The word "Herb" comes from the Latin for grass. Technically, an herb
is a plant that withers each autumn other than shrubs or trees, although many shrubs
are used in traditional healing. Herbalists use "healing herbs"--any plant with medicinal value.
5000 years ago some Chinese peasant brewed a tea from 'ma huang' (ephedra), finding the world's oldest medicine, a decongestant. Pseudoephedrine, a laboratory analog of ephedra, is still widely used in cold formulas today.
 
Herbal healing includes 4 major traditions: Chinese, Ayurevedic (in India), European (including Egyptian), and American Indian.
According to a report published in the journal "Science", of the 121 prescription drugs derived from higher plants, about 74% came to drug companies' attention because of the use in traditional herbal healing.
 
  The origins of Chinese herbalism are lost in the mists of time, but legend has it that around 3400 BC, mythological emporer/sage Shen Nung invented agriculture and discovered that many plants have medicinal value. He tested herbs on himself, recorded their effects, and died after consuming too much of one that was poisonous.
  In 1874 in the Valley of the Tombs near Luxor, Egypt the German Egyptologist Georg Ebers discovered the worlds oldest surviving medical text, a 65 foot papyrus dating from about 1500 bc. The Ebers Papyrus summarized more than 1000 years of ancient Egyptian medicine, and listed 876 herbal formulas made from more than 500 plants, including about 1/3 of the herbs in today's western pharmacoepia.
  In 1799, George Washington came down with a sore throat, fever and chills. Chances are he had Strep Throat or some other minor infection that could have been cleared up with rest, hot liquids, and herbal antibiotics such as onion and garlic. Instead, Washington's 'heroic' physicians bled him of 4 pints of blood, leaving him anemic and weak, then gave him laxatives and mercury. He was dead within 24 hours.

 

As in anything, before you try any of the remedies and formulas listed
here, please consult a doctor. I cannot be responsible for any
injury you may have if you do not ask your doctor before trying any herbal healing.

The herbs that are listed on this page all have separate links,
with the information about the herb, how to use it, and what
it's used for. There may also be a few "shelli-isms"
in there as well, as the writer in me cannot help
but throw some of those in there every now and again :-).

In several cases I refer to an "infusion" or a
"tincture". Follow the instructions below for
both of them.

 

To make a tincture:
Fill a small bottle with vodka or brandy. Add 2 Tablespoons
of the herb of choice, close the bottle and store in a dark place for 2 weeks.

To make an Infusion:
Put 2 tablespoons of the herb in a cup, add boiling water
until the cup is full. Steep for 10-20 minutes, then
strain out the herb. This is easier if you have a tea strainer
bought for this purpose. You can get them at
almost any store, or on the web in our "shopping" links.

There are some supplies you will need as well,depending on how
deep into the healing arts you get. These basic supplies are:

A mortar and pestle- this is used for grinding herbs by hand into a powder or grinding roots.
Some dark colored bottles with droppers or corks
for the tinctures, and some dark bottles or mason jars for the teas and infusions.
A dark storage place for the herbs. A dark
cupboard works well, or you can store them
in the refrigerator.
At least one Identification Guide (Field Guide) if you plan on going out to the wild to gather your herbs.


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