Medicinal herbs

[towm8er]

Ok your allowed to plant 5 herbs for medicinal perpouses but they must cover at least one of the following anti biotic pain releafe or general health ie cold stomach ache etc

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[wrigsted]

Ephedra, Papaver somniferum, Cannabis, Nicotiana and one of the strong nightshades.

[Jorian]

Comfrey, goldenseal, valerian, cannabis... and what was that other one?

... must be the cannabis.

[towm8er]

Cannabis w is deffanetly on my list ill have to check out the others mentiond never heard of tobacco for medical

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[leatherface_y2k]

Cannabis w is deffanetly on my list ill have to check out the others mentiond never heard of tobacco for medical

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Nicotine is effective against intestinal parasites. Though you'll need the cannabis to offset swallowing tobacco juice. Yeah, yeah, lots of y'all swallow cope and such all day long.. most don't.

[the_alias]

Can you guys please not discuss the cultivation of Cannabis - it is a controlled substance in most States and countries in the world.

Thanks.

towm8er - you also need to, at the very least, employ some sort of spell check or dictionary when writing your posts.

[LyraJean]

Marigolds- Mosquito repellant and ridiculously easy to grow. It's also a perennial so it comes back every year. You brew the petals like making tea and then just spray the water on like you would with insect repellant.

Maybe not medicinal but mosquitoes carry a lot of diseases so it's a preventative.

[wee drop o' bush]

Peppermint: for indigestion, headaches & respiratory problems.
Lavender: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic.
Rosemary: digestive complaints, muscular aches & pains. It has analgesic properties.
Geranium (Pelargonium) bruising, chafed skin, painful periods.
Basil: Enervating, settles indigestion.
Sage is good for calming frayed nerves.
The list is endless

[Tetra Grammaton Cleric]

Aloe Vera for freaking everything.

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[dallas]

Melaleuca alternifolia, Tea Tree

[The Mrs.]

These are my top 5 medicinal herbs. I included pictures for faster identification and links for further information regarding specific uses, cultivation and preparation.



1. Aloe Vera - is a medicinal plant that probably has more than a hundred uses. It's been said that you can also drink the juice to treat digestive problems, ulcerative colitis, chronic constipation and poor appetite, to mention a few. It grows well under the sun and requires minimal care for it to flourish.

>boosts the immune system
>aids the digestive system
>contains antiseptic agents
>soothes numerous skin problems

http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/free-herb-information/aloe-vera.html



2. Echinacea - Considered to be one of the world’s most important medicinal herbs. What makes the Echinacea plant a handy medicinal plant to be around is the fact that it has a wide array of uses, including the treatment of sores, burns, wounds, allergy relief, insect bites, stings and snakebites. This type of medicinal plants also have the ability to help relieve allergies by strengthening immune system.

http://www.medicalhealthguide.com/herb/echinacea.htm



3. Chamomile - Another plant reputed to help treat more than 100 separate ailments and conditions including the common cold, digestive problems, diarrhea, eczema, gastrointestinal conditions, mucositis, toothache, earache, shoulder pain and the common wounds.

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/chammo49.html



4. Ginseng - Native North Americans considered it one of their most sacred herbs and add it to many herbal formulas to make them more potent. The roots can live for over 100 years. Ginseng helps to maintain excellent body functions. Siberian ginseng has been shown to increase energy, stamina, and help the body resist viral infections and environmental toxins. Research has shown specific effects that support the central nervous system, liver function, lung function and circulatory system.

Studies show that Ginseng:
>Counteracts effects of physical and emotional stress
>Enhances memory
>Stimulates the immune system
>Spurs production of body's own virus-fighting chemicals
>Helps reduce cholesterol levels in blood
>Has anti-clotting effects, reducing the risk of arterial blood clots
>Helps control diabetes by reducing sugar levels
>Antioxidant, preventing cumulative cell damage believed to culminate in cancer
>Protects the liver from effects of drugs, alcohol and toxins
>Minimizes cell damage from radiation
>Counteract fatigue without caffeine and improves stamina
>Increases intestinal absorption of nutrients

http://www.hardingsginsengfarm.com/cookbook.htm



5. Mandrake - A natural anesthetic. It will help a lot in preventing a patient from squirming and moving restlessly during a painful operation. The fresh root and dried bark of the root was used as an emetic and purgative, meaning that it helped cleanse the bowels. The root, mixed with brandy, was purportedly used for rheumatism, and for helping with rest and pain relief.

WARNING: Using this plant needs special skills and thorough preparation.

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/m/mandra10.html

[Ad'lan]

1. Aloe Vera - is a medicinal plant that probably has more than a hundred uses. It's been said that you can also drink the juice to treat digestive problems, ulcerative colitis, chronic constipation and poor appetite, to mention a few. It grows well under the sun and requires minimal care for it to flourish.

>boosts the immune system
>aids the digestive system
>contains antiseptic agents
>soothes numerous skin problems

Also great for burns, we use to cut a leaf off, and apply it directly to the wound. Very effective, anecdotally.

4. Ginseng - Native North Americans considered it one of their most sacred herbs and add it to many herbal formulas to make them more potent. The roots can live for over 100 years. Ginseng helps to maintain excellent body functions. Siberian ginseng has been shown to increase energy, stamina, and help the body resist viral infections and environmental toxins. Research has shown specific effects that support the central nervous system, liver function, lung function and circulatory system.

That's two plants. Siberian Ginseng is a completely different genus. AFAIK, Ginseng is a protected term, and you can't actually sell Siberian Ginseng under that name, it's chinese name is aproximately Ciwujia. Much of the research supporting some of the uses is still on going. What are the Environmental Toxins that it's effective against?

It's entirely possible to overdose on ginseng, particularly if you are already on other medication, especially if it's blood thinning effect combines.

5. Mandrake - A natural anesthetic. It will help a lot in preventing a patient from squirming and moving restlessly during a painful operation. The fresh root and dried bark of the root was used as an emetic and purgative, meaning that it helped cleanse the bowels. The root, mixed with brandy, was purportedly used for rheumatism, and for helping with rest and pain relief.

WARNING: Using this plant needs special skills and thorough preparation.

I'm glad you contained that warning. It makes you vomit and it makes you shit, cleaning out the bowels in a way not really popular since we disregarded the 4 humours, and some of it's active components include Scopolamine and Atropine, both of which are pretty dosage dependent on their effects. (Low dose Scopolamine - Anti Motion Sickness, High Dose - killed Mrs. Crippen).

Thanks for the links, I'll have to find time to follow them up.

[LyraJean]

Just because it's all natural doesn't make it safe.

[Katica]

This is a toughy because I am living in a much warmer and rainier climate than I grew up in, so I really don't know what would thrive here, and given the northern climate of Canada in general, we're a little bit more limited in terms of variety. But I do know that the Aboriginal peoples of Canada utilised a wide variety of plants here for medicinal purposes.....I just don't know which ones.

That being said, I am pretty sure I could grow these in my climate...

A willow tree - the bark can be chewed or steeped into tea as a painkiller because if naturally contains salicylic acid. In addition to alleviating pain, it has been used to relieve inflammation and fever.

Black walnut tree - the hull APPARENTLY contains natural iodine and can be used for antibiotic, antifungal and antiparasitic properties. I have read that it is particularily useful for ringworm. And of course, the walnuts are edible too (but a bitch to get into - black walnuts are much sturdier than regular walnuts and you pretty much need to use a vice grip to get into them).

Echinacea and chamomile - Okay, I cheated and listed two herbs here, but both are very easy to dry for making tea and are well-known remedies for colds and flu. It happens that I dislike the taste of chamomile, but I do like the smell and the dried flowers can be added to lotions, soaps, pot-pourri, etc.

Mint - mildly helpful for tummy troubles, although it didn't help much when I had an ulcer.

Canadian ginseng - has multiple uses (energy stimulant, immune booster, all-purpose elixer...). And not widely grown as a garden plant, so is perhaps also a good trade item.

And now the WARNINGS - because LyraJean is correct that just because something is natural doesn't necessarily make it safe. For example I just learned that chamomile could cause uterine contraction. For someone who is pregnant and trying to keep that pregnancy, it would be a plant to avoid.

Black walnut is a tree that does not play well with others. Granted, I grew up with both a garden and a black walnut tree and both thrived, but the trick is that they can't be near each other and you can't use the black walnut leaves as a mulch for your garden. The tree actually has a compound that will inhibit other plants somewhat. If you plant it, the grass right around the base of the tree will possibly be eventually replaced with moss. If you can ignore that aesthetic issue and give the tree plenty of room to grow where it won't interfere with your other plants, it's fine. Oh, and it'll take like 20 years to get actual walnuts from it.

And lastly? Ginseng can be kind of potent. In fact I am nervous to include it in my list because I had a tea once with ginseng and gingko that gave me heart palpitations, and I don't actually know if it was the ginseng or the gingko that did it. So if it came down to it, I would use the ginseng WITH CAUTION and discontinue it immediately if the heart palpitations came back. It could still be a useful trade item, however.

[TodaysBushcraft]

Are there any good books on the subject? To use for preparing and use of the herbs? Also to aid in identifying them?
Thanks!


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[LyraJean]

Are there any good books on the subject? To use for preparing and use of the herbs? Also to aid in identifying them?
Thanks!


Sent from my Tactical Communication Device.

I found The Complete Book of Herbs & Spices: An illustrated guide to growing and using aromatic, cosmetic, culinary, and medicinal plants by Sarah Garland. It was first published in 1979 but I have the 1983 edition. I found it at my local used bookstore for $10. It's a hardcover and in excellent condition.

[TodaysBushcraft]

There was a post with a book, but it is gone now. What happened?


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[wee drop o' bush]

There you go Leona, it's relatively cheap & easy to obtain both the herbs and the oils
My essential oil bible is The Fragrant Pharmacy by Valerie Ann Worwood.

[Poboyspecial]

I don't know if this question belongs in this forum, but here it goes....

Can anyone tell me a natural way (herbs, plants, etc) that will get rid of and keep fleas away from dogs?

[Katica]

Adding tea-tree oil to the dog shampoo will help inhibit critters, but I don't know if it's enough to stop a flea infestation...

[ZombieGranny]

Diatomaceous earth will kill fleas and the eggs too.
We use food grade so the same stuff can be used for everything from dusting hens to putting in food canisters.

Edited to add:
Reading back I see I failed to remind folks NOT to breathe the dust.
Breathing any dust is not good.

[ptAltered]

Can you guys please not discuss the cultivation of Cannabis - it is a controlled substance in most States and countries in the world.

Thanks.

towm8er - you also need to, at the very least, employ some sort of spell check or dictionary when writing your posts.

If we're putting the legal on you might want to mention that p. somniferum mentioned by a poster is the dreaded opium poppy and, unless you're a warlord that's supporting us in foreign nations, is quite illegal to cultivate or harvest the narcotic rich latex.

[Poboyspecial]

Thank you for the information about the Diatomaceous earth.... I will give it a try and let you know later how it works.

[boostdemon]

I was really into herbal remedies when i was younger... thought it was fun making tinctures and such. anyways, if only 5 i'd say
Echinacea, Ginseng, Goldenseal, Green Tea, St. John's Wort

you can "fix" almost anything with a combination of those.