herbal medicine making kit

Herbal Medicine Making Kit

John M. Gallagher, L.Ac., CCH

PLEASE READ Printing Recommended for this book

Printing this book is recommended. You may want to have these instructions with you when working on the kit.

We advise first watching the DVD introduction, and then reading the introduction in this book. With each section of the kit you do, read through this book, then watch the DVD, and with the printed instructions in hand, do the lesson. There is no lesson in this book for making the herbal infusion, therefore, just watch the DVD. The conclusion for the kit is on the DVD.

In these books, clicking on any “hyperlink”, such as the web site surrounded by a box below, will bring you directly to that page if you are connected to the internet.

Resource Page: http://www.LearningHerbs.com/ResourcePage

Also, clicking on the icon on the top of each page will bring you to the Resource Page as well. You must be on-line to use this feature.

The Herbal Medicine Making Kit Written by John M. GallagherEdited by Kimberly Gallagher, Kat KochProduction/Layout/Photos/Web Design by John M. Gallagher© 2005, 2007 John M. Gallagher. All rights reserved.First printing/electronic release: January, 2005

No part of this publication or the accompanying DVD may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Making copies of any part of this book for any purpose other than your own personal use is a violation of US copyright laws. This book is part of the Herbal Medicine Making Kit, which is published by LearningHerbs.com. The LearningHerbs.com, Herbal Medicine Making Kit and logos are registered trademarks. Information about the The Herbal Medicine Making Kit and may be obtained at www.LearningHerbs.com.

TERMS OF USE: The Herbal Medicine Making Kit and all information provided on or by LearningHerbs.com is for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other medical professional.

You should not use the information contained herein or the products in the Herbal Medicine Making Kit for diagnosing or treating a health problem, disease or injury, or prescribing any medication.

If you have or suspect that you have a serious health problem, promptly contact your health care provider.

Always consult with a health care practitioner before using any herbal remedy, especially if pregnant, nursing, or have a medical condition. Always follow the manufacturer’s directions when using herbal remedies or giving herbal remedies to children.

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

LearningHerbs.com, it’s owners or employees, shall not be liable for injury, damage, or loss allegedly arising from the information contained in the Herbal Medicine Making Kit.

By purchasing the Herbal Medicine Making Kit, you have accepted our terms of use. Anyone who does not accept these terms, being the purchaser may have been unaware of them at the point of sale, may return the Herbal Medicine Making Kit at any time for a full refund (we will not refund shipping costs).

http://www.LearningHerbs.com/ResourcePage

Echinacea purpurearoot extract

ECHINACEA

1 fl. oz.

H

ER

BA

L H E A L I N G S

AL

VE

Contains: Comfrey, Calendula, Plantain, and St. Johnswort (in Olive oil); essential oil of Lavender;

bees wax

Cheesecloth

Salve HerbsComfrey*, Calendula,

Plantain*, and St. Johnswort*

*Organic or wildcrafted

Organic Nettle leaf Urtica Dioica

For use with the Nourishing Herbal Infusion section of the DVD.

Organic Echinacea purpurea

Echinacea purpureaDate: / /Decant: / /Dried root in ____% alc.

L A V E N D E R ESSENTIAL OIL

10 ml.

What’s in your kit

Echinacea root for tincture making

Herbs for salve making

Nettle for use in Roots and Branches

9 oz. jar for tincture making

Beeswax for salve making

Cheesecloth for straining herbs

Lavender for salve making

10 labels for your finished products!

4 blue dropper bottles for your finsihed tinctures

4 salve tins and 2 2oz. salve jars.

Special Thanks & Acknowledgement to Kimberly, Jon Young, Sally King, EagleSong, Karen Sherwood, my brother Jim for designing our logo, Sandie Grumman, the Wilderness Awareness School staff and elders, Ingwe, Erin Groh, Eileen VanBronkhorst, nd the RavenCroft Community. Extra special thanks goes out to Paula at the P&G Speakeasy Cafe in Duvall, WA where I wrote most of these books. EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA special thanks to my parents for their never ending love and support.

For Kimberly, Rowan, and Hailey...

Herbal Medicine Belongs to Everyone (Even you)

Perhaps you have taken Echinacea for an oncoming cold and want to learn more. Maybe you heard that you can make herbal remedies at home, but haven’t found the

right instruction or haven’t felt safe doing so. Or perhaps you are part of the growing number of people who want to care for themselves naturally but just do not know where to start.

“There are so many herbs to learn about, the body is so complex, and I just do not have the time or energy to learn about it all. I really want to treat my family naturally, but where do I start? Who will teach me? What book can I trust? What alternative method of healing is the right one for me? I think my doctor is helping me, but it just isn’t enough. Why isn’t there a pill to cure my energy loss or migraines?”

Does any of this sound familiar? Yup, I have been there too. I was actually working for a nature school for years before I felt comfortable going beyond the Echinacea I took for a cold, and even THAT was a stretch for me. I knew from experience

Welcome


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and all the media hype that it worked, but I had no idea what all those other bottles of herbs in the store were for. Once I ran into someone who actually made their own Echinacea tincture and could not believe they trusted their own medicine that they made in their house. How did they know what plant to use? How much of it? What if they poisoned themselves? With questions like these rattling around in our heads, herbal medicine can seem intimidating or even down right dangerous.

First I’d like to encourage you to take a moment to con-sider the idea that western culture and western medicine have severed our connection with nature and natural remedies. It is this severed connection that leads to our fears. However, I am not out to bash western medicine. I use western medicine when I need it. Many lives are saved every day by hospitals and allopathic doctors. What I am talking about here is our every day healthcare. Preventative medicine… such as exercise, good nutrition and whatever else helps us reduce stress. A major part of our everyday healthcare can come from the nourish-ment and health giving gifts of the plants.

Consider that plants not only clothe us and shelter us, but they are the root of our sustenance. Everything we eat comes from plants and trees, including meat (remember what the animals lower on the food chain eat). The qual-ity of our food can make a huge difference in our vitality and quality of life. Herbs are plants, and herbal medicine actually has a lot to do with what we are ingesting for our everyday health.

We all know that spinach and broccoli are good for us. They are filled with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, and more. We know how to prepare them to eat. Did you know that there are other health giving plants besides the fruits and green vegetables you are familiar with? I’m



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talking about wild plants and herbs. We can eat them and make teas that are incredibly nourish-ing for our bodies. The “dreaded” stinging nettle is one of the most nutritious and delicious greens there are, and can easily be incorporated into your favorite dish. Another example is oatstraw. It’s nourishing for your nervous system, and a pint of oatstraw infusion has as much calcium as a glass of milk!

With this kit you are about to open up a whole new world of health and nutrition. However, I realize that it takes some time to learn about herbs and to feel safe using them. I know that it can take some time before you find the right way to keep YOU healthy or to heal yourself. I can’t tell YOU how to be healthy, but I can introduce you to herbal medicine, which can be an important part of your everyday health care. I can give you a great starting place.

I feel a starting place is important. That may sound pain-fully obvious, but seriously, you’d be surprised how hard it can be to find a place to start in learning about herbs. There are so many books and web sites out there that it is dizzying. In one respect, that is a good thing. Twenty years ago there were only a few books out there. But on the other hand, someone can get so overwhelmed by all this information that they never get started. This is part of the success of the Kamana Naturalist Training Program that I helped design for Wilderness Awareness School. It helps people weed through and utilize the vast choices of field guides in a simple system that helps them learn about nature.

Similarly, this herbal kit will help you learn to use the vast number of herbal resources available today. I want to support all the great books out there by helping peo-

Believe it or not, stinging nettle is one of the most nutritious herbs. You’ll get to try some in the Roots and Branches home study course.



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ple learn how to use them. I want to support all the great teachers out there by leading people to the right class for them. When I first learned about herbs I just wanted someone to teach me the basics. I had all the books, but I still needed someone to show me. I went all over the Northwest Herb Faire looking for a kit exactly like this one, but could not find one. Luckily, I found a good teacher. Once I learned the basics and learned to trust myself, the possibilities were endless. I want to help you learn to trust yourself and want to inspire you to learn more. There are many ways to learn herbal medicine, and in time you will find which is right for you.

I talked earlier about the nourishing herbs we can use every day that can keep us healthy. There are also stron-ger herbs that can help us in times of sickness. Whether we have a cold or flu, an upset stomach, or are in a first-aid situation, the plants that grow around us can come to our aid. More serious conditions warrant experienced mainstream or alternative practitioners (herbalists, natu-ropathic doctors, homeopathic practitioners, acupunc-turists, therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors, etc..), but everyday nourishment and relief from the most common conditions lie in our own hands. For tens of thousands of years human beings intimately knew the medicine of the plants around them. The healer of the tribe or village was called in on more serious conditions, but people knew how to stay healthy and what to use if they fell ill with a common ailment. We today can follow that same model.

I am going to show you that incorporating herbal medi-cine into your life is simple and inspiring. As a human being, you are about to “re-learn” the medicine that has been growing around you your whole life. The same medicine that your ancestors used for millennia. Herbal medicine is truly medicine that belongs to everyone.



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Why I chose to teach with a kit…

I feel the best way to learn is hands-on. I also know distance education works. I still direct the best natural-ist home study course available (Wilderness Awareness School’s Kamana Naturalist Training Program). So, I had this idea that I would combine distance learning with a hands-on experience.

Besides the herbs I use daily to keep myself nourished, two herbal products that I often use are my homemade all purpose healing salve and my Echinacea tincture. They are the foundation of my personal first aid kit as well. I thought I would show you how to make two use-ful products while teaching you how easy it is to make herbal medicine.

I want this kit to be the foundation of your future herbal learning endeavors. At any time, you can log on to HerbMentor.com with your free trial membership (do not misplace the yellow sheet that came in your kit).



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Whether you choose to be a part of our ongoing learning community or not, you can read, listen to or watch all the lessons you want while you are signed up.

You can also download the free Roots and Branches Herbal Home Study Course on HerbMentor.com. The “Roots” part of the course will expand your herbal medicine making skills a little further past tinctures and salves. You will learn how to learn about medicinal, edi-ble and poisonous plants, how to wildcraft ethically, how to make herbal infusions and teas (infusions also covered in this kit), the benefits of herbal vinegars, how herbs can nourish us, how to cook a meal with wild herbs, and a bit about herbal first aid.

The “Branches” part were our free monthly newslet-ters designed to keep you inspired and learning. Over 40 back issues are available on HerbMentor.com. The HerbalBranches newsletter was simply renamed the “HerbMentor Newsletter,” and we highly recommend you get on our current mailing list on LearningHerbs.com. In other words, we continue to publish ongoing lessons.

On HerbMentor.com, there are other options besides Roots & Branches to continue your learning journey. You can download a guide that instructs you on how to get the most out of the site, such as studying the herb of the month, using HerbMentor Radio, joining the community forum or calling the monthly teleconference.

What motivates me is knowing that I am helping some-one break down the wall that separates them from herb-al medicine and/or making their own herbal medicine. I am committed to you feeling that you can be a home medicine maker. This kit gives you a starting place and the information provided helps you discover where to go next on your journey of taking your every day healthcare into your own hands.

Roots & Branches, formerly the ‘official follow-up course’ for the Herbal Medicine Making Kit, is still available on HerbMentor.com.

We recommend you explore HerbMentor.com, and make sure you are on our free newsletter list to receive ongoing recipes, remedies and information.



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You don’t need a degree or to take a bunch of classes to call yourself a home medicine maker. You simply have to embrace and utilize these health-giving gifts called plants in a way that promotes life.

You might have aspirations of being a Community Centered Herbalist, a naturopath, an ethno botanist, an herbal shopkeeper, or more likely, of being someone who brings natural health to your and your family’s life. Whatever your journey is, your first step begins here…

Let’s talk about the herbs!

Let’s take a look at a useful oversimplification of herbal categories (next page), so we begin to get a sense of the array of herbs available for our tinctures and teas.

At the base, you have your nourishing herbs. Those are the plants you are going to either eat or drink in larger quantities. They are as safe as the organic veggies from your local farmstand, and in many cases, more nutri-tious. Some of these herbs include nettles, dandelion, burdock, chickweed, and red clover.

On the next level you have your gentle medicinal herbs. Here is where you will find your gentle remedies. A couple you are already familiar with are peppermint or chamomile.

Next we have your stronger medicinal herbs. These are herbs you want to use far less often, usually when you have an acute condition such as a cold, fever, or perhaps an ankle sprain. These herbs can include echinacea, goldenseal, and arnica.

Time to start the Herbal Medicine Making Kit!



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Next up we have potentially poisonous herbs that are used for medicinal purposes, but are ones you should really stay away from unless a qualified and experienced practitioner administers them. These might include fox-glove or bittersweet nightshade.

And finally, at the top of the pyramid, you have your poi-sonous plants no one should ever ingest. These include belladonna, false hellebore and poison hemlock. (Note that some poisonous herbs can be taken internally as homeopathic remedies. Homeopathic remedies contain

Nourishing herbs

Gentle medicinal herbs

Stronger Medicinal herbs

Dangerous to mess with

POISONOUS

John’s oversimpified herbal category chart.



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no biochemical traces of the plant. More on these rem-edies in the Root and Branches course.)

An important thing to note is that this is a ROUGH sketch as to how you will find these herbs in nature. Meaning, there are a huge amount of nourishing herbs and gentle mind herbs, a smaller amount of stronger species, and a much smaller amount of poisonous plants.

Let’s talk tinctures

Herbal tinctures are herbal chemical constitu-ents extracted into a liquid base, usually alco-hol. (Note: teas are also extractions of herbal constituents, except a tea is extracting the plant into water.) What’s nice about alcohol is that 1) it is a preservative, and 2) it can extract stron-ger constituents than water can extract. The constituents are going to be more concentrated in a tincture than in a tea. However, alcohol does not extract the vitamins or minerals, as water will. So tinctures are used as medicine while tea can be used for your every day nourishment.

Personally, I make most of my tinctures out of those gentle herbs such as chamomile and stronger herbs for acute situations such as Echinacea. Alcohol does a wonderful job extracting the constituents we need from these herbs to help us in many acute situations. I never touch the potentially poisonous herbs.

I really like tinctures when I have an acute situation because they are effective and easy to transport. It’s hard for me at work to make herbal decoctions (strong teas that you simmer for a while). With a tincture, all I have to do, is squirt a dropper full of Echinacea in my water or juice and I am good to go. Then, when I get

Tinctures are found in bottles like these at most health food stores and herb shops. This photo was taken at RavenCroft Garden in Monroe, WA.



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home, I brew up a nourishing soup or herbal brew and rest. I would love to be able to run home and rest at the first sign of a cold, but you know as well as I do that isn’t always possible in this day and age. Even while I am nourishing myself and resting at home, I continue to take my herbal tinctures. They are a great way to get those stronger herbs in a concentrated form.

So, Why Echinacea?

Of all herbs, why did I choose Echinacea for this kit? Honestly, my first reason was because you probably have heard of it. Even my mom has used it. Secondly, it is an herb I use myself and really like. Herbalist and author Stephen Buhner once said in a class that there are 3 basic ways he uses Echinacea. 1) At FIRST sign of a cold to boost your immune system. 2) For first aid situations. Echinacea is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. 3) Directly squirted on the back of his throat for strep or a sore throat.

I recently heard on NPR that the University of Washington did a study on Echinacea, and it found that it was inef-fective for children with colds. That’s true. You take it AT THE FIRST SIGN of a cold. I found it sad because many will interpret that report as “Echinacea does not work.” That’s the thing about herbs. You can’t look at them in the same way you look at western drugs. There is no silver bullet in any medicine for every ailment. No two people are the same and no two illnesses are the same. Herbs work to support and nourish our health. In this case, Echinacea can work to support your immune sys-tem to help the cold virus not take hold.

When I first feel signs of a cold, I take Echinacea. I might take a dropper an hour for the first couple days until it’s

Echinacea



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gone. I will then continue the support whether the cold takes hold or not for a few more days (just 3 droppers a day). If it takes hold, I will take it a few times a day for no more than TEN DAYS. But at the same time I am also supporting my immune system by resting, eating nourishing soups, ingesting garlic, and drink-ing my favorite “Special-Tea” that I make when I have a cold. This tea is covered in the ‘cold and flus’ tab on LearningHerbs.com.

So, what I want to get across is that tinctures are won-derful, useful, and great… BUT they are not all that herbal medicine is. In fact, the way I take herbs is almost just like that pyramid I made. I take MOSTLY nourishing herbs, then I take a little less than that in gentle remedies, and far less frequently these stronger remedies like Echinacea.

Then, why am I having you make Echinacea tincture first? Why not start out with the herbal creations you will make far more often than tinctures? Well, you’ve heard of Echinacea, you’ve heard of tinctures, tinctures are certainly useful, and well… it’s FUN TO MAKE THEM! Yes, herbal teas are great, but making your first herbal tincture will be far more rewarding and inspiring as your gateway to herbal medicine making. Besides, the meth-od you use to make tinctures is similar to the methods you use to make other herbal remedies.

Making the Tincture

In the classes I teach people often find it amazing when I tell them that in the folk method, many herbal remedies are made by stuffing a jar with plants and pouring a liq-uid over them. Well, in a nutshell, that’s true. Of course, there is a LITTLE more too it, but basically, that is what you are doing.

In making our Echinacea tincture, you are going to pour

Your finished Echinacea tincture.



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the packet of Echinacea root into the clear 9 oz. jar, and fill the jar with vodka until it is full. You’ll then let it sit for 6 weeks, shaking it once a day. After six weeks, you’re going to strain it out through the cheesecloth. Then presto, you have your Echinacea tincture. WOW! I just explained the whole process in a paragraph!

What do you do for people who don’t want to take alco-hol, such as children or recovering alcoholics? For my son, I often put his tincture in juice. The amount is so small that I really do not feel it is an issue for kids, but you may feel different. If it is an issue for you or some-one you know, you can put the dropper of tincture in hot tea or water. The heat will evaporate the alcohol leaving the medicine in your tea or hot water.

I use 100 proof vodka most of the time. You can buy it in a small, inexpensive flask for this project. You do not need to purchase an entire big bottle unless you plan on making more tinctures or having a party.

Before you begin, purchase a small bottle of 100 proof vodka. If you are under 21, please do this part of the kit with someone who is 21 or over, so that they can purchase the vodka and do this project with you. Please make sure they take with them any vodka that is left over until you work on your next herbal tincture project.

Want to make more?

Take any jar and repeat the process you are about to do. Fill half the jar if using dried herbs, or fill with chopped up fresh herbs. This is a good rule of thumb to follow.

100 proof vodka is recommended for your tincture. A smaller flask will be plenty for this project.



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Now that you have your alcohol and kit materials ready, here’s what to do:

1. Pour all of the enclosed dried Echinacea root in the enclosed 9 oz. jar.

2. Fill the jar with vodka to the lip below the screwband. Make sure the Echinacea is covered. Put the lid on. Keep the jar out of direct sun light. You’ll want to keep your finished remedies out of direct sunlight as well.



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3. Label the jar with the enclosed tincture-brewing label. Fill it in with the alcohol percentage and date. For example, “Echinacea purpurea, dried and tinc-tured in 50% alcohol on 6/3/2004” In this example, Echinacea is part of the botanical name, so I did not put the common name. The date will help you remember when to strain it. Some advice…ALWAYS label your herbal cre-ations. All those brown liquids begin to look alike as you grow your personal herbal apothecary.

4. Shake the jar. Do this once a day for 6 weeks. If this is not possible, then at least do it every day for the first 2 weeks. It’s helpful to keep the jar in a place where you will remember to shake it regularly, such as on the kitch-en counter.

MAKE SURE you check every day for the first 2 weeks to see if the vodka is covering the herbs. It is vitally important that the herbs remain cov-ered at all times. This prevents oxida-tion. If the herbs are above the vodka line, add vodka until they are covered again.

Read through the rest of the tincture instructions, but return to Step 5 in six weeks to complete it. Continue on and begin making your herbal salve.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

You do not have to wait until the tincture is completed to sign up for HerbMentor.com. You can even begin the Roots & Branches course. Though you’ll enjoy any part of HerbMentor at this point, we do not recommend you do any courses until you finish the salve.



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5. After 6 weeks, use the enclosed cheesecloth and strain the tincture into a large bowl.

6. Use a small kitchen funnel to pour your finished tincture into the enclosed dropper bottles. If there is any left over, pour into any old bottles you have in the house. Make sure you clean out any old jars by submerg-ing them in boiling water for ten minutes.

7. Label your bottles with the enclosed labels.

8. You’re finished! Now have now made your own Echinacea tincture!



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Wasn’t that easy! Now, imagine the possibilities. You can make tinctures with so many herbs that can be used for so many different ailments. The process isn’t all that dif-ferent from what you just experienced. Yes, I know there is a lot to learn…all those plants, all those herbal skills, all those ailments…BUT…

I want to say something important with regards to how to learn herbal medicine. I want you to know that it is possible for you to feel empowered as a home medicine maker right from the beginning. Let’s face it, herbal medicine and nature are huge subjects. In fact, they are infinite. Talk to any experienced home medicine maker or herbalist, they will tell you that the more they learn, the more questions they have and the less they feel they know. Get comfortable now with the fact that you will never know it all. Nobody can.

So, how can you feel empowered now?

Well, the key is to just take it day-to-day, expe-rience-to-experience. Maybe it’s once a day, or maybe it’s once a week or once a month, put aside a little time to learn about plants or practice a new herbal skill. With every little thing you learn it takes you further down the path of herbalism. Today you know more than you did yesterday. And tomorrow perhaps you will know more than today.

If you keep learning, growing, picking, drinking, eat-ing, pickling, tincturing, or infusing herbs in your life, in time you will look back and realize how much you have learned. You might have this realization when you start-ing telling others about herbs. It’s hard to keep in touch with how much we are learning on a day-to-day basis, but on reflection we often discover just how far we have come.



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Once again, do not focus on the vastness of the subject or how much you would like to know. Just stay focused on the present. What will you do today? That’s enough. Will you work in the garden? Make nettle soup? Use an herbal salve for a bruise? If you make it a point to learn or experience something today, you have succeeded in making steps towards your dream. Those steps might lead you towards being an herbal medicine maker, a con-sultant, a gardener, an herbal business owner, a teacher, or simply someone who uses herbs to improve their everyday quality of life. You really have no idea where your herbal education is leading you right now. However, in the present moment, you have a tincture and a salve to make.

When I first picked a guitar up and found myself playing regularly, I guess I could have called myself a musician. I always thought that you had to be really good or have an album out to be called a musician. Then one day, some-one called me a musician, and it felt right. Yes, I was a musician. It’s the same with being an herbalist. While you are using this kit, technically you are an herbalist. An herbalist is one who uses herbs. However, it might take some time before you personally feel like you are an herbalist. Perhaps one day someone will introduce you to someone else as an herbalist, and you will think, “Yes, I AM an herbalist.” It will just feel right. So, whether that time is now, next month, or next year, it will be up to you to recognize when calling yourself an herbalist feels right to you.

The reason why I am even bringing this up now is because I want to keep driving home the fact that using herbs is not something reserved for naturopaths or other people with letters after their names. Herbs are for all of us. They always have been. And, becoming an expe-rienced herbal medcine maker can only happen when you have a lot of experiences with herbs. And



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you have a lot of experiences with herbs by starting with one experience, and building on it. That one experience you started with was the Echinacea tincture. An experi-ence to build on that will be the herbal salve. After the salve, I will give you some more ideas. Project by proj-ect, you build your knowledge.

How to Make an Herbal salve

I suppose the first question should be WHY make an herbal salve? Well, herbs work incredibly well in first aid situations. Cuts, bruises, bites, stings, scrapes, burns…I have had personal success with the healing power of herbs with all of these. Whereas knowing what exact herbal remedy (salve, poultice, compress, etc.) to use in a first aid situation will come in time with experience, an important part of your herbal repertoire will be the salve. I always carry an all purpose herbal healing salve in my travel first aid kit, and use it often for many situations.

Remember how the Echinacea plant constituents were being extracted by the alcohol when making your tinc-ture? Basically, the same thing is happening in salve making. With a salve, the herbal chemical constituents are extracted into olive oil. After the oil is completed and strained, it is combined with melted beeswax. When the combined substance hardens, presto, you have a salve. Sound easy? Well, it is. So, let’s get to making it.

Before you begin, you will need a few things you have in your kitchen. Get out your olive oil (you’ll need 1 1/2 cups, available in all supermarkets), a wooden spoon or something to stir with, a kitchen strainer, a bowl, a smaller pouring device (such as a measuring cup), and a saucepan (I like using glass Corning pans, but any pan will work. I have a double boiler insert that insures that I won’t accidentally burn

Rowan uses his salve on an ouchie. I use this all purpose salve you are about to make for cuts, scrapes, itching, minor burns, dry or chapped skin or lips, sun burn and so much more. I always make sure the wounds are cleaned out thoroughly first. Water first, then Echinacea tincture usually does the trick.



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About the herbs in your salve...

Calendula

Calendula officinalis

Calendula is an easy flower to grow in your garden and is one of the premiere first aid herbs. You’ll find it in most first aid lotion, salve or cream formulas. It acts against inflammation, and is excellent for cleaning and healing wounds. It soothes and quiets irritation. It also increases peripheral circulation. It is a very safe herb to use externally, as all these herbs are.

Comfrey

Symphytum officinalis

Comfrey is known as one of THE most healing herbs. It is nourishing and a very powerful herb to use externally. It is excellent for sprains, broken bones, and bruises. It is also very regenerative, which is why it is excellent for wound healing. Always make sure wounds are cleaned out with an anti-septic such as Echinacea tincture before applying remedies with comfrey, such as the salve you are making. You do not want to trap infectious material under the skin.



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Plantain

Plantago major

If you’re out and ever get an insect sting, find some of this very common plant quickly, chew up a few leaves, and apply it directly to the sting. It is one of the best known “first-aid kits” of the wild. It has incredible drawing qualities. It also helps to stop bleeding, helps stop infection from spreading, and takes away pain as well as itching. It is also well known for snakebites. Look for this incredible gift from nature in a sidewalk crack near you. Who knew Ortho’s most wanted could be so healing? Makes ya wonder...

St. Johns Wort

Hypericum perforatum

You may know this as the famous antidepressant, but few know of it’s powerful first aid properties. It can heal damaged nerves, is great for sun burns, is anti-viral, and is awesome for strained muscles. I use the oil as “sun screen” in the summers. It didn’t do much for me in the intense sun of Wyoming last summer, but in Washington state, this amazing herb never fails to protect me from the summer sun. The trick is to use it regularly on commonly exposed parts of your body.



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anything on the bottom of the pan. You can often find these at second hand stores. BUT, do not let a piece of optional kitchen equipment stop you from starting.Just get going. It only takes an hour and a half.)

PLEASE read these instructions at least once before making the salve. Make sure you have all your supplies nearby before starting. I also recommend you have an extra small jar or two handy in case there is extra salve.

1. Pour 12 fluid ounces (1 cup and a half) of olive oil into the saucepan or double boiler. Put the pan on low-medium heat on the stove. Olive oil is used because it is more stable than most vegetable oils and will not go rancid nearly as fast. Do not heat the oil higher to make this process go faster. Doing this will further destabilize the oil and cause earlier rancidity. If using a double boiler insert, boil the water in the saucepan, turn to low-medium heat so the water does not spill out, and then pour your oil into the double boiler insert. If you use a regular saucepan, be CAREFUL and keep the heat LOW.

2. Add the salve herbs into the oil (do this right after you pour the oil in). Stir herbs into the oil with stirrer. Stir every so often for one hour. If you are using just a pan and not a double boiler, you’ll need to make sure you stir your herbs more often. You’ll also need to make sure you have the heat on low if using just a saucepan. With a double boiler, the heat can be a little below medium.

Saucepan with double boiler insert.



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3. After one hour, turn off the heat. Put your kitchen strainer over a bowl. Line the strainer with some of the enclosed cheesecloth. If you do not have a strainer, you can use just the cheesecloth, but you’ll need to wait for the oil to cool first. The point is, separate the oil from the plant material, but KEEP the oil. Once you have done this, compost the plant material.

4. YOU NEED TO HAVE exactly ONE CUP (8 oz.) of herbal oil. If you have more than this, pour off the extra (you can use it as an herbal oil for the same healing pur-poses as the salve). If you have a little less, make up the difference by pouring in a little extra olive oil. It is REALLY important to have exactly one cup of oil.



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5. Clean out your pan or double boiler with soap and water, or just get another pan for the next step.

6. Once again, put your pan on a low-medium heat. If you are using a double-boiler, do the same as before to get it ready.

7. Empty beeswax packet into the pan at any point.

8. Allow the wax to melt all the way. Be careful if you are only using a pan not to burn the wax. It should gently melt. Stir as melting.



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9. When melted, pour in your herbal oil (EXACTLY 1 cup!). It will solidify a little. This is normal. It will melt again. Just stir it in with your wooden spoon.

10. Eventually, it will all be melted together. At this time, have all your enclosed salve jars and tins open by the stove. It is a good idea to have an extra jar ready in case you have extra salve.

11. After everything is melted together, pour the melted salve into the pouring device with a spout. I use a Pyrex measuring cup available in most regular grocery stores. Any kind of measuring cup is nice because they usually have a spout.



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12. QUICKLY (and calmly) pour the salve into your jars and tins. Have some left over? Pour into your extra container.

13. Add 4 drops of lavender essential oil (enclosed) to each tin and 8 drops into each 2 oz. salve jar.

*You could also add about a teaspoon of the essential oil to the melted salve before pouring into the tins and jars. This would eliminate this step.

14. Let the jars and tins sit out until they have hardened. When they have, put the lids on them. Label the jars with the enclosed labels.

You’re all finished!!!



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Other things you REALLY NEED to know about herbal oil and salve making. (You can read this now or later, for it is information used outside of salve making in the kit.)

The method I taught you for making an herbal salve is a valid method, BUT it is not the method you will normally want to use. I designed this method to work for you quickly so you would have an great salve completed in no time. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Normally, you make your herbal oils separately. You would have started with separate comfrey, calendula, St. John’s Wort and plantain oils rather than make the oil with all of these herbs together. I combined the dried herbs in this kit to make it easier for you to start with.

Making the oils separately allows you to learn about the qualities of each herb one oil at a time. It also gives you the flexibility of making your salve mixtures in different ratios. In addition, you might want to use a single herbal oil remedy for a variety of health giving purposes.

• You can use dried herbs as in this kit, but you can also use fresh plants. In many cases, using fresh plants will make more effective remedies. We’ll talk about gathering fresh plants in the Roots and Branches course.

• Although cooking your oils to infuse herbs works, the best way is to infuse them is using the “cold method.” Essentially, you make an oil like a tinc-ture. Chop up your fresh herbs finely and fill a jar with a loose pack. I prefer fresh herbs with oils, but if you use dried herbs, fill the jar half way. Then, fill the jar with olive oil. Cover with a cloth or paper towel and hold it in place with a rubber band. If

Your finished salve.

Cottonwood buds ‘cold’ infusing in olive oil. Though this is a fresh plant infusion, you only half fill the jar when using cottonwood buds. Note the paper towel in the screw band lid. This allows water vapor to evaporate and prevents molding. After the oil is finished in 6 weeks and it is decanted, a regular lid is used.

REPLICATING THE KIT SALVE

Though we recommend using the methods listed the right to make more oils, if you want to REPLICATE the kit experience, the mixture used is one ounce of herbs by weight. We simply mixed the four herbs equally. The wax is one ounce by weight.



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you are using standard mason jars, put the paper towel or cloth on and hold it down by using the screw band part of the lid (this will help prevent molding). Stir your oil every day for the first few weeks. After six weeks, decant the oil just like you decanted the tincture. Store your oil in the same jar if you like, but with a closed lid. Store out of direct sunlight. You usually want to use oils within a year. Every fresh or dried herb has its own per-sonality, but this is the basic formula.

• The cold method of oil making is preferred because the oil stays more stable when it is not heated. In other words, heated oils have a greater chance of going rancid sooner. This is not an issue in this kit because you made such a small amount of salve. But if you were making a larger volume of oil or you knew your oils or salves would be sitting lon-ger, use the cold method. You can increase the life of your salves and oils by adding vitamin E to the oils. This is wise to do if you use the cooking method in the future for larger amounts of oil.

• In this kit, I pre-measured the wax for you. The ratio is ONE CUP (volume) of oil to ONE OUNCE (weight) of bees wax. SO, that’s 1:1…easy! In this kit, you made 1 cup of oil, so I enclosed one ounce of wax. This is why the oil volume was so important in step 4 of the salve making. If you make three cups of herbal oil into salve in the future, then simply use 3 ounces of beeswax.

YOU DID IT!

So far, you completed the Herbal Medicine Making Kit. Congratulations! Now, you have the choice of either stopping here and moving on to your next project in life, continuing on to HerbMentor.com.

My flowers are a well known ear ache remedy and my leaves are helpful to the lungs. Who am I? Find out in Roots and Branches...AND... there is even a video on HerbMentor.com.

Lavender was also part of your salve, and its virtues are discussed on video on HerbMentor.com.

NOTE: The Nourishing

Herbal Infusion lesson,

which uses the nettles,

is located on the DVD

that came with your

kit.



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When you first log on, it will show you a simple video on how to use the site and where to find stuff, like the Roots and Branches course or the HerbMentor Study Guide.

Do as little or as much as you want. I chose to go on and design HerbMentor and write the Roots and Branches course because teaching this stuff is my passion. I am excited for you to learn. If I can keep your attention enough to try a few of the coming projects, then there is one more person in the world who wants to take their everyday healthcare into their own hands and possibly help people in their communities.

If you’re choosing to go on to HerbMentor.com, please see the yellow sheet that came with your kit. The yellow sheet has instructions on how to do that as well as the code for a free trial membership.

Slow, ongoing learning is the way to learn about herbs and bring them into your life, and we are proud to offer you HerbMentor.com. The original kit only had Roots and Branches, which was great, but it was not enough. So many people wanted to learn more, but I did not have the time because I was in acupuncture school.

Now that I have graduated and opened a practice, I have more time to devote to LearningHerbs.com. I get to do what I wanted to do from the beginning, which is provide high quality, ongoing herbal learning experiences.

Even if you only join us for the trial period, we will be honored to have you. Thank you so much for making your own medicine. May the seeds planted blossom into health for you and your family.

Pssst...there are 2 more pages.

Need herbs or supplies?

Click on the Herbs & Supplies link on LearningHerbs.com. By doing this first before you place every order, our hand-craft family business gets a small commission. It helps us offer so much great free information. Thanks!


http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/cgi-bin/Main.pl?AID=050823&BID=30


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About John Gallagher, L.Ac., CCH

Herbal medicine began studying John Gallagher when it covered him

with poison ivy for many of his childhood summers in New Jersey. Upon reaching adulthood, he began working with Wilderness Awareness School, where he learned the virtues of the wild plants that grow around us, including the amazing dandelion (which he formerly poisoned in landscape jobs) as well as a preventative cure for poison ivy (finally). After moving to a poison ivy-free bioregion, he began seriously studying herbal medicine. He learned from some of the most talented herbalists the Northwest has to offer including Sally King and EagleSong of RavenCroft Garden, Karen Sherwood of Earthwalk Northwest, Erin Groh, and most of all, from the plants themselves.

John is father to his son Rowan and daughter Hailey, and husband to Kimberly.

John is a licensed five-element acupuncturist with a clinic in Redmond, WA. John also runs LearningHerbs.com with Kimberly and the kids. He continues to work for Wilderness Awareness School as an instructor of herbal studies for its Residential Program.

He is a Community Centered Herbalist, which is how all this kit and web site began. John is dedicated to helping people rediscover their place in nature. He and his family live in the Snoqualmie Valley, at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.

Kimberlly, Hailey, John and Rowan Gallagher



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AN HERBAL ADVENTURE GAMEA cooperative board game that teaches

edible and medicinal plants.

For 1-4 playersAges 4 to adult, Easy to playNo reading required for younger playersNo prior knowledge of plants needed

“Wildcraft! is great family fun. Gather up the kids, bring out the board game, and learn about medicinal and edible plants in the most fun way imaginable. This is wonderfully cooperative game where everyone is a winner and everyone learns some-thing about plants!” —Rosemary Gladstar, herbalist, author

Wildcraft! has many of the things I look for in a game... It’s educational, easy to use, beauti-ful to look at, you learn a lot about herbs...and you laugh a lot.

–Bobbe Branch, Montessori Teacher

Wildcraft! is a unique and educational game that my children and I have truly enjoyed play-ing. My son is fascinated by the idea that plants can alleviate a variety of troubles. I especially appreciate the aspect of cooperation and team-work incorporated into the game. It warms my heart to see my two children delight in “help-ing” one another accomplish the goals of the game. Thank you for producing a game that offers such a positive experience for all players over a wide age range.

–Anne Agostin, motherRead all about Wildcraft! at LearningHerbs.com


herbal medicine making kit

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