During our last article on creating herbal preparations we covered such terms as compress, a cream, decoctions, infused oils, simple infusions, macerate, massage oils, and ointments. We covered several samples that could easily serve as the basis for your own creations. The basics are there and you merely need to learn the ins and outs of the herbs themselves.

During this article we shall continue to learn the remainder of the terms used when describing some sort of herbal preparations.

Let’s start this discussion with plaster preparations. When using plaster you will wrap the herbs in cheesecloth prior to applying them to the affected area of the body. Applied in this manner some irritating herbs such as mustard can not do any harm to the skin.

When making a poultice you should boil the herbs in water when creating a hot poultice or you can chop them up for a cold one. Rub a little oil on your skin in order to prevent the herbs from sticking to your skin. Next apply the herb and wrap it securely with gauze strips.

Another useful herbal preparation is steam inhalants. Here you would place a tablespoon or two of the herbs into a bowl and then pour some boiling water on top of them. Drape a clean towel over your head and start to breathe in the herbal vapors.

Syrup is another type of decoction or infusion which is preserved by the addition of honey or sugar. Use 500 ml of an infusion to 500 grams of the sweetener and then heat it gently until all has dissolved. When finished store the product in a dark glass bottle sealed with a cork. The use of a cork is recommended in place of a screw cap due to the possibility of explosion resulting from fermentation.

We can now cover one of the more popular types of herbal substances and that is tinctures. These are created by steeping the herb into a 25 percent mixture of water and alcohol. Make certain that you do not use rubbing, methyl or grain alcohol as they are extremely toxic and potentially dangerous. I personally use Vodka which is colorless and tasteless. If you happen to have an herbal formula that has an extremely unpleasant taste you could use some rum to mask it.

When making a tincture use 600 grams of fresh herbs to about 1 liter of water and alcohol mixture. Place this mixture in a sealed jar and allow to rest in a dark, cool location for a two week period. You should occasionally shake it up to mix the herbs and liquid. At the end of the two weeks you will strain the liquid with cheesecloth and store it in a dark glass bottle. When using the tincture take 5 ml of it three times per day. It can be diluted with a small amount of juice if you so desire.

Now we can cover tonic wine. When creating this herbal remedy take and pour several liters of a good quality red wine over 500 grams of herb. All the herbs should be fully covered by the wine. Leave this mixture sit for a couple of weeks and then strain it. It should be drunk in 1/3 of a cup doses.

As our last item we are going to cover washes. This is nothing more then a tea meant for external use only. When creating a mild wash you would use 1/4 of an ounce of herb to 1 pint of boiling water. Now steep until the mixture turns to a lukewarm temperature and then apply it. Some washes are excellent additions to bath water and can help to relax one after a rough day at work.

You now have the basics down for the vocabulary dealing with herbal preparations. Future articles will include formulas to make some useful applications from these principles.

Filed under: Fitness

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