CREATE YOUR OWN HERBAL INFUSIONS AND OINTMENTS

It seems that many health conscious people these days areturning away from prescription drugs and turning to making theirown medicines. Healing with herbs and other natural remedies isbecoming popular and making your own medicines is quite an art.Some popular methods of natural healing involve the use ofmaking infusions, steeping to extract various properties,decoctions, the extraction of an essence by boiling andointments.Always remember when you are creating your own herbal remediesto use an enamel or nonmetal pot.HERBAL TEASTo make a cup of herbal tea, for drinking or as a face wash,boil 10 ounces of water. Prewarm your teapot, put in 1 tbsp. orless of dried herbs or a large pinch of fresh herbs and pour theboiling water over them. Add honey, if you like. cover andsteep to taste, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain and drink.INFUSIONSTo make an infusion, fill a teapot with one quart of boilingwater. Then throw in a large handful of fresh herbs or an ounceor more of dried herbs. Add some honey, if desired, and let themixture steep for ten to twenty minutes. Now strain and drink.DECOCTIONSMaking a decoction involves boiling your mixture. It is usuallymade from the tougher parts of a plant, the roots, seeds or thebark. Put one ounce or more of the herb parts in a quart ofwater and cover the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmerfor about twenty minutes. Steep and strain the mixture. Drinkor apply externally.OINTMENTSAn ointment, unguent or salve is made by combining the decoctionof a herb with olive oil and simmering it until the water hascompletely evaporated. A little beeswax is then added to get afirm consistency. Some gum benzoin or a drop of tincture ofbenzoin per ounce of fat will help preserve the ointment.