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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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 Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:16 am
 All writing have been retyped up from this book.
Before you Start any preparation, be sure you know the herbs you are using and what effect they will have on your body. The strength of any herbal preparation will vary from garden to garden and plant to plant. Many factors affect the potency of your herbal preparations.
Do not use any herbs for more than four to six weeks at a time.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:23 am
 ＤＥＣＯＣＴＩＯＮＳA decoction is made from herbs that have been simmered in water. This is the best method for drawing the healing elements from tough plant parts such as bark, roots, stems, berries and heavy leaves.
To make a decoction, use 1 ounce of dried herbs to 1 pint of boiling water. Then keep water just below boiling for about thirty minutes and let herbs simmer. Note that simmering may take up to an hour, depending on the toughness of the plant parts.
Decoctions should always be strained while hot, so that the matter that separates on cooling can be mixed back into the fluid by shaking when the remedy is used. Use glass; ceramic or earthenware pots; or clean, unbroken enameled cast iron. Do not use plain cast iron with astringent plants. Make fresh decoctions daily. Cover and store unused portions in the refrigerator.
A teacup-size dose is the standard for decoction. Take this dose three times a day. The decoction may be cold or reheated. Reduce the dosage for the elderly and children.
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:24 am
 ＥＬＥＣＴＵＡＲＹ When powders are mixed with syrup, honey, brown sugar, or glycerin to produce a more pleasant taste or to make them easier to use internally, they are called electuaries. These are rarely prepared in advance, but are made fresh as needed. Different substances need different proportions of syrup. Light vegetable powders usually require twice their weight, gum resins two-thirds their weight, mineral substances about half their weight. If an electuary is made up in advance and it hardens, add more syrup. If it swells up and emits gas, merely beat it into a mortar.
The dosage depends on the herb and the illness.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:26 am
 ＥＸＴＲＡＣＴＳExtracts are solid substances resulting from the evaporation of the solution of vegetable principles. The extract is obtained in three ways: by expressing the juice of fresh plants, by using a solvent such as alcohol, or simmering a plant tea and reducing it to a thickened state. The last method involves simmering a plant repeated until most of the water has evaporated, making a decoction. This leaves you with a distillation of the most active principles in the plant. Add a quarter teaspoon of alcohol (brandy, gin, or vodka will do), glycerin, or tincture of benzoin to preserve the extract.
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:28 am
 ＦＯＭＥＮＴＡＴＩＯＮA fomentation is a strong herbal tea in which a clean cloth is dipped. The cloth can be filled with herbs. The moist cloth is then applied directly to the affected body part. Wrap the body part. Repeat as required.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:33 am
 ＨＥＲＢＡＬ ＩＮＦＵＳＩＯＮＳAn infusion may be revitalizing or relaxing. It is similar to a tea. The herbs for an infusion may be dried or fresh.
To make a hot infusion, heat water. Do not bring it to a full boil as you may lose volatile oils in the steam. Add 1 tablespoon of the dried herbs, or 1 tablespoon of the fresh herb, to the water. Cover and let steep for nine to thirteen minutes. Strain and cool the liquid. Infusions are sipped as teas, added to a bath, and used to anoint the body. Powdered bark, root, seeds, resin, bruised nuts, and buds may be used in hot infusions. You may use a single herb, known as a simple, or a combination of herbs.
To make a cold infusion, steep the herb in cold water or cold milk for several hours. These wet, mashed herbs can be used internally as a tea or a poultice on the body.
A teacup-sized dose is the standard for an infusion. Take this dose three times a day. The infusion may be cold or reheated. Reduce the dosage for the elderly and children.
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:40 am
 ＯＩＬＳInfused oils are used externally as massage oils, creams, and ointments. The active plant chemicals are extracted using an oil such as sunflower oil. Oils will last up to a year if kept in a cool, dark place. There are two methods of preparing an infused oil: cold infusion and hot infusion.
For cold infusion, pick your own fresh herbs or purchase dried herbs from a reputable source. Fill a large jar with the herb and pour in your favorite monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oil, adding enough oil to cover the herb. Close the jar tightly. Place it in a sunny location for several weeks. strain out the herb by pouring the liquid through a piece of cheese cloth into an empty jar. Hold the cheesecloth over the opening of the jar containing the herbs and secure. Invert the jar and pour the infused oil through the cheesecloth. Before discarding the herbs, squeeze all the oil out of them. Repeat the entire procedure. Repack a clean jar with more of the same herb. Add the infused oil, plus enough additional oil to cover the herbs. Store again in sunlight. Strain again through cheesecloth. Pour the oil into a jar and store until needed.
For a hot infused oil you will need a double boiler or a glass bowl over a pan of hot water. Put the oil into the bowl and add the herb. Heat the oil and herbs gently for three hours. Strain the liquid into a clean, airtight jar.
Do not take essential oils internally.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:53 am
 ＯＩＮＴＭＥＮＴAn ointment is a soothing, healing, slightly oily or fatty substance into which the essence of a healing herb has been dissolved by heating the fat or oil with the herb until the plant loses its normal colors. The plant material is then removed by straining, and beeswax is added as a hardener. You may wish to add a few drops of a tincture of benzoin, a popular bud tincture, or glycerin as a preservative. If you make ointments in small batches and keep them tightly closed with paraffin wax, they should not decompose.
The traditional folk, herbal and pharmaceutical base for ointments is pork lard. The lard is purified by simmering and straining. It is said to have healing abilities even without the addition of herbs, but so do a lot of fats and oils. It is also said to have great drawing power.
Purified, liquefied, anhydrous lanolin is also used as a base for ointments. Lanolin is the substance washed from the wool of sheep. It comes in many levels of purity, so the results will vary depending on the product. This oil is the closest to human skin oil. Almond oil, cocoa butter, wheat germ, and vitamin E are all neutral bases that may be used for ointments.
All ointments must contain one substance that will thicken the final product. Lanolin is used as a thickener, as is cocoa butter. Both are nonsticky and mix well with most other oils. Other useful thickeners are glycerin, honey, or liquid lecithin, but they tend to be sticky. Also, various powdered resins and gums will swell and thicken when they are first soaked in cold water. Agar-agar and Irish moss are seaweed thickeners. Thickeners are simmered in gently boiling water and added to preparations.
While any of the above thickeners will help swell a preparation and keep it emulsified, you will still need some wax to harden a homemade cream or ointment. Beeswax is perfect, although expensive. It may be combined with paraffin wax to reduce the cost.
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:58 am
 ＰＯＵＬＴＩＣＥＳA poultice is made with raw or mashed herbs applied directly to the body, or applied wet directly to the body, or encased in a clean cloth and then applied. Poultices are used to heal bruises and putrid sores, to soothe abrasions, or to withdraw toxins from an area. Cold poultices (and compresses) are used to withdraw the heat from an inflamed area and soothe skin irritations. Use a hot poultice or compress to relax spasms and for some pains.
To make a poultice, use fresh or dried herbs that have been soaked in boiling water until soft. You will need enough of the herb to cover the affected part. You may use the herb as it is, or mix it with slippery elm powder to make the poultice stick together. Place the poultice on the affected area and then wrap the body part and the herbs with a clean cloth. Repeat every two to four hours.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:02 am
 ＳＹＲＵＰMedicinal syrups are formed when sugar is added to vegetable infusions and decoctions. Sometimes tinctures are combined with sugar and gently heated, or exposed to the sun until the alcohol is evaporated. The syrup is then prepared with the sugar and water. Refined sugar makes a clearer and better-flavored syrup, but you may use unrefined sugar or honey. Any simple syrup can be preserved by substitution glycerin for a certain portion of the syrup. Always make syrups in small quantities as they can spoil quickly.
To make an herbal syrup, add 2 ounces of dried herb with 1 quart of water in a large pot. Boil down and reduce to 1 pint, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey. If you want to use fresh fruit, leaves, or roots in a syrup, you should double the amount of herbs. Store in a refrigerator for up to a month. Honey-based syrups are a simple and effective way to preserve healing qualities of herbs. Syrups can soothe sore throats and provide some relief from coughs.
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:06 am
 ＴＥＡＳHomemade herbal teas are much more potent than the store-bought teas. Their flavor can be quite strong and sometimes unpleasant. To make a tea, boil 1 pint of water. Add 1 ounce of dried herb tops (flowers, leaves, or stems) and steep for three to five minutes. Teas are essentially infusions but are consumed as a beverage.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:16 am
 ＴＩＮＣＴＵＲＥTinctures are solutions of medicinal substances in alcohol or diluted alcohol. The active ingredients are extracted by the alcohol, which also serve as a preservative. Do not use denatured, rubbing, or industrial alcohol to make your tinctures. A tincture can be stored up to two years.
To make a tincture, grind plant parts with a mortar and pestle (or a blender). Add just enough high-quality vodka, whiskey, or grain alcohol to cover the herbs. Let sit for twenty-one days, then add a small quantity of glycerin (about 2 tablespoons per pint) and about 10 percent volume of spring water. Strain and store in airtight amber-colored glass.
For a stronger tincture, place powdered or cut herbs in a cone-shaped piece of parchment paper. Pass alcohol repeatedly through the herb. Catch the drippings in a glass jar. You may use it on the first pass through, but the more you repeat the process, the stronger the tincture will be. It is acceptable to dilute any alcohol tincture with water. Add 4 ounces of water and 1 teaspoon of glycerin for every pint of alcohol. The glycerin is optional; it is an additional preservative.
A standard dose of tincture is 5 milliliters diluted in a small amount of warm water. Take the tincture three or four times a day, with a little sugar or honey to taste.
Non-Alcoholic Tincture
If you are pregnant and avoid alcohol tinctures. There is an altered way to prepare a tincture. If you wish to evaporate the alcohol, add the tincture dose to a cup of water, and then add an eighth to a quarter teaspoon of boiling water. The boiling water will evaporate the alcohol. Some herbs can be steeped in milk to make a milk tincture. Strain out the herbs, and store in a labeled jar in the refrigerator.
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:21 am
 ＶＩＮＥＧＡＲＳHerbs that are soluble in alcohol are usually soluble in vinegar, and are useful for salad vinegars, cosmetic vinegars, some liniments, and preventive washes.
To make an herbal vinegar, use 1 cup of fresh herbs to 1 quart of vinegar. You may choose to use cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar. Always look for an acid level of eight percent or higher.
Harvest the herb after the morning dew has dried. Wash if necessary, then pat dry. A milder herb vinegar will be produced by using herbs in flower. Choose a tall, clean glass bottle, such as a wine or olive oil bottle. Place herbs into the bottle, add the vinegar to cover the herbs, and then cork the bottle. Find a cool, dark place to let the vinegar stand for at least three to four weeks. Check the bottles after a couple of days. You may need to add more vinegar to recover the herbs. After the infusion period, you may seal the bottles by dipping the corked bottle top in melted wax. The herbal vinegar should be used within a year.
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:23 am
 ＷＡＳＨＥＳWashes, also known as waters, are usually diluted infusions or diluted tinctures. They are used to bathe wounds, sores, and other skin afflictions. To use, soak a cotton ball in the wash. Bathe the area from the center outward.
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Vicious Madam Mari Captain
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