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Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

Northeast School of Botanical Medicine

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So Sensitive The brown patch is Sensitive fern (On

So Sensitive
The brown patch is Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), a common fern in the Northeastern US. How sensitive you ask? Well, to frost, the fronds (‘leaves’) are very sensitive. We had one mild frost last night and the fronds were quashed. The plant (like all ferns) is perennial and will be back come spring.
But in other ways, this plant is not so sensitive. I commonly mow it and it comes right back up. And it can put up with getting trod upon as well.
The wand-like fertile fronds often stay upright for much of the winter adding some dash to the snowy landscape. Roy Park, Freeville, NY. September 19, 2020.

Medicated Honey part II About 2 weeks ago I wrote

Medicated Honey part II
About 2 weeks ago I wrote about making a medicated honey by infusing Calendula (Calendula officinalis) flower, Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) flower, Oregon graperoot (Berberis piperiana) root, Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) leaf and flower, and about 7 drops of Lavender essential oil per ounce of honey with infused herbs.
After a few days, I put the jar of herbally infused honey into a hot water bath and then poured the liquid honey contents into tins to be able to give to individuals in need of this medicine for burns or other wounds. I made 44 oz all together.
Today I finally made the labels and they are now ready to distribute.
Thank you for all your comments on my original post, I will give them consideration for my next batch. ~7Song, September 18, 2020

Practicing as an Herbalist in a Free Clinic This i

Black Birch (Betula lenta, Betulaceae) Today I gat

Black Birch (Betula lenta, Betulaceae)
Today I gathered a young Black birch tree with Shelby Merry. I have been visiting this small grove of Black birch trees for many years and occasionally harvest one or two for medicine and to allow its Black birch neighbors to grow taller.
This plant is rich in methyl salicylate, the fragrance of wintergreen. It is one of my favorite general antiinflammatories. The salicylate group is antiinflammatory, as in acetyl-salicylic acid (aspirin), which was initially derived from Willow (genus, Salix which is where is salicylates are named).

I tincture the fresh inner and (thin) outer bark at 1:3 in 80% ethanol. I will add it to other formulas for its flavor and mainly for its antiinflammatory action.

It was more difficult to peel the bark than it is in spring, so I may wait until then to gather more.

I will write more about Black birch if folks are interested. It is a plant I use regularly for conditions such as Lyme disease where there is inflammation of the joints. ~7Song, Ithaca, NY. September 16, 2020

The Pungent Gravity Well Perhaps it is not possibl

The Pungent Gravity Well
Perhaps it is not possible to be a former student of Rosemary Gladstar (1983) and friends with AC Stauble and Mary Blue and not eventually make some Fire Cider. I tried to resist, but the gravity is too strong among this triad of fine caring people and so I am pulled in.
The photo is of Horseradish roots (Armoracia rusticana, Brassicaceae) that I gathered today while cleaning out a cold frame for next year. It is more-than-plentiful here (in other words, a pungent weed).
The Horseradish will be one of the 7 parts of the Fire Cider I plan on making in the next few weeks; one of the ingredients (a secret, he he) is not ripe yet.
A good fall to you, ~7Song

Herbs for Smoke Inhalation part 1 I cannot express

Herbs for Smoke Inhalation part 1
I cannot express how terrible I feel about the devastating western wildfires. I hope everyone is safe in body and property, though I know this is not always the case.
The main primary consideration is wearing a mask to avoid breathing in small particulate matter, which is in the smoke. The current masks that most people are wearing due to Covid work well as does wearing a doubly folded bandana over one’s mouth and nose.
Since this is not always possible, there are some herbs that can offer some assistance in loosening and bringing up these small smoke particles.

Consider plants that are mucilaginous, that is, having a thick consistency. The reason they are helpful is that they can increase mucous production in the respiratory tree. Mucous is the main way that the body expels small particles from the bronchi. By increasing this with good moist mucous (rather than thin and sticky), it can be very helpful in moving the particulate matter up and out.

There are 3 common plants for this: Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis and G. glabra), Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) and Slippery elm inner bark (Ulmus rubra).
The best way to take these is to mix 1 teaspoon or so of the powdered root or inner bark in a glass of water (or other liquid) and drink it down. This provides a lot more of the mucilage than taking a preparation such as a tincture. The second best way is to make a strong tea of these plants. You can also take 2-3 capsules a few times a day. I suggest doing this with any of these preparations 3-4 times a day if possible depending on how much smoke you are inhaling.

Licorice root as it also an antiinflammatory. Respiratory inflammation can be a consequence of breathing in smoke. Do not use this plant if you have high blood pressure (or if you hate the taste of Licorice).

If you choose to use Slippery elm, please try to get it from a reliable sustainable source.
Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila) can also be very mucilaginous, with the inner bark being the most ‘slippery’. And this plant is non-native and commonly planted in cities.

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