bush Medicine
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Matthew.Passmore
Settler
Now that is a very broad subject, is there anything inparticular you'd like to know about?
like remedies for Diarrhea? headaches? infection? bleeding?
like remedies for Diarrhea? headaches? infection? bleeding?
Matthew.Passmore
Settler
I love Meadowsweet, it's full of Salicylic acid compounds (More than willow) which give it a lovely germolene/savlon smell, because of that it has also been used as traditional beer flavourings and hung up in homes to ward off evil, pretty flower too.
Interestingly acetylsalicylic acid (named aspirin in 1899) was not actually synthesized from willow but Medowsweet. Salicylic acid was first discovered and used from willow but was irritating and it was found that a less irritating similar compound could be extracted from meadowsweet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_aspirin - if your interested
Plantain also contains alot of a substance called Musilage which is a common ingredient in hand creams because it soothes the skin by coating damaged and irritated cells.
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Matthew.Passmore
Settler
well there are lots of simple remedies you can use safely,
for Diarrhea a tea made from Acorns or the Bark of Oak has traditionally been used due to the high Tanic Acid content which has a 'drying' effect of cells. Don't boil it up though just bring the water to the boil then add the acorns/bark to steep for a while as high temperatures break down the tanic acid.
eating half an Acorn is an old Gypsy cure for diarrhea.
For Headaches, simply chewing a Stick of willow will help due to the Salicylic, or make a tea of willow or even Meadowsweet if you can confidently ID it, the Salicylic compounds are in the inner bark of the willow and most abundent in white willow.
For Bleeding Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) is traditionaly used, the leaves can be rubbed onto a wound fresh or dried and powdered for later use. it takes its name Achillea from the Greek warrior Achilleas who is said to have used it to treat wounds in the battle of Troy.
there are people with more knowledge than me on here who could give you more complicated ones but they are a few safe and simple ones.
(Obviously be careful when using any remedy and only use plants you are 100% sure of and check your sensitivity to any plant before using it)
for Diarrhea a tea made from Acorns or the Bark of Oak has traditionally been used due to the high Tanic Acid content which has a 'drying' effect of cells. Don't boil it up though just bring the water to the boil then add the acorns/bark to steep for a while as high temperatures break down the tanic acid.
eating half an Acorn is an old Gypsy cure for diarrhea.
For Headaches, simply chewing a Stick of willow will help due to the Salicylic, or make a tea of willow or even Meadowsweet if you can confidently ID it, the Salicylic compounds are in the inner bark of the willow and most abundent in white willow.
For Bleeding Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) is traditionaly used, the leaves can be rubbed onto a wound fresh or dried and powdered for later use. it takes its name Achillea from the Greek warrior Achilleas who is said to have used it to treat wounds in the battle of Troy.
there are people with more knowledge than me on here who could give you more complicated ones but they are a few safe and simple ones.
(Obviously be careful when using any remedy and only use plants you are 100% sure of and check your sensitivity to any plant before using it)
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Ah but, the flowers work likewise, and they are gentler on the stomach, taste better too, and they dry easily and store well 
cheers,
Toddy
cheers,
Toddy
Ah but, the flowers work likewise, and they are gentler on the stomach, taste better too, and they dry easily and store well
cheers,
Toddy
AHA!! you learn something new every day cheers toddy
This is a huge subject; I have a shelf of books on the subject and I've been studying it for years (in a totall amateur way) and still learn something new each day and wouldn't presume to give advice to anyone else (in case I got it wrong)!
However, if you are going to study it I recommend you start with the conditions you want to deal with. So look up:
- anti viral
- anti biotic
- anti fungal
- coagulant
- pain killers
- diuretics
- astringents
and so on. Also, only deal with plants in the geographic area that you are working in.
Just my two pence worth.
Cheers,
Broch
However, if you are going to study it I recommend you start with the conditions you want to deal with. So look up:
- anti viral
- anti biotic
- anti fungal
- coagulant
- pain killers
- diuretics
- astringents
and so on. Also, only deal with plants in the geographic area that you are working in.
Just my two pence worth.
Cheers,
Broch
Now that makes a lot of sense 
I don't think anyone knows it all, and no one knows every area. I know what I expect to find in mine and I'm learning, slowly, oh so slowly, what other people use in theirs.
Definitely a life long study
cheers,
Toddy
I don't think anyone knows it all, and no one knows every area. I know what I expect to find in mine and I'm learning, slowly, oh so slowly, what other people use in theirs.
Definitely a life long study
cheers,
Toddy
I have been preparing a lesson on medicinal properties of native trees and creating remedies, if you like I can send you it after I finish my course? I am no expert but i know a little, its such a vast fascinating subject and like has been said something you never stop learning.
Would there be any chance that folks knowledgeable in bush medicine could contribute to a "sticky" on the subject?
For the benefit of folk like me, whose knowledge stretches from using dock leaves on a nettle sting to... using dock leaves on a nettle sting.
Or would that leave BCUK at risk of litigation, being held responsible should someone follow any advice printed here and come a cropper?
Just a thought.
Liam
For the benefit of folk like me, whose knowledge stretches from using dock leaves on a nettle sting to... using dock leaves on a nettle sting.
Or would that leave BCUK at risk of litigation, being held responsible should someone follow any advice printed here and come a cropper?
Just a thought.
Liam
Yes the seed heads of plaintain are packed with Mucilage (an insoluble fibre). When the seed heads are soaked in water, the mucilage swells and makes a good treatment for constipation.
If you guys are interested in traditional Australian Bush medicine, I'll contribute more
Kind regards
Mick
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Of course we're interested
However, apart from the ubiquitous tea tree oil I doubt that many of the plants used in the Australian continent and nearby islands, can be found here.
That said, there are wallabies on the islands in Loch Lomond
Tell you what might be very relevant though, the traditional way people consider dealing with health problems. Skin infections, bites, stings, rashes. Respitary problems, gut problems, aches and pains; that kind of thing.
Unless one is a qualified Medical Herbalist it is illegal to prescribe, or to advise someone to use, any herbal preparation or substance.
What can be discussed I believe without any problems, are the traditional uses of plants, modern research and personal experience.
If anyone knows otherwise speak up or, "forever haud yer wheesht", as we say
* Plantain is an old famine food.
The mucilaginous seeds can be cooked and eaten a bit like quinoa, they'll help thicken up a stew.
The leaves were used in compress for sores, bites and plant stings/ rashes. They were also eaten as an appetite suppressant (supposedly very good for you since they're full of all kinds of minerals and trace acids) reputedly they lower colesterol.
A tea taken three times a day is supposedly good for upper respitory tract infections and beneficial when one has bronchitis or flu, it's anti inflammatory and eases chesty coughs. Better taken as a syrup (look up robb in the search, Match did a good post on these a while back ) for chesty or wet hacking coughs though.
The dose I use is as much green plant as you can crush into a small walnut sized ball rolled between the palms of the hands. This makes three cups. Dried herb I use one heaped teaspoonful per cup.
To make the syrup make a strong decoction of the plant and use that as the base, or steep the crushed plant material in vodka to make a very simple tincture.
If you are interested in this subject some words crop up time and time again. It's worth while becoming familiar with the language
It's also worthwhile becoming aware of plant synergies. By that I mean the beneficial mix of plants to create rememdies.
Also, if in need, the plant you know will work may not be in season, or grow nearby, think about what else you could use.
I have the herbal pharmacopeia among other books, I'll see what it advises.
Also, Cyclingrelf is contructing a database and has put a lot of work into it, and other members have personal websites with good information on herbal uses.
cheers,
Toddy
However, apart from the ubiquitous tea tree oil I doubt that many of the plants used in the Australian continent and nearby islands, can be found here.
That said, there are wallabies on the islands in Loch Lomond
Tell you what might be very relevant though, the traditional way people consider dealing with health problems. Skin infections, bites, stings, rashes. Respitary problems, gut problems, aches and pains; that kind of thing.
Unless one is a qualified Medical Herbalist it is illegal to prescribe, or to advise someone to use, any herbal preparation or substance.
What can be discussed I believe without any problems, are the traditional uses of plants, modern research and personal experience.
If anyone knows otherwise speak up or, "forever haud yer wheesht", as we say
* Plantain is an old famine food.
The mucilaginous seeds can be cooked and eaten a bit like quinoa, they'll help thicken up a stew.
The leaves were used in compress for sores, bites and plant stings/ rashes. They were also eaten as an appetite suppressant (supposedly very good for you since they're full of all kinds of minerals and trace acids) reputedly they lower colesterol.
A tea taken three times a day is supposedly good for upper respitory tract infections and beneficial when one has bronchitis or flu, it's anti inflammatory and eases chesty coughs. Better taken as a syrup (look up robb in the search, Match did a good post on these a while back
) for chesty or wet hacking coughs though.The dose I use is as much green plant as you can crush into a small walnut sized ball rolled between the palms of the hands. This makes three cups. Dried herb I use one heaped teaspoonful per cup.
To make the syrup make a strong decoction of the plant and use that as the base, or steep the crushed plant material in vodka to make a very simple tincture.
If you are interested in this subject some words crop up time and time again. It's worth while becoming familiar with the language
It's also worthwhile becoming aware of plant synergies. By that I mean the beneficial mix of plants to create rememdies.
Also, if in need, the plant you know will work may not be in season, or grow nearby, think about what else you could use.
I have the herbal pharmacopeia among other books, I'll see what it advises.
Also, Cyclingrelf is contructing a database and has put a lot of work into it, and other members have personal websites with good information on herbal uses.
cheers,
Toddy
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