Wet Preparations

When preparing a water-based preparation there is an easy Rule of Thumb that states "If the herb is woody, make a decoction. Everything else, is an infusion.".

.

.

Infusion

An infusion is really nothing more than a tea. This is probably the easiest of all preparations to make. There are some general rules to follow when making an infusion however. Fresh herbs can be used in place of dried at a 3-1 ratio. (Example: 1 tsp of dried mint can be substituted with 3 tsp of fresh mint) The reason behind this is the water content of the fresh herbs. The higher levels of water in the fresh herbs inhibits the absorbtion of water into the plant material.

To make an infusion:

• In a glass, glazed-ceramic, porclin or other type of non-metalic container, add one teaspoon of the dried herb per cup of water to be added.

• Water should be added boiling or near boiling to the herbs. (Be sure to put a lid on the new infusion to prevent evaporation of the oils in some plants). The herbs should be left to steep for 10-15 minutes.

.

Teaballs, teabags and even loose herbs work fine for infusions. The infusion is best drank hot, careful though since the water used should have been quite hot, but there is nothing wrong with drinking the tea chilled. Best results seem to come from the hot teas however.

.

If the infusion needs to be sweetened try to avoid white cane sugar as it is highly refined and has impurities in it. As an alternative, try using honey or brown sugar. Another option is to include other, sweeter, herbs in the infusion next time.

.

As mentioned earlier, infusions are best suited for herbs that are dried leaves, flowers and/or in some cases stems. Seeds, barks or resins should be broken up before the water is added. By doing this you are increasing the flow of water to the inner portions of the herb in these cases which in turn allows for increased potency of the infusion.

.

Precautions should be made to not loose volatile oils due to evaporation or adding water that is too hot because it can damage some sensitive plants. Please take the proper care in preparing the infusion. Just because an infusion is the easiest, doesn't mean some level of care or precaution isn't called for. Learn about the herbs being used in the infusion. Ask questions if you are not sure. This is true for all medicines and treatments however.

.

.

Decoction

Decoctions are best suited for hard surfaced or woody herbs. It does a better job at extracting the active medicinal components from such herbs. Bark, nuts, rhizomes, roots, seeds and some woods actually don't make suitable infusions due to the herbs physical structures. Where as steeping the herb(s) in boiling/hot water is only needed for an infusion, more heat and longer time periods in the water is needed to properly make a decoction.

To make a decoction:

• As when making an infusion, use 1 teaspoon dried or 3 teaspoons fresh herb(s) per cup of water being used in making the decoction. The container should be glazed earthenwear, glass or enamelled metal. Never use exposed aluminium sided pots or kettles

• Bring the water up to a rolling boil and then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The time required at this point does change depending on the herb(s) being used. Check for specifics on the herb to make sure of the proper time needed to reach it's full potential. The 10-15 minutes at simmer is a good general guideline however. (If the herbs being used contain volatile oils be sure to cover with a tight fitting lid.)

• Strain the decoction while it is still hot.

.

When working with a mixture of herbs in which some would be best prepared in an infusion, while other would work best prepared in a decoction, do so. It is not worth the chance of possibly loosing the properties of one to gain the other. You can combine the two if needed as decoction can be used in the same manner as infusions.

.

.

Alcohol Tincture

Alcohol is actually a better solvent for herbal properties than water is. However, due to the nature of alcohol itself, it is common to use an alcohol/water mixture.

Professionally prepared tinctures use a specific water/alcohol ration according to the phramacopia of the specific herb. In general though, a simple 30% alcohol mixture(60 proof) can be used safely and affectively.

To make an alcohol tincture:

• Using approx 4oz dried herb or 8oz fresh herb into a container with a tight fitting lid.

• Add approx 1 pint (or 1/2 litre) 60 proof alcohol to the container with the herbs.(Vodka actually works quite nicely.)

• Keep this in a warm place, a sunny window works well, and shake twice daily.

• After decanting the liquid pour it into a cheesecloth and let it rest in a siv or strainer of some sort.

• Wring the cloth dry, making sure any and all debri from the liquid is caught in the strainger if it falls out of the cloth

• Pour the tincture into a dark glass bottle and cork shut.

.

Dosages required by tinctures are much lower than those of infusions or decoctions as the tincture is much more potent. The normal dosage of a give tincture is only five to fifteen drops. As the potency of the tincture is stronger, so is the flavor of it. Sometimes it's easier to take if it is diffused in a cup of warm or hot water. If the water is hot enough, some of the alcohol could steam off. Don't be alarmed though if the water clouds up. This is a natural reaction of the non-water-soluble constituents being suspended in the water. Tinctures need not be taken internally all the time however. Add a few to several drops to a hot bath. Suppositories and lozenges are based on tinctures as well.

.

.

Vinegar/Glycerine Tinctures

Similar to alcohol, vinegar can be used can also be used in making a tincture. One of the main constituents of vinegar is Acetic Acid which works in much the same way as alcohol does. As a suggestion, don't use standard white vinegar. Instead, try apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is healthier and a natural product. Normally, vinegar preparations are used in a culinary fashion but can be used medicinaly.

.

Glycerine based tinctures, while being easier on the digestive tract, can't carry oily or resinous materials nearly as well. While it is a better solvent than water, it is not as good as alcohol.

.

To make a glycerine tincture, make up half a liter of a mixture consisting of one part glycerine and one part water, add four ounces of the dried ground herb (if a fresh herb is to be used, change to eight ounces of herbs and a three part glycerine and one part water mixture. The fresh herbs have a higher water content and thus require less water in the mixture.)and leave it in a well-corked container for two weeks, shaking it every day. After the two weeks are up, strain the mixture and press/wring the residue in a cheesecloth or similar material. Store in a similar environment as you would an alcohol tincture.

.

.

Syrup

Every parent knows that children don't like nasty tasting medicines. An easy solution is to sweeten it up a bit. In such a case, a syrup is the best choice! Syrups are best suited for masking unpleasant tasting tinctures.

To make a syrup, combine one liter of water and two and one half pounds of sugar in a pot and bring the water to a boil while stirring. Once the water dissolves the sugar and comes to a boil remove from the heat. This is your basic syrup stock.

.

When combining the basic syrup stock with a tincture use a 3-1 ratio of syrup to tinture. Infusions and decoctions are even easier to incorporate into the syrup as you can directly add the sugar to the decoction or infusion and prepare it that way. Keep in mind however that in this instance, use three quarters of a pound of sugar to each liter of water-based preparation.

.

.

Dry Preparations

At times dry herbs are called for instead of a wet preparation. The advantage is that you can take the whole herb, woody parts and all easily. There are also some herbs that just have such a foul taste that no matter what you do, you can't mask it in a wet preparation.

.

There are some disadvantages to taking a dry preparation however. Normally a dry preparation uses raw herbs, that is to say, herbs that have not been processed at all. In these cases, the plant cells may not easily give up their medicinal properties as easily. Wet perparations seem to be absorbed into the body faster and thus take affect sooner.

.

Even taking the disadvantages into consideration, dry perparations still have thier place. A few extra steps in preparing the herbs can minimize some of the disadvantages. One of the biggest steps that can be taken is to powder the herb as much as possible. By doing so, the cell walls will be more apt to release the constituents and allow for more to be absorbed by the body.

.

.

Capsule / Pills

The easiest way to take a powdered herb is via a capsule. The capsules are gelatine and not make from any animal products. They come in a few sizes and are relatively inexpensive. The size needed largely depends on the dosage required. The most common size used is 00 (double zero). This size will hold 0.5 grams of powdered herb.

The following is how to easily fill a capsule:

• Start by placing the finely powdered herb in a flat plat or platter and seperate the capsule halves.

• Slide the open ends of the capsules through the powdered herb filling each side as you push

• Gently press the open sides of the capsule together and you're done

.

Pills on the other hand are a bit more complicated but not much. The easiest way to make a pill is to just include the herbs into a small ball of fresh bread or even cream cheese. The biggest drawback is that you will still taste the herb which may not always be a pleasant thing to have happen.

.

.

Lozenge

Lozenges are great if the pills need to be stored for any real duration of time. Lozenges are a combination of the powdered herb and mucilage and sugar. Lozenges are the prefered treatment for the mouth, throat and the rest of the upper respitory system.

.

The muilage may be obtained from Marshmallow Root, Slippery Elm Bark, Comfrey, or the gums such as Tragacanth or Acacia.

This is how to make lozenges using Tragacanth:

• Bring a half liter of water to a boil and add in one ounce of Targacanth that has been soaking for atleast 24 hours and stired regularly

• Beat the mixture until smooth and force through a VERY fine strainer, cheesecloth preferably.

• Mix in the herb or mixture of herbs to the paste and add sugar if needed

• Roll the mixture out on a cool slab (preferably marble) and cut into the desired shape and size

• Leave the lozenges out to air dry and when dry, store in an air-tight container

A nice alternative to the dried herbs in a lozenge is to use essential oils instead. In this case, try the following:

• Mix 10-14 drops of the given oil with 2 ounces of sugar

• Combine with enough mucilage of Tragacanth to make a paste

• Continue on with the remaining steps as listed above

.

.

Nature has been very kind to us and given up some of it's secrets. Herbs can do a great many things to the body. Some are wonderfully beneficial but under some circumstances, others are quite deadly. Just because herbs are plants don't underestimate their power. In some of the preparations mentioned above they actually are more powerful than if you were to eat a leaf or root. Caution should be taken any time something is taken into the body. Also please be aware that this is not intended as a replacement to medical treatment. Herbs can help with a great many things, but sometimes, just go ahead and see someone who has training. Be it a Western Medical Doctor or someone else. There are treatments available through them that are so much better in some cases.