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

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СКАЧАТЬ years ago, a person could have walked into the garden or local woods and returned with a remedy for a baby’s gripe, a stomachache, sprained ankle, stiffening gout, or any number of ailments. Today, we can walk into the local store and find the shelves full of natural ingredients from all corners of the world—from carrots and cabbage to precious spices like cinnamon. This array would have been the envy of a medieval apothecary; but while the stock is available, the knowledge is scarce. The culture of responsibility, self-care, and interaction with nature has largely been lost. It must be rediscovered if herbs and their proper uses are to be properly understood.

      A herb has a taste, color, smell, texture, and history. The antiseptic calendula lotion applied to a spot was once an orange marigold growing clear and open-faced in a sunny meadow. The lavender used to reduce the tension of a pounding headache and bring sleep once shimmered in a soporific violet-purple haze on a French mountainside. Such pictures arc part of the heritage of healing, and help us to remember and understand the actions of herbs and the way they work within the body.

      Part of the beauty of herbalism lies in the many different possible methods of taking herbs. The skill in choosing the best method for a specific individual and condition is part of the art of caring. Hand baths, foot baths, skin washes, rubs, massage oils, eye washes, compresses, and fomentations are undervalued. Local treatments allow the herb to act exactly where it is needed, avoid affecting the whole system, and are comforting and effective. Remember that in all herbal preparations it is best to use organic herbs.

      USING HERBS AT HOME

      To be able to care for yourself and your family by making natural remedies is a pleasure, and the benefits are legion. The organic chemistry of remedy-making is an extension of cooking, and the same principles and skills apply. For success, use the best-quality ingredients, practice absolute cleanliness, and follow the instructions carefully.

       PREPARATION

      THE FRESH PLANT

      The easiest way to take a herb is to pick it directly from the plant. Leaves can be used in salads, sandwiches, or soups. Chickweed, chicory, dandelion, and marigold make excellent salad additions. Nettle is traditional for green soup. Elderflower fritters are fun. Chewing a few fresh leaves of marjoram will help clear the head. Horseradish leaves will clear sinuses. Sage eases mouth sores and sore throats. Fresh leaves can also be used to make water infusions (teas), decoctions, tinctures, infused oils, and creams. Follow standard recipes and dosages. Most recipes give the amounts for dried herbs. When using fresh material, add one-third more, as fresh plants contain a considerable amount of water.

      IMMEDIATE RESPONSE

      For cuts, grazes, and stings, pick four or five leaves (dock is traditional when stung on countryside walks as it is so readily available) and rub the leaves together between the hands to bruise them and release the juices. When damp, apply to the affected area and hold in place. Poultices can be made in the same way.

      It is important to remember that several herbs may be recommended for a particular ailment; all are slightly different. For example, would rose, lavender, rosemary, or chamomile be best for your headache? Would a cool compress be best, or a long soak in a rosemary bath? Knowledge of the herb, the individual, and the different methods must be combined to prescribe remedies that will be really effective.

      WHERE TO GET HERBS

      Many herbs and herbal products are freely available. Plants or seeds can be bought from garden centers (always check the Latin name) and grown in the garden or in a window-box.

      Dried herbs are available from herb stores and some wholefood outlets. Always specify the herb (the Latin name if possible) and the part of the plant to be used—root, bark, leaf, or flower.

      Herbal products, remedies, tinctures, tablets, etc. are available from wholefood stores, and some pharmacies and general food stores. Read the label and instructions carefully.

      Regarding plants picked from the wild, countries have different rules and some plants are protected by law. Check the legal situation and get permission from the landowner. Check identification carefully and pick the minimum required, with proper regard for conservation. Never gather roots from the side of the road, by recently sprayed crops or foliage, or from sickly-looking plants.

      PREPARATIONS

      Most herbs are sold in dried form. In this form they can simply be powdered and sprinkled on to food (half a flat teaspoon twice daily), but most are prepared further. Herbs are prepared for:

      AVAILABILITY AND PRESERVATION—so that seasonal plants are available all year round.

      CONVENIENCE, EASE OF USE—compressed tablets are often more convenient to take than a cup of tea.

      SPECIFIC USE, TO AID THE ACTION OF THE HERB—for example, infused oils for rubs, honey for adding a soothing and demulcent quality to thyme.

       THE RULES OF SAFE HOME TREATMENT

       Consider the whole body first. Is medication needed? Consider a change of rest, diet, or exercise before prescribing the patient any remedy.

       Use simple remedies internally and externally. This will encourage the body to heal itself.

       Make a list. Know what you are taking and what to expect. Keep a note of all remedies taken. This will be useful if you need help later.

       Take as recommended. Remember the herbal tenet of minimum effective dosage and intervention. Stick to the standard dosages. Doubling does not double effectiveness; it may put an extra burden on a body that is already sick.

       TLC. Use lots of Tender Loving Care. A positive and loving attitude helps to make the illness more bearable, and may even speed up the healing process.

       Monitor progress after a few days.

       Stop treatment if there is any adverse reaction. Remember, people are all individuals; children, especially, respond quickly, so be alert for changes or new symptoms.

       Seek professional help if in any doubt. Assessing your own symptoms is different from making a diagnosis, which needs an objective eye.

      THE REMEDIES

      HERBAL REMEDY CARRIERS

      Herbal remedies come in a variety of forms:

      Tinctures are the most common type of internal remedy prescribed by herbalists. They are made by soaking the flowers, leaves, or roots of the herbs in alcohol to extract and preserve their properties. Tinctures keep well, and are easy to store. Because they are highly concentrated, you need only take a small amount at a time.

      Infusions are less concentrated and are an easy way to take herbs at home. The herbalist prescribes fresh or dried flowers, leaves, or green stems of the herbs, which you make with water into a “tea”—a rather misleading word, as it suggests a pleasant drink, which is rarely the case with prescription herbs. Sweeten with honey if you find the taste unpalatable. The properties of some herbs—for example, comfrey, marshmallow, and valerian root—are destroyed by heat, so they should be infused or “macerated” in cold water for up to 12 hours. These are quicky assimilated and gentle to use for children, convalescents, and those with delicate digestion.

      Decoctions are similar СКАЧАТЬ