Herbal Folk Medicine: An A to Z Guide

by Thomas Broken Bear Squier, Lauren David Peden

Overview

Our ancestors looked to plants and herbs for relief from common ailments such as colds, bruises, stomachaches, and sore muscles. Today we can look to those same herbs for relief from the skyrocketing cost of commercial medicines.

- Medieval Europeans used St., John's wort to fight melancholia. Today we call it depression, but St. John's wort is still an effective remedy for many people.
- Garlic has many uses, from fighting colds and infections to repelling ticks. The people of China have called it an official medicine since the sixth century.
- Plains Indians have known for centuries that echinacea can fight colds by boosting immunity.

This practical A to Z guide from Squier and Peden is the perfect introduction for anyone who wants to share in the immense wealth of herbal folk medicine. You'll learn the historical and modern uses of every major medicinal herb, as well as how to prepare them and even harvest them from the wild. The engaging entries and cross-referenced appendix of ailments make Herbal Folk Medicine an excellent resource you will treasure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466877375
Publisher:	Holt, Henry & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	08/05/2014
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Thomas Broken Bear Squier is an ex-Green Beret who contributed to the U.S. Army's survival manual. He writes for several North Carolina newspapers and wild-foods newsletters and frequently lectures on herbs. His first herbal training came from his grandfather, a Cherokee root doctor. He is the author of Living Off the Land Wild Foods Cookbook and resides in North Carolina.

Lauren David Peden has written several books on the mystical arts. She lives in New York City.

Thomas Broken Bear Squier is an ex-Green Beret who contributed to the U.S. Army's survival manual. He writes for several North Carolina newspapers and wild-foods newsletters and frequently lectures on herbs. His first herbal training came from his grandfather, a Cherokee root doctor. He is the author of Herbal Folk Medicine and Living Off the Land Wild Foods Cookbook, and resides in North Carolina.
Lauren David Peden has written several books on the mystical arts and is the coauthor of Herbal Folk Medicine. She lives in New York City.

Read an Excerpt

Herbal Folk Medicine

An A to Z Guide

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By Thomas Broken Bear Squier, Lauren David Peden

Henry Holt and Company

Copyright © 1997 Thomas Squier
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4668-7737-5

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CHAPTER 1

Herb Garden Basics

An experienced herbalist knows that it is impossible to grow all the herbs that he or she needs. For one thing, they just won't all thrive in the same habitat or climate. It would also require a tremendous amount of time to tend properly to an herb garden that could produce all the herbs one needed. Nevertheless, with the right approach and realistic expectations, one can gain true satisfaction out of an herb garden of any size, whether a quarter acre or a couple of pots on the fire escape of your city apartment.

You can grow herbs with two approaches. You can either carefully research and select the herbs that will grow in the available environment, or you can select the herbs you want to grow and alter the environment to meet their needs. The first approach is easier in that you are preselecting herbs that will assuredly thrive in the preexisting environment without the use of chemicals or special measures. The second approach requires more effort on the part of the gardener, as you will most likely need to install and maintain an artificial climate or habitat to ensure that your herbs grow and flourish. Just as for folk herbalists of yore, it may require a little trial and error in the garden to discover which herbs grow best in your climate and environment, taking into account soil, water, nutrients, sunlight, seasonal temperature extremes, and rainfall — and a host of other factors.

When considering the design of your herb garden, you can consult any number of books that concentrate on formal garden design, providing schematics for you to follow and all the details of construction. On the other hand, you can follow a more individual approach: sketch out your available area and plan for the spaces you already have. Many novices make the mistake of not taking into account the future shape or size of the plants or changes in available light and moisture caused by the normal growth of neighboring trees and other plants. There are numerous books on garden design, such as Park's Success with Herbs, and garden design computer programs, which can provide the neophyte gardener with all sorts of helpful information. Local garden shops or agricultural extension agents are usually more than willing to share their expertise, as well.

There are some general guidelines for successfully growing the majority of plants that gardeners think of as herbs: they require at least five hours of sunlight daily and require one to four inches of rainfall each month. Herbs in general do not like acidic soils — which may mean lime must be added — and they like deep, well-drained soils that do not allow water to stand or the ground to remain soggy. Herbs do not like "wet feet," so raised beds may be needed for their cultivation. Other herbs may need bog (wet) environments for growth, and if you don't have these conditions they will have to be created. Since it's just not possible to grow every herb that you will want to use or will need, many practicing herbalists find that it is much easier to focus on growing certain herbs, and for the rest, to collect wild plants, obtain them from reputable wildcrafters, or purchase them from supply houses.

If you don't have a lot of gardening experience, I would recommend that you plan for the space you have and begin growing herbs on a small scale. Some can be grown from seed, while others have to be propagated from cuttings or transplanted. Always be aware of an herb's native environment. Many plants have a symbiotic relationship with other plants that must be duplicated if they are to be grown successfully. After you are successful with a few basic herbs, then experiment and expand your garden.

It is very likely that you will still end up as either an herbalist or an herb gardener, but not both, because each is a full-time job (or a very time-consuming hobby). Many herbalists have a garden to relax in, and it just happens to produce some of the herbs that they need in preparing herbal remedies. And it is good to grow some of the herbs you use, especially to demonstrate or teach with.

CHAPTER 2

Herb Harvesting and Gathering

The healing properties of herbs are all subject to the vagaries of the climate, soil, sunlight, and other environmental factors. Under the best of circumstances, these factors make it difficult to determine the amount of active component a specific plant or part of a plant contains. One way to maximize the healing qualities is to be very familiar with the factors over which we have the most control, which include the time and season of harvest, preparation and preservation methods, and storage methods. You should also be very familiar with any area from which you intend to harvest plants. Nearby dump sites as well as chemical runoff from farmland or highways, and other man- made pollutants, may render plants from these spots unusable.

Herbs should be collected or harvested when, to the best of our knowledge, the active components are at their maximum levels. We can't just set this time by the calendar. We must be familiar with the plant we are harvesting and the conditions under which it has been growing. Hard winters, late springs, or early springs can have effects on plants that we must learn either to take advantage of or to overcome.

Being aware of a plant's life cycle can also be very valuable. Perennial plants and trees go through a cycle of activity and dormancy. For example, even though we can harvest sassafras roots all year round, they are most potent when gathered during the winter, the period when the sap is "down." Annuals or biennials go through a cycle of growth and death during which the plant has a definitive "effective" period. For example, it is important to know that with a plant like the wild carrot, which lives two years, the root is most powerful in the first winter when the most food is stored and the plant is preparing for the coming season of blooming and seed production.

In addition to knowing about a plant's life cycle, it's also important to familiarize yourself with the various parts of the plant and the procedures for collecting, storing, and using them. Subterranean parts, roots and rhizomes, are usually dug up at the end of the vegetational season or in the fall, when the plant is preparing for the winter's "sleep." (A rhizome is a subterranean plant stem that is thickened by deposits of reserve food.) Hard, woody roots should be allowed to dry and stored in a cool, dry place. The longer they are kept whole, the longer they maintain their strength. Special care should be taken when handling fleshy roots and rhizomes, since they damage easily. Shake off the soil, which may harbor pests or destructive organisms, and allow the root to dry before storage (this applies to all roots, not just fleshy ones). Some fleshy roots, such as carrots and parsnips, are best stored where they are grown, without any handling, if used quickly thereafter. You may also store them in a root cellar or any cool, dark, dry place. Some people store root vegetables in a barrel of dry sand.

Bulbs and tubers are usually dug up in the autumn as soon as the leaves and other above-ground parts of the plant turn brown and fade back. Some plants and plant parts contain chemicals that are dangerous or should be avoided as much as possible. A plant harvester should wear protective clothing and only collect one type of plant at a time before washing her hands. Avoid eating, drinking, and smoking until the job is done to avoid contaminating plant material and/or accidentally medicating or poisoning yourself; poisonous and nonpoisonous plants should never be collected or stored together. To avoid making a potentially dangerous mistake, it is best to concentrate on one or two plant species or parts at a time. Also, avoid handling plants when you have open cuts or sores on your hands or skin, to prevent direct absorption of chemicals or irritants.

Aerial parts, parts of the plant found above ground, should be collected when they are in the best condition: when dew has evaporated and before the heat of the day has had its effect on the plants. Harvest the leaves and flowers carefully to avoid damage and store in firm containers for the same reason. Baskets are best for storage because they allow for the circulation of air.

Leaves should be collected when young but fully grown, and they should be healthy, clean, and free of debris and contaminants. Leaves are usually best collected before flowering occurs.

It is best to collect flowers at the early stage of their flowering period and during the part of day when they are free of dew but not subjected to drying winds and heat, which remove volatile oils. In many cases flowers will continue to develop after being picked. Once again, baskets are best for storage, since flowers stored in airtight containers often "sweat" and deteriorate quickly if it is very hot. You can also hang them in a dark space where air circulates freely.

Herbage, the combined leaves, stalks, and flowers together, is collected when the plant begins to flower. Avoid stalks that are too thick and the woody bases of herbaceous plants. Herbage from aquatic plants might need to be transported in some quantity of water to prevent deterioration, which can occur quickly once the plant begins to dry out.

Bark is collected in the spring when the flow of sap is at its peak and its active principles are most powerful. Make parallel cuts up and down the branch that the plant can heal over and lift off portions of bark. Do not girdle a tree or shrub to obtain bark, as this will kill the plant (girdling is a technique that removes the tree's bark in one continuous circle). Naturally you should take care not to kill any trees when you gather herbs; not only is it ecologically unsound, but it will work against you later. A dead tree cannot be used as an herb source in the future.

When wood of a plant is called for, it refers to a large branch or a small trunk that can be cut into manageable pieces. Wood is probably the least-used part of plants for medicinal purposes; it is more suited to smoking foods and adding flavor in preservation.

Fruit is collected when it begins to ripen because the process of ripening will also continue after it is harvested. Seeds are removed from mature fruit and if the seed is the desired part, any fleshy covering is removed to prevent spoilage or, in some cases, germination.

Herbs are dried and stored in different manners according to their consistency. The key to drying herbs is to eliminate the damaging effects of heat and light as much as possible, but attention should also be given to the plant's water content. The parts with the most liquid in them require the most effort to preserve. Drying consists of removing as much of the water as possible from the tissues. Special attention should be given to the distinct drying requirements of each plant and each part of the plant. It takes about one square yard of open space to dry one pound of flowers because they must be spread out, not touching, to allow maximum circulation of air. Many leaves, on the other hand, can be dried between layers of stacked newspapers (as long as they're printed with soy or other nontoxic ink).

Large woody plants can be hung in bunches upside down and stored in a dark place where the air moves freely. Fleshy plants require different treatment. Rather than try to preserve the plant whole, it might be better to cut it in smaller pieces and freeze them or place them in oil or alcohol to extract their properties.

A drying apparatus is available commercially, but it is also easy to make one. Screen or hardware cloth makes for an effective drying rack. Larger parts of the plant should be observed during the drying process and turned to prevent spoilage and mildew and to permit even drying. Fruits can be cut up and sun-dried or dried over a low-level heat source with a free exchange of air, such as an oven on very low heat, with the door kept ajar to permit moisture to escape. You want the plant to dry, not cook!

Roots should be arranged without touching each other until completely dry and then handled carefully to avoid breaking.

Do not dry or store different plants or plant parts together, and be certain to carefully label and date all materials and the different storage containers. You also might want to record where the plants came from in the event that problems arise later.

CHAPTER 3

A Lesson in Botany

Every herbalist needs some working knowledge of the active part of the plants he or she uses. Students of botany spend an entire semester or more learning all the parts of plants, so we won't fool ourselves into thinking that we are going to be botanists after reading this brief section. However, a quick lesson will get you started on the right foot. The more you know about the structure of plants, the easier it will be to comprehend other sources of information, and the easier it will be to work with materials, remedies, and people.

The plants we are concerned with for the most part have four basic parts: the root, the stem, the leaf, and the flower or fruit. In most cases, the flower is the part that becomes the fruit. Some plants have flowers with both male and female components, and these plants are called self-pollinating. Even so, usually the male parts from one flower pollinate the female parts from another flower. Other plants have separate male and female flowers; sometimes they are found on the same plant, and sometimes on separate male and female plants. In that case, you will need both male and female plants in order for them to bear fruit. Some plants are controlled by having only either male or female specimens. The ginkgo, for example, is usually sold only as female in this country without the males necessary to ensure fruit production. This prevents the formation of fruit, which has an offensive smell.

The male reproductive parts of a flower are called the stamens, and the female part is the pistil; the pistil is made up of the ovary, the style, and the stigma.

The stem supports the plant and transports nutrients from the roots to the leaves and flowers. A rhizome is considered to be a root by many, but it is actually a special type of stem designed to store reserves of food for the plant's future needs. Rhizomes usually lie just under the surface of the soil.

In most cases, the root is the part of the plant that anchors it to the soil. Roots can take different shapes, depending on whether they will have to store foods over the winter or during a dormant period. Taproots dig deep to bring up minerals and nutrients, while the moplike roots of asparagus serve as a solid base for the top-heavy mature plant. Roots can also have special structures, such as tubers — potatoes, dahlias, and begonias grow from tubers — which store foods or permit asexual reproduction.

In most green flowering plants, the leaf is the structure where photosynthesis occurs. For the herbalist, a leaf is a leaf. However, in identifying plants in the field, it is important to know something about leaf shape or form and the type of edge the leaf characteristically displays — smooth, toothed, lobed, serrated — because these different patterns are sometimes the only way to tell one herb from another.

A gardener, herbalist, or anyone else seriously interested in plants should become as familiar as possible with the botanical, or scientific, names of plants. They are Latin, consist of a genus name and a species name, and may be derived from Greek or Latin roots. Some words tip off the reader about the plant's use, characteristics, or appearance. For example, luten means yellow, rubra means red, album or alba means white, stellarin means starlike, and vulgare means common or widespread.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Herbal Folk Medicine by Thomas Broken Bear Squier, Lauren David Peden. Copyright © 1997 Thomas Squier. Excerpted by permission of Henry Holt and Company.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Title Page,
Copyright Notice,
Dedication,
Preface: The Country Doctor's Legacy,
Introduction,
Herb Garden Basics,
Herb Harvesting and Gathering,
A Lesson in Botany,
Herbal Preparations,
A to Z,
A,
B,
C,
D,
E,
F,
G,
H,
I,
J,
K,
L,
M,
N,
O,
P,
Q, R,
S,
T,
U, V,
W,
X, Y, Z,
Appendix A: Ailments,
Appendix B: Resources,
Glossary,
Bibliography,
About the Author,
Copyright,