Part II An Herbal Medicine Chest

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One last thing: I mix all my tinctures on the day of the new moon and strain them off on the full moon, so the drawing power of the waxing moon will help extract the plants' properties.

Here, then, are the six tinctures I make (there are plenty of others!) and the ways I use them.

Antibiotic tincture: I make this from four parts fresh garlic . . . four parts fresh nasturtium leaves and flowers . . . and one part echinacea root. (You can also use echinacea's leaves or flowers.) Use four ounces of this mixture per pint of vodka. Garlic is a natural antibiotic that attacks harmful bacteria. Nasturtium is an antiseptic and helps one expel mucus from the lungs and throat. And echinacea is an excellent antibiotic, blood purifier, and lymphatic cleanser. The usual dose of this antibiotic tincture would be one-half dropperful every two hours for two days, then twice a day for two weeks. I take it whenever I want to fight an infection.

Echinacea tincture: Actually, I'm so fond of echinacea that I more often make a pure tincture of this herb. Then, whenever I feel a cold coming on, I'll start the dosage sequence just mentioned and rid myself of the malady before it becomes a problem. (Sometimes, if I stop taking the remedy before the two weeks are up—because I'm feeling so much better—the ailment comes right back.) I also use the pure echinacea tincture when I'm feeling sluggish or my blood needs purifying—after eating a lot of chemical-laced food, for instance.

Rosemary headache tincture: This herbal remedy, made from good old garden rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), can get rid of many headaches instantly. Try it! Take a half dropperful if you have a headache and another half dropperful in a half hour if the first one didn't work . . . but no more for at least eight hours.

Angelica tincture: I often use this tincture—made from the roots of the angelica plant—to strengthen my lungs and sharpen my mental faculties. I'll take a dose of one teaspoon twice a day for either use. If you read my article last issue, you'll recall that angelica root can also be used to warm the body (try from three to thirty drops for this), to relieve stomach and intestinal gas and spasms, and to reduce one's desire to drink alcoholic beverages. Remember, though, pregnant women should not take any angelica, as it also promotes menstruation!

Valerian tincture: I use a tincture made from the root of Valeriana officinalis as my favorite sedative for myself and my three-year-old boy, Stuart. I use a quarter dropperful for Stuart and a half dropperful for myself. Other nerve-relaxing doses I've seen recommended are ten to thirty drops for adults, five to fifteen drops for a six- to twelve-year-old, and one drop to calm a baby . . . or a dab on a baby's gums to soothe teething pains. (Some herbalists, though, recommend only chamomile—a milder herb than valerian—as a sedative for small children.) I've also used it to ease a friend's muscle spasms (one-half dropperful every four hours) and to help ease a fellow gardener's epilepsy (one-half dropperful twice a day).

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