Herbs as Medicine

[Lightnin1960]

I'm starting to grow my own herbs to use for medicine got a book on what herbs are good for what, But could someone tell me where I can get a book on:

How to take the herb.

How to store the herbs.

How much of the herb you need to take.

Thanks

[Junie]

Here is the one I like best for just about everything. You can click on the image and look inside to see if it's what you're looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/Rodales-Illustrated-Encyclopedia-Claire-Kowalchik/dp/087596964X

[patience]

This has been a standard in the field for a very long time:
http://www.amazon.com/Back-Eden-Jethro-Kloss/dp/0940985101

Back To Eden (Mass Market Paperback)

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They have this one in stock from $9.95 and up, paperback. I need a new one, since DD ran off with our 30 year old copy.

[Lightnin1960]

Thank you they were both very informative now the hard part figure out which one... lol

Thanks

[Lightnin1960]

I ended up getting both books and they are both very good.... Now just got to get one on identifing Trees

[patience]

Patience's kid here:

Herbal references I like:
Interactions are the thing to keep in mind and these both tell all that is known about it.
http://www.amazon.com/Herbal-Medicines-Physicians-Desk-Reference/dp/1563632926#noop

http://www.amazon.com/American-Pharmaceutical-Association-Practical-Medicines/dp/0688161510#noop

I get my live plants and seeds here:
http://www.richters.com/

and buy my bulk dry herbs from these folks:
http://www.herbco.com/

Best of luck, it can easily become a lifetime's work!

:)

[patience]

Patience's kid again:

One Tablespoon of dried herb, steeped in one cup of boiling water taken one to three times a day is the usual dosage range. (Three tablespoons fresh = one tablespoon dry.)

Most herbs are pretty benign and won't hurt you if you eat more or less of them - but this is NOT always the case.

THERE ARE HERBS THAT WILL KILL YOU VERY DEAD!!!

That's why it's important to have really good information that is as up-to-date as possible and always do your homework. Many herbs we can mail-order nowadays just weren't available to the old herbalists and interactions between old and newly available is always a possiblility!!! Modern drugs further complicate the matter. Last time I checked over 90 percent of our 'drugs' are made DIRECTLY from plants. Much more potential for interaction when drugs are factored in.


Preservation is what I'm working on now. Got most of what I want growing. Some years bring good crops. Others don't... Drying is traditional. Lose some of the volital oils, more over time. Freeze-drying is probably the optimal answer. Buddy has one so we'll give it a try one of these days.

Made mint, barberry and lemon balm wine this year. Mom suggested steeping additional fresh herb in the wine when it is done working. (Probably have to add sugar too.) This insures ALL the alcohol soluble chemicals are in the finished product, and anything that may have been changed in the fermentation process is replenished. (I especially want to know if anyting is changed in the wine-making process and hope to live long enough to find out!) This is great - as long as sugar is readily available.

Alcohol extraction in a grain alcohol might be the best answer for preserving medicinals in bad times. It would taste awful. Could sweeten with stevia plant, which IS really sweet. It only grows here as an annual, though it is a perennial in it's native climate I believe.

Herbs may be infused into oil, too. I've tried this as well. About have to dry the herb first, the water in the plant doesn't do wonerful things for the finished product in my experience. It keeps a year or so. Not sure there's much net gain in storage / effectiveness but it's sure nice to cook with and dress salads, etc with the herbs that actually taste good!

DD has purchased the new edition of Back to Eden and will return yours;)

:)

[cartershan]

Hi Patience's Kid, sure enjoyed your post. Keep us informed of all the knowledge you acquire. Thanks, Shannon

[patience]

Patience here again. DD is really busy, but drops in here each week, so maybe she can add to this. She has quite an herb garden here at our house. Their place is just getting a good start--35 acres of very hilly forest, with the house up and living in it off grid, while she and DH try to work in their shop to make a living, and develope their homestead, too.

Their woods are full of useful plants. They commonly gather yellowroot, ginseng, cohosh (blue and black), and several others. Her approach is to dry wild herbs gently, on newspaper or hanging in bunches in the shade. We have a burr mill that she has used to grind the dried herbs, with reasonable success. She found an antique juice press, similiar to a lard press, that she plans to use to pressing out alcohol extracts of herbs. There are many other ways of processing and preserving herbs. DD and wife just made a few small jars of jelly from Oregon Grapes (very bitter!), for medicinal use, since it is a relative of Goldenseal (aka yellowroot) with possibly better antibiotic properties.

If I had to choose ONE book, it would be Back to Eden. I got by with it for many years.

[sissy]

Hi Patience's Kid,
Thank you for such great info. Love this thread.
Patience, thank you for your book info, I will check it out.
sissy