Herbal Preparations
There are a great variety of internal and external preparations for herbal remedies.
The most important are listed below with some brief notes on how they are made
and used.
Ointment:
An external preparation made from a combination of oils and waxes (Almond oil
and beeswax are my personal favourites). Useful on dry skin and burns. Normally
applied sparingly.
Cream:
Oil and water emulsified together, with some wax to thicken it. If you make an
infusion and a cold infused oil (herb left in oil for several days), you can
then combine the two to form a very good cream. Emulsifying wax can be bought
from apothecaries e.g. Baldwins, on the Walworth Road in South London
(mail-order available).
Infusion:
Made like normal tea by steeping fresh or dried material in boiling water for
five to ten minutes. Typical dose is 1 teaspoon per mug.
Decoction:
This is simply boiling the herb in water (usually for about ten minutes). It is
the traditional preparation for roots.
Tincture:
Much used by professional herbalists, a tincture is a cold extract in alcohol
and water. Most tinctures are in ethanol (the alcohol found in vodka, beer etc.).
Occasionally tinctures are made with propylene glycol, which is a food grade
material, but not so natural.
Capsules/tablets:
Convenient to take, particularly if you need to carry them around, but usually
rather expensive.
Poultice:
Made with finely chopped herb and hot water and applied to the skin, whilst hot.
The mixture is wrapped in muslin to contain the herb but allow it contact with
the body.
Foot bath:
Absorption of remedies, through the feet, is very good. Warming herbs, such as
ginger, are often added to hot foot baths, to help with colds and ‘flu.