so the plant is immersed and follow instructions from here on for making tinctures.
Tinctures and glycerites are more concentrated than infusions and decoctions, meaning only small amounts need to be taken at regular intervals through the day. The dose will vary from 5-10 drops to a 5ml teaspoon which is taken in a little warm water or herbal tea, 3 to 6 times daily depending on whether the condition being treated is chronic or acute. Tinctures can also be added to bath water, mixed with water to compresses, mouthwashes or gargles, or stirred into a base to make ointments or creams. They require more preparation time but they have several advantages. They are easy to store, do not deteriorate in cold or damp conditions, take up relatively little storage space, are easy to carry around and keep almost indefinitely, although they are best taken within two years.
Tinctures can also be prepared using neat cider vinegar as the acetic acid acts as a solvent and preservative. Raspberry vinegar for example is a traditional remedy for coughs and sore throats. Fill a wide mouth glass jar full of one fresh herb of your choice. Cover the herb with good quality (preferably apple cider) vinegar, filling the jar to the brim. Cork or cover with a screw top lid. Keep in a cool, dark place for six weeks. Strain through muslin and press well.
Oxymels
The combination of infused cider vinegar and honey is known as an oxymel. The practice originated in the Middle East and was brought to England following the Crusades when the medicines of Avicenna were widely used. Knights and their ladies would be offered hot oxymels when they broke their fast as a stimulating way to start the day. Prepare in the same way as herb vinegars, using equal proportions of honey and cider vinegar.
Herbal Honeys
Honey has been used for healing for thousands of years. It is hydroscopic which means that it absorbs water-soluble constituents and the volatile oils of plants. Honey has antibacterial, immune-enhancing, expectorant and healing properties, and makes an excellent medium for antimicrobial herbs such as garlic, onions, holy basil, thyme, hyssop, oregano and rosemary. It contains pollen which is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids and helpful in the treatment of allergies and asthma, as well as propolis which is a powerful antimicrobial. Being rich in easily digestible sugars, honey is also highly nutritive and energy giving. Herbal honeys can be used to treat sore throats, coughs and colds, chest infections, asthma. They can also be used externally to heal or soothe skin problems such as cuts and grazes, burns and varicose ulcers. Thyme honey from Greece is renowned for its health giving properties, as is Manuka honey from New Zealand, which is often used as an antibacterial.
Herbal honeys are made by pouring honey over herbs. Dried herbs preserved in honey are more likely to keep for longer than fresh ones.
1 Place your chosen herbs, coarsely chopped, in a clean, sterilized jar, cover them with runny honey and stir well.
2 Seal with an airtight lid, label clearly and leave to macerate for at least 4 weeks but preferably several months. Store in a cool dark place or in the fridge.
Fresh herbs can be used if you have them; simply chop them finely and mix with a teaspoon of honey. You can also make sweets and throat lozenges by mixing powdered dried herbs into honey to make a paste which can be rolled into balls, and then again in the powder to prevent stickiness for handling and storing. Store in a tightly fitting tin.
Dosage
Take 1 tablespoonful of herbal honey in a little hot water or simply off the spoon. Do not give to children under 1 year old due to risk of botulinus.
Herbal honeys.
Elixirs
Honey can also be combined with equal parts of brandy to make my favourite way to take herbs. Elixirs have several benefits. Both the honey and the brandy act as preservatives, increase the shelf life of the medicine, they are very easy to prepare and the combination tastes delicious! The honey brings out the flavour of aromatic herbs and its sweetness offsets the pungency of the brandy.
1 part of dried herbs is mixed with 5 parts of honey and brandy. When using fresh herbs use 1 part of herbs to 2 parts of honey and brandy. Unlike most sweet medicines, it can be used in small doses, thanks to the particular combination of honey and alcohol. Elixirs can either be made with a single herb or combinations of your choice. The dose is 1/2tsp/30 drops 3–6 times daily according to whether the problem is chronic or acute.
AUTUMNAL ELIXIER
• A 2-litre glass jar
• Fill the jar ¾ full with equal parts of fresh elderberries and blackberries
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1oz fresh ginger root, peeled, sliced and chopped
• 2 large handfuls of rose hips
• 2 large handfuls of hawthorn berries
• A few nasturtium flowers and leaves if you have them available
• 1l brandy
• 1l runny honey
Mix the honey and brandy together. Place the herbs in the jar, cover with the mixture making sure all the herbs are well covered. Stir thoroughly and leave to macerate for 4–6 weeks.
For example, to make elecampane root elixir, take 200gm of the dried root, place in a large jar and cover it with a mixture of 500ml of brandy and 500ml of runny honey. Use a tightly fitting lid and store in a dark place for at least 3 weeks and up to a few months before pressing.
Herbal Powders
Dried herbs can be ground into powder which can be used in a fluid medium or made into tablets or capsules to prolong its shelf life as powder tend to deteriorate relatively quickly. Taking powders has the advantage of ingesting the whole plant and not an extract of it, as in infusions or decoctions, and so it may be more efficacious.
Powders are generally taken ½–1 teaspoon in milk, water or honey depending on the vehicle best suited to the condition being treated two to three times daily.
Herbal powders.
Tablets and Capsules
Many herbs are available from herbal suppliers in tablet or capsule form and this is certainly a convenient way to take herbs, but it bypasses the taste buds on the tongue which may reduce the therapeutic effects in some cases. Only standard preparations will be available commercially, so should you require a specific combination of herbs to be given to a patient, these can be made up in vegetable gelatine capsules. Capsules can be filled with mixtures of the appropriate powdered herbs using a capsule maker. There are two main sizes of capsule used by medical herbalist, size 0 which holds 0.35gm of powder and 00 which holds about 0.5gm. One or two of the size 0 capsules can taken 3 times daily and one of the size 00 capsule three times daily.
Fresh Juices
Extracting the juice of a plant is the best way to
