HERBAL FORMULA #5...PLEURISY ROOT FOR THE LUNGS

by Moggy

PLEURISY ROOT (Asclepias tuberosa) is for the most part a medicinal herb. It is a diaphoretic (a substance that causes sweating), expectorant; antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, nervine (slightly sedative), tonic and an excellent sweating agent to break up colds, fevers, flu and all bronchial problems...an excellent therapeutic agent for pulmonary catarrh and difficult expectoration.


Native to America and Canada, Pleurisy Root is a perennial plant that produces orange or yellow flowers. American Indian medical practitioners named this herb after the condition it was used to treat; pleurisy. This plant reduces inflammation, relieves spasms in the airways, promotes perspiration, and helps clear the air passages of secretions.
Pleurisy root was used by Native American tribes both internally as a remedy for pulmonary infections and topically to treat wounds. The Eclectic physicians seized upon these ideas and continued to use the plant primarily for lung problems such as pleurisy and pneumonia. It was also used as a diaphoretic for all manner of infections.


For over a thousand years, indigenous North Americans including the Menominee, Delaware, Cherokee, Mohegan, Iroquois, Navajo, Omaha, Rappahannock, and Ponca used pleurisy root for lung and respiratory infections; also for other ailments. Some tribes used the root for rope and weaving.


Some American Indians used to boil the tubers for food, prepare a crude sugar from the flowers and eat the young seed-pods, after boiling them, with buffalo meat. Some of the Canadian tribes used the young shoots as a potherb, after the manner of asparagus.
Pleurisy root can be of benefit for eruptive skin diseases to bring out the rash and bring down the fever...externally a compress of the tea for acute flare-ups of bursitis in shoulders and knee joints...also has a positive, relaxing effect for intestinal disorders such as IBS.


Pleurisy root was an official medicine in the United States Pharmacopoeia from 1850 to 1905... it should be avoided for those taking heart medication and by pregnant women. The plant can be found along roadsides, however, it is far better to plant seeds on your own property for two reasons: one to prevent extinction of the plant, and the other so that when the above-ground part of the plant dies back, you will know where it is in the event you need the fresh root in fall or winter.


The roots of most medicinal plants are harvested in the fall, when the top of the plant has died back. Many roots are gathered at the wrong time of year, and are sometimes only 1/3 as potent as they should be. The seed pods contain hundreds of seeds, each with a silky-soft, fluffy parachute that allows the seeds to float in the wind seeking new places to grow. People used to stuff pillows and clothes with the seed fluff and even use them to make lifevests. They also used the seed fluff as wicks in candles.

PLEURISY ROOT INFUSION
from Advanced Treatise in Herbology by Shook

1 ounce Asclepias tuberosa (Pleurisy root), cut
1 1/4 pints distilled water

Pour boiling water over the herb, cover and allow to stand in a warm place for 20 minutes; then strain.

DOSE: 1/2 teacupful (a little less than 4 oz) in 1/2 teacupful of hot water while patient is closely covered in bed. Repeat dose until free perspiration is produced and apply hot cloths, wrung out of same strength infusion.

This remedy possesses specific action on the lungs, assisting expectoration wonderfully, subdues inflammation rapidly, brings about reabsorption of exudates and exerts a general tonic effect on the whole organism.
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In addition to using the above formula, you can also make a tincture from the pounded root infused in vodka. Dig up the root...clean it well and allow to dry, then pound it so that the chemical constituents will be absorbed by the vodka...place the root in a brown quart jar and fill with 100% vodka. Label, date and put in a cabinet, shaking it once a day for six weeks. In lieu of a brown jar you may use a mason jar that is then placed in a brown bag to prevent light from weakening the herbal medicine.


Dose: 20 to 80 drops in water, 3 times daily.


Description:
http://www.panix.com/~eshelton/wildflow/FLOWERS/plroot/plroot.html



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HERBAL FORMULA #4 - PLANTAIN

HERBAL FORMULA #4 - PLANTAIN
by Moggy

PLANTAIN (Plantago major) has a long history in herbal medicine. Externally, it is effective on any kind of skin disorder or insect stings when the leaves are bruised and rubbed on the skin. It can be made into an oil or ointment and stored for external use when the season doesn’t permit gathering the herb. Put this on your to-do list for next Spring.

A most useful plant, Plantain will ease a long list of skin complaints such as cuts, swelling, rashes, wounds, sprains, bruises, ulcerations, eczema, poison ivy, mosquito bites, hemorrhoids, diaper rash, boils and blisters. It is an effective agent that draws out the poison from bee stings, snake bites, and spider bites, it draws out splinters or thorns, and reduces the risk of scarring with severe cuts and scrapes. In certain sensitive individuals minor dermatitis may result from external use.

Internally Plantain can be drunk as a tea made from the leaves as an aid in detoxifying the body, thus works well as a remedy for colds, flu, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, hypertension, rheumatism, bladder issues, fevers, gastritis, ulcers, irritable bowel, sinusitis, kidney stones, diarrhea and many more ailments.

Poultice: the crushed leaf can be applied directly to a wound, bite, or skin irritation. For abscesses around the teeth, inflamed tooth roots, or remaining infection after a root canal. It has been known to save teeth that were otherwise doomed to be lost. For wounds, stings, bites etc., you can even chew the leaf first and apply the chewed leaf directly to affected area which makes it a good plant to know if you plan on a camping or hiking trip. As an infusion in milk, plantain can be used on hemorrhoids. Plantain can be dried and used as a tea for winter, or used fresh during the summer.

Medicinal herb tea: For colds and flu use 1 tablespoon dry or fresh whole Plantain (seed, root, leaves) to 1 cup boiling water, steep 10 minutes, strain, sweeten. Drink throughout the day.

Healing salve: In a large non-metallic pan place 1 lb. of entire Plantain plant chopped, and 1 cup lard. Cover, cook down on low heat until all is mushy and green. Strain while hot, cool and use for burns, insect bites, rashes, and all sores. May be used as a night cream to combat wrinkles.

Nutritionally, Plantain contains a goodly amount of vitamins A, B-1, B-2, C, and K. For healthy eating harvest young leaves in the Spring, boil in salt water or tear and add to salad greens. The seeds are also edible and can be dried on the stalks and then added into soups and stews to enhance flavor and increase nutrition and fiber.

LENTIL SOUP WITH PLANTAIN

1 cup dry green lentils
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup chopped young plantain leaves
1 clove sliced garlic
1/4 cup wild rice
6 cups broth
1 tablespoon butter*

Heat the butter in a large saucepan and add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute until tender. Add the lentils and Plantain leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered for about 2 hours. Add the rice and cook for another 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

* Olive oil may be substituted

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Weevils

Post by Tigger2 from our forum:

Weevils

Where do they come from? How do they get in your food?

You just bought a bag of beans. You looked at that bag and did not see any weevils. You put that bag of beans up for six months. You come back to look again and you got weevils or bugs. The female weevil bores a small hole(think microscopic) in the bean while the bean is still on the vine. She lays her eggs in that hole. The hole is way too small to see.
When you bring the beans, flour or corn meal home, the food gets warm and warmth is what the weevil eggs need to hatch. The weevils are not there but the eggs are.
The eggs hatch and then you got baby weevils. Soon after that you got adult weevils.
You need to treat the dry food that you store up. This includes dry beans, flour and corn meal. If you don't treat the food the eggs will hatch and spread like wild fire. The weevils will go to your pasta and everything else.
There are two ways to treat the stored food: freezing and heating. If applied properly, either cold or heat will kill the weevil eggs. I have found from working with it that freezing is the easier method. I just throw my beans, flour and corn meal in the freezer for at least 72 hours. Most modern freezers are set at around 0 degrees F. That is enough cold to do the job. The job is killing the eggs not getting rid of them. There is no way that I know of to get rid of the weevil eggs. Your goal is to treat the food so the eggs don't hatch. Most of the time, I forget and leave the food in the freezer anywhere from two weeks to a month.
Dry beans are the worst culprit for weevils. They are washed off(maybe) and put in a bag. That is weevil heaven. Those eggs are just waiting for some warmth to hatch. And they will.
Flour and corn meal are both made from grinding a seed into a fin dust that we call flour. The grinding process without a doubt kills most of the eggs but some will survive. And then they hatch.
Pasta is made from flour that has been cooked with heat. That heat will kill the weevil eggs. So, if you got weevils in your pasta, they probably migrated from another food supply.
Now, let me get back to the other way of treating your food, heat. You can use heat to kill the weevil eggs. I have tried it and it is a pain in the butt. Heat is hard to regulate or control. Too much heat and you will burn your food. Not enough heat and you are wasting your time and energy. Stoves are pretty much useless. Sun light does not get hot enough. The easiest way that I have found to use heat as a treatment for weevil eggs is a food dehydrator. I have 2 food dryers. They get up to about 150 degrees F. That is hot enough to kill the eggs. It takes time. There are not that many articles on how long it takes to kill the eggs with heat. There is no way that I can tell you how long it will take. My best guess would be 12-24 hours with a standard pre-set food dehydrator.
The bottom line is that if you don't want weevils in your food, you got to treat the food. You treat the food with cold or heat. You want to kill the eggs so they don't hatch. There is not really much you can do about the eggs. They are there. If you have ate beans, you have probably ate weevil eggs. Just don't think about it.

To reply to this post, go here

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HERBAL FORMULAS #3

by Moggy

SLIPPERY ELM BARK (Ulmus fulva) held a place of honor in 18^th and 19^th century America until our once-great elm forests were decimated by Dutch elm disease; as a result, our herbal healing heritage is poorer by far. This herb is a demulcent (soothing, mucilage-forming), emollient (soothing and protective for skin), expectorant, diuretic, nutritive (providing specific food nutrients) and one of the most valuable remedies in herbal practice. The parts used are the inner bark. The powder should be greyish or faun colored and can be used for making poultices or mucilaginous drinks. Its mucilage content coats, soothes, and lubricates the mucus membranes lining the digestive tract, making Slippery Elm an excellent treatment for ulcers, gastritis, colitis, and other inflammatory bowel problems. Its high fiber content helps normalize intestinal action; it can be used to relieve both diarrhea and constipation.

Colonials were taught by American Indians to use slippery elm bark as both a food and as a treatment for wounds, sore throat, and many other ailments. Before refrigeration, the bark was soaked in water and wrapped around meats to retard spoilage...it was coarsely ground and mixed with water to turn it into a spongy mass to mold into bandages that were used to cover wounds. To make a poultice for wounds, stir enough water into the powdered bark to make a paste and apply to the site. It will form a natural bandage that will stay in place for hours and can be removed by moistening with water.

NATURAL REMEDY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, ELDERS, AND INVALIDS

Slippery elm bark is not only most soothing and healing to all parts to which it comes into contact, it also possesses as much nutrition as is contained in oatmeal...and when made into a gruel, forms a wholesome and sustaining food for children, elders, and invalids.

Formula: MUCILAGE OF SLIPPERY ELM

Mix one heaping teaspoonful of the herb into a thin and perfectly smooth paste with cold water. When thoroughly mixed, pour on one pint of distilled water, steadily stirring. If desired, it can be flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon rind, etc. This makes an excellent drink in cases of irritation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, and if taken at night at retiring, will induce sleep. As mentioned above, this remedy is valuable for those suffering gastro-intestinal disorders.

Slippery elm bark is considered safe for pregnant women, infants, elderly, dogs and cats.

HERBAL FORMULAS #2

HERBAL FORMULAS #2

by Moggy

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is found growing along roadways and in meadows. It is a biennial, producing leaves the first year and fruiting and dying the second year. Easy to raise as once planted it will scatter its seeds and multiply itself. Mullein leaves and flowers are used as analgesic, antihistamine, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, diuretic and sedative. In some cases the roots are also used.

American Indians used to relieve lung congestion by smoking dried leaves of the herb Mullein although I wouldn’t recommend doing so due to threat of an allergic reaction. They also used Mullein as a treatment for hemorrhoids and gout.

Mullein is a beneficial remedy for toning mucous membranes and reducing inflammation; in the case of the respiratory system it facilitates expectoration; in the case of hemorrhoids it eases the discomfort. In both situations it reduces inflammation.

There are so many ways to use this healing herb. To clear the lungs from congestion, boil about a cup of the leaves in a quart of water, pour into a bowl and make a tent by leaning over the bowl and covering your head and the bowl with a towel. Take shallow breaths at first and then inhale the steam deeper; do this for five or ten minutes.

For both people and pets you can easily make an herbal oil for earache or for the animal problem of ear mites by soaking about a teaspoon of Mullein leaves in two tablespoons of warm olive oil. When the leaves have absorbed all the oil add a clove of chopped garlic, mix well, and strain through a fine clean cloth. Using a dropper, squeeze a few drops into the ear. It will soothe and heal.

MULLEIN INFUSION

NATURAL REMEDY FOR PULMONARY COMPLAINTS
A remedy for checking distressing cough and expectoration in all pulmonary diseases. Also for hemorrhage of the lungs, stomach, intestines, or any other internal part. It is considered to have more curative value in tuberculosis, coughs, and bronchitis than comfrey,lungwort, pleurisy root, or any other herb used in the treatment of respiratory diseases. Formula by Shook.

1 ounce mullein leaves (cut)
1 ½ pints distilled water

Boil the water and pour over the leaves. Cover and let steep in a hot place for 15 minutes. Strain through muslin to avoid the hairs. Sweeten with honey to taste, or add one ounce of food grade vegetable glycerine. Cool, bottle, and keep in a cool place.

DOSE: Three to four ounces or more 3 or 4 times a day between meals. Children less according to age.

MULLEIN COUGH DROPS...recipe by Karyn Siegel-Maier

½ cup mullein leaves, packed
1 cup boiling water
1 1/3 cup brown sugar

Steep the leaves in the boiled water, covered, for one hour. Strain. Add brown sugar. Boil until the mixture reaches the soft candy stage, then pour onto a greased cookie sheet. With a butter knife, score out squares while the mixture is still soft. Allow to cool completely, then break into individual squares. Wrap each drop in waxed paper.

Do not use this herb if pregnant or breast feeding.

HERBAL FORMULAS INTRO

by Moggy

Surviving in a world that is in a state of upheaval means knowing how to heal yourself when physical problems arise...or better yet, how to prevent problems from arising in the first place. Any of the states in the Appalachian Mountain Range have a wealth of natural remedies growing in the forests that comprise this range, especially Georgia (Sosebee Cove in the Chattahoochee Nat’l Forest is a botanist’s dream come true) and North Carolina, as the Cherokee Indians have left behind what may be considered an encyclopedia of healing remedies.

To begin, let us explore Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). It is a nutritive..kidney ally..alterative, antiseptic, anti-diabetic, anti-rheumatic. Natural remedy for the pain of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, tendinitis and bursitis..preventative of prostate problems.

Stinging Nettle is a wonder herb of nourishment and powerful enough to heal damaged tissue. Kidneys, lungs, intestines, and arteries are tonified, strengthened and gradually altered toward optimum functioning. The chemical constituents are mucilage, iron phosphate, potassium phosphate, magnesium phosphate and potassium chloride..and in the fresh plant, formic acid. The chemistry of this plant makes it extremely valuable as a therapeutic agent in inflammatory and catarrhal conditions. Organic iron phosphate is nature’s quickest and best remedy for all inflammation; potassium phosphate is the basic food for brain and nerves; and potassium chloride is nature’s masterpiece solvent of fibrin.

The anti-inflammatory substances join with the rich concentration of the minerals boron and silicon to help ease pain of the above diseases. The fresh leaves can be used raw and applied directly to the rheumatic pain area as they increase circulation and draw out pain.

For the purposes of men’s sexual health, the key ingredients are the sterols that lessen the action of DHT, the form of testosterone that causes the prostate to enlarge.

A cup or more of nettle tea taken daily relieves and helps prevent water retention.

HERBAL TEA:

Use two teaspoons of dried nettle leaves per pint of boiling water.

MEDICINAL TEA:

Use three to four teaspoons per pint of boiling water.

HERBAL INFUSION (for energy):

One ounce of dried nettle herb

One quart of filtered water

Place the herb into a quart jar and fill to the top with boiling water. Stir with a wooden spoon and add enough water to fill the jar to the top. Cover tightly and set aside to brew for at least four hours or overnight.

To use: Strain and squeeze the liquid out of the herb. Be sure to refrigerate your infusion, as it will go bad at room temperature once it is done brewing. Drink within 24 hours.

AS A VEGETABLE SIDE:

I steam a few handfuls of freshly picked Stinging Nettle (use gloves to prevent being stung) for about 15 minutes and top with a wee bit of butter.

IDENTIFICATION:

http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Nettle.html

Pioneer Stew

Pioneer Stew
Author Unknown
Makes 8 servings

1 1/4 cups (1/2 pound) dried pinto or kidney beans
3 cups cold water
1 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef ( beef TVP® may be used)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup finely diced green pepper
1 16oz. can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 16oz. can tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sharp American cheese

In a large saucepan place washed and drained beans, cold water and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes. In skillet: cook ground beef, chopped onion and green pepper until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain off fat. Add meat mixture, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt to taste to beans. Simmer 20 minutes.Combine 1 Tbsp flour with 2 Tbsp water. Stir into stew. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Stir in cheese.

This is real good while camping or on a rainy, chilly night... SciFiChick, try this an let the possums go...