Garlic/cloves (Allium sativum): Used for: Chronic and acute bacterial colds and flus, especially of the upper respiratory tract, with cough and mucous production; for ex. bronchitis, asthma, whooping cough. Actions: Antimicrobial, antifungal, expectorant and diaphoretic.
Use:high and low blood pressure; removing parasites and infections. Ultimate antibiotic. Useful even for sexually transmitted diseases. Strongly recommended for hypoglycemia, and diabetes. Destroys intestinal parasites. Reduces cholesterol. Repels insects, and reduces sting effects of insects and red ants.
Ginger/rhizome (Zingeber officinale): Used for: good for first signs of cold /flu or for full-blown cold/flu
Actions: antiviral, diaphoretic, suppressing cough
Use: tea form -- for cramps and nausea; externally for stiffness; add in cooking to detoxify meat, especially chicken. Anti-nausea tea, blood thinner, substitute for coumadin. Boil 2/3 cup of freshly chopped root in 1 gallon water, wrapped in cheesecloth (or old nylon stocking) until the water is yellow. Then soak towel and lay on bruises and sprains while still hot, to ease them. Stimulates a delayed period. Warm ginger tea is good to break up congestion and fever. Ginger is one of the few herbs that easily passes the blood/brain membrane and is used in conjunction with other herbs that are meant to have an effect on the mind. Pregnant women should avoid medicinal concentrations of ginger.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis): Antiseptic and astringent. Used for cuts, wounds, infections, bites, and stings. Goldenseal is also widely used internally for the treatment of sinus infections and other inflamma-tions of the mucus membranes, including the stomach and intestinal tract. The medicinal part of the plant is the root.Ohio used to be the most abundant habitat for goldenseal but over-harvesting has depleted the wild populations. Goldenseal is now scarce and should not be harvested from the wild. Try to buy goldenseal roots that are cultivated or grow your own if you have a rich woods
Honeysuckle/flowers (Lonicera japonica): Used for colds and flu - especially good at the first signs
Action: antiviral
Horseradish: Freshly dug root is added to a cold-pressed oil of choice (such as safflower or olive) to make a massage oil for muscle aches and to break up chest congestion. Grate fresh ginger and horseradish together and make a tea to stop post nasal drip.
Lemon/fruit: Used for colds, cough - good in syrups
Action: vitamin C
Lemon balm/herb (Melissa officinalis): Used for: Good for colds and flus that produce a fever. Also for colds and flus that cause the person to feel tense and depressed.
Actions: Antispasmodic, diaphoretic, relieves stomach and intestinal gas.
Lemongrass: ½ cup dried leaves to 2 pints of water, simmer for 10 minutes, and sip to bring down fevers.
Licorice/root (Glycyrrhiza glabra): Used for bronchial problems with a cold or flu
Actions: expectorant, laxative, demulcent, antiviral
Use: Tranquilizer. Balances nervous system, stimulates liver functions. Long term usage (over 3 months) could cause liver damage.
Lomatium/root (Lomatium dissectum): Used at first onset of a cold or after full-blown
Action: Antiviral
Lovage: Steep root for 15 min in a cup of boiled water, drink after every meal to prevent flatulence.
Mace: see nutmeg
Marjoram and oregano: Over 2 dozen related species. Use as a tea to help reduce fevers and break up bronchitis. Drink tea to relieve cramps and irregular menstruation. Eases suffering of childhood diseases like mumps and measles.
Marshmallow/root (Althaea officinalis): Used for coughs associated with a cold or flu, sore throat
Actions: expectorant, demulcent, antiseptic
Mint (Peppermint and spearmint): Peppermint tea for migraines, nervousness, stomach disorders, heartburn, and abdominal cramps. Herpes sufferers can take 2 cups of tea a day to ease the symptoms when the virus is active. Mints are used to buffer the action of other herbs that have uncomfortable effects on the stomach and intestines. Can be used in any combination for flavor. Tea form -- excellent for stomach ache
Mullein/flowers, leaves (Verbascum thapsus): Used for earaches (oil of the flowers), coughs with a cold or flu - very soothing
Actions: relaxing expectorant, antiviral
Mustard: 1 ½cups of dry yellow mustard in a bathtub of water for sprained backs. Make a paste with water and apply to knee and elbow sprains till blisters appear! Mustard and ginger plaster for deep rattling coughs - 1 tsp. each mustard and ginger powder mixed with 2 ½tbs. of olive oil. Rub over chest and back and put on an old T-shirt (or cover with cloth diaper).
Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha): Antiseptic and astringent. Very effective antiseptic used in salves. Combined with goldenseal, myrrh is good for wounds, bedsores, abscesses, and hemorrhoids. Internally, myrrh is used to treat fungal infections, congestion, ulcers, and as a wash for sore gums.
Nutmeg and mace: Gas, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, and kidney problems - make a paste of powder with cold water and then add to boiled water. 1 tbs. of powdered nutmeg produces a floating euphoria for between 6 and 24 hours. Can cause near constant erections for men during that time. Side effects are bone and muscle aches, burning eyes, sinus drainage, and limited diarrhea.
Onion/bulb (Allium cepa officinalis): Used before and during a cold - cough syrup - as a poultice Actions: antimicrobial, expectorant Use: Egyptians swore their oaths on onions; Grant refused to move his army until he got 3 railroad cars full of onions; interviews with hundreds of people who lived to 100 plus all indicated a heavy intake of onions in the diet. Onion is an excellent dressing for burns. Crush sliced onions with a little bit of salt and apply to burns. Apply sliced onion to bee and wasp stings. For asthma: puree an onion, cover it with brandy and let sit overnight, strain it, filter it through a coffee filter, and refrigerate. Take 2 tbs. 20 minutes before expected onset or before going to bed.
Oregano: see marjoram
Osha/root (Ligusticum porteri): Used during a cold or the flu
Action: expectorant
Parsley: The purifier. Chew for halitosis. A few sprigs provide 2/3 the vitamin C of an orange, lots of vitamin A, and the important amino acid histidine, which is a tumor inhibitor. Parsley tea is good for kidney problems, painful urination, and kidney stones. One cup of parsley to 1 quart of water makes a strong tea. Two cups of parsley to 1 quart of water, steep an hour and drink warm, as an aphrodisiac. In Spain they have found that feeding parsley to sheep will bring them into heat at any time of year!
Plantain (Plantago spp.): Astringent, antiseptic, and emollient. Plantain helps to relieve pain of insect bites and is a wonderful remedy for cuts, and skin infections. For a quick relief, pick a leaf, chew it and apply it to the insect bite or sting. Plantain is the source of psyllium seeds, a bulk laxative found in many over - the -counter products. Plantain can be found in lawns, meadows, and open woods. Plantain is abundant and can be harvested from the wild.
Rose/hips (Rosa species): Used as preventive or during a cold or flu
Action: vitamin C
Rosemary: tea form -- for treating headaches and body aches. Flower tea for the breath. Boil water with rosemary in it to make it safe to drink. Diuretic and liver aid, increases bile flow. Two handfuls of flowering tips into 2 cups of good brandy, soak 10 days, strain and seal. Mouthful twice daily. Oil of rosemary is a natural anti-oxidant, and stress reliever; sniff for headaches. Chop a double handful of twigs and put in a pint of olive oil for one week, and use as a muscle liniment.
Sage/herb (Salvia officinalis): Use as a gargle, during a cold/flu, or as a tea
Actions: Astringent, antimicrobial
Use: Chew a fresh leaf and put on insect bite to reduce sting and swelling. Sage tea for the throat. Two cups of sage tea a day for a week will dry up mother's milk. For the itching of skin problems, steep a handful of freshly crushed leaves in a pint of boiled water for one hour, and bathe the area, then sprinkle with whole wheat flour. Sage tea prevents blood clots.
St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum): The salve is good for burns, wounds, bruises, sores, insect bites, fungal infections such as eczema, and itching. This is my favorite herb to use in salves! St. John's Wort is used internally for the treatment of depression and is currently being researched for possible use in the treatment of AIDS. St. John's Wort can be harvested from the wild if you find large patches of it. It's been harvested as a portion of the flower head and leave a portion on the plant to produce seed. If you pick one of the yellow flowers and rub it between your fingers it will stain your fingers red! Animals develop photosensitivity when they consume St. John's Wort and there is some evidence that humans consuming large amounts of the herb may develop photosensitivity. When using a St. John's Wort Salve it is best not to use it before long periods of sun exposure.
Savory: (the herb of love) One quart boiled water, 3 ½ tbs. fenugreek seed, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove fenugreek and add 2 handfuls of savory leaves, steep 50 minutes and drink 2 cups, as an aphrodisiac.
Schisandra/berries (Schisandra chinensis): Use before getting a cold to build up the immune system.
Actions: Tonic, astringent
Spearmint/herb (Mentha spicata): Gentle herb, good for children, good for colds and flus of the gastrointestinal tract and mild fevers.
Actions; Antispasmodic, prevents vomiting, relieves stomach and intestinal gas, diaphoretic, reduces pain.
Tarragon: 1 ½ tsp. cut dried herb in 1 ¾ cups boiled water, steep 40 minutes, drink warm for insomnia, hyperactivity, depression, or nervous exhaustion. (or anything "jittery") For digestion steep a handful of dried leaves in a jar with apple cider vinegar, stand 7 hours, strain and seal. Take 1 tbs. before each meal.
Tea: Caffeine relieves migraines. Tea drinkers suffer less hardening of the arteries than coffee drinkers. Black tea kills dental plaque.
Thyme/herb (Thymus vulgaris): Used as a tea during a cold/flu
Actions: Antispasmodic, antimicrobial
Use: tea form -- to rid of intestinal worms; can also be used as a mouthwash. Antibiotic. A tsp. in ½ cup boiled water to make a gargle or mouthwash, to prevent bad breath, tooth decay, and cold sores. Drink for cold, flu, fever, and allergy symptoms. As a bath for nail fungus and athlete's foot, and also as a douche. Compress for bumps and bruises. Health liqueur - 6 sprigs of thyme in 1 ½ cups of brandy for 5 days, shaking daily. Take several times daily when you feel a cold coming on. Thyme is good for killing bacteria and for relaxing tense muscles. Relieves migraine headaches and stomach cramps.
Turmeric: added to warm milk -- regulates menstrual cycle. Anti-oxidant. Powdered turmeric on any ulcerated skin condition or mix with enough lime juice to make a paste and put on herpes sores, mumps, chicken pox, etc. Dip a cloth in turmeric solution to wash away discharges from conjunctivitis and opthamalia. As an anti-inflammatory, turmeric's properties are as good as 1 % hydrocortisone and phenylobutazone. Take ½ tsp. in juice in the morning and evening to aid in removing fat around the liver. Turmeric, bay leaf, clove, and cinnamon all tripled insulin performance in metabolizing blood glucose in a test tube! Field tests proved to greatly enhance production of insulin by the pancreas. "Spicecaps" from Great American Natural Products have a pinch of cinnamon, 2 cloves, ½ bay leaf, and 1 tsp. of turmeric per capsule.
Vanilla: Sexual stimulant. Soak a cotton ball with vanilla extract, squeeze it out, put it under the tongue and it will quickly calm hysteria.
Vinegar: Naturally brewed apple cider vinegar deserves a course all on it's own. It is one of the finest blood cleansers and arthritis cures known. Take 1 tbs. per day of equal parts vinegar and honey in water to taste to cleanse the blood and reduce inflammation from arthritis. Be sure to use naturally brewed vinegar, as the white cheap stuff in the grocery store is actually acetic acid, a petroleum by-product, and pretty well useless. (except as a window cleaner!)
Black Walnut Hulls (Juglans nigra): Antifungal. Use for athletes foot and other fungal infections, parasites, abscesses, and boils.
Watercress/herb (Nasturtium officinale): Used before or during a cold/flu Actions: vitamin C, minerals, expectorant
Yarrow/flowers (Achillea millefolium): Used for fever associated with colds and especially the flu Action: diaphoretic
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