peppermint can settle and sooth the stomach as well as rehydrated the person. An Antispasmodic tincture may also be helpful and can be used internally or externally. These can be used for cramps in the bowels, or other spasms. Take eight to fifteen drops in a half glass of hot water in cases of mad dog and snake bites, or other dangerous illnesses. You may increase the dose to one teaspoonful every two to three hours. In children less according to their age. When applied externally this can be used for swelling, cramps, lumbago, and rheumatism among other things and is a rememdy for lockjaw. To make this tincture you will need 1 oz. Lobelia seed (granulated), 1 oz. Scullcap (granulated), 1 oz. Skunk cabbage (granulated), 1 oz. gum myrrh (granulated), 1 oz. black cohosh (granulated), and half an oz. cayenne (powdered). Take one pint boiling water and 1 pint apple vinegar and steep the herbs in the pint of boiling water one-half hour, strain, add the apple vinegar, and bottle for use. |