Cook Book Collection
The Herb Doctor
and
Medicine Man____
OUR HERBS ARE DIFFERENT than the small packages of compressed herbs sold in drug stores. They are picked, cured, cleaned and milled in a different manner. The stuff sold in drug stores is the droppings and discarded materials of large drug millers. These droppings are swept together with the spit, tobacco, feathers, hair and dirt and pressed into one-ounce cakes. Is it any wonder that such herbs have no medicinal value?
How to Make Medicine . . .
If an herb tea mixture is composed mostly of roots and barks the tea may be boiled for one or two minutes so as to extract all of the medicinal value. But if composed mostly of herbs and leaves and flowers the tea should not be boiled as boiling would evaporate the aromatic principles of the tea.
Just place a heaping teaspoonful of any herb or herb mixture into a cup of boiling water; let stand until cold. That's all. Drink one or two cupsful a day; a large mouthful at a time. (current medical disclaimer)
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Indian Remedies and Other Sources Some of the following formulas have been contributed recently by Indian medicine men. Others have been in our possession for many years and have been secured through various sources and through great expense. Only such formulas are treated here as are of known value.
Grey Hair First Sign of Old Age
The coloring matter of the hair which exists in the cells of the outer two layers of the hair is eaten by cells from the innermost layer which have been kept in check by the vitality of the outer layer cells. As the body grows weaker these outer cells become weak and the inner cells grow in activity. After devouring the outer cells, causing gray hair, they attack the vital cells of the scalp and continue their destruction. These destructive cells are called 'Machrophags.' They are found in all parts of the body, and as the general health declines they become especially active in the walls of the arteries, causing old age and death. The process of course is very slow and hardly noticeable. As the body is kept young these cells are kept in check, therefore to ward off old age and grey hair, a tonic such as Body Tonic Tea should be taken.Body Tonic Tea
The ingredients of this remarkable formula speaks for themselves. The main ingredients as you will note are Gentian, Rocky Mountain Grape, Corn Silk and Ginger. These alone form a powerful tonic, and with the addition of the other ingredients I sincerely believe this combination the very best all-around tonic that money can produce.10 parts Blue Gentian
10 parts Rocky Mountain Grape
10 parts Corn Silk
10 parts Ginger
5 parts Barberries
5 parts Licorice Root
2 parts Turtlebloom
1 part Sacred Bark
1 part Pale Cohosh
1 part Golden Seal
1 part Fennel Seed
5 parts Way WortDIRECTIONS: Steep a heaping teaspoonful of these herbs in a cup of boiling water until it cools. Drink a few swallows during the day or take a cupful of the herbs and place into three pints of boiling water. Let stand until cool, strain and add a pint of best brandy or pure glycerine. Now add seven large new iron nails. These nails should be kept in the medicine until all is consumed, the longer the better, as they give off the coloring matter required for healthy hair. Dose: One teaspoonful one or twice daily
Strong soap is one of the chief causes of dandruff and falling out of hair. It drains the scalp and hair of the natural oil and the famished hair dries up and falls out.Indian Remedies
Obesity
Over fatness is generally the result of too little exercise.A fat person is generally languid and loath to exercise himself more than necessary. The extra work thrown upon the heart by all forms of exercise makes him more and more indolent. The heart becomes enlarged and the blood vessels become hard and inelastic. The muscles of the body are gradually changed into fat. The same change taking place in the walls of the heart, finally producing fatty degeneration of the heart. The liver and the kidneys undergo the same change.
The first and most essential thing to do, therefore, is to adopt a regular light exercise so as to not crowd the heart. This however, must be kept up without a miss. The best exercises are walking and stooping down. Start with walking a few blocks every day. Increase the distance every week until you get down to five miles. Also try to touch your knees by stooping forward without bending the knees. Do this five times every morning and evening reaching below the knees a little further each day until after a few months of this treatment you are able to touch your toes.
Keep your bowels moving at least once or twice a day by the use of a harmless herbal laxative. When the bowels move regularly the tea should be discontinued.
[As a regular tea] One hour before breakfast drink a cup of tea made by steeping a heaping teaspoonful of Indian Chickweed in a cup of boiling water until it becomes cold.
The Chickweed was first brought to the attention of our early settlers through their cattle. A certain pasture was over run with the weed and the cattle that grazed in this particular pasture would not put on flesh.
During the day, preferably on an empty stomach, the patient should drink 1 to 3 cupsful of the Saline Obesity and Nerve Tea described below.
Saline Obesity and Nerve Tea
As the name indicates this is a saline or lightly salty tea. It is agreeable, however, to most persons. The tea is also valuable as a nervine and in palpitation of the heart, exhaustion and other ailments peculiar to fat people.5 parts Golf Wrack
1 part Celery Seed
2 parts Angelica Root
1/2 part Nerve Root
1 part Waywort RootDIRECTIONS: Steep a level teaspoonful of this mixture into a cup of boiling water, allow to stand until cold. Drink 1 to 3 cupsful during the day. It has a tendency to create thirst. The patient, however, must not satisfy this thirst except with more of the tea. It will do no harm to drink plain water, but the less water is taken the quicker the results.
Indian Remedies
Constipation
It has been proven by medical authorities that undigested food had been known to remain in the intestines from two weeks to three months and even a year. This foul matter forms a coating in the intestines and stomach and even deposits what is commonly known as tartar on the back of the teeth. The delicate passages through which the bile, juices, etc., pass from the liver and other organs are choked up.Absorption and secretion are suspended, or partly so.
The stomach and intestines are unable to digest the food properly.
The liver is clogged and overloaded with bile.
The kidneys are filled with decayed tissue and dead corpuscles.
And the blood, which should be filtered and purified, becomes contaminated and poisoned and is pumped through the heart to every conceivable portion of the body from the brain to the toes.
It is not hard to see that such blood, instead of building and repairing the tissues of the body, can only poison the entire system.
It is of prime importance, therefore, that the bowels are put in good condition before attempting to cure any disease of any kind. The formula below is a scientific combination of natural herbs which will prove a revelation to those afflicted with habitual constipation.
HERB LAXATIVE TEA
This tea is a mild and soothing laxative. It removes the superfluous bile from the liver, it flushes out, cleans and strengthens the kidneys. It is advisable to use this tea two or three days in succession upon retiring at night. The tea should be discontinued as soon as the bowels move properly.12 parts Senna Leaves
4 parts Water Plantain
6 parts Black Root
4 parts Ginger
4 parts Southern Golden Seal
2 parts Sweet Weed
2 parts Butternut Bark
4 parts Turtlebloom
4 parts Licorice Root
4 parts Juniper Berries
2 parts Wallwort
4 parts May Apple
2 parts Low MallowDIRECTIONS: Steep a heaping teaspoonful of these mixed herbs into a cup of boiling water. Drink a half cupful upon retiring at night, warm or cold. . . . for three or four days. If very constipated 1 or 2 cupsful may be taken. It is unwise to force the bowels in this manner, however. The smaller the dose, the less forceful the action of the tea, the better results will be obtained after the use of the tea has been stopped.
Indian Remedies
Boils and Pimples
I am an old trapper and have received the following formula from an old Indian. It has cured me of boils. I use to be afflicted with these boils every year. At times I would have from one to fourteen at a time. Take the inner bark of Birch, about a teacupful of the bark to a quart of water. Boil a few minutes and drink in place of water. Writes J. F. M., Sharboquo, Ont., CanadaIndian Remedies
Consumption
'I was taken down with Bronchitis, which turned into consumption of the lungs. I doctored for one year and then the doctors said they could do me no good. A friend recommended Coltfoot or Coughwort, which grows all over the fields. I used to go out and pick it and dry it myself. Take a large handful of the plant and place into 3 pints of water. Boil down to 2 pints; strain and cool. Sweeten with honey if desired. Drink a wineglassful the first thing every morning and upon retiring at night. I took it 90 days and was entirely cured. This was 30 years ago and I have good lungs and a good developed chest.' Writes N. A. J.., Johnsburg, Ind.Indian Remedies
Tobacco Habit Remedy
Quassia, Gentian, Licorice Root, and see Voice Tonic, below.Voice Tonic
This is an old Indian remedy and very simple. It consists of chewing the dried herb Indian Balsam, the same as one would tobacco, but swallow the juice. The taste is similar to licorice. The Indian medicine men always carried so much of this fragrant herb with them that it gave them a peculiar not unpleasant odor, similar to the flavor of hickory nuts. It was much used by the Indian auratorist. It cleans the voice in a most remarkable manner and seems to create the desire to sing.Indian Remedies
Bladder Weakness of the Aged
This formula, without the ingredient Arch Angel, is successful in treating bed wetting in children. It is an excellent remedy for weak kidneys and bladder of the aged.10 parts Bear Berry Leaves
10 parts St. Johnswort
10 parts Peppermint
5 parts Arch Angel
2 parts Wild BergamotDIRECTIONS: Steep a heaping teaspoonful of these herbs in a cup of boiling water. Let remain until cold. Drink 1 or 2 cupsful during the day.
Indian Remedies
The advice or opinions of 'The Herb Doctor. . .' is not necessarily the advice or opinions of the publisher / web publisher. This text is not intended to prescribe or diagnose in any way nor to replace competent medical treatment. The publisher / web publisher does not directly or indirectly dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of herbs. The publisher/ web publisher assumes no responsibility if readers prescribe for themselves without medical approval.
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