© 1998 by Mary Lou Seymour and Claire Wolfe. This is a work in progress. You may download it for your own use, but it is not yet for circulation. We welcome any comments, corrections or additions you care to offer.

Herbalism is not a New-Age religion, not a fad, not a way to make money. Real herbalism involves study and hard work in the garden. There are a number of great products on the market in herbal food and drug -oops, can't call them that - stores. Many folks are turning to herbalism because of the allergic reactions that they have to - or the possible dangerous reactions to, or the possibility of DNA or other permanent damage from - current developed remedies and treatments.

Practitioners of the art are criticised and reviled - some with good reason. Ephedra is now touted as a diet medication; however, it can cause dangerous hypertension (elevated blood pressure), and if abused in this manner, can cause death. Ephedra is a 'natural' form of epinephrine, produced naturally in the body, and utilized to restart the heart in cardiac arrest. It can be deadly if abused - but so can many drugs and treatments, herbal or not. The only true treatment for obesity is a healthy diet and exercise - which, if you initiate or participate in a Gulch, you will have more than your share of the latter!

Most folks know that digitalis, an important heart drug, was derived from the common foxglove. Some folks even know that lemon seeds and willow bark naturally contain salicylic acid - aspirin.

The interesting thing about herbal treatments is that there is always some form, some plant, that can be grown in any area to treat most types of disease. I can't grow some herbs in my Southern climate - but I can grow admirable substitutes that free-form in my swamps and woodlands, and even have managed to grow some herbs that folks say can't be grown here. (see ‘Gardening - Microclimates.’)

Penicillin is handy to have to fight infection, but what do you do when you run out or it deteriorates? The key is a healthy lifestyle, utilizing not only vegetables and fruits that you grow in your garden to maintain that healthy lifestyle, but supplementing them with rapid and effective treatment for infections and problems. The best defense is a good offense - keeping the body healthy will make it more resistant to infection, more able to heal itself. A good diet, strong in effective vegetables and fruits, will not require as much treatment for disease. We have become far too dependent on the consultation of physicians and the administration of pills as quick fixes; now is the time to limit these addictions and concentrate on a proper defense.

Remember that herbal remedies, when misused or abused, can cause serious problems and even death. If you don’t know what you are doing, you can cause harm. Research your herbs and flowers, and make sure you know what is inherently, or even possibly, poisonous. Essential oils are the most potent form of herbal medicine - and the most dangerous. Fortunately, it takes large amounts of time, equipment, and herb to make a small amount of essential oil, and is usually more trouble than it is worth.

Simple Stuff

Onions and garlic are considered garden vegetables; they are good sources of allicin (an antibiotic) both internally, and externally as a poultice. Many people currently use garlic pills to help overcome colds as well as to prevent or slow the effects of arteriosclerosis. Onions and garlic inhibit the buildup of fatty deposits and cholesterol in the veins and arteries - most folks don’t like the odor, so they take the pills. Onions can be dried (hung in bunches), chopped, ground, pressed for their oil, used in almost every way. The oil can be used for earaches. The old wives’ tales of onion poultices for colds have validity; a particularly pungent onion will clear your sinuses in a matter of moments. One friend leaves cut onions all over his house when he has a cold, so that the air is permeated with the odor. Remember, old wives are old for a reason.

Love sweet watermelon? It is used for the treatment of cystitis and urinary tract infections; it can halt diarrhea and can even be used to aid in clearing poisons from the liver, as in hepatitis.

Like blackberries? The wild, thorny, non-hybrid canes have a root with a secret - it can stop diarrhea, too.

Dandelions? Of course you have them. Everyone does. Did you know that they are an excellent source of Vitamins A, B, C, and D, as well as contain high levels of potassium? Used as a diuretic (relieves fluid retention) , unlike water pills, dandelion leaves relieve edema (swelling) without sapping the body’s availability of potassium. Dandelions can be used for acne treatments and rashes; they detoxify the liver and help cleanse the system. Young leaves are best eaten in salads; older leaves, stems, and roots are best used for tinctures and medicinal applications, as they are bitter. Even the roots are useful as medicinal applications.

Roses? Uh-huh. Rose hips - those little green balls left when the flower petals fade - are high in Vitamin C. Cut ‘em off, cut ‘em up like little radishes, and throw them in your salads.

Like the hot stuff? Chili peppers promote and increase circulation. Horseradish is a diuretic, it promotes diaphoresis (sweating), which is helpful for colds and flu treatments, and stimulates digestion. It is even used to treat urinary tract infections!

Celery helps to decrease rheumatism and the inflamation of joints by its flushing action of waste products into the kidneys.

Spices? Not Just!
Do you have a little pot of chives or thyme or marjoram or rosemary on your windowsill? These are not just flavourants; they are medicines! Chives are a mild form of onion..
Thyme is another antiseptic, treats for bronchitis, whooping couch, and pleurisy, and even mild asthma with the tincture, and can be used to treat fungal infections and bites or stings externally.
Rosemary, if allowed to expand, will grow like a weed and treats sore throats, PMS (who says we won’t need this?) and even migraines.
Marjoram, like oregano, treats flatulence, colic, and respiratory problems, and is a good general tonic helping to relieve headaches, insomnia, and anxiety.

Most of the herbs grown in common backdoor herb gardens have some medicinal value other than flavor. Our grandmothers knew this. When your family had those huge Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners, why was there ginger or allspice or cinnamon in those cherry and pumpkin pies? To settle your stomach, to help your body process all of the foods that you had just eaten. Frozen, taste-depleted, easy-bake desserts cannot compare with the good and healthy application of herbs and spices that flavor and nourish, that help the body to use every ounce of food as fuel.

A Weed By Any Other Name...

Lemon grass and lemon balm, pennyroyal. horseradish, onions, garlic, and mild chiles all have the properties of deflecting insects and are safer than DEET. Some are applicable to humans, some are applicable to plants, to prevent bug infestation. The best bug repellants are organic; they do not harm ‘good’ bugs like ladybugs and lacewings, they deteriorate rapidly when exposed to sunlight and air - which, while this means that they will have to be applied more frequently, they will also not poison your Gulch’s food or children. (To make them, see "Decoctions" or"Infusions" later in this treatise.)

Aloe plants are grown in many homes; in warm climates, they can be grown outside. Aloe is useful for treating rashes, burns, and skin infections, but did you also know that it can be taken internally for colitis and other digestive upsets? The best application is a fresh application; aloe begins to lose its strength after it is cut. "Aloe" creams and bath oils, after sitting on the shelf for long periods of time, do not have much of the healing properties of aloe left in them. You should have several plants for each family in the Gulch; frequent cutting of aloe will cause it to deteriorate.

Growing Herbs

Some herbs like dry and sandy soil, others like dark and marshy soil. Some prefer soil high in nutrients, some prefer desertlike conditions. Pick the herbs that you will need based on applications as well as where you can plant them (see Microclimates under Gardening). Remember that many herbs are invasive; pennyroyal, peppermint, dandelion, spearmint, lemon balm, lemon grass, pineapple sage will take over if you let them. (I let them.)

Many herbs attract ‘good’ insects; pineapple sage is my personalfavorite for butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds, but a friend of mine who grows herbs for a living in a Northern climate says that her sage - which blooms in early fall - never gets a chance to bloom. Clover -white or red - will not only provide bees and butterflies for pollination, but will actually return nutrients to the soil when it is plowed under. Clover near a beehive makes for sweet, golden honey, too!

Herbs are propagated by seeds or root divisions. Many herb farms have locally grown herbs that they have developed for growth in your area. Many herbs, such as nettle, goldenseal, and marsh mallow, can be found in wild-growing areas - but proper harvesting of these wild plants must be carefully done. Ginseng, once growing wild in Appalachia, was so depleted by highly-paid locals who harvested the root for profit that it is nearly impossible to find. Fortunately, most folk are ignorant of the properties of most ‘weeds’, and could care less if you take their dandelions or nettles. Ask. Never completely decimate wild populations of plants. Being sure of the plant that you are harvesting in the wild is essential, too. As in harvesting wild mushrooms, the plant you take may not be what you think it is - and could kill you.

Some herbs, such as dandelion, ginger or blackberry roots, should not be disturbed for at least two years. In harvesting roots, care should be taken so that the herbalist knows the strength and age of the root; an early root is a weak root. For this reason, the Gulch should have an herb garden that is plotted to sustain not only new introductions, but older plants. Echinacea grown from seed will not bloom for two years; many folks dig it up after the first year in disgust in their flower gardens. Mark all plants well - not only with what they are, but with, if possible, when they were planted.

Try to grow perennial plants whenever possible; or have the ability and space to greenhouse and harvest, dry, and store seeds.Parsley, for example, is usually an annual or biennial at best; save the seeds. Parsley is similar to celery for its flushing action; however, ingestion of the seeds can prove toxic.

Strength of the herbal remedies depends on the type of herb; some plants have been so overbred and inbred that the resulting hybrid has little or no medicinal value. For this reason, it is advisable NOT to buy herbs from general flower garden seed companies; they are bred for beauty, not herbal quality. Some varieties of Echinacea - also known as Purple Coneflower - and lobelia, are very weak medicinally and are ornamental only. Buy your herbs from local herbal gardens / farms or herbal seed catalogs only to ensure quality.

The Gulch Herbal First-Aid Kit

Bite or sting treatments (tobacco, lavender, thyme; aloe, herbs that draw poison or reduce inflammation)
Cold/flu treatments (echinacea root, thyme, garlic, onion, for sore throats and congestion, infection) Stress/insomnia (Valerian, lavender, lemon balm)
Emetic - syrup of ipecac, lobelia, pokeweed (USE CAUTION!)

This is just a basic idea. Splints for fractures can be made from anything from rolled-up newspapers to rolled towels, or padded flat boards in varying sizes. IV needles and fluids for replacement in an emergency would be nice - if you have the knowledge to use them correctly, preserve them effectively, and even can access a steady supply.Any needles or syringes are useful, but keeping things such as bandages and needles and syringes sterile and not abused will be difficult. Oxygen bottles and delivery systems? Not likely. Therefore, you must be able to treat small problems before they become large, fatal ones.

Someone with medical training needs to be in charge of this aspect. CPR is good - but what if there is no defibrillator within fifty miles? Do you know what to do when your best handyman slices off a finger with his adze? What if someone is suddenly burned? Some folks still put syrup or butter on burns; this introduces infection into the burn. Learn basic first aid, and ensure that you have knowledge to treat small injuries or diseases before they become fatal.

Gulch Medical Personnel

An herbalist is absolutely necessary, much like the witch woman or old wife or goodwife of ancient communities. If you don’t know anyone in your Gulch who is knowledgeable in this area, the time to learn is NOW. There are classes available at some universities, there are books available at your local bookstore, there are even a few herbal societies and instructors in some locales. Seek them out. Order books from specialized herbal seed companies are a good source of information.

Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics have a basic understanding of medical care; if you have one in your Gulch, he or she may be more able to understand medical and medicinal terminology. They may also be more accepting of herbal information than doctors or nurses who may hesitate to utilize herbal information due to their training. EMTs know that book-smarts are not all that is needed to treat disease and injuries; common sense and rapid response are their stock in trade. If you are lucky enough to have any type of medical professional in your Gulch, they may be able to understand and utilize the information available on herbal treatments; otherwise, you may have to initiate the study on your own.

Storage

Herbs are at their best when fresh; pots of herbs in a home or greenhouse are essential for this freshness, especially in colder climates. A hanging pot of bicolor oregano or purple sage is just as attractive as any houseplant, and a good deal more fragrant and useful.

Air-dried plants are great, as long as you are not in a humid climate.. Most plants can be hung in bunches, even woven into wreaths or braided, as onions or garlic, in a dry, dark place, making sure that stems are not too tightly bunched or woven, you must allow air to pass freely. I utilize an automatic dryer for now,as I do live in a humid area, and rapid, thorough drying - with minimal heat! - is important to maintain quality. You can dry herbs in a warmed (turned-off or fuel-depleted) oven for several hours with the door open, or in the same room as a wood-burning stove (no room humidifiers or kettles, please!) then move them to a dark dry place to finish. Wash and thoroughly dry roots and tubers and chop small or slice thinly before drying. I make my own jars and bottles to store dried herbs; dark glass or tightly-closed (Cork-lined tops or corks are good, especially if you have those old-fashioned lever sealers that snug the lid down even more tightly) ceramic jars are imperative to maintain quality and reduce light, air, and sun exposure. Make sure that any ceramic that you use has uncracked glazing; if it is cracked, this can cause lead or other contaminants in the clay or glaze to poison your stored items. Discard any mouldy produce during the drying process. Once thoroughly dry and brittle, you can shake or separate herbs over a clean piece of paper, breaking them into small pieces. If there is any insect infestation, either during the drying process or storage, discard the herb and sterilize the container.

You can also steep herbs in vinegar or oil; this flavors the vinegar or oil and provides a fluid application. Use extra-virgin olive oil for food applications, and keep tightly closed to inhibit rancidity. Use dark glass and keep out of sunlight, off of windowsills. Herbs that are discolored, or lose their bright green or flower color, turn brown, etc., have lost their strength.

Use

Infusions
Infusions are the most common use for dried herbs; think of herbal tea. Steeping herbs in water will provide a slow application of their qualities. HOWEVER - some herbs are stronger than others. Peppermint tea is a refreshing drink that provides healthy properties, but yarrow or feverfew cannot be taken as frequently because of their strength.

Tinctures
Tinctures use clear alcohol such as vodka or rum. Because herbs dissolve more quickly under this application of alcohol, these preparations are stronger, and could be more deadly. Use caution.

Decoctions
Unlike leaves or flowers, roots and other parts of plants require a more aggressive removal of their medicinal properties. Decoction is simmering these parts until their properties are released. Decoction also involves the process of simmering (and thereby concentrating) the remedy. Use caution, as high concentrations of medicines can be deadly; know your herbs and their properties.

Syrups
Honey is an effective preservative and makes a pleasing syrup,especially for children’s remedies, or when a coating (such as for sore throats) is necessary. Equal parts of heated honey and a concentrated decoction can be mixed to provide a medicinal syrup.

Ointments
Ointments can be as simple as petroleum jelly and finely chopped soothing herbs combined, or as complicated as coconut oil or olive oil, beeswax, and powdered herb. What do you have access to?

Poultices
Poultices are herbs applied directly to the skin, usually simmered and gently squeezed of excess water, and held in place by a bandage or (in some cases) even a cabbage leaf. They are sloppy and messy and they work, to either help skin infections or relieve sprains, etc. Some poultices can only be left on the skin for twenty minutes or so; blistering can result.

Research

Bluntly, it would take more pages than this book could hold, and more time than any of us have, to give you a list of all of the herbs and uses and remedies available for every single area of the planet, much less every microclimate.

Because so many herbal remedies have fallen into disuse and even disrepute with our rapidly advancing technology and medicinal expertise, much information has been lost or corrupted over the years. There are many books and magazines that address herbal treatments as well as propagation and decoction. There are several holistic societies and Chinese, Ayurvedic (Indian), South American, American Indian, and African medicinal studies available for research. Because of the renewed interest in ‘natural’ medicine,there are many professional courses of study as well as excellent books and other sources of information. I do not pretend to know it all, or even a part. I experiment and decide what works best for me, grows best for me, in my area, with my local herbal farm and a tiny reference section in my local bookstore as very helpful supplements. I swear by the Foxfire collection, because much of what they grew then I can grow now, and my bible - well worn and used with loving care - is Andrew Chevallier's Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Expensive but worth every dime.

You, as a Gulch initiator, an herbal farmer, or just an interested reader, will have to do the same - and consider what resources you will have available not only now but in the next few years. Olive oil? Honey? Bees or/and beeswax? Bottles? Corks? What do you have now, what can you get now, and what will you have in the future? What can you make for yourself? How soon?

Finally - is this a pleasant diversion - or can you do it to save your own life? Better get moving.

Thanks Bea, for an interesting and informative article! Anyone wanting to comment on this article or contribute an article, suggestion etc to The Gulcher's Guide, for publication on the Web now and possible publication in "meatspace" later, contact Mary Lou and Claire at gulch@iname.com. Please read the "fine print" on our index page for well, the "fine print".

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