The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook A Home Manual

by Green, James; Green, Ajana

• ISBN13: 9780895949905
• ISBN10: 0895949903
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-09-01
• Publisher: Crossing Press

Summary

This guide to the kitchen pharmacy discusses the entire process of preparing herbal medicines at home, from methods of growing, gathering, and drying herbs to different ways of extracting their vital essences and making healing balms, lotions, and more.

Author Biography

JAMES GREEN is the founder of Simplers Botanical Company and is a professional founding member of the American Herbalists Guild and United Plant Savers. He conducts workshops on male health and herbal medicine making throughout the United States and Canada. He lives in Ocean Beach, California.

Table of Contents

Prologue: A Word Before the Medicine Show	9	(4)
A Field Trip	13	(8)
A Few Herbs Are All You Need	21	(20)
Gardening and Harvesting, Drying, Garbling, and Storing	41	(24)
Kitchen Pharmacy Equipment	65	(8)
The Extraction Process	73	(6)
Solvents	79	(20)
Forms of Herbal Medicine	99	(4)
Infusion	103	(8)
Decoction	111	(6)
Distillation of Hydrosols	117	(6)
Flower Essences	123	(22)
Tincturing by Maceration	145	(12)
Tincturing by Percolation	157	(12)
Wine Infusion	169	(8)
Vinegar Infusion	177	(8)
Glycerin Infusion	185	(8)
Oil Infusion	193	(8)
Ointment, Salves, & Balms	201	(8)
Lotions & Creams	209	(10)
Suppositories and Boluses	219	(10)
Herb Jellos	229	(4)
Syrups, Honeys, Oxymels, and Electuaries	233	(16)
Baths for Water Therapy	249	(26)
Poultices and Fomentations	275	(16)
Complementary Techniques, Terms, and Other Considerations	291	(30)
A Perspective on Medicine	321	(38)
Appendices
A---The United Plant Savers List of ``At-Risk Medicinal Plants''	338	(3)
B---Welcome to the Garden	341	(11)
C---Eight Principles of Excellent Medicine-Making	352	(2)
D---Extract Information Chart	354	(1)
E---Harvesting Information Chart	355	(1)
F---First Aid for Poisoning by Alkaloids	356	(3)
References	359	(6)
Resources	365	(6)
Index	371