The Healing Remedies Sourcebook: Over 1,000 Natural Remedies to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments. C. Shealy Norman
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Название: The Healing Remedies Sourcebook: Over 1,000 Natural Remedies to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments

Автор: C. Shealy Norman

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Здоровье

Серия:

isbn: 9780007550937

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ AND POULTICES Compresses and poultices are for external use, and can be extremely effective; the active parts of the herb reach the affected area without being altered by the digestive process. A poultice is made up of a plant which has been crushed and then applied whole to the affected areas. You can also boil crushed plant parts for a few minutes to make a pulp, which will act as a poultice, or use a powdered herb and mix with boiling water. Because they are most often applied with heat and use fresh parts of the plant, they are more potent than compresses. Poultices are particularly useful for conditions like bruises, wounds, and abscesses, helping to soothe and to draw out impurities. A compress is usually made from an infusion or decoction, which is used to soak a linen or muslin cloth. The cloth is then placed on the affected area, where it can be held in place by a bandage or plastic wrap. Compresses can be hot or cold and are generally milder than poultices.

      ESSENTIAL OILS Often used in other therapies, like aromatherapy (see here), the essential oils of a plant are those which contain its “essence,” or some of its most active principles. Useful for making tinctures and ointments.

      BATHS Plants and other items can be added to bath water for therapeutic effect—inhalation (through the steam) and by entering the bloodstream through the skin. An oatmeal bath, for instance, would work topically on eczema, and a chamomile bath would both soothe skin, and calm and relax.

      INHALATIONS Warm, moist air can relieve many respiratory problems and allow the healing properties of plants and other products to enter the bloodstream through the lungs. To prepare an inhalation, half-fill a big bowl with steaming water, and add a herbal infusion or decoction, or 2–3 drops of an essential oil.

      TINCTURE

      Powdered, fresh, or dried herbs are placed in an airtight container with alcohol and left for a period of time. Alcohol extracts the valuable or essential parts of the plant and preserves them for the longest possible time.

      1 You can make your own tincture at home by crushing the parts of the plants you wish to use (about 1oz. [25g] will do).

      2 Suspend the plants in alcohol (about 1–1⅔ cups. [600ml] of vodka or any 40 percent spirit) for about two weeks, shaking occasionally. Dried or powdered herbs (about 4oz. [100g]) may also be used, with the same amount of alcohol.

      3 After straining, the tincture should be stored in a dark glass airtight jar. Doses are usually 5–20 drops, which can be taken directly or added to water.

      DECOCTION

      The roots, twigs, berries, seeds, and bark of a plant are used, and much like an infusion, they are boiled in water to extract the plants’ ingredients. The liquid is strained and taken with honey or brown sugar as prescribed.

      1 Put 1 teaspoonful of dried herb or 3 teaspoonfuls of fresh herb (for each cup) into a pan. Fresh herbs should be cut into small pieces.

      2 Add some water to the herbs. If making large quantities, use 1oz. (30g) dried herb for each 2 cups. (500ml) of water. The container should be glass, ceramic, or earthenware. Metal pans should be enameled. Do not use aluminum.

      3 Bring to the boil and simmer for 10–15 minutes. If the herb contains volatile oils, cover the pan. Strain, cool, and refrigerate. The decoction will keep for about three days.

      INFUSION

      Effectively another word for tea, an infusion uses dried herbs, or in some instances fresh, which are steeped in boiled water for about 10 minutes. Infusions may be drunk hot, which is normally best for medicinal teas, or cold, with ice.

      1 Put 1 teaspoonful of the herb or herb mixture into a china or glass teapot, for each cup of tea that is required. Add boiling water.

      2 Add 1 cup of boiling water to the pot for each teaspoonful of herb that has been used. Keep the pot covered and always use the purest water available, which will ensure that the medicinal properties of the plant are effectively obtained. Strain the infusion and drink hot or cold—either sweetened or unsweetened. Use licorice root, honey, or brown sugar to sweeten. Infusions should be made fresh each day, if possible. Infusions are most suitable for plants from which the leaves and flowers have been used, since their properties are more easily extracted by gentle boiling.

      OINTMENT

      For external use, ointments and creams are often prescribed. You can make your own by boiling the plant parts to extract the active properties, and adding a few ounces (grams) of pure oils (such as olive or sunflower).

      1 Make 2 cups (500ml) of infusion or decoction (depending on what is appropriate for the herb), and strain. Reserve the liquid.

      2 Pour 6 tablespoons oil (90ml) into a pan. Mix 3oz. (75g) of fat into the oil. If a perishable base fat is used (such as lard), a drop of tincture of benzoin should be added for each 2 tablespoons (30g) of base. Add the liquid.

      3 Simmer until the water has evaporated. Stiffen the mixture with a little beeswax or cocoa butter to make a cream. Melt in slowly.

       ALLIUM CEPA

      ONIONS

      The onion is by far the most important bulb vegetable in terms of its healing properties. It is used both in its green stage as a scallion, or green onion, and in its mature stage as a bulb—the tightly packed globe of food-storage leaves containing the volatile oil that is the source of the onion’s pungent flavor. Thought to have originated in Asia, the onion has been cultivated since ancient times. The bulb of the onion is used in cooking and medicinally; like garlic, it warms the body and stimulates the circulation. Onions have long been considered the mainstay of every household remedy chest.

      USES

       Apply fresh onion to an abscessed tooth or a boil to draw out infection and help to encourage circulation to the area, which will facilitate quick healing.

       Mix onion juice with honey to relieve the symptoms of a cold.

       Taken daily, onions can help to prevent cancers of the digestive tract.

       The regular consumption of onions can reduce nervous debility.

       Onion poultices are used to treat bronchitis and can also help in the treatment of acne and boils.

       Onions are often recommended for gastric infections; onions will be effective cooked and raw.

      PROPERTIES

       Onions cause the body to “weep,” which helps to release toxins

       Onion increases blood circulation and can relax the muscles

       Expectorant and diuretic

       Helps to reduce serum cholesterol after a fatty meal

       May provide some protection against cancer

       Antibiotic, draws out infection

       Warming

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