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Hedgerow Medicine

Denidoom

Denidoom

Extremely Talkative
Messages
127
Points
350
Age
55
Watching a survival program on TV yesterday, the presenter mentioned that pussy willow contains, aspirin. This was new to me and I was amazed that all you needed to do was scrape the top layer of bark from a twig and chew the green fibres below. I've since researched and apparently all species of willow (salix) species contain salicylic acid and this works like aspirin. I found an interesting page that talks you through how to make aspirin from willow bark https://home-remedies.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-aspirin-from-willow-tree-0142525/

Any other medicinal plants tips?
 
Honey is great for wounds, I put some on a burn that I hadn't been able to put in cold water, although it was a bit sticky it healed really well and left no scar at all.
 
People used to gather spiders webs to pack into wounds before closing them.

Rose hips are packed full of more vitamin C than an equivalent weight of orange and remains an ingredient of many homeopathic medicines.


38
 
Nice one 38, spider's webs applied to a cut causes the blood to clot more quickly, sphagnum moss is also used for packing or covering wounds. (It is also a fantastic natural water filter)
Bee stings can be washed with bicarbonate of soda to reduce the pain since the bee's venom is acidic while wasp stings are alkaline so they should be washed with vinegar. A bee's sting usually stays in your skin after a bee stings you therefore each bee only stings you once. Wasps will sting multiple times (a great way to tell them apart :p)
If you're stung by a bee make sure you remove the sting by scraping it off ASAP (as though you were shaving)
 
Cheapshots said:
Gingers supposed to be good for nausea and honey an anti-biotic but I don't know how effective the latter would be these days.
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I have a lot of respect for honey. Going back a few years I had what was described as pre ulcer and it caused a lot of discomfort. Two weeks of drinking a teaspoon of manuka honey in water a few times a day and it cleared up completely, never to return (fingers crossed). According to this article, the antibacterial quality of honey depends on the type of honey as well as when and how it's harvested

Another great herb is sage. "Sage has been used effectively for throat infections, dental abscesses, infected gums and mouth ulcers. The phenolic acids in sage are particularly potent against Staphylococcus aureus. In vitro, sage oil has been shown to be effective against both Escherichia coli and Salmonella species, and against filamentous fungi and yeasts such as Candida albicans."
 
Honey was used in ancient times as a wound dressing and it is only recently that its qualities are being re-discovered.
You can also use sage to clean your teeth. Just rub a leaf on them.
Chewing parsley can stop bad breath.
Sweet cicely is said to be good for coughs and flatulence! Just be sure not to confuse it with hemlock - they look similar but hemlock doesn't smell of aniseed.
Lemon balm is said to be good for digestive problems and it is also popular with bees.
Shall l go on? Or is that enough for now?
 
The last Herb Garden I had would be stuffed full of Bees, they love all herbs, I would often find a load flat on their back, legs waving in the air after over-indulgence on the Oregano. I often wonder if Bees suffer from hangovers. If they do, there must have been some doozies after a visit to my Herb garden.:lol:
 
Barbara said:
Honey was used in ancient times as a wound dressing and it is only recently that its qualities are being re-discovered.
You can also use sage to clean your teeth. Just rub a leaf on them.
Chewing parsley can stop bad breath.
Sweet cicely is said to be good for coughs and flatulence! Just be sure not to confuse it with hemlock - they look similar but hemlock doesn't smell of aniseed.
Lemon balm is said to be good for digestive problems and it is also popular with bees.
Shall l go on? Or is that enough for now?
Click to expand...

The more the better, I say :) I haven't heard of 'Sweet cicely', but definitely wouldn't want to mistake it for hemlock. You really need to be careful if you don't know these plants very well.
 
Hi all , firstly my stance - Hedgerow medicine is great , however nothing beats a decent well stocked and maintained FAK and the training to back it up - with that personal caveat out the way , I do find hedgerow medicine very interesting.

One to get to know is Plantain. Seriously , its everywhere so ubiquitous , learn it and its benefits.

http://www.rjwhelan.co.nz/herbs A-Z/plantain.html
 
Hello Prime, l had noticed your absence and am pleased you have come back.
You are right about having a well stocked FAK and, yes, knowing how to use the contents is essential. However, as preppers, we also need to prepare for the time when we may not have access to these things any more. l will continue to increase my knowledge of herbal remedies, out of interest as much as anything.

Did you know that the active ingredient of aspirin is also found in meadowsweet, an abundant hedgerow plant round here.
 
Denidoom said:
The more the better, I say :) I haven't heard of 'Sweet cicely', but definitely wouldn't want to mistake it for hemlock. You really need to be careful if you don't know these plants very well.
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Yes, l don't forage for many fungi to eat as my knowledge of them isn't great. l'd rather go out with an expert mycologist than rely on guide books to advance my knowledge.
 
Barbara said:
Hello Prime, l had noticed your absence and am pleased you have come back.
You are right about having a well stocked FAK and, yes, knowing how to use the contents is essential. However, as preppers, we also need to prepare for the time when we may not have access to these things any more. l will continue to increase my knowledge of herbal remedies, out of interest as much as anything.

Did you know that the active ingredient of aspirin is also found in meadowsweet, an abundant hedgerow plant round here.
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Hi Barbara - My main point was that I've read quite a few statements suggesting Herbal Hedgerow medicine is AS effective as modern pharma grade drugs and antibiotics ( regardless of the big pharma politics ) and to me that is from what ive witnessed just not true. I don't want anyone dying unintentionally from putting all their faith in something that is a good medical standby. Just my opinion which I stand by.


Ref meadowsweet - yes I'm aware - maybe we need to do a series of articles not just detailing the various plants various benefits but how and what method to use t extract them??
 
Good idea guys, go for it....the more detail the better. Please could you also cite any publications or websites where you have learned about hedgerow medicines so we can all take a more detailed look.
 
Prime said:
Hi Barbara - My main point was that I've read quite a few statements suggesting Herbal Hedgerow medicine is AS effective as modern pharma grade drugs and antibiotics ( regardless of the big pharma politics ) and to me that is from what ive witnessed just not true. I don't want anyone dying unintentionally from putting all their faith in something that is a good medical standby. Just my opinion which I stand by.


Ref meadowsweet - yes I'm aware - maybe we need to do a series of articles not just detailing the various plants various benefits but how and what method to use t extract them??
Click to expand...
ystranc said:
Good idea guys, go for it....the more detail the better. Please could you also cite any publications or websites where you have learned about hedgerow medicines so we can all take a more detailed look.
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Ah, yes, Prime, l see. lt's all vey well knowing that digitalis comes from foxgloves but there's no point eating foxgloves when it's really digoxin that you need. (not that l'm recommending eating foxgloves - stay away from them)

Ystranc - l will provide references where l have them but some of the places l acquired my knowledge are lost in the mists of time. By all means check them against other sources.
 
Barbara said:
Ah, yes, Prime, l see. lt's all vey well knowing that digitalis comes from foxgloves but there's no point eating foxgloves when it's really digoxin that you need. (not that l'm recommending eating foxgloves - stay away from them)

Ystranc - l will provide references where l have them but some of the places l acquired my knowledge are lost in the mists of time. By all means check them against other sources.
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It's not so much checking the information that members are posting, more about expanding my collection of reference books and further research into how to prepare/take herbal medicines and in what quantities.
 
Almost certainly my fault. I tend not to make myself very clear at times, I'm not a natural writer and sometimes the gist of my message is lost without my realising it.
 
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