Summertime... A time for family fun, beaches in the sun, and long hikes through the woods... And as idyllic as summer can be, there are always those little mishaps that can ruin your vacation... Here are some remedies to fend off some of the more common killjoys of summer fun:
Pests and Poison Plants
Bee Sting Poultice
After removing the stinger, apply crushed plantain leaves prepared for poultices to the wound and wrap with a sterile cotton bandage - this should reduce the swelling
Bee Sting Treatment
After removing the stinger, make a paste of baking soda and a bit of water and apply to the site of the sting to sooth
Insect Bite Poultice
Apply crushed sage leaves prepared for poultices to the wound and wrap with a sterile cotton bandage to sooth and reduce swelling
Poison Ivy Treatment
Crush a few cloves of garlic and apply to the affected site, leaving it on for about 30 minutes - treats the rash and itch
Bruises and Inflammations
Arnica Poultice
First, always treat a bruise or sprain immediately with an ice compress... When the initial swelling and pain have subsided, make a hot poultice of arnica flower and apply it to the bruise or sprain to ease pain and minimise bruising...
Burns
There are a number of natural burn remedies out there, but here are four of the most effective:
Aloe is cool and soothing to burns either from cooking or sunburn, and promotes healing - simply split open one of the fleshy leaves of the plant and apply the moist gel inside to the burn site
Cucumber juice helps to heal burns, inflammations, and skin irritations - rub the fresh juice gently on the affected area
Strawberries are excellent sunburn treatment - mash the fresh berries and apply in a thin layer over the sunburn, leaving on for half an hour before rinsing off with clear water (No soap)
Honey is a wonderful dressing for cooking burns - apply a thin coating of honey over the burn area (Honey contains propolis, a substance that heals minor burns)
Cuts and Wounds
To stop bleeding: pour powdered cayenne pepper or alum on small wounds to stop bleeding almost immediately
To cleanse and protect: After cleaning the wound with soap and water or alcohol, mash fresh garlic, apply it to the wound and cover it with a thin layer of honey (both have antiseptic properties), then cover with a sterile cotton bandage
Dry Skin
Protective Skin Salve
6 T. St. John's Wort medicinal oil
6 T. Rosehip flower (Wild Rose) medicinal oil
6 T. Comfrey flower medicinal oil
5 T. Beeswax
40 drops Balsam Fir essential oil
Blend the three medicinal oils together... In a double boiler, melt the beeswax and stir in the blended oils... Add the essential oil, stirring again... Pour into a glass jar and let cool before sealing... This salve hydrates and regenerates dry skin and protects from further drying... (Due to the chemical nature of some of the plants used in this recipe, this salve is meant for medicinal, not regular, use - Please see the St. John's Wort description below)
A Cure For The Tropical Curse
Montezuma's Cure
Simmer a quarter teaspoon of ground cinnamon bark in 1 cup of water for ten minutes, strain, and drink - do not drink more than two cups a day
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A Bit About The Plants Used In These Remedies
Plantain (plantago major): Crushed plantain leaf is antiseptic, analgesic, and astringent, proof against insect bites/stings, wounds, and all kinds of infections... It is also useful for blood disorders (such as anemia and low blood pressure) and acute pulmonary conditions as it has hemostatic properties...
Sage (salvia officinalis): Crushed sage leaf exhibits antibacterial qualities, inhibits viral and fungal growth, and acts as an astringent...
Garlic (allium sativum): Garlic kills viruses and bacteria, heals infections, and removes parasites... It also contains allicin, a chemical that kills staphylococci bacteria (staph infection)...
Arnica (arnica montana): The active chemicals in arnica are sesquiterpene lactones, which are known to reduce inflammation and decrease pain... Arnica works by stimulating the activity of white blood cells and by dispersing trapped fluids from bruised tissue, joints and muscles... WARNING: Never take arnica internally - It can cause vomiting, weakness, and increased heart rate
Aloe (aloe vera): Aloe reduces inflammation, decreases swelling and redness, and accelerates wound healing... It accomplishes this by putting a protective coating on the affected areas and speeding up the healing rate by increasing the availability of oxygen to the skin... It also contains a chemical known as acemannan, which boosts production of T-lymphocyte cells that aid the immune system...
Strawberries (fragaria vesca): Strawberries are moisturising and antiseptic when used as a treatment for burns... Brushing teeth with strawberry pulp whitens them and chewing the root fortifies the gums... An infusion of strawberry leaves is also useful for hyperacidity...
Cayenne Pepper (capsicum annuum): Cayenne normalizes blood pressure and stops internal and external bleeding, it is also antibacterial and pain relieving.... It can lower cholesterol and is useful for people with poor circulation... It's main chemical component, capsaicin, (which causes the "burning" one associates with peppers) acts to reduce platelet stickiness and relieve pain...
St. John's Wort (hypericum perforatum): St. John's Wort is anti-depressant, emollient, astringent, and antiviral... As a skin moisturiser, it is excellent, but fair skinned people can develop spots when exposed to sunlight after using this plant... As an anti-depressant, it has a calmative effect, but can take 2-3 months to work completely... WARNING: Avoid beer, chocolate, camembert cheese, and red wine while taking St. John's Wort internally... These foods contain tyramine, which can be dangerous when combined with this plant
Rosehip (rosa eglanteria): Rosehip petals are cicatrizant, and serve as a good addition to any skin lotion against rosacea and oily skin, they are also mildly astringent... High in vitamin C, rosehip fruit (eaten raw) also helps prevent colds/flus (and in Third World countries, scurvy)... It is also antiseptic and antioxidant...
Comfrey (symphytum officinale): Comfrey acts as an emollient and, when taken internally, a laxative... It is also excellent for stomach ulcers, soothing the mucous membranes of the digestive tract and for treating minor infections... WARNING: Comfrey contains pyrrholizidine, an alkaloid which, over long-term internal use (more than 20 days) or in large quantities, can cause the growth of abnormal cells and block the veins of the liver... Pregnant women, children, and people suffering from cancer should limit use of this plant to external use only)
Balsam Fir (abies balsamea): In addition to being antiseptic, a bacteriacide, and viricide, Balsam Fir is also a good emollient, astringent, pectoral, antispasmodic, and immunostimulant... It is recommended for pulmonary infections and cough, as well as muscle spasms and joint pain... Balsam gum can be applied raw to a tooth abscess, an open wound, or a wart (cover with a bandage to prevent it's sticking to clothing) - use fresh gum every 24 hours and continue treatment for up to 1 week... It will ease an abscess, help heal wounds, and help dissolve warts... (Note: Balsam Fir gum is never a substitute for a dentist's treatment, only a temporary solution... People can and have died from infected abscesses...)
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Now that you're well armed against summer's maladies - go out there and have some summer adventures...!
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Internal Treatments
Decoction: Decoctions are a good way to breach the outer coating of plants and dissolve the active chemicals in water... To prepare a decoction, you will need water, brought to a boil - add to that 1 tablespoon of fresh plant per 1 cup of water used... Do not cook for longer than 3 minutes, as excessive boiling will damage the medicinal value of the plant... Plants so prepared can be eaten in small mouthfuls or used in a compress...
Infusion: An infusion is a fancy way of saying "hot tea" - and yet so many people do not know how to make a proper cup of tea... To prepare an infusion, use 1 teaspoon of dried plant per 1 cup of water used... The water should be simmering, not boiling... Infuse (let soak) for 5 minutes, in an earthenware, terracotta, or porcelain pot - before straining and serving... Infusions should be taken on an empty stomach for best results, as they are absorbed more quickly into the bloodstream this way... Never sweeten with white sugar, as it interferes with the virtues of the plant - a better alternative is raw honey in small amounts, added when the infusion has cooled somewhat...
Tincture: Tinctures are the most complex of ingestion methods, but are the best way to preserve an herbal medicine the longest amount of time... To prepare a tincture, shred the plant parts finely and blend with twice that amount of spirits (type of spirits may be to taste, but it should be 60% - 80% alcohol)... Pour the mixture into a tightly sealed glass jar and store for 1 month in a dark, dry place... Shake jar vigorously every 3 days... At the end of the month, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or coffee filter, squeezing so as to retain as much of the concentrated liquid as possible... Alcohol-based tinctures last for up to 5 years, but always check your tinctures by sight and smell before ingesting - if it no longer looks or smells as it did, dispose of it and make a new batch...
External Treatments
Herbal Bath: All of the above internal treatments (decoctions, infusions, tinctures) can be used as an external treatment as well - one cup of these added to a standard size bathtub of warm water allows the mixture to be absorbed through the skin... For a larger bathtub, two cups of the mixture may be required...
Poultice: To prepare a poultice you need either fresh plant, crushed or dried plant, powdered, or a prepared tincture... This is applied directed to the skin to promote healing, scarring, or to solve a skin problem... Poultices may be used hot or cold... To heat fresh plant poultices, add a little boiled water to wet crushed plants... To heat a dry powder poultice, mix with boiled water to make a hot paste... To heat a tincture poultice, warm gently over a low heat... Cold fresh plant poultices require only the addition of a little cold water to wet, and dry powder poultices are made into a cold paste...
Compress: To prepare a compress you need an infusion of the plant or decoction - soak a piece of sterile cotton in an infusion, or, in the case of a decoction, soak and add a small amount of the decocted plant - then apply to the skin...
Medicinal Oil and Beeswax Salve: These oils are used to create beeswax salves - they are cooked together in a double boiler: 1 ¼ T. wax to 5 T. oil... To prepare medicinal oil, shred the plant parts finely and blend with twice that amount of organic, cold-pressed olive oil... Pour the mixture into a tightly sealed glass jar and store for at least 1 month in a dark, dry place and strained thereafter for use... Medicinal oils should be discarded after 9 months and should never be used if they begin to look or smell unwholesome...
Ointment: To prepare an ointment you need lanolin... The fresh or dried plants are placed in the lanolin and allowed to simmer a long time at low heat (measurements and temperature vary depending on recipe)... To save time, sometimes essential oils are used rather than the fresh/dried plant...
Other Applications Of Medicinal Plants
Inhalation: Inhale the steam of a decoction - such as one meant for nasal decongestion... Inhale the smoke of a plant burned on a coal fire in a metal container - such as chamomile or mint to combat asthma...
Pouches: The aromas of certain plants can also be soothing - such as pouches of dried lavender placed inside a pillowcase to promote restful sleep...
Leave A Flower / View The Bouquet
Leave A Flower / View The Bouquet
Leave A Flower / View The Bouquet
