An Alchemist's 
Techniques

Quite apart from turning lead into gold occasionally your ancient alchemist produced an array of techniques for concentrating the powerful forces of plants, metals and chemicals that today's scientists and parfumers are still using, with just a tad more precision.  As any mint farmer can tell you, the results can be just as profitable as turning lead into gold.

 Making your own herbal remedies is really not that difficult. And since the best herbal preparations are those made when the plants are fresh, you are better off to grow your own herbs (or collect them from the wild) and make your own preparations.  Mastering the following definitions will help you to understand and follow directions with more accuracy.

Even the best plants can be ruined if you use the wrong kind of process in preparing your remedies.  The option you choose will depend on the parts of the plant to be used, the form in which the remedy will be taken, and the result you desire to achieve.

Remember that herbal remedies are not one-shot wonder cures.  Their effectiveness is based largely on repetition and continued application. 

The following ways of preparing your fresh herbs are those most commonly used in herbal medicine. One caution -- Always use an enamel or non-metallic pot, if glass is not available.

Infusion - this is a beverage made like tea, combining boiled water with the plants and steeping it to extract the active ingredients.  Probably the most famous application is Sassafras Tea which can be used for cleaning the body, reducing itch, and even warding off marauding mosquitoes if a spot of vinegar is added.  The normal proportions are about 1/2 to 1 ounce of the plant to one pint of boiled water. You should let the mixture steep for five to ten minutes, covered, and strain the infusion into a cup.

Cold Extract - preparing your herbs with cold water preserves the most volatile ingredients, while extracting only minor amounts of mineral salts and bitter principles. Add about double the amount of plant material used for an infusion to cold water and let sit for about 8 to 12 hours, strain and drink.

Decoction - this method or preparation allows you to extract primarily the mineral salts and bitter principles rather than vitamins and volatile ingredients. Boil about half an ounce of plant parts per cup of water for up to 4 minutes. Steep the mixture with the cover on the pot for a few minutes.

Juice - chop and press fresh plant parts to make juice, then add a bit of water and press again. This is excellent for getting vitamins and minerals from the plant. Drink the juice right away for the best results.

Syrup - make a basic syrup to which you will add medicinal ingredients by boiling 3 pounds of raw, brown sugar in a pint of water until it reaches the right consistency. 

Powder - grind your dried plant parts until you have a powder.  The powder can be taken with water, milk, soup, or swallowed in gelatin capsules.

Ointment - quick method: combine well one part of your powdered remedy with four parts hot petroleum jelly or lard. For purists: Add the decoction of the desired herb to olive oil and simmer until the water has completely evaporated. Add beeswax as needed to get a firm consistency. A little gum benzoin or a drop of tincture of benzoin per ounce of fat will help preserve the ointment.

Essence - dissolve 1 ounce of the herb's essential oil in a pint of alcohol; this method preserves the volatile oils of many of those plants which are not water-soluble.  

Poultice - to make a poultice, you just crush the medicinal parts of the plant to a pulpy mass and heat. Mix with a hot, sticky substance such as moist flour or corn meal. Apply the pasty mixture directly to the flesh. Wrap a hot towel around and moisten the towel periodically. A poultice is used to draw impurities from the body.  

Note:  farmers call the application of fresh cow manure to injuries on an arm or a leg a poultice also.  Actually this is just a wrap.  Fresh manure is daubed thickly inside the wrap and then the wrap is tied securely over the wound on the injured limb.   Does it work?  Well, it doesn't make sense, but Yes, quite often when even wonder drugs like penicillin have failed a wrap of manure will jump start the healing process.  

After a Havasupai friend was wounded in the leg he languished in the Letterman General Hospital for several months until finally the Euromerican doctors were going to amputate the leg because the wound was still open and the leg refused to heal.  
He talked them into giving him a furlough and we headed for his home on the reservation.  There the old medicine man poured raw turpentine into the wound then wrapped it shut with a pulpy poultice of deer and rabbit pellets. 

Sure there was some hollering and screaming, even a few minutes of dancing -- but no rain fell.  By the time we had to go back to Letterman the leg was well on its way to being healed.  What did it?  

My theory is, Shock.  In essence we told the cells in that leg to wake up or those Euromerican doctors were going to do something bad to it.

That may sound barbaric, but Euromerican doctors tried similar scare tactics with insane people for years by ducking them down into snake pits.  Personally I don't believe psychiatrists were any more successful then than they are now, but I do believe they successfully weeded out all the people who were trying to cop an insanity plea faster back in those days than they do now.

Collecting 
and Gathering

Herbs (on the other hand) can be cut when collecting or dried and then cut. Some herbs like Motherwort are difficult to deal with when dry, so cut while fresh. 

Roots are usually only gathered in late Fall or early Spring, before the energy of the plant goes into leaf production. Roots are dug in very early morning before the energy starts to rise up to the stems. Cut the herbs at an angle so you are exposing as many cells as possible. 

All herbs, berries or roots must be dried in the dark. Easiest methods of drying your herb is to tie the stems together and hang in a paper bag or place the leaves and roots on screens. Provide a warm well ventilated place for them to dry. Be sure all of the herb is dry before storing. Storage needs to be in glass, dark if possible and placed in a cool area till you use.

Collection advice, compliments of the Tao Herb Farm.