Page 86 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

improvement when they consume three cups of hooked hairs that can latch onto the mucus mem-
Greater Burdock Root Tea daily. branes if inhaled.

Improvement is slow and steady, taking about two Recipes. Anti-Cancer Decoction: To make 1-
months to achieve maximum benefits. gallon (4 liters) you need 1-ounce greater burdock root,
powdered, 3/4 ounces (21g) sheep sorrel, powdered,
Sore Throats and Tonsillitis: For acute tonsil-
litis and other sore throats, try Greater Burdock Tea. It 1/4 ounces (7g) slippery elm bark, powdered and 1-gal-
relieves pain, inflammation, coughing, and speeds lon (4 liters) distilled water. Equipment: 8-pint (4 Li-
healing. The greater burdock also acts as an antibacte- ters) canning jars and lids, sterile, large pot, capable of
rial to kill the harmful bacteria and cure the infection. holding 1 gallon (4 liters) or more, with a tight-fitting
lid and boiling water canner.
Bring the greater burdock, sheep sorrel, and slippery
elm bark to a boil in 1 gallon (4 liters) of distilled water,
tightly covered. Boil the herbs, tightly covered, for 10
minutes, then turn off the heat and stir the mixture.

Cover tightly and let the decoction steep for 12 hours,
stirring again after 6 hours. After 12 hours, bring it
back to a boil and pour it through a fine mesh strainer
or a coffee filter. Pour the decoction into pint (500ml)
jars while still hot, leaving ½ inch (1.25 cm) headroom.
Cap the jars. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for
10 minutes.
The decoction will keep for 1 year in sealed jars. Store
Harvesting: The root must be harvested before it in the refrigerator after opening. Dosage: Mix 1/4 cup
withers at the end of the first year. The best time is af- of the decoction with 1/4 cup of distilled water. Drink
ter it seeds until late autumn when the roots become 3 times a day: 2 hours before breakfast, 2 hours after
very fibrous. Immature flower stalks are harvested in lunch and before bedtime on an empty stomach. Wait
late spring before the flowers appear. Care must be at least 2 hours after taking the decoction before eating
taken when harvesting the seeds. They have tiny, again.

Henbane,

Hyoscyamus niger

Henbane is poisonous, so it is advised that you use it
with caution. Although native to Europe, it has been
cultivated in North America for many years. It’s a
beautiful plant with a foul smell, and a member of the
Solanaceae (Nightshade) family.
Identification: Hyoscyamus niger grows from 1 to
3 feet (0.9 meters) tall. A mature henbane plant has
leafy, thick, hairy, widely-branched, erect stems. It is
an annual and biannual and the biannual growth is
used for medicine. Its foul-smelling lobed alternate Henbane, photo by K.B. Simoglou - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
leaves are grayish-green or yellowish-green in color to 6 inches (15 cm) wide and 8 inches (20 cm) long. The
and have white veins. They spread out like a rosette 5-petaled flowers are a funnel shape and are brownish-
and are coarsely toothed, large, and wide, growing up yellow in color with dark purple veins. Flowers have a

85