Herbal Remedy Carriers

Herbal remedies come in a variety of forms:

Tinctures are the most common type of internal remedy prescribed by herbalists. They are made by soaking the flowers, leaves, or roots of the herbs in alcohol to extract and preserve their properties. Tinctures keep well, and are easy to store. Because they are highly concentrated, you need only take a small amount at a time.

Infusions are less concentrated and are an easy way to take herbs at home. The herbalist prescribes fresh or dried flowers, leaves, or green stems of the herbs, which you make with water into a “tea”—a rather misleading word, as it suggests a pleasant drink, which is rarely the case with prescription herbs. Sweeten with honey if you find the taste unpalatable. The properties of some herbs—for example, comfrey, marshmallow, and valerian root—are destroyed by heat, so they should be infused or “macerated” in cold water for up to 12 hours. These are quicky assimilated and gentle to use for children, convalescents, and those with delicate digestion.

Decoctions are similar to infusions, but are made from tougher materials such as roots, bark, nuts, and seeds. Using the same proportions, place the herb and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, simmer for 10–15 minutes, strain, and drink hot.

Tablets and capsules are taken in the same way as a conventional drug, and are useful for people who would rather not taste the remedy.

Creams and ointments are applied externally to soothe irritated or inflamed skin conditions, or ease the pain of sprains or bruises. Cream moistens dry or cracked skin, and massaging the ointment into bruises and sprains helps to ease the pain. In both cases the active ingredients of the herb pass through the pores of the skin into the blood stream to encourage healing.

Compresses, either hot or cold, help with aches, pains, and swollen joints. Fold a clean piece of cotton into an infusion of the prescribed herb and apply to the point of pain. Repeat as the compress cools or, in the case of cold compresses, until the pain eases.

Poultices, made from bruised fresh herbs or dried herbs moistened into a paste with hot water, are also good for painful joints or drawing out infection from boils, spots, or wounds. Place the herb on a clean piece of cotton and bandage on to the affected area. Leave in place for around two hours or until the symptoms ease.

Suppositories and douches are sometimes prescribed for rectal problems such as piles, or vaginal infections, respectively. The suppositories will come ready-made for you to insert. Douches are made from an infusion or decoction that has been allowed to cool.

Herbal baths are perhaps the most pleasant of the herbal remedies, and are a useful supplement to other forms of treatment. The heat of the water activates the properties of the volatile oils so that they are absorbed through the pores of the skin and inhaled through the nose. In both cases they pass into the bloodstream, and when inhaled they also pass through the nervous system to the brain, exerting a healing effect on both mind and body.