Читать книгу The Healing Remedies Sourcebook: Over 1,000 Natural Remedies to Prevent and Cure Common Ailments - C. Shealy Norman - Страница 138
ОглавлениеS INCE BEFORE RECORDED HISTORY humans have used plants for food, medicines, shelter, clothing, dyes, weapons, musical instruments, and transportation. The cultural development of different countries and the rise and fall of empires have often been linked to the understanding and exploitation of plants. Herbalism, the use of plants for medicinal purposes, has been common to all peoples of the world. Our understanding of herbalism has been passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation.
It is the most natural thing in the world to use local flora for food and medicine, and list this knowledge for posterity. All native cultures have a well-developed understanding of local plants, and most of the world, even today, relies on herbal expertise for its primary healthcare. Shamans, wise women, bush doctors, traditional healers, and native medicine workers carry on a tradition thousands of years old.
Herbalism is the oldest, most tested, and proven form of medicine in the world. The Ebers Papyrus of the ancient Egyptians lists 85 herbs, some of which, like mint, are used in a similar way today. The Chinese herbal, Pen Tsao, contains over a thousand herbal remedies. The Assyrian and Babylonian scribes wrote herbal recipes on clay tablets. The Greek Hippocrates (477–360 B.C.E.) mentions herbs, remedies, and treatment stratagems which are still valid. Indeed, there is much practical and theoretical knowledge to be rediscovered. Globally, herbal lore is a treasure chest beyond price.
In the West, the Saxons wrote the Leech Book of Bald, a mixture of remedies and ritual. Their nine sacred herbs included yarrow, marigold, and hawthorn. A modern practitioner of herbal medicine would rate them equally highly. The golden age of herbals was precipitated by the development of the printing press. Culpeper printed the London Dispensary (1653) in English (it had previously been printed in Latin), and later published his Complete Herbal—a book, he boasted, from which any man (or woman) could find out how to cure themselves for less than three pennies! Culpeper’s herbal was immensely popular and is still available, having gone through over 40 reprints.
Botanical medicine was regarded as fringe medicine for many years. It was valued as a starting place for modern research, but thought to have nothing to offer Western society as a therapy in itself. Pharmaceutical companies identified the active therapeutic principles of many plants, synthesized commercial analogues, and patented new drugs. But in doing so they often missed the major principles of using natural sources for therapeutic purposes. Herbalism, when practiced properly, is marked by a completely different attitude from orthodox medicine. It is a holistic system that uses plants, or plant parts, in a nonintrusive way. Herbalists believe that the constituents of a plant work synergistically to stimulate the natural healing process.
THE TENETS OF HERBALISM
The whole plant is better than an isolated extract.
Treat the whole person not just the symptoms.
Practice minimum effective treatment and minimum intervention.
Strengthen the body; encourage it to heal itself.
Today, there is a worldwide renaissance in therapeutic systems which use herbs as their major source of medicines. Modern science is validating traditional practices, precipitating a general reappraisal. Tibetan, Chinese, Native American, Indian, and Western systems are all examining their philosophical roots in a cross-cultural examination which is enriching to all. Many people now use herbs because they are felt to be safer, cheaper, more natural, and to have fewer side-effects. This is not always the case. Any substance can trigger an idiosyncratic response. Herbs must be given with knowledge and responsibility. But by following a few rules and using common sense, we add to our health, our sense of belonging, and our pleasure at being on the planet.
MODERN HERBALISM
Modern herbalism is practiced on two levels. These differ in the range of herbs which can be used, the results that can be achieved, and the amount of responsibility taken for treatment:
AS A PROFESSION
Western consultant medical herbalists act in just the same way as orthodox practitioners. They are trained in orthodox medical diagnosis and can provide a complete alternative. They also work with physicians to offer a complementary service. A medical herbalist will sometimes use some powerful herbs which are restricted by law, or only available after a personal consultation, in the same way as an orthodox practitioner will use prescription-only medicines. A good medical herbalist will have undergone extensive training and he or she will certainly belong to an established body of practitioners.
AS A SELF-HELP SYSTEM
Herbs are ideal as a simple system of home care for first aid, everyday ailments, the management of chronic conditions, strengthening of the body, and preventive treatment. Herbs can be safely taken as long as a few simple rules are followed (see The Rules of Safe Home Treatment, here).
HERBALISM AND CONSERVATION
One hundred 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 to infusions, but are made from tougher materials such as roots, bark, nuts, and seeds. Using the same proportions, place the herb and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, simmer for 10–15 minutes, strain, and drink hot.
Tablets and capsules are taken in the same way as a conventional drug, and are useful for people who would rather not taste the remedy.
Creams and ointments are applied externally to soothe irritated or inflamed skin conditions, or ease the pain of sprains or bruises. Cream moistens dry or cracked skin, and massaging the ointment into bruises and sprains helps to ease the pain. In both cases the active ingredients of the herb pass through the pores of the skin into the blood stream to encourage healing.
Compresses, either hot or cold, help with aches, pains, and swollen joints. Fold a clean piece of cotton into an infusion of the prescribed herb and apply to the point of pain. Repeat as the compress cools or, in the case of cold compresses, until the pain eases.
Poultices, made from bruised fresh herbs or dried herbs moistened into a paste with hot water, are also good for painful joints or drawing out infection from boils, spots, or wounds. Place the herb on a clean piece of cotton and bandage on to the affected area. Leave in place for around two hours or until the symptoms ease.
Suppositories and douches are sometimes prescribed for rectal problems such as piles, or vaginal infections, respectively. The suppositories will come ready-made for you to insert. Douches are made from an infusion or decoction that has been allowed to cool.
Herbal baths are perhaps the most pleasant of the herbal remedies, and are a useful supplement to other forms of treatment. The heat of the water activates the properties of the volatile oils so that they are absorbed through the pores of the skin and inhaled through the nose. In both cases they pass into the bloodstream, and when inhaled they also pass through the nervous system to the brain, exerting a healing effect on both mind and body.
SEEING A PROFESSIONAL
Professional consultant medical herbalists are usually trained in orthodox diagnosis and can treat all of the ailments treated by a family physician or general practitioner. Accredited members of organizations such as the National Institute of Medical Herbalists have undergone four years of university or university-standard study and two years of supervision. They will understand all the indications and contraindications of herbs, and any problems which may arise from taking orthodox drugs. They will refer to other specialists if necessary.
It is becoming more common for a patient to register with a herbalist in the same way as one would register with a physician—for a check-up and then to be on the records should the need arise. Such patients have yearly checks to maintain optimum health. Whole families register, as herbalism is especially suited to children and the elderly.
A consultation will take about an hour and consider all aspects of health, diet, exercise, and lifestyle. Your herbalist will take a “holistic” view, which means taking into consideration everything that affects your health on a physical, mental, and spiritual level.
You will be asked questions about:
age
career
personality, priorities
concerns
appetite
sleeping patterns
previous medicines and illnesses
bowel movements
family
symptoms
any other aspect that is relevant
As well as what you say, your therapist will want to know how you feel and will note your appearance. The condition of your hair, skin, and facial expression, your posture, and how you move all provide important clues that will help with the diagnosis. There may also be a physical examination. Treatment will then be prescribed by the therapist.
Before a first visit it is worth spending some time considering your health and expectations. It is useful to make a list of relevant points in your medical history and questions you want to ask, as these can easily be missed or forgotten in the stress of a first meeting. If for any reason you do not get along with the practitioner, try another one. It is important that there is a relationship of mutual trust and respect.
Many of the herbs prescribed will be familiar, but some will be unknown to you. After a consultation, a herbalist is able to prescribe herbs which are limited by law and not freely available over the counter to the general public.
METHODS AND DOSAGES
WATER - INFUSIONS (TEAS)
Standard strength
1oz. (25g) herb to 2 cups (500ml) water; or 1 teaspoon herb to 1 cup water
Dose
Some herbs have specific indications and dosages; other herbs are not recommended at certain times, for example, early pregnancy or when breast-feeding. Read the indications and contraindications of each herb carefully.
Standard adult dose
1 cup three times a day for normal conditions
1 cup up to six times a day, or every two hours, for acute conditions
Drink 1 cup twice a day as a long-term strengthening tonic
Children’s dose
Reduce proportionally. Give a child of seven half the standard adult dose. At six months, use 1 teaspoon of the standard strength tea. For breastfeeding infants, give the remedy to the mother.
Brewing times
To some extent this depends on personal taste, but the following is a good guide:
up to 3 minutes for flowers and soft leaves
up to 5 minutes for seeds and leaves
up to 10 minutes for hard seeds, roots, and various barks
Water infusions at the standard strength are used as teas, gargles, lotions for the skin, compresses, and fomentations. Dilute with an equal amount of water for hand or foot baths, douches, and enemas.
WATER - DECOCTIONS
Standard strength
1½oz. (40g) herb to 3 cups (750ml) water
Method
Put herb in saucepan
Add 3 cups (750ml) water
Put on a tight lid
Bring to the boil, then turn down as low as possible and simmer for 10–15 minutes
Strain thoroughly
Discard herb
Pour decoction into a clean bottle
Will keep in a refrigerator for two or three days
Dose
⅓ cup twice a day for normal conditions, and as a tonic
⅓ cup three to six times a day for acute conditions
Decoctions can be diluted with an equal amount of water and used in the same ways as water infusions for hand baths, gargles, etc.
WATER - SIMPLE SYRUPS AND HONEYS
Method
Make standard decoction with 1½oz. (40g) herb and 3 cups (750ml) water
Return to heat, remove lid, and simmer gently till liquid is reduced to 1 cup (250ml), which may take a few hours
Add 2¼ cups (600g) honey or 2 cups (500g) sugar, stirring until completely dissolved
Pour into clean bottle, label, and date
Standard adult dose
2 teaspoons 3 to 6 times a day
Children under five
1 teaspoon three times a day
Syrups and honeys can be used to sweeten other herbal preparations, or added to food or drink. They are ideal for children because they are sweet.
ALCOHOL - TINCTURES
A tincture is an alcohol-based herbal preparation. Tinctures can be made with fresh or dried herbs. The absolute strength of the alcohol needed varies slightly depending on the herb, but the method given below is sufficient for standard home use.
Method
To make 1¼ cups (300ml) of tincture:
Chop 2 tablespoons (12g) dried or 1oz. (25g) fresh herb
Put in large glass jar
Cover with ¾ cup (200ml) alcohol, such as vodka or brandy, and 6 tablespoons (100ml) water
Put on a lid and leave for two weeks
Shake occasionally
After two weeks, strain well through a muslin bag
Squeeze out the liquid
Pour into clean, amber glass bottle. Label and date
Keep in a cool place away from children
Will keep indefinitely
Standard adult dose
1 teaspoon 3 times a day, standard
5 drops to 1 teaspoon a day as a tonic
1 teaspoon 6 times a day for acute conditions
A tincture can be diluted with water: 2 teaspoons to 1 cup water can be used as a skin lotion, wash, foot bath, gargle, compress, or douche.
OIL - LINIMENT
A liniment is a soothing rub to relieve fatigued and stiff muscles and joints. Put the fresh herb in a jar and cover with olive oil. Leave for up to six weeks. Strain the mixture through a cloth. Stand until the oil separates off: use this.
OIL
Oil is soothing and nourishing for the skin, and acts as a lubricant to carry the active principles of the herbs in rubs, massage oils, and salves. There are two methods of infusion, hot and cold. Hot is used for thyme, rosemary, comfrey root, and spices such as cayenne, mustard, and ginger. Cold is used for flowers.
INFUSED OIL
Method
To make 1 cup (250ml):
Chop 3 tablespoons/¼ cup dried herbs or spices, or 6 tablespoons/½ cup fresh herbs
Put half into a clean pan with a lid
Cover with 1 cup (250ml) pure vegetable oil (a pure and light vegetable oil is best).
Put in a water bath and simmer gently for two hours (it is important that direct heat is not used, as this might burn the oil)
Strain
Throw away used herbs
Put remaining half of unused herbs in pan
Cover these with the oil (it will have changed color, having picked up some of the quality of the herbs)
Replace lid and return pan to water bath for another couple of hours. Strain
Pour oil into clean bottles, label, and date
This double method makes a strong infused oil which can be used as it is, mixed with tincture for a liniment, or thickened with beeswax (for a thin cream, use 1 part beeswax to 10 parts infused oil; for a thick salve, use 1 part beeswax to 5 parts infused oil).
ALCOHOL - SPICED OR TONIC WINE
A good way to make a strengthening remedy for everyday use is to make a tonic wine. Spiced wines make good aperitifs, to stimulate and improve digestion.
Method
1oz. (25g) herb(s)
1–2oz. (25–50g) spices, depending on taste
8½ cups (2l) of wine
Stand for two weeks
Strain and bottle
Dose
¼ cup twice a day before meals (warm water can be added).
