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Medicinal
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Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 12:25 pm Post subject: Medicinal
Do any of you use wild or naturally avaliable foodstuffs as replacements for pharmacy remedies. I don't mean for serious illnesses but as an alternative for the headache treatments and the calpols of the world?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 1:18 pm Post subject: Re: Medicinal
Yes, I do. But not a lot, I'd rather use proper medecines. Coltsfoot is top of my list; it's a very useful anti-tussive. I soak it in with my clove vodka, to make a brew that's potently anti-septic, locally anaesthetic, and somewhat anti-tussive. It's also not unknown for me to chew on some meadowsweet to relieve a headache, it's got wee bit of asprin in it.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 2:38 pm Post subject:
What are your reasons for preferring proper medicines, have you found the "wild " ones to be ineffective or are there other reasons or is it a lack of wild remedies out there in our countryside?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 2:48 pm Post subject:

Bernie66 wrote:

What are your reasons for preferring proper medicines, have you found the "wild " ones to be ineffective or are there other reasons or is it a lack of wild remedies out there in our countryside?

Gosh, no, it's not either of those things. It's more that proper medecines are, in almost all cases, better than herbal ones. There are some herbal products that are well worth using (coltsfoot is one, chamomile as a herbal bitter and mild relaxant is handy, etc.), but it's just that looking at the concentration of active ingredient you are almost invariably going to have a better result with an OTC drug.

There are wild herbal products that can be very useful, but I've just got no need for them. I COULD go looking for a wild sedative, but why would I need one? When I get a cold, I need an antitussive, so I use one, and it just so happens that coltsfoot is a bloody good one.

That isn't to say that there aren't a whole load of herbal remedies that I'd simply ignore 'cos they're crap. There are.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 4:52 pm Post subject: Re: Medicinal

cab wrote:

Coltsfoot is top of my list; it's a very useful anti-tussive. I soak it in with my clove vodka, to make a brew that's potently anti-septic, locally anaesthetic, and somewhat anti-tussive.

Which part of the coltsfoot do you use - the roots?

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 6:00 pm Post subject: Re: Medicinal

Judith wrote:

cab wrote:

Coltsfoot is top of my list; it's a very useful anti-tussive. I soak it in with my clove vodka, to make a brew that's potently anti-septic, locally anaesthetic, and somewhat anti-tussive.

Which part of the coltsfoot do you use - the roots?

The flower heads are best, but the leaves are kind of useful too if you miss the flowers. I reccomend drying some of the flowers for a herb tea, sweetened with a little honey, in the event of a cold.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 7:10 pm Post subject:
I'm certainly interested in herbal remedies but mainly simple every day things such as herbs that help digestion. I've definitely found cooking seaweed or summer savoury with dried beans helps the bean's side affects. Echinacea also seems to help prevent colds for me so I'm willing to give other things a go.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 7:15 pm Post subject:
have you come across any useful websites/links along these lines that i can follow? i will trawl internet myself but thought you may have already got some lined up

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Sun May 15, 05 6:03 pm Post subject: medicinal

although we have to buy it, my husband has had success with tablets made of devils claw for his constanly bad back

we came across it in liquid form as something that is given to animals with arthritis instead of bute which is really strong and could have side effects.

we got the "no bute" (devils claw ) for our greyhound and it helped him quite a bit.

then when we saw it in tablet form at a smaller chemit's my husband decide to give it a go as he knew he shouldn't really carry on taking constant ibuprofen tablets

and it seems to work for him. i wouldn't say it is instant but it does work if he takes it every day and there appear to be no side effects.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sun May 15, 05 7:52 pm Post subject:
what's an anti-tussive? I use curry to help ward off colds, does that count (I use steam as well, but curry is more satisfying!)

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Sun May 15, 05 7:57 pm Post subject:
I think anti cough medicine~ i am not that sure~check before relying on my word

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Sun May 15, 05 8:03 pm Post subject:
An anti-tussive represses the urge to cough a little. Doesn't stop you, but it can make having a REALLY bad cold a little more tolerable.

nora

Joined: 20 Mar 2005
Posts: 1539
Location: West Yorkshire

Posted: Sun May 15, 05 8:08 pm Post subject:
My grandad used to mix butter, sugar and vinegar together and would give us a spoonful of this to stop us coughing. It worked well but I don't know why.

ButteryHOLsomeness

Joined: 03 Apr 2005
Posts: 770

Posted: Sun May 15, 05 8:33 pm Post subject:

i used to make some herbal medicines when i lived in the states. at the time i had access to an amazing health food shop/herbalist. this shop had about 100 different dried herbs you could buy, self serve out of the glass jars/scoops. they even sold little reusable drawstring bags for doing up your own teabags

i had a decent migraine medicine i made up, but this was about 10 years ago so i don't remember all of the ingredients. I do know it had skullcap to improve circulation/blood flow, valerian to help you relax, liquorice root and cayenne pepper. i had a capsule filler and bought gelatine capsules from them. i made the mistake once of thinking that it would better to buy the large 'horse' pill size... not so nice when you can't swallow it properly, it becomes lodged partially until it starts to dissolve and suddenly you have cayenne pepper and liqurice root burning the back of your throat

i stuck to the small pills after that and just took more

i also used to make up a nice oil with eucalyptus, peppermint and something else...anyway you kept it stored in a dark spot and when you needed it you gave it a good shake and then rubbed a dab on each temple and under your nose. this was great for clearing sinuses and for relaxing you if you were stressed

i plan to get back into herbalism someday (my friends used to call me the kitchen witch

) but i don't have my books anymore and i don't have access to the herbs (well not cheaply!)

it's my intention when we get our dream land/house to have a mezzanine built over part of the kitchen. this will house my bank of cabinets witha bank of apothcary drawers on top. they will all be neatly labeled with the herbs they contain and i will hopefully be able to grow most of them myself. we plan to have a kitchen herb garden and a medicinal herb garden.... someday!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon May 16, 05 5:44 pm Post subject:
We used fennel water for indigestion instead of gripe water for all our sprogs, just boil half a teaspoon or so of fennel seeds in some water and use in a bottle instead of plain water.

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