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1 oz dried comfrey leaves
1 oz dried calendula flowers
2 cups olive oil
1 oz pure beeswax
4 drops tea tree
4 drops lavender essential oils
1 400 vit E
Heat herbs in olive oil over low heat for about 5 hours. Do not let the oil
boil or bubble. A Crock-Pot or the lowest temperature setting on a range
should be suitable for heating this mixture. (If the lowest setting is too
hot, turn off the heat once it has warmed the oil...it should keep warm for
at least and hour....then repeat the process twice.) After cooking, strain
out the herbs while oil is still warm. Place 1 1/4 cups of the herb oil in
a
pan, add beeswax and heat just enough to melt the wax. Add essential oil
and
stir. Finally, pour the salve into wide mouthed jars. Store at room
temperature. Use for minor scrapes and cuts, to protect and promote healing.
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Plantain, Common Botanical: Plantago major (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Plantaginaceae ---Synonyms---Broad-leaved Plantain. Ripple Grass. Waybread. Slan-lus. Waybroad. Snakeweed. Cuckoo's Bread. Englishman's Foot. White Man's Foot.
(Anglo-Saxon) Weybroed.
---Parts Used---Root, leaves, flower-spikes.
The Common Broad-leaved Plantain is a very familiar perennial 'weed,' and may be found anywhere by roadsides and in meadow-land. ---Description---It grows from a very short rhizome, which bears below a great number of long, straight, yellowish roots, and above, a large, radial rosette of leaves and a few Iong, slender, densely-flowered spikes. The leaves are ovate, blunt, abruptly contracted at the base into a long, broad, channelled footstalk (petiole). The blade is 4 to 10 inches long and about two-thirds as broad, usually smooth, thickish, five to eleven ribbed, the ribs having a strongly fibrous structure, the margin entire, or coarsely and unevenly toothed. The flower-spikes, erect, on long stalks, are as long as the leaves, 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick and usually blunt. The flowers are somewhat purplish-green, the calyx fourparted, the small corolla bell-shaped and four-lobed, the stamens four, with purple anthers. The fruit is a two-celled capsule, not enclosed in the perianth, and containing four to sixteen seeds. The Plantain belongs to the natural order Plantaginaceae, which contains more than 200 species, twenty-five or thirty of which have been reported as in domestic use. The drug is without odour: the leaves are saline, bitterish and acrid to the taste; the root is saline and sweetish. The glucoside Aucubin, first isolated in Aucuba japonica, has been reported as occurring in many species. ---Medicinal Action and Properties---Refrigerant, diuretic, deobstruent and somewhat astringent. Has been used in inflammation of the skin, malignant ulcers, intermittent fever, etc., and as a vulnerary, and externally as a stimulant application to sores. Applied to a bleeding surface, the leaves are of some value in arresting haemorrhage, but they are useless in internal haemorrhage, although they were formerly used for bleeding of the lungs and stomach, consumption and dysentery. The fresh leaves are applied whole or bruised in the form of a poultice. Rubbed on parts of the body stung by insects, nettles, etc., or as an application to burns and scalds, the leaves will afford relief and will stay the bleeding of minor wounds. Fluid extract: dose, 1/2 to 1 drachm. In the Highlands the Plantain is still called 'Slan-lus,' or plant of healing, from a firm belief in its healing virtues. Pliny goes so far as to state, 'on high authority,' that if 'it be put into a pot where many pieces of flesh are boiling, it will sodden them together.' He also says that it will cure the madness of dogs. Erasmus, in his Colloquia, tells a story of a toad, who, being bitten by a spider, was straightway freed from any poisonous effects he may have dreaded by the prompt eating of a Plantain leaf. Another old Herbal says: 'If a woodhound (mad dog) rend a man, take this wort, rub it fine and lay it on; then will the spot soon be whole. ' And in the United States the plant is called 'Snake Weed,' from a belief in its efficacy in cases of bites from venomous creatures; it is related that a dog was one day stung by a rattlesnake and a preparation of the juice of the Plantain and salt was applied as promptly as possible to the wound. The animal was in great agony, but quickly recovered and shook off all trace of its misadventure. Dr. Robinson (New Family Herbal) tells us that an Indian received a great reward from the Assembly of South Carolina for his discovery that the Plantain was 'the chief remedy for the cure of the rattlesnake.' The Broad-leaved Plantain seems to have followed the migrations of our colonists to every part of the world, and in both America and New Zealand it has been called by the aborigines the 'Englishman's Foot' (or the White Man's Foot), for wherever the English have taken possession of the soil the Plantain springs up. Longfellow refers to this in 'Hiawatha.' - Our Saxon ancestors esteemed it highly and in the old Lacnunga the Weybroed is mentioned as one of nine sacred herbs. In this most ancient source of Anglo-Saxon medicine, we find this 'salve for flying venom':
- 'Take a handful of hammer wort and a handful of maythe (chamomile) and a handful of waybroad and roots of water dock, seek those which will float, and one eggshell full of clean honey, then take clean butter, let him who will help to work up the salve, melt it thrice: let one sing a mass over the worts, before they are put together and the salve is wrought up.
Some of the recipes for ointments in which Plantain is an ingredient have lingered to the present day. Lady Northcote, in The Book of Herbs (1903), mentions an ointment made by an old woman in Exeter that up to her death about twenty years ago was in much request. It was made from Southernwood, Plantain leaves, Black Currant leaves, Elder buds, Angelica and Parsley, chopped, pounded and simmered with clarified butter and was considered most useful for burns or raw surfaces. A most excellent ointment can also be made from Pilewort (Celandine), Elder buds, Houseleek and the Broad Plantain leaf. Decoctions of Plantain entered into almost every old remedy, and it was boiled with Docks, Comfrey and a variety of flowers. A decoction of Plantain was considered good in disorders of the kidneys, and the root, powdered, in complaints of the bowels. The expressed juice was recommended for spitting of blood and piles. Boyle recommends an electuary made of fresh Comfrey roots, juice of Plantain and sugar as very efficacious in spitting of blood. Plantain juice mixed with lemon juice was judged an excellent diuretic. The powdered dried leaves, taken in drink, were thought to destroy worms. To prepare a plain infusion, still recommended in herbal medicine for diarrhoea and piles, pour 1 pint of boiling water on 1 OZ. of the herb, stand in a warm place for 20 minutes, afterwards strain and let cool. Take a wineglassful to half a teacupful three or four times a day. The small mucilaginous seeds have been employed as a substitute for linseed. For 'thrush' they are recommended as most useful, 1 OZ. of seeds to be boiled in 1 1/2 pint of water down to a pint, the liquid then made into a syrup with sugar and honey and given to the child in tablespoonful doses, three or four times daily. The seeds are relished by most small birds and quantities of the ripe spikes are gathered near London for the supply of cage birds. Abercrombie, writing in 1822 (Every Man his own Gardener), giving a list of forty-four Salad herbs, includes Plantain. Dr. Withering (Arrangement of Plants) states that sheep, goats and swine eat it, but that cows and horses refuse it. It is a great disfigurement to lawns, rapidly multiplying if allowed to spread, each plant quite destroying the grass that originally occupied the spot usurped by its dense rosette of leaves. - Salmon's Herbal (1710) gives the following manifold uses for Plantage major:
- 'The liquid juice clarified and drunk for several days helps distillation of rheum upon the throat, glands, lungs, etc. Doses, 3 to 8 spoonsful. An especial remedy against ulceration of the lungs and a vehement cough arising from same. It is said to be good against epilepsy, dropsy, jaundice and opens obstructions of the liver, spleen and reins. It cools inflammations of the eyes and takes away the pin and web (so called) in them. Dropt into the ears, it eases their pains and restores hearing much decayed. Doses, 3 to 6 spoonsful more or less, either alone or with some fit vehicle morning and night. The powdered root mixed with equal parts of powder of Pellitory of Spain and put into a hollow tooth is said to ease the pain thereof. Powdered seeds stop vomiting, epilepsy, lethargy, convulsions, dropsy, jaundice, strangury, obstruction of the liver, etc. The liniment made with the juice and oil of Roses eases headache caused by heat, and is good for lunatics. It gives great ease (being applyed) in all hot gouts, whether in hands or feet, especially in the beginning, to cool the heat and repress the humors. The distilled water with a little alum and honey dissolved in it is of good use for washing, cleansing and healing a sore ulcerated mouth or throat.'
'Salmon also tells us that a good cosmetic is made with essence of Plantain, houseleeks and lemon juice. Culpepper tells us that the Plantain is 'in the command of Venus and cures the head by antipathy to Mars, neither is there hardly a martial disease but it cures.' He also states that 'the water is used for all manner of spreading scabs, tetters, ringworm, shingles, etc.' From the days of Chaucer onwards we find reference in literature to the healing powers of Plantain. Gower (1390) says: 'And of Plantaine he hath his herb sovereine,' and Chaucer mentions it in the Prologue of the Chanounes Yeman. Shakespeare, both in Love's Labour's Lost, iii, i, and in Romeo and Juliet, I, ii, speaks of the 'plain Plantain' and 'Plantain leaf' as excellent for a broken shin, and again in Two Noble Kinsmen, I, ii: 'These poore slight sores neede not a Plantin.' His reference to it in Troilus and Cressida, III. ii: 'As true as steel, as Plantage to the moon,' is an allusion that is now no longer clear to us. Again, Shenstone in the Schoolmistress: 'And plantain rubb'd that heals the reaper's wound.' |
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calendula
Marigold Botanical: Calendula officinalis (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Compositae ---Synonyms---Caltha officinalis. Golds. Ruddes. Mary Gowles. Oculus Christi. Pot Marigold. Marygold. Fiore d'ogni mese. Solis Sponsa.
---Parts Used---Flowers, herb, leaves.
The Common Marigold is familiar to everyone, with its pale-green leaves and golden orange flowers. It is said to be in bloom on the calends of every month, hence its Latin name, and one of the names by which it is known in Italy - fiore d'ogni mese - countenances this derivation. It was not named after the Virgin, its name being a corruption of the Anglo-Saxon merso-meargealla, the Marsh Marigold. Old English authors called it Golds or Ruddes. It was, however, later associated with the Virgin Mary, and in the seventeenth century with Queen Mary. - ---History---It was well known to the old herbalists as a garden-flower and for use in cookery and medicine. Dodoens-Lyte (A Niewe Herball, 1578) says:
- 'It hath pleasant, bright and shining yellow flowers, the which do close at the setting downe of the sunne, and do spread and open againe at the sunne rising.'
- Linnaeus assigned a narrower limit to the expansion of its flowers, observing that they are open from nine in the morning till three in the afternoon. This regular expansion and closing of the flowers attracted early notice, and hence the plant acquired the names of solsequia and solis sponsa. There is an allusion to this peculiarity in the poems of Rowley:
- 'The Mary-budde that shooteth (shutteth) with the light.'
- And in the Winter's Tale:
- 'The Marigold that goes to bed wi' th' sun,
- And with him rises weeping.'
It has been cultivated in the kitchen garden for the flowers, which are dried for broth, and said to comfort the heart and spirits. - Fuller writes: 'We all know the many and sovereign virtues in your leaves, the Herbe Generalle in all pottage.' (Antheologie, 1655.) Stevens, in Maison Rustique, or the Countrie Farme (1699), mentions the Marigold as a specific for headache, jaundice, red eyes, toothache and ague. The dried flowers are still used among the peasantry 'to strengthen and comfort the hart.' He says further:
- 'Conserve made of the flowers and sugar, taken in the morning fasting, cureth the trembling of the harte, and is also given in the time of plague or pestilence. The yellow leaves of the flowers are dried and kept throughout Dutchland against winter to put into broths, physicall potions and for divers other purposes, in such quantity that in some Grocers or Spicesellers are to be found barrels filled with them and retailed by the penny or less, insomuch that no broths are well made without dried Marigold.'
Formerly its flowers were used to give cheese a yellow colour. - In Macer's Herbal it is stated that only to look on Marigolds will draw evil humours out of the head and strengthen the eyesight.
- 'Golde [Marigold] is bitter in savour
- Fayr and zelw [yellow] is his flowur
- Ye golde flour is good to sene
- It makyth ye syth bryth and clene
- Wyscely to lokyn on his flowres
- Drawyth owt of ye heed wikked hirores
- [humours].
- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- Loke wyscely on golde erly at morwe [morning]
- Yat day fro feures it schall ye borwe:
- Ye odour of ye golde is good to smelle.'
'It must be taken only when the moon is in the Sign of the Virgin and not when Jupiter is in the ascendant, for then the herb loses its virtue. And the gatherer, who must be out of deadly sin, must say three Pater Nosters and three Aves. It will give the wearer a vision of anyone who has robbed him.' - From Eleanour Sinclair Rohde's Old English Herbals:
- 'Of marygold we learn that Summe use to make theyr here yelow with the floure of this herbe, not beyng contet with the naturall colour which God hath geven the.'
- Gerard speaks of:
- 'The fruitful or much-bearing marigold, . . . is likewise called Jackanapes-on-horsebacke: it hath leaves stalkes and roots like the common sort of marigold, differing in the shape of his floures; for this plant doth bring forth at the top of the stalke one floure like the other marigolds, from which start forth sundry other small floures, yellow likewise and of the same fashion as the first; which if I be not deceived commeth to pass per accidens, or by chance, as Nature often times liketh to play with other flowers; or as children are borne with two thumbes on one hande or such like; which living to be men do get children like unto others: even so is the seed of this Marigold, which if it be sowen it brings forth not one floure in a thousand like the plant from whence it was taken.'
- Culpepper says it is a:
- 'herb of the Sun, and under Leo. They strengthen the heart exceedingly, and are very expulsive, and a little less effectual in the smallpox and measles than saffron. The juice of Marigold leaves mixed with vinegar, and any hot swelling bathed with it, instantly gives ease, and assuages it. The flowers, either green or dried, are much used in possets, broths, and drink, as a comforter of the heart and spirits, and to expel any malignant or pestilential quality which might annoy them. A plaister made with the dry flowers in powder, hog's-grease, turpentine, and rosin, applied to the breast, strengthens and succours the heart infinitely in fevers, whether pestilential or not.'
---Cultivation---The Marigold is a native of south Europe, but perfectly hardy in this country, and easy to grow. Seeds sown in April, in any soil, in sunny, or half-sunny places germinate freely. They require no other cultivation but to keep them clean from weeds and to thin out where too close, leaving them 9 to 10 inches apart, so that their branches may have room to spread. The plants will begin to flower in June, and continue flowering until the frost kills them. They will increase from year to year, if allowed to seed themselves. The seeds ripen in August and September, and if permitted to scatter will furnish a supply of young plants in the spring. Only the common deep orange-flowered variety is of medinical value. ---Parts Used---The flowers and leaves. Leaves. - Gather only in fine weather, in the morning, after the dew has been dried by the sun. Flowers. - The ray florets are used and need quick drying in the shade, in a good current of warm air, spread out on sheets of paper, loosely, without touching each other, or they will become discoloured. ---Medicinal Action and Uses---Marigold is chiefly used as a local remedy. Its action is stimulant and diaphoretic. Given internally, it assists local action and prevents suppuration. The infusion of 1 ounce to a pint of boiling water is given internally, in doses of a tablespoonful, and externally as a local application. It is useful in chronic ulcer, varicose veins, etc. Was considered formerly to have much value as an aperient and detergent in visceral obstructions and jaundice. It has been asserted that a Marigold flower, rubbed on the affected part, is an admirable remedy for the pain and swelling caused by the sting of a wasp or bee. A lotion made from the flowers is most useful for sprains and wounds, and a water distilled from them is good for inflamed and sore eyes. An infusion of the freshly-gathered flowers is employed in fevers, as it gently promotes perspiration and throws out any eruption - a decoction of the flowers is much in use in country districts to bring out smallpox and measles, in the same manner as Saffron. Marigold flowers are in demand for children's ailments. The leaves when chewed at first communicate a viscid sweetness, followed by a strong penetrating taste, of a saline nature. The expressed juice, which contains the greater part of this pungent matter, has been given in cases of costiveness and proved very efficacious. Snuffed up the nose it excites sneezing and a discharge of mucous from the head. The leaves, eaten as a salad, have been considered useful in the scrofula of children, and the acrid qualities of the plant have caused it to be recommended as an extirpator of warts. A yellow dye has also been extracted from the flower, by boiling. ---Preparations and Dosage---Fluid extract, 1/4 to 1 drachm. |
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About Beeswax Beeswax is one of nature's useful and fragrant gifts. It takes about 160,000 bees to produce 60 pounds of honey that only yield about 1 pound of beeswax. The wax is cleaned* and, if desired, colored using nontoxic, odorless dyes. Then the wax is laid out into solid sheets before the hexagonal pattern is imprinted onto the beeswax. The natural-colored (undyed) sheets are returned to the beehives as foundation for more honeycomb. *One way to clean beeswax is to filter it using charcoal, diatomaceous earth, and clay. Another way to clean (not quite as thorough) is to strain the melted wax with cheesecloth, hosiery, or better yet, an old sweatshirt, fleece side up. No bleach is used in Lumina's beeswax. Naturally fragrant beeswax burns cleaner and longer than petroleum-based waxes. There's no smoking since there is no petroleum by-product burning in the candles. That's why burning beeswax candles is safe around (pet) birds and those sensitive to allergens. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Q. What is the melting point of beeswax?
A. 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Q. Does beeswax have a smell?
A. Yes and no. When beeswax is created by the honeybee, it is white and odorless. During storage in the honeycomb, the wax absorbs its fragrance and color from pollen, honey, and propolis (a brownish resinous material of waxy consistency collected by bees from the buds of trees and used as a cement). So each batch of wax collected will have a unique honey-like fragrance and color. Q. Why do some honeycomb sheet colors smell differently?
A. The type of plant from which the honeybee harvests pollen determines the fragrance of the beeswax. A lighter beeswax indicates the bees are collecting materials from blossoms. A darker beeswax is produced when bees collect from plants such as eucalyptus and avocado. Logically, if a light colored wax sheet is desired (such as almond), one would start off dying a lighter base wax. Conversely, if a darker color is desired (such as deep blue), it does not matter so much what tone the base wax has and usually a darker beeswax will be used. Q. What is bloom?
A. Bloom is the dull "finish" or sometimes frosty-like "film" that appears on the surface of beeswax, usually when the wax is cold and exposed to air. It is the softer oils in the wax coming to the surface. It is not harmful or anything and may be removed by blowing warm air from a hair dryer over the wax (not so close you melt the wax) or by buffing the candle with a nylon stocking (although this does not work well with the texture of the honeycomb). Q. Where does the beeswax you sell come from?
A. From beekeepers mostly in the Midwest section of the United States; occasionally from Germany or Canada. MANY years ago, some of the beeswax was imported from China, but no more--their beeswax tended to be over 50% contaminated with pesticides. Q. What kind of dyes are used in the honeycomb sheets?
A. Nontoxic and odorless non-aniline dyes that are rated safe for children. Q. Do I burn these candles in the cardboard packaging?
A. Please don't. Although I appreciate it that folks enjoy the packaging almost as much as the candles, burning cardboard is a dangerous fire hazard. You are welcome to display the candle in its wrapping, but please remove all packaging before lighting up. And remember, all candles (including the candlesticks or tapers) should be burnt in a nonflammable container or dish and one that does not have any holes or leaks in the bottom, allowing the hot wax to escape. Some candlestick holders have wooden bases. If you choose to burn candles in these types of containers, please do not let the candle burn down to the wooden base. I would even beware of glass candle holders--I have had them crack and "explode" a couple of times when I allowed the taper to burn so far down that the flame was right up against the glass cup that held the taper. The glass could not handle being that close to the heat. The standard warnings also apply: never leave a burning candle unattended or alone with children. Q. Do hand-rolled beeswax candles really burn longer?
A. Yes and no. Beeswax is a long-burning wax; however, a hand-rolled candle has less wax than a solid candle. Some burn times: a small votive hand-rolled beeswax candle will last approximately an hour and a half (4 hours in cold weather), an 8-inch taper will burn dripless in about 5 hours, a 4-inch pillar will burn for up to 26 hours, an 8-inch tall spiral (cone) will take about 10 hours to completely burn. I haven't finished timing an 8-inch pillar, but I am over 60 hours now and still have over half of it left. (I always forget to time them.)
Note that the metallic honeycomb sheets are not pure beeswax--there is some paraffin in each sheet. Therefore a candle made from a metallic sheet will burn faster than a comparable candle made from the pure beeswax sheet. To maximize the burn time for a metallic candle, use the metallic sheet only as the final wrap, while burning pure beeswax in the center of the candle.
Other factors that affect burn time are: the ambient temperature of the room the candle is burning in (colder air means longer burn time); how tightly the wax was rolled around the wick (it's important for the wick to have good contact with the wax; less air--tighter roll--the better); scents; and drafts. Q. I have some questions about candle making using beeswax. Can you help?
A. I hope so. Please visit our candle-making tips page: www.luminacandles.com/tips.htm Q. I really LOVE beeswax. Is there anything I can do to keep the prices low?
A. YES! Buy beeswax. And buy honey. Many beekeepers I talk to tell me that Americans don't eat as much honey as we used to and that makes it hard for beekeepers to make a living. Beeswax is a byproduct of honey-producing, but in some areas the demand for beeswax is greater than the demand for honey. But what are the beekeepers supposed to do with all that extra honey? The US Department of Agriculture's Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, reported a 25% decline in the US population of managed honey-bees during the past decade. Besides, honey is a healthier sugar than what most Americans eat in foods found in our grocery stores (check out the labels on the foods you buy and see how often corn syrup is an ingredient!) and some swear that eating honey (especially honey made from local bees) actually helps one build a tolerance to allergies.
One site visitor offered this: If you don't want to eat honey, try drinking it! My favorite beverage is mead, also known as honeywine!
Another way that you can help these pollinators (and others) is to PLANT FLOWERS. Choose varieties that have lots of nectar and pollen. Examples are: lily, cardinal flower, honeysuckle, bee balm, trumpet vine, abelia, scarlet salvias, blue salvias, evening primrose, morning glory, nasturtium, snapdragons, pineapple and common sages, impatients, poppies, red clover, and squash. Also, allow a part of your property to GO WILD, giving these tiny creatures places to nest and live.* *Special thanks to the Bastrop County (Texas) Audubon Society for providing the data in the above paragraph (via its April/May 1998 newsletter). Q. How do you remove beeswax from hair?
A. Ouch! I thought I'd better try to respond to this one quickly! Beeswax is naturally sticky so this could be a problem. Two ideas come to mind (let me know which one, if either, works):
1) use a hair dryer to warm the wax and pick/wipe it out carefully
2) place an ice bag on the wax until the wax becomes brittle enough to "chip off" off the hair.
If one doesn't work, try alternating the techniques. It may just take some time. However, beeswax is often used in lip and other skin and beauty care products, so at least it is not paraffin! |
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