a nettle sting. They can also be used in herbal baths, compresses and poultices. Once in contact with the skin, they are absorbed into tiny capillaries under the surface and then circulated round the body. The conjunctiva of the eye also absorbs herbal preparations. A chamomile eyebath or a marigold compress will relieve sore and inflamed eyes. Inhalations are another very good therapeutic pathway and one that is utilised by aromatherapists. By inhalation into the nose which is lined with nerve endings, the messages from the herbs are carried directly to the brain and also to the lungs, where they are absorbed with oxygen into the bloodstream and circulated throughout the body.
Grinding herbs ready for use.
Preparations for Internal Use
Infusions
Herbal teas, often known as infusions, are simple water-based preparations that extract the medicinal properties of herbs, used either fresh or dried. They can either be drunk as teas or used externally as skin washes, eyebaths, compresses, douches, or added to baths or sitz baths.
Infusions are prepared like a normal cup of tea using the soft parts of plants: leaves, stems and flowers.
1 Take 1oz /25 gms of dried herb per pint of water or a teaspoon of herb per cupful of water. Double the amount of herbs if they are being used fresh.
2 Place the herbs in a warmed teapot and pour on boiling water. Cover immediately to prevent volatile oils escaping into the atmosphere.
3 Leave to infuse for 10–15 minutes and then strain.
Infusions are generally best drunk when still hot, especially when treating fevers, colds and catarrh, but they need to be taken luke warm to cool for problems of the skin and urinary tract. If necessary, they can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to two days. Some herbs need to be prepared as cold infusions as their therapeutic components are likely to be destroyed by high temperatures. These include herbs that have a high proportion of mucilage like marshmallow and plantain leaf. They are prepared in the same way but with cold water and left to infuse for 10–12 hours.
Dosage
Infusions are generally taken by the cupful three to six times a day, depending on whether the ailment being treated is chronic or acute. It may come as a surprise to some who are used to the enticing tastes of culinary herbs such as basil and rosemary, that many herbs are found by our pampered palates to taste strange, often even unpleasant. Although the bitters in some herbs need to be tasted to be effective, the bitter taste is generally not something we relish. However, it is possible to combine several herbs together in an infusion so that aromatic, pleasant tasting herbs such as peppermint, fennel, lemon balm and lavender can disguise less palatable herbs while not reducing their effects. Liquorice and aniseed also make excellent herbs for flavouring. Herbal teabags are sold in all high street health food shops and supermarkets (buy organic if you can) and normally comprise the more aromatic, pleasant tasting herbs like lime flower, fennel, peppermint.
Hot infusions are more effective than tinctures for treating skin complaints, fevers, colds and catarrh.
Decoctions
The hard woody parts of plants have tough cell walls that require greater heat to break them down before they will release their constituents into water. Bark, seeds, roots, rhizomes and nuts all need to be prepared as decoctions. Use the same proportion of herbs to water as you do when preparing an infusion, just add a little more water to make up for losses during boiling.
1 To make their constituents more accessible to the water, break the herb up into small pieces with a pestle and mortar if the parts are very hard.
2 Place herbs in a stainless steel or enamel saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
3 Strain and drink in the same way as an infusion.
Tinctures, Glycerites and Vinegars
Tinctures are concentrated extracts of herbs made with a mixture of water and alcohol which acts to extract the constituents of the plants and also as a preservative. According to herbal pharmacopoeias there is a correct ratio of water and alcohol to plant matter for each herb depending on the constituents that need extracting. This can range from 25% alcohol for simple glycosides and tannins, to 90% for resins and gums such as those in marigold flowers. Herbs can be used either fresh or dried.
1 Place the chopped herbs in a large clean jar and pour the water and alcohol mixture over it so the plant is immersed. Using dried herbs, the ratio is 1 part of herbs per 5 parts of liquid. Fresh herbs are used in a ratio of 1 part herb to 2 parts liquid. To illustrate, to make 1 litre (1¾ pints) of sage tincture, take 200g (7oz) of dried leaves and pour over 1 litre (1¾ pints) of fluid. Sage requires a 45% alcohol solution so neat brandy or vodka would be perfectly adequate. (It is possible to obtain 96% naturally fermented alcohol. In the UK this requires an alcohol licence which can be obtained from HM Revenue and Customs. If you have this, use 450ml alcohol to 550ml water.) Place an airtight lid on the jar and leave it to macerate away from direct sunlight for no less than two weeks, shaking the jar well about once a day.
2 Once the tincture has macerated, use a press such as a wine press to extract as much of the fluid as possible. Alternatively, squeeze it through muslin which is much harder work but possible. Then discard the herbs, transfer the tincture to a clean, dark bottle with a lid, label it with the name of the herb and the date and store in a cool place.
Glycerites are prepared similarly using a mixture of water, alcohol and glycerol to extract the plant's constituents and as a preservative. Glycerol has a sweet, syrup-like consistency which imparts a sweet taste to the preparation making it more palatable than a tincture, and a good medium for children's medicines. Glycerol breaks down chemically into 3 parts fatty acids and 1 part alcohol, so although it tastes sweet it does not contain sugar. Glycerol is particularly good at extracting the aromatic properties of plants and is best used for plants such as lavender, rosemary, rose, basil, chamomile, mint, oregano, thyme and lemon balm.
Macerating tinctures.
The herbs are used in the same ration as when making tinctures; using dried herbs, the ratio is 1 part of herbs per 5 parts of liquid. Fresh herbs are used in a ratio of 1 part herb to 2 parts liquid. If using vodka or brandy, the ratio of ingredients for the liquid is 60% glycerol, 40% alcohol. (If you have access to 96% alcohol, use 60% glycerol, 20% alcohol and 20% water.)
To make a glycerite, place the chopped herbs in a large clean jar and pour the water, alcohol and
