4 Natural First-Aid Remedies

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“The Herbal Handbook for Home & Health” by Pip Waller is designed to help you care for the whole family, pets included.
“The Herbal Handbook for Home & Health” by Pip Waller is designed to help you care for the whole family, pets included.
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Treat everyday ailments with an array of natural first-aid remedies.
Treat everyday ailments with an array of natural first-aid remedies.

Anyone can harness the power of plants to reduce allergens and toxins present in their environment. Expert herbalist and author Pip Waller proves more than 500 plant-based remedies for house, health and more in The Herbal Handbook (North Atlantic Books, 2015). The following excerpt from “First-Aid Plant Power” offers a few natural remedies to treat the most common ailments.

You can purchase this book from the Mother Earth Living store: The Herbal Handbook.

Nature’s kingdom is abundant in all kinds of powerful remedies for injuries, emergencies, and life’s ups and downs. This chapter is packed with home remedies for soothing and healing cuts, bruises, breaks, and strains, and for treating everyday ailments, such as colds and flu, headaches, hay fever, and stomach upsets.

Spray for Strained or Sore Throats

Ingredients

• 2 drops thyme essential oil
• 1/2 tsp. pure vegetable glycerin
• 2 tsp./10ml sage tincture
• 2 tsp./10ml echinacea tincture
• 1 tbsp. elderberry, rowan, or rose hip syrup, or a mixture
• 4 tsp. boiled water

Method

1. Beat the thyme essential oil into the glycerin.

2. Slowly add the sage tincture, echinacea tincture, syrup, and the boiled water, eating as you pour.

3. Mix well, then bottle in small spray bottles for ease of use.

4. To use, spray directly into the back of the mouth as often as required.

Makes & Keeps
Makes 2 (1-fl.-oz.) spray bottles.
Keeps 3–6 months.

Simple Turnip Cough Syrup

Courtesy of Anne Chiotis
An expectorant to help your lungs clear themselves of mucus.

Ingredients

• 1 fresh turnip
• plenty of brown sugar

Method

1. Hollow out the center of a turnip, leaving 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches of flesh around the edge. Fill it with brown sugar and let sit for 12 hours. A delectable syrup will form as the sugar draws the juice out of the turnip. You can simply store the turnip in the refrigerator, using it as your “cup,” or decant the syrup into a jar.

2. Take 1–3 tsp. 3 times daily.

Makes & Keeps
Makes a variable amount.
Best used fresh, but keeps up to 2–3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Sage & Daisy Poultice for Bruises & Swellings

Ingredients

• fresh sage leaves
• fresh daisies
• vinegar to cover

Method

1. Gather enough herbs to cover the area. Gently heat the herbs and the vinegar together for about 5 mins. Do not boil.

2. Lay the herbs, still hot, out on a thin piece of cloth. Fold the cloth to a size big enough to cover the bruised area. Place it on the body, while the herbs are still hot but not in danger of burning. Wrap it with a towel to retain the heat.

3. Replace 1–2 times daily, as needed.

Makes & Keeps
Makes 1 application.
Use immediately.

Herbal Aspirin

Aspirin was first found in willow bark. It has been used for centuries as a pain-killer for headaches and other pains, and to bring down fevers.

Ingredients

Dried ground herbs:
• 2 oz. willow bark
• 1 oz. lavender
• 2 oz. valerian
• 1 oz. skullcap

Method

1. Mix the herbs together well.

2. Take 1–2 tsp. of the powder in a mug of water up to 4 times daily.

Makes & Keeps
Makes 6-oz. herb mixture.
Keeps 1 year.

Naturally clean your home with 3 DIY Herbal Household Cleaners from The Herbal Handbook for Home & Health.


From The Herbal Handbook for Home and Health by Pip Waller, published by North Atlantic Books, copyright © 2015 by Pip Waller. Reprinted by permission of publisher. Purchase this book from our store:The Herbal Handbook.

  • Published on Apr 16, 2015
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