A trip into the woods "Free herbals"

Sweet birch Tea

After the third or fourth brewing, try some of the liquid as a grease-cutter in the oven. Amazingly, the birch tea gets stronger the more often you use the twigs.

A brew of sweet birch. I break a handful of twigs (with unopened buds) into a quart jar, fill it with boiling water, and cap it tightly. The next morning, I pour off (and drink) the wintergreen- flavored tea, leaving the twigs in the jar. I pour another quart of boiling water over the (same) twigs. And so on, up to thirty times.

Uses
The leaf tea is reported to eliminate gravel and dissolve kidney stones when taken daily for a time, 1 to 1 1/2 cups a day. A decoction of the leaves is sometimes recommended for baldness; or try the fresh expressed juice. Mild sedative. Use a wash or bath additive for chronic or severe skin problems. The inner bark contains an oil which is sometimes substituted for wintergreen in liniment. Relieves headaches, menstrual cramps, abdominal cramps, gout, dropsy, acne, eczema, pruritis, rheumatism pains, diarrhea, colic, colitis, and dysentery. The liquid from boiling bark can be used to wash sores and wounds, boils, expels worms. Sap can be taken as a spring tonic or used as a hair tonic.

Beer is often made from the sap of sweet birch. A type of oil of wintergreen is distilled from the inner bark and twigs.

******

CLASSIC PLANTAIN POULTICE

This preparation can be applied to burns, cuts, scrapes, insect bites, or other injuries to reduce inflammation, prevent infection, and speed healing. If you don't have access to fresh plantain leaves, purchase dried leaf from an herb supplier.


Boiling water
1/2 cup dried plantain leaves or a hand full of fresh ones


Place about 1/4 cup of water in a blender and add the plantain. Begin blending and slowly add water until the mixture is a consistency that is thick enough to spread, but is not watery. The
mucilage in the herb will form, a thick, gooey paste. Spread the paste on the affected area, cover with gauze and tape into place.

*****

Sick tummy- irritiable Bowel Tea

This formula is based on a somewhat similar tea found in Paul Bergner´s ¨The Healing Power of Ginseng¨on the tonic herbs.

3 Parts Chamomile
2 Parts Mallow Leaf & Root
2 Parts Dandelion Root
2 Parts Fennel Seed
1 Part Burdock Root
1 Part Licorice Root

Mix together and use 2 tablespoons in a pot of boiling water, sip as you wish.