Natural healers

[Skadoo]

I have learned that the bark from a persoonia levis (geebung), once soaked in water, makes a good compress for burns and rashes.
The juice from a bracken fern is good for bullant bites too - great to keep in mind when out in the wild, their bites are very nasty!

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

Very interesting Skadoo.

Up here the number one herbal remedy we work with is white cedar (Eastern Aborvitae). A cup of cedar tea has more vitamin c than an orange. The needles can be gathered all year round.

The extracted oils were also a topical remedy, but is dangerous to ingest (tastes bad anyways!).

 

[British Red]

Spiders web contains a natural coagulant and is great for healing cuts....

Red

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

Spiders web contains a natural coagulant and is great for healing cuts....

Red

...now that is a new one on me..

think I'll be keeping the cobwebs I get this week!

 

[jojo]

Presumably, you want to use the clean ones, not the one covered in soot, dirt and bird droppings

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

Presumably, you want to use the clean ones, not the one covered in soot, dirt and bird droppings

...yeah... might cancel out the use of bandaging eh?

 

[Skadoo]

that is very interesting.. but can do we have access to that here in aussss? The white cedar, that is.

 

[paulcd]

Remember, you have temperate environments in southern oz, so find an arboretum that grows it...but don't nick any as the plant managers won't be happy!
Pteridium aquilinum (bracken) is the same species in GB as OZ...after learning that aborigines put it on spider bites, I have had success with it on mossie bites this country...break off top frond and squeeze WARNING this plant has carcinogenic qualities

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

that is very interesting.. but can do we have access to that here in aussss? The white cedar, that is.

Not that I know of. So far I've been told it's a North American tree. Jaques Cartier brought it back to Europe with him, and it's now growing in some Euro gardens. Maybe they took it to Australia?

 

[wentworth]

I find it interesting that bracken is found all over the world. I assume carried by migrating birds? Although it would be an enjoyable (but fanciful) idea to assume that it was around when the continents were joined.
Also interesting is that we have beefsteak fungus here too, though as of yet I have yet to spy some.

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

I find it interesting that bracken is found all over the world. I assume carried by migrating birds? Although it would be an enjoyable (but fanciful) idea to assume that it was around when the continents were joined.
Also interesting is that we have beefsteak fungus here too, though as of yet I have yet to spy some.

Brackens were around since the dinosaurs, so maybe they were here when Pangea and the other continents were connected.

 

[Lush]

Juice from the crushed leaf of dock (Rumex spp.), which commonly grows in association with nettles helps to ease the pain of stinging nettles.

 

[Lush]

Willow bark contains acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin.) Eat some of the inner bark to get rid of pain. It reduces fever and inflammation. I never tried it.

How much one should eat, I don't know... I will certainly try it on a headache once....
Lush

 

[Tantalus]

I think you will find the bitterness of willow bark worse than your headache

Try making tea with it and sweetening with lots of sugar

If it is too bitter to drink then its probably a bit strong

Tant